Chapter 260

• Leah's POV
• The night pressed against me, heavy and thick, like a beast breathing down my neck. I slumped on the sofa, the leather creaking under my weight, a glass of something sharp and amber cradled in my hand. It burned going down, slow and deliberate, a quiet fire licking at the edges of my thoughts. In front of me, Darren sprawled across the floor, his body limp, chest rising and falling in the deep, drugged sleep Leo's sedative had forced on him. One shot, and the wildness in him had crumpled, leaving behind this shell—calm, almost human again. I stared at him, the faint scars on his arms catching the dim light, and wondered how long that peace would hold before the monster clawed its way back.
• The growl of a scooter cut through the stillness, a jagged sound that scraped against the silence. Seth. I didn't need to hear the door slam open to know it was him—his presence always hit like a storm, chaotic and unapologetic. He burst in, all sharp edges and restless energy, his eyes pinning me before flicking to the glass in my hand. In three quick strides, he was on me, sliding up close, snatching the drink from my fingers like it was a live grenade. "Sorry, boss," he said, his voice rough with that cocky reverence he wore like armor, "but in our human world, pregnant women don't get to drown themselves in booze. Ask the chemistry geek next door if you don't believe me."