Nina’s eyes widened as she stared at him, the color draining from her face.

Everyone she knew. Her family. The neighbors. The children who knew nothing of this...

Her eyes blinked.

Him too...

They were all going to turn into wolves with no way back.

Her chest squeezed at the thought.

A knock sounded at the door.

Rodrigo glanced at it, then he picked up the letter and stood.

Nina watched him open the door and say something to the person standing on the other side, and give them the letter, before pulling it shut again. He came back and dropped into the chair, one palm resting on his knee, and looked at her.

"What about half wolves," she said, her fingers finding the quilt. "Do we—"

"Are you worried only about yourself?"

"No." She shook her head quickly. "I was just asking. Besides." A short pause. "I’m dying anyway."

She hadn’t meant it to come out that flat. It did anyway.

"You are not pure wolves," Rodrigo said. "You cannot turn. You remain human."

The lantern burned between them and neither of them spoke.

"A hundred full moons," Nina said, half to herself.

If the curse was twenty years ago, it should have been past a hundred by now. The math kept turning in her head.

Rodrigo’s eyes moved to her face. He read it.

"We use witches to hold the full moon back," he said. "But sometimes the moon is too strong and we cannot."

"How many are left?"

He did not respond immediately.

"Ten."

Nina’s eyes fell. That means they were going to go extinct if they didn’t break the curse soon.

"So you need the book and the earth stone..."

The vision she had seen returned briefly. She considered telling him, but the thought faded just as quickly. She had no answers, and nothing she said would change that.

"Maybe giving them the book would lead to the stone. What if Annalise hid the—"

Rodrigo stood and walked toward the bed.

Her words trailed off as he approached. She watched him pull back the quilt and lay down, one arm resting over his eyes.

"You ask too many questions, Sabrina."

His tone carried fatigue more than annoyance.

Nina hesitated before lying down as well, leaving a small distance between them.

The lantern dimmed further until the room was barely lit.

She closed her eyes.

Sleep did not come.

Her thoughts circled, refusing to settle. After a while, she shifted slightly, then again, unable to stay still.

The mattress moved beneath her.

Rodrigo lowered his arm.

"Sabrina."

His voice was quiet but firm.

She stilled.

"Stop moving or you will go back to the couch."

Nina swallowed and forced herself to remain still, though the tension in her body did not ease.

After a moment, she spoke.

"I can’t sleep." Her voice was soft, laced with something she hadn’t meant to let through.

Rodrigo’s hand was still over his face. "Why," he said, even though he knew the answer.

She turned her head toward him, though she could not fully see his expression.

"I’m scared."

The words came out lower than she meant to, all the fear she’d hidden leaking through.

Rodrigo went still beside her. A long moment passed, then his voice sounded in the room.

"You should have run," he said. "You had so many chances."

Nina hugged her legs tighter.

"I don’t think that would have changed anything," she replied. "The visions would follow me no matter where I ran." She paused. "I’m afraid to close my eyes. I’m afraid of what I’ll see when I sleep." Her fingers had gone white against the quilt.

Rodrigo’s jaw tightened and he stared at the ceiling.

Just then the wind blew the lantern out and darkness swallowed the room.

Nina gasped, her eyes squeezing shut, her whole body going rigid in the sudden dark.

Rodrigo could feel her trembling beside him, the shaking coming through the mattress. Then he turned toward her.

"Come closer," he said. "If you’re afraid."

She closed the gap before he finished. Her hands found his arm and held on and Rodrigo’s breath caught at the contact, at how she pressed her face into his shoulder so casually, and hadn’t asked him if that was alright.

He hadn’t decided yet if it was.

Her hands tightened around his arm and she nestled closer, and he lay there very still, staring at nothing, aware of every place she was touching him.

"So cold," she murmured into his shoulder.

His hand lifted from the mattress slowly and settled on her back and he felt her go still under it, that small pause before she exhaled and leaned closer, her head finding his chest and resting there.

Rodrigo’s body stiffened as she settled against him.

Then her breathing slowed, and slowed, and after a while it was deep and even and she was gone, her hands still loose around his arm, her weight warm against his side.

His hand stayed on her back.

His eyes stayed on the ceiling.

There goes another night of getting any sleep.

Nina woke to bright light pressing against her eyes and turned away from it, curling herself into a ball.

"My lady..."

She winced, pulling the quilt tighter.

"My lady, wake up. It’s time to leave."

A pair of hands shook her gently and Nina opened her eyes. Moreen was right there, watching her.

"You’ve been sleeping all morning. The carriages are outside waiting."

Nina sat up fast. "What?" All the sleep left her at once and her eyes went straight to the other side of the bed.

Empty.

"Where is the Alpha?"

"He’s meeting with the other Alphas, but he’s already dressed and the others are ready to leave."

Nina was off the bed and moving before Moreen finished the sentence.

Fifteen minutes later they were outside walking toward the carriages. Seven was moving between the men, organizing. The carriages stood open and waiting.

"We are early," Nina murmured.

Then the men around her straightened all at once.

"Alpha."

Nina turned.

Rodrigo walked up to the carriages and right past her without a glance.

"Let’s go," he said, stepping inside.

Nina stood there a moment.

Did anything happen last night?

She glanced at Moreen once before stepping forward. Seven helped her up and she sat down across from him.

Rodrigo’s eyes were closed, one hand resting over his face. Nina looked at him closely, at the dark circles sitting deep under his eyes, at the tight line of his mouth. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

Did he not sleep at all last night?