The words were a shield around me, a possessive claim that sent a warmth curling in my chest. The protective instinct in his tone sent a wave of comfort through me, but the warmth was short-lived. Just as quickly, something colder and sharper slid through me—a flicker of doubt. Would he still think of me as his if Nossy’s poisonous words managed to turn him against me? If she whispered enough of her twisted truths, would Jason still stand by me? Or would he, too, start seeing me as the thing everyone feared?
I shoved that thought aside, but it lingered like a shadow, clawing at the edges of my mind.
Before I could even form a response, the chill in the air thickened, and a bone-deep sense of dread swept over me. I started to speak, to snap at Nossy to shut up, but the words died on my to
