Chapter 8 · What's Inside You

"Ivy!" Aiden's hands caught my shoulders before I hit the floor.

I couldn't answer. I couldn't breathe. Every nerve in my body burned as razor wire dragged through my veins. The silver coin rolled across the floorboards while I convulsed, my back arching, my jaw locked.

"What's happening?" Aiden's voice cracked. "Talk to me."

I couldn't. The curse wasn't sitting still anymore. It crawled beneath my skin, clawing for a way out.

Rex dropped into a crouch in front of me. "Cain. What the hell was on that coin?"

"A binding mark." Cain's voice stayed level, but something sharp cut underneath it. "Old magic. Pre-Pack. It shouldn't have triggered unless—"

Another wave hit.

I screamed. My spine lifted off the floor. My nails dug into Aiden's forearms, except they weren't nails anymore. They were claws—long, black, and wrong.

Aiden jerked back. Blood welled in four clean lines.

"Shit." Rex grabbed my wrist and slammed it to the floor. His grip was iron. "Her wolf's breaking through the seal."

"That's not possible." Cain moved closer, his hand hovering above me. "The seal should hold unless—"

"Unless the curse is eating it from the inside," Rex finished. He pinned my other wrist.