Josie
I knew I should tell Kiel everything.
The memories had come flooding back in vivid clarity. I wasn't hallucinating anymore. Not even close.
The truth stood like a fire in my throat, refusing to be swallowed or spoken aloud. I remembered it all. The two times Michelle tried to kill me that night. Three, if I counted the earlier one too. Her words. Her eyes. Her threats.
But my lips wouldn't move.
I stared at Kiel as he stood beside my bed, holding my hand like I was something fragile that might slip between his fingers. His warmth seeped into my skin, his steady presence trying to anchor me.
But fear... fear held my voice hostage.
Michelle wasn't just anyone. She was the Beta's daughter. She had power. She had reach. And she had promised me—no, warned me—that if I ever said a word, she'd hurt the people I cared about.
I'd seen the look in her eyes. The way she smiled right before she hurt me. She'd do it. She wouldn't hesitate.
So I stayed silent.
