Chapter 4

Everyone in the yard sees me at the same time. The voices cut in half.

Kellan is standing by the bonfire, hands in his pockets. Meadow runs toward me and grabs my sleeve.

"Briar! You're back! I was just about to come find you—"

I lift my hand to pull free.

She stumbles backward with a gasp and drops to the ground.

"Meadow!"

Kellan crosses the yard in three strides. He shoves past me so hard I stagger back, my foot catches on the pile of burned-out logs from the bonfire, and I go down.

My palm lands flat on the embers.

The pain is instant — white-hot, searing through skin. My whole body curls inward.

Ronan and Flynn rush over. All three of them crouch around Meadow like she's made of glass, lifting her up, brushing dirt off her clothes.

Nobody looks at me.

Kellan turns. His eyes land on me, and all I see is anger.

"What is wrong with you?"

"Meadow was worried about you — worried you were out there alone. And the first thing you do when you come back is shove her?"

The pain pulses up my arm in waves. Moonlight catches the blisters already swelling across my palm.

He notices my hand. His voice drops half a degree.

"…You okay?"

I don't look at him. I push myself off the ground on my own.

A laugh scrapes out of me. "Worried about me? So worried she's out here celebrating around a bonfire?"

Kellan stiffens. "What are you talking about? A bonfire after the Ceremony is pack tradition."

Sure. Tradition.

But what does any of it have to do with me?

"Move." My voice is quiet.

His jaw tightens. "You shoved her and you're walking away without even an apology?"

I lift my head and look him straight in the eyes. My palm throbs with every heartbeat.

"Apology?" I say. "Ask her. Did I touch her?"

He doesn't turn around. But behind him, Meadow sniffles — soft, barely there.

That one sound swallows everything he was about to say.

"Briar. For both our sakes — apologize. Now."

"If this is really for both our sakes," I look at him, "then come with me. Right now."

"Reject the mate bond. Leave the pack. Forget the Ceremony, the Goddess blessing — all of it. Walk away with me. Do you dare?"

His lips move.

I wait for him to speak. Wait for him to step toward me.

He hesitates.

His head turns — just slightly — and I see what he sees. Meadow standing behind him, chin tilted up, watching him with those wide eyes.

"Briar…" His voice sinks low. "Don't push me like this. We don't have to figure everything out tonight. Meadow, she's—"

"Forget it." I cut him off and brush the ash from my clothes. "I was joking."

I already knew the answer. Why wait for him to say it out loud?

I turn to leave. Behind me, Meadow's voice wavers. "Her hand is burned — I'll get the med kit—"

Kellan catches her arm. His voice is a low rumble, thunder buried under skin.

"Don't. She shoved you first. She's putting on a show. Don't give her the satisfaction."

I push open the bedroom door and walk in.

The footsteps outside fade.

I sit on the edge of the bed and look at my hand.

The burn sits right in the softest part of my palm.

It hurts. It hurts so much that everything else has gone numb.