Chapter 169

Nicholas

I paced the length of my office relentlessly, practically wearing a path in the carpet beneath me. My mind raced with images of Kayla—her bruised throat, her pale face as she lay unconscious in my arms. The memory almost made me sick, causing my wolf to claw at the inside of my chest.

Jade had found her laying on the bathroom floor, surrounded by shattered glass. She’d said Kayla had taken some kind of witch’s potion to make her wolf emerge.

“Would you sit down already? You’re making me dizzy,” Marcus grumbled from the leather armchair in the corner.

I shot my Beta a glare but didn’t stop moving. I couldn’t stop. If I stopped, the rage might consume me entirely.

“She could have died,” I growled, my hands clenching and unclenching at my sides. “It was bad enough that Liam had—” I couldn’t finish the sentence. The thought of what that fucker did to her three days ago made me want to shift into my wolf form and tear through the walls.

Noah leaned forward on the couch, bracing his elbows on his knees. “But she didn’t die. She’s alive and recovering.”

“Recovering? It’s been days since that piece of shit attacked her, and she can still hardly move,” I snapped. “And now she goes and pulls a stunt like this? Taking some stupid fucking potion to try and force her wolf out? If she had…” I cut myself off, dragging a hand down my face.

Marcus and Noah exchanged a look I couldn’t quite decipher.

“The doctor said she and the baby are stable,” Marcus reminded me. “Kayla’s strong. You know that better than anyone.”

I laughed bitterly. “Strong? Yes. Stubborn? Absolutely. But she’s not invincible.” I resisted the urge to slam my fist against the wall. “How could she do that? Take a mysterious potion like that? She doesn’t know who that woman was, or what her intentions were. And after all the nefarious shit we’ve been through, she should know better. She should have been more cautious.”

“Because she’s pregnant, and feels hopeless and desperate and hormonal,” Noah said simply, as if that explained everything. And in a way, it sort of did. Emphasis on sort of.

I sighed, turning and sinking down into the chair behind my desk. The leather creaked beneath my weight. “I love her. I just want her to be safe. Is that so much to ask?”

“For Kayla? Yeah, kind of,” Marcus said, the corner of his mouth quirking upwards.

I glared at him again. “Not helpful.”

“Look,” Noah interjected, “you knew who she was when you fell in love with her. She’s always been a bit…” He moved his finger in a circle near his temple and whistled low.

“Watch it,” I snapped, shooting my friend a well-deserved glare. I shook my head, looking away. “I understand that she feels desperate, that she thought she was choosing an option better than aborting the baby. But… fuck, guys. Even if she has to abort the baby, even if she can never have another, I’d never think less of her or want anyone else. I wish she would just see that.”

The room fell silent at that. I hadn’t voiced that fear aloud until now, but it had been eating at me since the doctor first mentioned it as a possibility.

“Have you told her that?” Noah asked quietly.

I sank into my chair behind the desk, suddenly exhausted. “Of course I have. But she doesn’t believe me. Or maybe she doesn’t believe herself worthy of that kind of love.” I pressed my palms against my eyes. “What will it take to show her that I love her even without a wolf? That I don’t view her as weak or useless?”

Marcus cleared his throat. “Maybe stop treating her like she’s made of glass? I mean, I get it—you’re worried. But Kayla’s spent her whole life proving herself. Being pregnant doesn’t change that.”

I wanted to argue, but deep down, I knew he had a point. I’d been hovering, trying to shield her from everything. And Kayla Sterling had never responded well to being shielded.

“Anyway,” Marcus continued, shifting the subject, “we need to focus on what we learned. Isabella and William may have disappeared, but we still have Liam in custody.”

I nodded, grateful for the redirection. Over the past few days, I’d thrown myself into the investigation, partly to distract myself from the constant worry over Kayla.

“He hasn’t talked yet,” I said, leaning back in my chair. “But he will.”

“I think they know something about Luporath,” Marcus said. “And whatever it is, it has something to do with Bluemoon specifically. The guild wants that land for a reason, and it’s not just about the power or resources.”

I frowned, considering his words. “What makes you say that?”

Marcus leaned forward. “Think about it. William’s a chairman of the guild. He has access to dozens of packs, many with more wealth and influence than Bluemoon. So why focus on Bluemoon? Why risk everything to undermine this one pack in particular?”

I couldn’t help but agree. Maybe I needed to push Liam harder for answers.

Noah, who had been unusually quiet, suddenly spoke up. “I’ve been thinking about Luporath, by the way.”

We both turned to look at him.

“What about it?” I asked.

“You said you wanted to find it so you could protect it, just as your mother wanted,” Noah said slowly, as if working through his thoughts. “But what if it could be useful? What if…” He hesitated, then took a deep breath. “What if it could grant wishes?”

The room went silent. I stared at him, confused.

“What kind of wishes are we talking?” Marcus asked.

Noah pursed his lips and stared at me. I swallowed hard, realizing what my friend was implying without even having to hear him say it.

What if it could give Kayla her wolf?

I swallowed hard, avoiding his gaze. The truth was, I’d considered this possibility already, although I hadn’t voiced it to anyone. The idea of using the relic to help Kayla had been on my mind for days, driving my desire to find it even more urgently now that she was pregnant.

“I’ve thought about it,” I finally admitted. “But it’s all legend and myth. We don’t know what Luporath actually does, or if it even exists beyond stories.”

“But if it could help her—” Noah started.

“I know,” I cut him off. “Believe me, I know. I just…” I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. “I haven’t wanted to say anything to Kayla. I don’t want to get her hopes up.”

Marcus nodded. “Smart. False hope is worse than no hope at all.”

“But maybe I should tell her soon,” I said, thinking out loud. “She’s clearly resorting to dangerous methods to try to make her wolf emerge. What she did…” I trailed off, anger flaring again at the memory.

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. Kayla was so stubborn most of the time, and while that was one of the things I loved most about her, this had gone too far. She could have died. Our baby could have died.

“She’ll be more careful now,” Noah said, trying to reassure me. “Surely she won’t do anything more crazy than that.”

I looked up and stared at him incredulously for a moment before a harsh laugh escaped my lips.

“She’s Kayla Sterling,” I said. “She’s done crazier for less.”