Chapter Eighteen

"I love you."

I kiss Katia one more time before reluctantly leaving. I wish I could be with her all the time, but I have to be careful until I make it official.

I'm already supposed to be Evie's mate. And I'm the Alpha, so it'll be even more scandalous when I break things off with her. But I must.

I go to find Evie right after leaving Katia, I don’t want to want any longer than I have to. But I find Ina instead. She falls into my arms and I hug her as she sobs.

"It's Jacob," she says. "They've found him and he's been murdered."

I feel like someone has taken my heart and ripped it out of my chest. I can't believe that Jacob is dead. He was my younger brother. I’m supposed to protect him. It can’t be true. I wouldn’t allow something like that to happen to him.

"What happened?" I ask. “There’s no way. He wasn’t gone for that long.”

"They think he was killed by a wolf," she says. "Maybe by a wolf from Katia's old pack. The pack that’s hunting her down."

"That doesn't make any sen