Chapter 0332
“What do you mean?” Alexander frowned.
I avoided his gaze and pressed a finger to my temple. Hoping he’d understand—I needed him inside my head. To hear my racing thoughts. If I was right… I prayed I wasn’t.
Isabella gave a faint smile. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Yes, you do.”
Alexander stared at me like I’d lost my mind. But stranger things had happened. Everyone knew Isabella and Julian shared more than a birthday. Lucas had said they carried pieces of each other’s souls.
Lucas also spoke of darkness seeping in. Finding a crack and spreading. What if that could happen between twins who shared twin wolves? They did have part of each other inside.
“You moved them all in while I wasn’t watching,” Isabella muttered. She stopped struggling against Alexander and Lucas. “You brought more Lycans when I couldn’t stop you.”
“What’s going on?” Zachary demanded. “Someone explain!”
Alexander held up a hand, silencing him. I kept my focus on the person in front of me.
“Where is Isabella?” I demanded.
Zachary stared at me, completely lost.
“I knew you were clever, Athena. From the very first day I saw you. Peeking around the corner at Silver Creek. Shy.” “Isabella wasn’t at Silver Creek,” Alexander muttered.
“No. But Julian was.” I studied Isabella’s face. She had made me feel welcome here before Alexander did. Her advice was harsh, but I valued her honesty. Now, I didn’t recognize the being standing before me.
How could one soul be overtaken by another?
Tears threatened, but I held them back. Was Isabella still in there? She had to be. Zachary was still connected to her.
“How long?” I demanded.
Her lips curved, but she stayed silent. I grabbed her face. Claws extended from my fingertips. She growled as they pierced her skin. “How fucking long?”
“Athena!”
I ignored Alexander. I needed answers. Now. Before anyone thought about leaving.
Her dark eyes locked on mine. They looked hollow. Empty in a way I’d never seen.
“It started in the hospital.” Her gaze shifted to Lucas. “You told us about our souls. How part of us lives inside the other. I heard you and wondered… what if I could become my sister? And look. It worked.”
Blood trickled from her cheeks, but I kept my claws steady. Any deeper, and I might kill her. Him. Them. I didn’t even know what to call this thing. “Where is Isabella?” I repeated.
“Almost gone.”
“This can’t be real,” Zachary whispered. “You can’t steal someone’s soul! Isabella, come on. This is just grief over Julian. We know you’re hurting.”
“You’re right. I am grieving. Grieving how pathetic this pack has become. Full of fucking Lycans everywhere I look. One as Luna. One as Beta. What’s next? Oh, right. The pack heirs are Lycans too.”
My claws dug deeper. “You slept with one.”
“I wanted to know what it was like to fuck you. To have you under me, moaning my name. I didn’t see Seraphina. All I saw was you, Athena Harrison.”
Disgust twisted my stomach. Julian had gone to her because she looked like me. He was always taking what wasn’t his.
'I’ll kill him!' Nyx snarled.
'Not yet.'
I held my claws in place. More blood welled up as I leaned in close. Isabella and Julian looked so alike. Up close, you could forget everything except the face in front of you. I wanted to see him when I said my next words.
“But you’ll never have the real thing.”
I released her. Blood spurted from the wounds. They healed quickly as my claws retracted.
“Bitch!”
A gunshot rang out, deafeningly loud. As Isabella’s body hit the floor, I turned. Expecting to see Lucas holding the weapon.
But it was Zachary.