Chapter 22 · The Marriage Was a Setup

I hit the pavement hard enough to knock the air out of my lungs.

The fire escape had seemed like a solid plan thirty seconds ago. Now I'm sitting in an alley behind Ethan's building with scraped palms and a twisted ankle that's already starting to swell. The phone's still clutched in my hand. The message is still there. *Mara's alive. 1847 Eastside Industrial. Come alone. Don't trust your husband.*

I shove myself upright. The ankle screams but I don't care. If there's even a chance—

"Charlotte."

I freeze.

Ethan's standing at the mouth of the alley. He's not even breathing hard. He's just there, blocking the only way out, and the look on his face makes my stomach drop.

"How did you—"

"I heard you open the window." His voice is flat. "I'm a werewolf. You think I wouldn't notice?"

I back up a step. My ankle buckles and I catch myself against the brick wall. "Stay away from me."

"You're hurt."

"I don't care." I hold up the phone. "Someone says Mara's alive. I'm going to find out if that's true."

He goes very still. "Let me see that."

"No."

"Charlotte." He takes a step forward.