Chapter 206: Chapter 205

Lanie | squeezed my eyes shut, my mind going blank as | prepared for him to pull the trigger.

This was it. This was the end.

But then | heard Zane say “Cover your mouth!” and felt the gun slip slightly against my temple.

| clapped my hand over my mouth just as the gun left my head and | heard a loud thudding sound.

| slowly opened my eyes, and Zane stood in front of me, holding the pouch of sleeping powder, his face set in a determined frown. Next to me, the guard lay in a heap on the floor.

| blew out a sigh, my whole body shaking from the intense fear and then huge wave of relief.

“| thought | was dead,” | said. My voice came out weak and squeaky.

“If ’d been one second slower, you might've been,” Zane said thickly. “Stay here.”

He rushed into the other rooms of the house, looking for other people who might be hiding, waiting to attack. He returned a moment later, a look of relief on his face.

“All clear,” he said, standing in front of me.

Atush of appreciation coursed through me. Thank the f ucking g ods Zane was here and thinking clearly. He’d saved my a ss again.

Warmth bloomed in my belly as he stepped closer to me and slipped his hands around my waist.

| fell into him instinctively, letting his arms slide all the way around me and pressing my body into his. We never got to be alone like this, and after all the hit that had already happened on this mission, | just wanted to hold onto this moment as long as | could.

| tilted my head up and he leaned his head down so our lips met in a gentle but passionate kiss. He kissed me like he knew how close he’d come to losing me, hard and desperate but almost reverent, too.

I clung to his back as his hands traveled farther down mine, tugging me even closer. G od s, | wanted him. |

needed him. I'd felt it earlier, too, when we stripped in the woods.

| fingered the hem of his shirt, wanting to rip it off, but Zane pulled away from me, a pained look on his face.

“There’s no time,” he said. “But | really f ucking wish there was.”

| glanced down at the guard lying still at our feet, and | knew he was right. Every second lost was a second the twins might be in pain.

| squatted down and plucked a hair from the guard’s head then pulled the potion bottle out of my jacket pocket.

filled the air.

Zane and | both coughed.

“Go ds, that guy’s gonna taste terrible,” he said.

| braced myself, then raised the potion high.

“Bottom’s up.” And | swallowed it in one gulp.

that Xander When | walked into the kitchen the next morning to get coffee, Mason was already in there brewing some.

Of course he was.

| reached for the pot with a co cked eyebrow and Mason motioned for me to go ahead.

| poured it slowly, feeling his eyes on me.

I'd avoided him since my mother had brought us outside for that little talk. To be honest, | felt ashamed.

tI’d let my temper get the best of me so quickly when I knew she was having such a hard time already.

Lying on the couch last night, I’d actually convinced myself | should apologize to Mason and try to be the bigger person. Partially because | was tired of acting like some emotional idiot, but I’d be lying if | said | didn’t also want Lanie to see how far I'd come when she got back.

“Look, | wanted. “But I trailed off when Mason started talking at the same time. “You first,” | said.

Hey, if Mason was going to be the first to break down and apologize, then | wouldn’t complain.

“Have you spoken to your mom since she shamed us yesterday?” he asked, smirking a little, then frowning. “I feel like a huge d ick for not thinking about what she was going through.”

“You and me both. But nah, | thought it was best to give her some space.” | shrugged. “She deserves to not deal with other people’s b ullsh it for a while.”

Mason nodded.

“Plus, if we don’t let her cool down, then she'll rain hell down upon us, Alphas or not.” We both snorted out a small laugh. “She wasn’t Luna of the Constantine pack for nothing.”

As soon as | said that, an uneasiness crept up the back of my neck, the beginning of a realization I'd somehow ignored up until now.

100.

And then it hit me all of a sudden. | looked up at Mason and recognition seemed to dawn across his face, S hit. Mason was an Alpha now, too, and he’d fully claimed Lanie which meant....

Lanie was the new Luna.