Chapter 16 · Cole's Silent Debt

The vial's still smoking in her hand.

Cole's eyes are red. Not gold. Not silver. Red like something older than wolves, older than the alliance, older than any bloodline I've ever heard of. The guard takes a step back. Her grip on the comm loosens. She's scared.

Good.

"What the hell is he?" she breathes into the device. Her voice cracks. I've never heard a hunter sound like that. They don't crack. They don't hesitate. But she's staring at Cole like he's something that shouldn't exist.

Derek's voice crackles back through the speaker. Calm. Cold. "Repeat."

"His blood—" She swallows. "It destroyed the test. His eyes are red. Sir, I don't think he's—"

"Restrain him. Bring them both."

Cole's wrist is hanging at the wrong angle. Blood drips from his knuckles onto the concrete. He doesn't make a sound. He never does. But his eyes are locked on me. Not the guard. Not the gun. Me.

And I know what he's trying to say.

Run.

I can't. There's three hunters between me and the stairwell. Two more behind the guard. Cole's hurt. I'm eight months pregnant and my ribs still ache from where they shoved me into the wall.