I swallowed and said, “I understand.”
She hesitated, then pressed on. “There’s something else.”
I could tell by the way her voice softened that something was wrong, even before she spoke.
“Your uncle, Jaxon, is dead.”
The room felt like it was spinning.
“What?” The word barely made it past my lips.
Lucy’s eyes shimmered. “We think the reason he dropped the call was that Sam or one of his followers caught him. Yesterday afternoon—we felt it. The snap of his bond to the clan.”
My chest hurt with a deep, unexpected grief. I’d only met Jaxon once, but he was kind and steady. He was the kind of person who made you feel safe right away. Above that, there was never any question of his loyalty to the clan or family. He was just that kind of guy.
“Oh no,” I whispered. “Bethany—”
Lucy nodde
