Chapter 28 · The Silver Wolves' Price

Cole's on his knees. Blood's coming out of his mouth. He just said my name.

I didn't know his voice could sound like that. Rough. Broken. Like something tore inside him to get that one word out.

Derek's still standing over us. His hand's on the wall next to my head. The blood door's glowing brighter now. Hot. The symbols are moving under my skin where I touched it.

"Open it," Derek says. His wolf's in his eyes. Gold bleeding through the blue. "Or I take her now and you watch."

Wren's not crying anymore. She's quiet against my chest. Too quiet. Babies aren't supposed to go quiet like that.

I look at Cole. He's trying to get up. His hands are shaking. There's blood on his knuckles, on his shirt, dripping from his chin. The curse is eating him from the inside. I can smell it. Rotting meat and old magic.

He says my name again. "Ivy."

It costs him. I see it. His whole body jerks like something's biting down on his spine.

"Don't." I shake my head. "Don't talk. You'll die."

"Already... dead." His voice is a scrape. Like gravel on glass. "Run."

Derek laughs.