bChapter /bb62 /b

bSkye’s /bbPOV /b

Jake, bJessie’s /bnew husband, charged across the dance floor, fists clenched and fury zing in his eyes. But he didn’t bget /bfar. bOne /bof Kane’s men to: forward band /bstruck him with a brutal punch. Jake

crumpled to the ground, blood spurting from his nose, Jessie screamed band /bbdropped /bbto /bbher /bFrieet bet bhim/bb, /bclutching his bleeding face.

Chaos erupted instantly. Guests shrieked, chairs toppled, someone knocked over the punch bowl. The DJ stood frozen, mouth bopen/b, hand bhovering /babove the turntable as if unsure whether to y another track or

Then I saw Nadia. Her beyes /bglowed with a da

gue

for his life.

light, her fingers curling bas /bws began to form. She was losing control.

“No, Nadia!b” /bbI /bshouted, pushing past frightened

bA /bshotgun st exploded through the air, silencing the room. ster snowed down from a fresh hole in the ceiling. Buck stood bat /bthe edge of the bdance/b. floor, both hands steady on his double–barreled shotgun, now aimed directly at Kane.

“That’s enough!” he bellowed. “You and your animals get the hell out of my town, or the next one goes somewhere vitalb./bb” /b

Kane didn’t flinch. His calm, eerieposure only made the hairs on my neck brise/b. He gave a single nod, and one of his men dropped to all fours. bA /bgrotesque cracking of bones followed as he partially shifted midair, lunging for Buck with teeth bared.

I threw myself forward, mming into Buck and knocking him aside. The creature missed bby /binches, crashing into the wedding cake table. The bcake /bexploded, frosting and fondant flung everywhereb. /bGuests fled in terror. Some screamed, some cried, others froze, paralyzed by fear.

Kane stood among it all, straightening his tie like this bwas /ba board meeting.

“No more games,” he said, his bvoice /bsmooth and sharp bas /bbss/b.fnb495 This update is avable on F?nd-Novel/fnb495

b“/bWhat do you wantb?/bb” /bbI /bdemanded, standing between him and Buck.

“You and byour /bfriend,” Kane replied, nodding toward Nadia, who now stood behind bme/b, breathing hard but bslowly /bregaining control. “bYou’re /bbothing with me.”

My eyes scanned the room. Phones were out. Someone was filming. bA /bman at the back lifted bhis /bbcell /bto his ear. His voiceb, /bbarely audible through the noiseb, /bconfirmed my fearsb. /b

“Please,” he whispered. “There’s something happening bat /bthe-

Kane moved fast. In a blink, he bwas /bin front of the man, snatching the phone from his hand. He held it up and bspoke /bclearly into the breceiver/bb. /b

“False rm,” he said smoothly. “Just a blown fuse at the reception. Lights are back. Everything’s fine.b” /b

He didn’t wait for a breply/b. He dropped the phone to the floor and crushed

it

beneath his bheel/b.

“Phonesb,/b” he ordered. “All of them. Now.”

His men moved swiftly, shouting at the guestsb. /bb“/bPut the phones down! Stop recording!”

People obeyed. Whether out of bfear /bor instinct, they lowered their bdevices/b, some trembling as they ced them on tables or bthe /bfloor.

1 turned to Kane. “bPlease/b. Don’t hurt them. We’lle with byou/b. I’ll do whatever you want–just leave them out bof /bit.”

bHe /barched an eyebrow, amused. “You think you’re in a position to bargain?”

I didn’t reply.

bHe /bleaned in suddenly and nted a mocking bkiss /bon my cheek. “But I’m generousb,/bb” /bhe murmured. “bYou’ll /blearn that.

bChapter 62 /b

bTwo /bbof /bbhis /bbenforcers /bbseized /bus then. One held my arms, the other bgrabbed /bNadia. bWe /bstruggledb, /bbut it was buseless/b. I felt a sharp prick in my bburning /bsensation

b“/bbRx/bb,/bb” /bbKane /bsaid smoothlyb. /bb“/bIt’s just a suppressant. Keeps the shifting urges in theck. I’d never hurt you. I just need you bto /bhe gentler

bI /bbtried /bbto /bfight, but my limbs were growing heavyb, /bmy mind cloudy. Nadia gritted her teeth, fighting against the effects, but I could see it hitting Hel

Take themb,/bb” /bKane ordered.

We were dragged toward the exit. I caught her dress, tears running down her cheeks.

glimpse of

Buck trying to push through the chaos, calling bafter /bus. Jessie heldke in her barms/b, d on

“Please!” bI /bshouted again. “Please, don’t hurt them! I’ll do everything you bsay/b!”

bKane /bturned, his expression unreadable.

“You should’ve thought about that earlier,” he said. “If you two had just cooperated, the wedding wouldn’t have gone to hell. Now I’ve got a mess to clean-

upb./bb” /b

Then he snapped his fingers. “Take their phones. Thoroughly.”

bWe /bwere forced toward a ck SUV parked just outside. One of the bmen /bstarted patting me down roughlyb, /bclearly enjoying it. His hand dipped far lower than necessaryb, /bslipping inside the waistband of my pants.

b“/bbGet /bbyour /bdamn hands off meb!/bb” /bbI /bsnarled.

Then I bit him. Hard.

He byelped/b, jerking away. The taste of blood filled my mouth. He pped

bme /bbviciously /bbacross /bthe bface/bb. /b

My head snapped to the side. Pain bloomed in my cheek, but I didn’t cry out.

“Skye!” Nadia shouted, trying to break bfree/bb, /bbut another man grabbed her from behind, locking her arms bdown/b.

“Feisty little things,” the man muttered.

bA /bfew minutester, Kane reappeared. “What the hell is taking so long?b” /b

“Just checking them for hidden weapons,b” /bthe man said quickly.

Kane shot him a look that made beven /bthat brute flinch.

“Phones,” he said tly.

The mèn tossed our phones into a nearby trash bin outside the car. I watched helplessly as the devices that connected us to the outside world disappeared into a pile of discarded paper cups and wedding napkins.

The car doors mmed shut. The engine started.

As we pulled baway /bfrom the wrecked reception hall, looked back onest time.

bJessie /bwas still holding Jake. Buck bwas /bshouting bafter /bbus/b, his shotgun long discarded, eyes wide with helpless rage.”

And Kaneb? /b

bHe /blingered behind, dusting bcake /bcrumbs off bhis /bshoulder.