Chapter 15 · When the Alpha Breaks

The beast hits the vault door so hard the stone cracks.

I scramble back. The contract's still in my hand. Morgana's gone—she vanished the second Kade started shifting. Smart. I should've done the same.

But I didn't.

Kade's wolf is massive. Bigger than any shift I've seen. His eyes are solid black. No gold. No recognition. Just hunger and rage and something worse underneath. Something that makes my vampire blood scream run.

I don't run.

"Kade." My voice cracks. "Kade, it's me."

The beast snarls. Saliva hits the floor. The sound echoes in the vault, in my chest, in the space where the mate bond should be pulling him back to himself.

It's not working.

He lunges.

I throw myself sideways. Claws rake the wall where my head was. The contract flies from my hand. I don't have time to grab it. I'm already rolling, already on my feet, already sprinting for the narrow gap between two stone shelves.

The beast is faster.

He catches my jacket. The fabric rips. I twist free and keep moving. My lungs burn. My vampire side is awake now, fed by panic, trying to shove strength into my limbs. I shove it back down.