JAYDEN
The guilt gnawed at me like a festering wound watching Catriona’s reaction to Vanessa’s chanting. Had I been too quick? Was the marking wrong? I marked her in a blind panic—fear of losing her—and fury over her sleeping with Gabriel, the man I’ve never trusted and never will. Vanessa crouched by her side, inspecting the wound, while Pamela stood on the other side, her eyes fixed on an empty space that seemed to mock us all.
The two women exchanged glances, a heavy silence between them before they both turned back to that empty spot.
“Is there something you’re not telling us?” Vanessa asked, her voice steady but sharp.
Catriona shook her head, her expression contradicting her words. Her reaction rattled my mind with questions.
“Alright,” Catriona said, voice barely steady. “Coul
