SEDUCTIVE PREY

DEBRIS-NADO

Tattoo wasn't the only Lycan that ambushed Ethan and Zara that day. There were others, and one of them bit Zara. But I was too focused on finding the one who took Ethan that precious time was wasted.

And now she clings to life.

Black veins have spread throughout her body. She can no longer walk, and she's hardly ever awake now. Which means she's close to death's door. And poor Ethan... his stepfather wasted no time blaming him for not protecting Zara.

As if he doesn't feel bad enough already.

No one could have predicted this.

No one.

Grieving or not, it isn't fair for him to lay that blame at Ethan's feet. He did everything he could to save her. And he's been going non-stop to find the Lycan responsible. Refusing to feed or rest until he finds him.

"Can't we use his venom to locate him?" The idea quickly comes to me. "You know, like we used my blood to find my grandfather."

Ethan whips his head in my direction. "You're a genius."

Which... I'm cool with that.

He and Lucas jump into action, finding us a map, carefully extracting venom from Zara's veins, and performing a similar ritual to the one we did to find my grandfather.

And we hit pay dirt.

"He's still in the city." Lucas seems surprised. "You would think, knowing who he tried to kill, he'd get as far away from here as he can."

"Which probably means someone has served him up on a silver platter." Eden says what we're all thinking.

"Let's go get him." I grab my jacket and head for the door. But I notice Ethan doesn't move. "Are you coming?"

"No." He shakes her head. "I want to be the first person she sees when she comes out of it. I want to be by her side until this is done. Just... whatever you do, don't miss. Make sure he's dead."

Conflicting feelings battle for ground inside me, but I don't want to give either of them attention. So, pushing my emotions to the darkest recesses of my mind, I head for Lucas' car. But apparently Eden hasn't gotten that memo, because as soon as she climbs into the front seat, she says, "You alright? I know how much you care for Ethan, so what he said back there... that had to hurt."

Staring incredulously at her, I tell her, "I don't want to talk about it. Let's just go save her life so I can be done here."

Flashing me a pitiful smile, she turns back around in her seat. Entwining her fingers with Lucas', which does nothing but make me hyperaware of me not having what they have. And I probably never will.

Shifting my gaze to the passing scenery outside my window, I fight back months of tears demanding to be released. Only now isn't the time for me to have leaky faucets for eyes.

I'm going to find this damn Lycan, put him in the ground, save Zara, and then I'm on the first thing smoking back to Connecticut.

Where I plan to supernaturally kick the crap out of my baby sister.

It takes twenty minutes for us to get to our destination and we pull out our phones to text Ethan, but none of us have any signal.

"I don't like this." Tristan stares at the secluded home surrounded by nothing but trees as far as the eye can see. But it's what we don't see that bothers him. "Where's the rest of his pack? He should have betas here to protect him."