“He wants to exhibit your paintings. At the Magnussen Gallery in Malibu!”

  She sat straight up. “E-exhibit them? Wait, hold on.” Clutching the phone with both hands, she made a dash for her studio but stopped by the living area. “Sorry, I have to take this,” she said apologetically to the two men. “This might be a while. Glasses are in the open cupboard.” She rushed into her studio and closed the door behind her.

  “Is this a bad time, doll?” Barbara asked.

  “No, no.” She sat down at the small desk by the window. “So, this guy really wants to do a show of my paintings?”

  “Oh, yeah. He was blown away,” Barbara exclaimed. “As in, blown. A. Way.”

  Her heart thumped in her chest. Someone liked her work! And she was going to have her own show. “Barbara … this is fantastic. I don’t know what to say.”

  “Doll, I haven’t told you the best part.”

  “There’s more?” She slumped back on her chair and kicked off her heels.

  “Oh, yeah. Get ready for this.” Barbara paused for dramatic effect. “He thinks he can sell your paintings to his best clients. You’ll never guess how much he estimated. No wait, lemme tell you …”

  When she heard the figure, Sabrina thought she would have a heart attack. “R-r-really? That much?”

  “This is it, doll, this is it! Now, I need you to take down a couple things for me, okay?”

  She scrambled for a pencil and her notepad. “Okay, go ahead.”

  Barbara gave her a few more details, so she scrawled them down. Her hand was still shaking when she put the phone down on her desk. This is it. Her big break. And she couldn’t wait to tell her father and Cross the good news. But she didn’t want to get too excited. Nothing was set in stone. So, she took a few, deep calming breaths and tiptoed toward the living room.

  “… and I’ve never met a man who didn’t have a price. Name it.”

  She stopped short. Was her father conducting business over the phone?

  “Sir.” Cross’s voice sounded strained. “Please reconsider. I don’t want Sabrina to be hurt by this.”

  Her stomach flip-flipped. What was going on?

  “She’ll only be hurt if you continue to pursue her.” That was definitely her father’s voice. “Now, I have my checkbook here, my pen’s ready to sign. Name. Your. Price.”

  “No.”

  “I have to hand it to you, Jonasson, you’re a hard negotiator. Not nearly as easy as the others.”

  Others?

  Jonathan snorted. “You’re shocked. Yes, I paid off every man who came close to my daughter. Don’t you give me that look,” he said in a warning tone.

  A pain stabbed right through her chest, and it felt like her heart was breaking into a million pieces. She’d never heard her father speak this way to anyone. Dad …

  “Someday, when you have children of your own, you’ll understand. Now, give me a number. There’s no number too big. If you tell me now, you can walk out of here a rich man. But you have to leave now.”

  “Stop!” It was like an outside force was driving her forward, and she couldn’t stop it. “You … you …” She was shaking so hard she couldn’t articulate any words.

  Jonathan had gone pale. “Sabrina. Sweetheart.” He cleared his throat. “Don’t jump to any conclusions. Let me explain.”

  She marched toward him and yanked the pen and checkbook out if his hands. “Don’t jump to any conclusions? And what conclusions could those be?” Tears burned her throat. “I can’t believe you would do this!” The realization that every man in her life had been bought off by her father suddenly hit her. “How could you?”

  “Sabrina!” Jonathan pleaded, his hands reaching out to her. “It was for your own good. For your own protection.”

  “Why then? Why would you do this?”

  “Because … because … I couldn’t let any of them get too close.” Jonathan got on his knees. “Please, Sabrina. Trust me. This was for the best.”

  Bile was rising in her throat. “Go to hell!” she screamed, and when he reached out to her, she pushed his hands away, her arms stretching out to keep him as far away as possible. “Don’t touch me! I hate you, and I never want to see you again.”

  Jonathan wouldn’t stop and kept advancing. “Sabrina—”

  “I said don’t touch me!”

  It was like the atmosphere was lit up with electricity. The air crackled with it, making the hairs on her arms and neck stand on end. She heard Cross shout ‘no!’ then tackle Jonathan before they both disappeared into thin air. She screamed as her vision turned dark, like someone had turned out the lights in her apartment. There was no illumination anywhere, not even through the large windows facing the street.

  The ringing in her ears made her head ache, and she crumpled to the floor, hands covering her head. How long she’d been curled up into a ball, she didn’t know, but when the ringing stopped, her body relaxed. The light returned as she slowly opened her eyes.

  “Dad?” she croaked. “Cross?”

  Carefully, she got to her feet, rubbing her eyes. There was a lingering throbbing in her temples. “Hello?”

  “Sabrina.”

  She whirled around. Cross and her father were just behind her. Had they been there the whole time? Did she imagine it when she saw them disappear into thin air? “D-D-Dad? Cross? What happened?”

  “Oh, sweetheart,” Jonathan cried. “My Sabrina.”

  “Dad, why are you crying?” Twin tracks of tears ran down his cheeks. “What’s wrong?” She followed her father’s gaze, realizing why he was pale as a ghost. Blood drained from her own face when she saw it—all the plants along the one wall in her apartment were withered and dead. They had been healthy and thriving, but now they looked like they hadn’t been watered in weeks. Her prized orchids, too, were wilted and dead. “No!” Oh God, what happened? Did she do this? A small voice in her head said, yes. “What did I do? What did I do?”

  “I’m sorry, Sabrina,” Jonathan choked. “It’s my fault.”

  “Sabrina.” A warm hand landed on her shoulder. Cross’s voice and his presence were like a soothing balm, and she instinctively leaned into the touch. “Sabrina … do you trust me?”

  “Yes.” God, she didn’t know why, but she did. Maybe because it felt like the way she knew the world to be was a lie, and Cross was like a steady beacon.

  “Sabrina, you can undo this.”

  Her head snapped up. “This?”

  He nodded at the plants. “Bring them back.”

  “Bring them back? You mean, the plants …” What was he saying? Did he believe all this?

  “I believe in you, Sabrina.” His hands cupped her face. “Just … think of the plants. Think of life. Life that flows through you. Close your eyes.”

  She didn’t know why, but she did. “Okay.”

  “Imagine the life from your own body, flowing out … flowing out of you …” Cross’s voice was mesmerizing, making her feel all warm inside. Unlike the earlier sensation of cold and darkness, she now felt warmth. Brightness.

  She opened her eyes, her entire apartment had filled with a bright, white light. And it was so warm. Like the roof had opened up and the sun shone down on them. “It’s so …”

  She sucked in a breath as the light dissipated and her vision went back to normal. A sharp cry left her mouth. “Oh God.”

  All her plants—every single one—were back to life, as if nothing had ever happened to them. She looked at her father, who had gone ashen, then back to Cross. His blue-green eyes turned dark and stormy, like a sudden storm appearing out of nowhere over the ocean. “How did you know I could do that?”

  The events of that night were so clear in Sabrina’s mind. She didn’t know how, but she just knew it happened, even though she had no recollection of it until this moment.

  Her plants … her father said he got rid of them because they all died while she was recuperating from the accident. But they were alive … she brought them back. Did he take them away for another reason? A thought entered her head when she thought about that accident. An ache bloomed in her chest, and a suspicion was beginning to nag her brain.

  “Do you remember?” Cross’s voice was gentle as a breeze. “The plants.”

  “Yes.” Oh God. “But they’re plants.” Her gaze turned to the poor horse and to Logan, who was kneeling down next to it, stroking its neck. “She’s an animal. Surely it’s different.” And frankly, she couldn’t bear the thought of failing if she attempted it.

  “Life is life.” Cross placed a hand on the small of her back and led her toward Georgie. “You can do it, Sabrina. Just like you did before.”

  “Get the fuck away,” Logan growled, as he stood up to full height. While not as tall as Cross, he was easily wider, and the veins popping in his neck made him look even more fierce. “You’ve done enough, witch.”

  “Let her try,” Cross urged.

  “There’s no harm in letting her try to fix it,” Silke said. “Please, Logan.”

  With a gruff snort, Logan took a step back. Though her hands were shaking and doubt filled every nook in her mind, Sabrina knew she had to try and make this right.

  I’m sorry for what I did, she said to the horse silently. I’ll do my best to make it right. Holding her hands over the animal, she tried to recall what happened that night in her apartment. She imagined the life flowing from her, out of her and into Georgie. Warmth moved over her skin, and the edges of her vision became fuzzy until the entire room was filled with a white light and everything went quiet. A comforting, snug feeling flowed over her, like a cashmere blanket being wrapped around her body.

  A soft nicker made her jolt, and she scrambled back and tripped over her feet. Hands caught her before she landed on the ground, then hauled her upright.

  “Mother of mercy.” Silke took in a sharp breath before covering her mouth. “She’s …”

  Georgie had rolled up to her feet and was now standing on all fours.

  “What. The. Fuck.” Logan stared at the horse, wide-eyed and wary. Georgie snorted at him, taking a careful step forward. Her nose nudged at his shoulder, but he seemed frozen. Finally, he blinked and rubbed the horse’s nose.

  “See, I told you.” Silke sniffed and rubbed the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand. “Sabrina did it.”

  “She still killed her first,” Logan growled. “Georgie would never have attacked her in the first place. These horses … they can smell evil a mile away.”

  God, was he right? Was she evil? She stared down at her hands. But how could she have done all that?

  “Logan, please,” Silke said. “Stop it. Everything’s all right.”

  “Nothing is all right!” Logan squared his shoulders and glared at Sabrina. “Not until she leaves. What if she does it again? What if she can’t bring them back?” He turned to Silke. “What if it was you? Or Ransom? Or little Annie or one of the staff?”

  “She won’t.” Cross stood in front of her protectively. “I’ll make sure of it.”

  “The only way you can be sure of anything is if she gets outta here.” Logan’s eyes flashed with rage. “And if you don’t do anything about it—”

  Cross’s entire body tensed. “Don’t come any closer. Or—”

  Logan stretched to full height and stood toe-to-toe with him. “Or what, warlock?” he growled.

  “Cross, no!” She grabbed at his bicep. “Please, let’s talk this out.”

  A rumble came from deep within his chest. She seriously thought he was going to lunge at Logan, but when she felt the coldness gripping her and the stables shimmering away from her vision, she realized Cross was transporting them. Seconds later, the interior of the cabin appeared around them.

  He turned around. “Are you all right?”

  “Why did you bring us back here?” She glanced around the cabin. “You should have brought us somewhere else.” Pulling away from him, she turned away and wrapped her arms around herself. “Logan’s right. What if I kill something—someone—else? And I couldn’t bring them back?”

  “Sabrina … don’t worry, I’ll take care of everything. We can’t go anywhere else. There’s nowhere safe.”

  “Why not?” She whirled around to face him. “You can go anywhere in the world! Why is this the only safe place?” Her anger and frustration were bubbling to the surface. “Why can’t I remember anything else? Why won’t you tell me what happened and what I really am?” He didn’t say anything, but she could see the war he was fighting inside. “Why won’t you just tell me the truth?”

  “Because I promised!” His eyes grew wide, and he ran his fingers through his hair. “I promised someone … someone important that I would never tell you.”

  A pain pinched at her chest, and though she really wanted to ask him who was this person more important than her, she stopped herself. “Leave,” she whispered.

  “Sabrina—”

  “I said leave!” she hissed. “Get out! I can’t … I can’t look at you right now.”

  His face went stony and his jaw hardened.

  She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. Though she didn’t have to say it, the message was clear. Go.

  He let out a breath. “All right. I need to check on a few things anyway.” Then in an instant, he was gone. She collapsed on the bed and curled into a ball. God, the sheets still held a faint trace of his scent, and she buried her nose in a pillow, trying to get as much of it as she could.

  Minutes ticked by before she sat up. Cross told her that this was the only safe place for them. But surely that wasn’t true.

  She stood up. “I’m done.” Though no one was around to hear it, she said the words with conviction. There was no way she was staying here and waiting for Cross to feed her scraps of information. Not when she could find out on her own. In her memory, her father had been there. He was the one who did this to her, so he had all the answers. She had to get to him.

  What to do? What to do? She paced back and forth, twisting the silver ring out of habit. There really was nothing keeping her here, only her own ignorance of where they were exactly. There had to be a way she could leave here. During the barbecue, one of the housekeepers said she drove an hour to the town and back the other day.

  Hmmm. She could try to go on foot, but it might take her hours to reach town, and that was assuming she walked in the right direction. The thought of stumbling in the dark in the wilderness wasn’t appealing. If only someone could help her, but Silke would never agree because she was so kind-hearted, and Ransom wouldn’t do it because he wouldn’t want to make Cross mad. If only—

  “That’s it!” She snapped her fingers. There was one person here who would be happy for her to leave.

  Logan.

  She rushed out the door, trying to figure out the direction of the main lodge. Silke had driven them in her truck, but they followed some unpaved trails that had obviously been made by constant traffic. She walked around and found it, then began to walk forward with determination, following the path.

  The trail had branched out in some places, and several times she had to backtrack when a path she took ended. She grew frustrated, but forged on. When she finally spied the lodge in the distance, the sun was low behind the mountains. With one last burst of energy, she stomped toward the stables. It was a gamble because Logan might not be there, but she had to try. Relief washed over her when she saw the giant at the end of the stables, patting Georgie on the nose.

  “Logan,” she gasped as she toddled forward.

  “You.” His mouth twisted, and his eyes narrowed. “What are you doing here? I told Silke—”

  “Shut. Up.” She caught her breath. “I know how you feel about me. So”—she took a step forward—“why don’t we help each other out?”

  “Help you?” he sneered. “Why would I help you?”

  “Because we want the same thing.”

  He crossed his massive, tattooed arms over his chest. “And what’s that?”

  “For me to leave.”

  He stared at her, slack-jawed. “Silke said you had to stay here. And that you had nowhere else to go.”

  “Are you going to argue with me or h-h-help me?” It was a miracle she’d lasted this long before breaking. God, she’d never thought she’d be able to talk to anyone that way before. Desperation was helping her grow a spine, it seemed.

  “Whaddaya want, then?”

  “A ride to the nearest bus station. A-a-and bus fare to New York. And some cash.” On the long walk here, she had thought of asking to use his phone to call her father but then came to the conclusion that Jonathan had to be in on this deception. He was probably the “someone important” who had made Cross promise to never tell her the truth.

  Cross was probably on his way to New York to warn her father at this moment. No, she would have to confront her father without tipping him off that she was coming. “If you leave me your account information, I’ll send you—”

  “No need.” He pushed himself off the metal bars of Georgie’s stall. “The nearest bus station’s in town. You’ll probably have to connect through Louisville to New York. I’ll give you enough to get there, plus extra for whatever else you need.”

  She stared at him as he walked past her, all the way to the doorway. “You probably won’t want to ride with me, but I can borrow one of the lodge’s trucks and drive you to the station.” He stopped before he exited and said to her without turning his head, “You comin’ or not?”

  Despite her heart thumping wildly in her chest, she marched after him.

  Chapter Eight

  Cross kicked one of the overturned boxes in frustration. “Goddammit!” Another hard punt sent it flying toward the wall and smashing into pieces. This was all my fault.

  With a sigh, he sat down on the last remaining box—the only one he hadn’t overturned or smashed yet—and buried his face in his hands. His inner wolf cried woefully.

  The last three years of his life had been spent in deception, and it was finally catching up with him. He’d been lying to his father, to his mother, his colleagues, his Alpha, and everyone else. He knew exactly where the ring was, but he didn’t tell them. Sabrina’s life was more important than anything in the world, and he’d sacrificed everything so she would remain safe.

 

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