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"That’s what you can’t seem to wrap around your thick skull this isn’t your business"

"Whatever’s co I’h with the prophet crap, it’s wearing on my nerves, vaument drifted out of ear shot as she slammed out of the apart Half the ti to do with her Her headache throbbed harder

A run

A run would be good to work out everything that had happened this evening Laila’s sorrowful tale, the bond that she had felt forging between theht not all be bad (sheesh who saw that coement to Ryder, and his inability to function norreat

Trying to throw off her irritation at Ryder and Reuben, Jaefor Caia and Lucien to return so they could work this all out With relief, she pulled into Lucien’s driveway and walked across the gravel and up on to the porch She didn’t bother going through the house, knowing they would hear her strolling around to the back porch and would work out for the in her skin changed into an impatience for the run Jae jerked out of her clothes and she suddenly wished she could be like Caia Ryder had described how she could change into a wolf instantly no she could run into the woods in hue It sounded wonderful But as her e, and as her bones cracked with eye-watering satisfaction, she knew she wouldn’t give up this feeling for anything Distantly she wondered if Caia h her pelt was exactly what the doctor ordered She crunched through pinecones, ran at full speed towards a tree and launched herself at it, only to bound off it and race in the opposite direction

With the run, her rew exhausted, and so made her way back to Lucien’s backyard, leisurely and purposely slowing the change back into hu herWith a final roll of her neck she began to shuffle back into her clothes

On the last button of her shirt, her ears pricked up at a loud crack that came from the woods close by She sniffed the air and an unfamiliar sweet scent she couldn’t quite identify swaate when pain shot through her head and dark spots clouded her vision, sing her whole as they multiplied into a thick black tar

"I can’t believe this It’s all your fault!" Ryder railed at the vampyre as they followed Jaeden’s scent

Reuben snorted "You started it"

"She’s probably furious atknowing it It’s your fault You piss me off past rationality"

"It’s always nice to be appreciated"

"Don’tinthe truck viciously into Lucien’s driveway so that the vaer door with an ‘oof’

"Childish, iures he saw at the side of the house Two figures that appeared to be struggling-

"Jaeden!" he bellowed, cutting the vaine, he threw hiure that had Jaeden bundled over their shoulder The figure stopped at the entrance of the woods, jerking towards them, their face hidden by a black hood Uncereround and like a shadow disappeared into the darkness of the trees

Reuben was running past hio after them!" he ordered, his face set with deterister that he had never seen anyone look quite as dangerous as Reuben did in that moment as he blurred past hi her liers to her pulse, relief rushing through him at the steady beat

"Ryder, what happened?"

He looked up to see Ella and Magnus rushing out of the house, their faces etched with concern "She’s been knocked out, her head’s bleeding"

"Get her into the house," Magnus ordered gruffly, his gaze searching the woods "There’s so Jaeden into his arone after thenus frowned "The vampyre Sure he can handle it?"

The venomous look on Reuben’s face flashed before his eyes "I’reed and followed them into the house Ella cleaned the blood fronus checked her over

"When she comes around it’ll heal," he assured Ryder, "No concussion"

Ella wrung her hands "Must have been sorowled in response

At that, Jaeden stirred, her eyelids fluttering open "Ow"

Relief overwhelht baby, you’re alright"