Chapter 285

• Jade
• Crowds have never been my thing. In fact, they rank somewhere between tax audits and root canals on my list of things I’d like to avoid. But here I am, standing at the edge of this three-pack party, my nerves fraying like an old sweater.
• I shift my weight from one foot to the other, scanning the sea of faces. It’s mostly shifters, all laughing and talking like they haven’t got a care in the world. That’s the thing about shifters—they thrive on these kinds of gatherings, feeding off the energy of the pack. Meanwhile, I’m just trying not to let my pulse race out of control.