Chapter 26

• Ayla Cross
• I should’ve stayed in bed last night. The moment I crept down those stairs, I sealed my fate. I knew Zane was battling something dark—something he didn’t want anyone to see—and I was foolish enough to witness it. He’d rather pretend nothing happened, flash that arrogant smile, and offer me a drink in the cafeteria like it could erase what I’d seen. It didn’t. It just made it worse.
• I tugged at the collar of my uniform and took a quick sniff. No trace of the metallic tang from last night, thank the moon. “Mating age,” they’d said. What a joke. As if turning eighteen suddenly made me prey. Maybe it would make sense if I weren’t an omega.