“I should call Eli.” My words were shaky as they left my mouth.

I’d dressed and now stood in front of Julian. My veins hummed with fading adrenaline. I found my cell in my back pocket but was reminded it was dead by the unchanging black screen when I pushed the top button.

“Here, use mine. He needs to know what happened.” Julian held his cell phone out to me.

I secured my silver bracelet on my wrist before reaching for it. My fingers grew cold as I scrolled to find Eli’s number. He was going to freak when he found out I’d been bitten.

Holy shit. I’d been bitten. I’d never been bitten by a vampire before.

My fingers reached around and brushed against the area again. Flickers of pain danced down my neck. Warm, sticky blood had already soaked into my shirt.

Jesus, I was going to look like something straight out of a slasher flick soon.

Julian moved to Octavia. Either the scent of my blood was getting to him, or he was worried about her. It was hard to tell. It always was with Julian. He was hard to read.

I placed more distance between us just in case there was too much temptation to pick up where his brother had left off and held my breath as I tapped Eli’s name.

He answered on the second ring.

“Julian, hey. Is everything okay?” Eli asked. People yelled in the background. Either our team had gotten the ball or we’d scored.

“Actually, it’s me.”

“Mina? I’ve been trying to call you. Why haven’t you answered? Everything all right?”

His concern filtered through the phone. I closed my eyes, bracing myself for how he would react to what I said next.

“Yes and no.”

“What the hell does that mean?” he demanded. Obviously, he wasn’t in the mood for vague answers.

My hand moved to the back of my neck. I pressed my fingertips to the wound and felt the warmth of my blood meet with them, causing me to cringe.

“It means, yes, I am okay, but I’m also not okay. Eli, I was bitten.”

He didn’t speak. In my head, I imagined his body becoming rigid and his eyes squeezing shut as a slew of curse words built on his tongue.

“What happened?” His tone was icy.

The sounds of the football game faded, and I knew it was because he was placing distance between himself and the excitement so he could hear me better.

“Benji attacked you?”

“No.” I could see where he might think that, though. “It wasn’t Benji.”

“Who was it then?”

He knew. Now that Benji was taken off the list, he knew there was only one other vampire who would attack me.

My heart palpitated as the coldness in my fingers began to spread. I didn’t want to tell him—it would only fuel his anger—but I knew I had to.

“Roman,” I said. “He attacked one of Rowena’s guests while she was walking on the nature trail behind the inn. Octavia and I went to search for him, and he attacked me.”

I didn’t need to tell him anything more, did I? I could just cut to the chase. It was easiest.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” His breathing had picked up. Was he pacing?

“Yeah.”

“You sure?”

I knew where this was going. He was beating himself up for not being here, for not being able to stop me from being bitten. I didn’t want him to go down that road.

“Eli, I said I’m fine.” I was about to add that Julian had saved me, but I figured it would only add fuel to what he was feeling.

“Okay. All right. As long as you’re okay, that’s all that matters.” His words were still clipped, making his tone contradict his words. “Where’s your phone? Why are you calling me from Julian’s?”

Shit. Now I’d have to tell him about Julian.

“Uh, it’s dead. I must have forgotten to charge it last night.” I licked my lips. “And, Julian was the one who saved me from Roman. He pulled him off me. He let me use his phone to call you.”

“And, where is he now?” Eli asked. It sounded as though he was speaking through gritted teeth.

I didn’t know who he was talking about. “Julian or Roman?”

“Roman.” His name came out in a disgusted tone.

I glanced around, skimming the woods. “I have no idea.”

Eli released a breath. “I shouldn’t have let you out of my sight. Not with the way Roman was smirking at you when we saw him at the game.”

And, here we go.

“Ridley needed me. Benji too. You couldn’t have known this would happen. No one could have.” My fingers moved to my neck again. The piercing pain had faded to a dull throb. “I’m fine. Really.”

At least I hoped I was. Dissipating pain seemed like a good thing, but it was my vision that was becoming a cause for concern. Everything was starting to blur around the edges.

Was this what shock felt like? Possibly the beginnings of a panic attack? Too much blood loss?

“No. You’re not fine, Mina,” Eli growled. “You were bit. Attacked. Hurt. However you want to label it. And I should have been there. I shouldn’t have let you go to the inn. I shouldn’t have even suggested it. I should have known Roman would head there to see how Benji was or to follow you. I should have known what his sick smirk directed your way meant.”

My lips pressed into a thin, white slash while I listened to him go on. I didn’t like the way he was saying things. It made it seem as though he controlled me.

“You wouldn’t have been able to stop me,” I snapped. “I wanted to be there for Ridley and Benji. I would have gone regardless at some point. They’re my friends.”

Even though Benji wasn’t his normal self right now, he’d proven in the attic with Ridley that there was a piece of him still inside somewhere. He just needed to be able to keep hold of it.

“Yes, I would have been able to stop you. I’m your alpha.”

Oh no, he didn’t.

“But, I wouldn’t have,” Eli insisted before I could speak. A loud exhale filtered through the phone. “I know how much being there for them means to you. I’m just pissed you got hurt. I’m pissed I wasn’t the one who saved you. Just—” He paused as though he was carefully choosing his next words. “Promise me you’ll be careful, okay? Roman was/is part of the Midnight Reaper group. Don’t forget that.”

My anger toward him melted.

“I know. I’ll be careful. I was. I had Octavia with me. It’s not like I went after him alone.”

“Lot of good having her with you did,” Eli scoffed. Out of the Montevallo family, she seemed to be everyone’s least favorite and this moment added to her disfavor greatly.

“Will you stop?” I scolded him. “I’m fine.”

Julian cleared his throat. I shifted around to glance at him.

“You’re not fine,” he insisted. “Tell him the truth.”

“What was that?” Eli asked. Obviously, he’d heard Julian.

“Right. About the bite...”

“What about it?” Eli asked.

I swallowed hard. “Apparently, when Roman bites someone, he gets a taste of their blood and sort of marks them.”

“And that means?” Eli pressed.

“Remember Jane Hawker? How he played with her mind before he killed her?”

“You mean, he’s going to screw with you now?”

His words sent a shiver down my spine. It was clear how worked up the topic was making him, and knowing that didn’t help my anxiety any.

“Yeah. Pretty much,” I said.

“We need to get to him before he has the chance. We have to take him out first,” Eli said.

“No. Capture him,” Julian corrected Eli. I might as well have Eli on speaker with the way Julian was listening in on our conversation. “Without killing him. That was the deal.”

“Yeah, capture him without killing him,” I repeated.

It was for Julian’s benefit. No one else’s. I wasn’t sure Roman going unharmed was an option now. He’d bit me. That changed everything. If it came between my life and his, I was damn sure going to end him before he could end me—even if it meant starting a war with Julian and his sisters.

“I’ll call a meeting,” Eli muttered. His tone was low, controlled, but I knew it was an act for Julian. Eli felt the same way about Roman as I did. This wasn’t about capturing Julian’s brother anymore; it was about life or death. My life and death. Also, it was clear where Eli’s loyalties remained—with his pack. Blood bond be damned. “Now that you’ve been bitten it changes things.”

Julian’s eyes fixed on me. I knew he was picking up on what I was putting out via his empathic skills, and he’d heard Eli. Still, he didn’t say anything more about the subject. Maybe there was a part of him that understood.

“Where are you?” Eli asked, pulling me from my thoughts.

“Caraway Inn.” Pretty much. I was in the woods behind it.

“Go home. Let your Gran tend to your neck. Rest. I’ll be home as soon as I can. I’m going to gather the others and do one more quick sweep here. I want to make sure he didn’t come back since he was run off.”

“Okay.” I didn’t argue with him because I didn’t have the strength. Now that my adrenaline had worn off and my sense of shock was dissipating, I was exhausted. What I was feeling could also be from blood loss, though. The thought of Gran sent warmth through my chest. I needed her, but I didn’t want anyone else to know what had happened to me. My next words came out rushed. “Don’t send someone over to babysit me, okay?”

“What? Why?” Eli ground out, making it clear that was going to be his next move. “I don’t want you alone right now. It’s not safe.”

“It will only alarm the others. I don’t want anyone worrying.” In fact, I didn’t want them to know I’d been bitten. Period. It would cause panic through the pack. I thought of Taryn. Gracie. Mom.

Gran was the only one who needed to know. She could handle it.

Besides, Roman wouldn’t come for me anytime soon. He’d just began his little game. Tomorrow might be a different story, though. I’d be more likely to get a visit from him then.

“Fine. I won’t tell the others specifics yet, but I am going to tell them to be more alert,” Eli said.

“And no babysitter. You’ll be home soon. I don’t need one. Plus, I’ll be with Gran. I won’t be alone.”

“Mina,” Eli started to argue with me, but I cut him off.

“No babysitter. I’ll be in the park. Everyone is already on alert there.”

“Okay. All right. Fine.” He released a long sigh. “I’m not going to argue with you anymore on this. I’ll be home soon. I love you.”

“Love you too,” I said before hanging up. I handed Julian back his cell. “Thanks.”

“No problem.”

“Is she going to be okay?” I nodded to Octavia.

“Yeah. It will take her some time to heal the break in her neck, but she’ll bounce back soon.”

A smirk twisted my face.

“What’s so funny?” Julian asked.

“Nothing. It’s just,” I said. A tiny laugh escaped me. “I bet she’s going to be pissed when she wakes up.”

“Oh yeah. She definitely won’t be fun to be around.”

Julian started toward the house.

My smirk faded. “Are you just going to leave her there?”

“Didn’t you hear me when I said she won’t be fun to be around?”

“Well, yeah but I didn’t think you meant you were leaving her here. In the woods. All alone.”

“Relax,” Julian said. He glanced over his shoulder and adjusted his glasses. “She’s a big girl. She can take care of herself. She’ll need some time to cool off. Trust me. Besides, it’s not like Roman is after her anyway.”

He had a point.

I started toward Caraway Inn behind him. He paused, allowing me to catch up.

“How is everything at the inn? Benji doing okay now?” I asked.

“For now. Ivette was able to compel the guests who witnessed everything to forget, and Lucy Appleton’s neck is now bandaged up. Her husband’s nausea has subsided as a result. And, Benji’s hunger is sustained. Well, for the near future anyway. So, I’d say my work here is done.”

“Awesome.” I flashed him a small smile. “Then think you can take me home? I’d like to rest.”

“Sure. Want me to bandage that up first?” Julian pointed the back of my neck. “You said you didn’t want anyone else to know. Figured I’d offer so you don’t have to let your Gran in on it either.”

I thought for a moment, considering his point. If I went to Gran with this, Mom might see, or Dad and Gracie, then they would all freak out. I swatted a branch out of my way and bent to bypass another, causing my blood-crusted shirt to pull at my skin. It reminded me that from the back I probably looked like something from a horror movie.

“Actually, that’s a good idea,” I said. “Sure. Bandage me up, doctor.”

“I’m a vet. Not a doctor. However, you are a wolf so...step into my office,” he joked while motioning to the inn.

I chuckled and followed him up the porch steps.