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a's
und in the universe. It echoed in the hollow space behind my
orridor. My fingertips were white where I pressed them in
e pulled down his surgical mask, and his eyes, exh
aid, his voice gentle. "We
a movie with the sound turned off. I saw his lips move, bu
him, through the gl
the bed, covered by
. My six-ye
rp, brutal fist that clenched around my heart and twisted. My stomach ch
llably. The screen lit up, showing more than a do
lme
d his contact again. Each ring wa
icemail. Of c
the silence. It was crisp, professional, and utterly detac
came out. Only a choked, animali
ped from my grasp, clattering onto the linoleum floor. The screen s
hazel eyes. In the picture, sh
treams carving paths down my cheek
early. "Anika, it's just a common cold," he'd said, his voice laced with i
but it wasn't him who answered. It was his secretary, Chloe. "The Alpha is in
uest," I knew, wa
ft with sympathy. She told me I could
ke it was made of lead and glass. Each
ira's small, cool hand in mine. The bac
forehead. I started to hum her favorite lullaby, t
ctured, broken by
oon Goddess was said to forge between fated mates. It had once flared to life wheneve
aping my lips that sounded more like a
fucki
his presence, let out a final, mournful howl in the back of
ehead. "I'm so sorry, baby," I whispered, my voice
n to form in the wr
it. This house of lies,
t look at Kira's peacefu
grief in my eyes had been repla
it. I picked it up numbly, a foolish flicker of h
was
t from an un
ight Cremation Services. Regarding the arrangements for your daughter, Kira Mccor
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