Chapter 0356

Athena

“We’re leaving.” Luc’s hand closes around my arm, pulling me away like I’m nothing but dead weight slowing him down.

I wrench my arm back, prying his fingers off my skin. “Let go of me. I’m not done here.”

His voice drops, cold and sharp. “If we don’t move now, I’ll put a bullet in that blonde’s skull.”

'It was bound to happen sooner or later.' Nyx murmurs inside my head.

“Because you didn’t like what she was saying?” I hiss as he shoves me toward the passenger side.

“No.” His whisper is barely audible. “I want whoever’s watching to hear me say it.”

I almost turn my head. Right before we knocked, I’d felt eyes on us—but there were no foreign scents, no movement in the shadows.

“Eyes on me, Athena. They can’t know we see them. Look around, and you’ll give us away.”

“I don’t smell anything,” I mutter. Nyx echoes the thought.

“We’re not meant to. They’re masking. That’s why I can’t pinpoint them. Could be more than one.” His voice is low, urgent. “We’re heading back to Obsidian Howl. If they follow, that’s on them. I made a vow to keep you safe. Now buckle up.”

He slams the door, nearly catching my fingers. I curse under my breath as I yank the seatbelt across my chest.

“You think it’s that Levi guy?” I ask as he speeds away from Seraphina’s house.

“Not sure. Even if he masks his scent, I should’ve caught Hannah’s. She wasn’t there.”

“Maybe they were watching them, not us.”

“Us.” His tone leaves no room for doubt. The car accelerates. My knuckles turn white where I grip the belt.

“How can you be so sure?”

“There’s a car on our tail. Has been since we left.”

I glance back. A silver sedan falls behind, then slows to a crawl before pulling onto the grass as we round the bend. 'They know we made them.' Nyx growls.

“Lycans or Wolves?” I ask.

“Lycans, I think.”

“You think?”

“Masked scent makes it hard. Could be Wolves. Not sticking around to find out.”

“Is masking scents easy?”

“No. It’s difficult. Deliberate.”

I study his profile. There’s so much I don’t know about him. He only shares fragments, and only when he wants to. You can’t force anything out of a Wolf like him.

I check behind us again. The road is empty. “They’re gone.”

Luc nods but doesn’t slow down. We nearly sideswipe an oncoming car. Finally, he eases off the gas, and we roll to a stop. I release a shaky breath. Cars still make me nervous.

“You’re worried about Hannah. We’ll find her,” I say, hoping it comforts him.

He glances at me, his expression unreadable. Then, slowly, a smile forms. “You’re right. We will.”

Just as the car starts moving again, something slams into us from behind.

The seatbelt locks, crushing the air from my lungs. My organs lurch forward. I taste bile.

Sharp, burning pain tears through my chest and stomach where the belt digs in.

I look toward Luc.

He isn’t in his seat.

His body is half through the shattered windshield. Shards of glass pierce his skin. Blood sprays from multiple wounds.

'Athena, don’t move.' Nyx’s voice is dazed, disoriented.

“I have to help him,” I whisper, fumbling for the belt clasp.