Chapter 24

Katherine POV（present）

I stood by the window of the Griffin family's mansion, trying not to laugh too hard at Bob's impression of his sister's reaction when she discovered I was the triplets' mate. The way he exaggerated her eye-twitching was spot-on.

"She actually stomped her foot like a five-year-old," Bob said, mimicking the gesture. "I thought she might spontaneously shift right there in the hallway."

From the corner of my eye, I could see the triplets watching us—Samuel's jaw rigid, Edward's eyes narrowed, and Lucius trying but failing to appear nonchalant. Their territorial energy practically vibrated through the room.

Bella marched over for the third time in fifteen minutes. "Bob, Mom needs you in the kitchen."

"No, she doesn't," he replied, not even looking at her. "Stop trying to drag me away."

"But—"

"Seriously, Bella. Knock it off. You're embarrassing yourself." Bob's voice carried the stern tone of an older brother.

Bella shot me a venomous glare before stalking away, her designer boots clicking aggressively against the polished floor.

I turned toward the window to hide my smile, taking in the meticulously landscaped grounds of the estate.

"So," Bob leaned against the windowsill, "how's life in North Portland treating you? Any word from the delightful Mary and David?"

My phone rang before I could answer. "Hey Lance," I answered, aware that every werewolf in the room could hear both sides of the conversation.

"Hi. Listen, I know we were supposed to meet tonight, but I need to reschedule."

"Okay. Is everything alright?"

"Yes, everything's fine. Just something unexpected I need to handle."

"Alright. Hope it's nothing serious."

"Not serious. Let's meet tomorrow night instead."

"Okay, no problem. See you then."

"Okay, bye."

I slipped my phone back into my pocket, feeling the weight of curious stares.

"What do you think that was about?" Bob asked.

"I don't know, but he's definitely up to something." I frowned, recalling my recent meeting with Lance in downtown Portland. Something felt off.

Julia approached us. "Do you know where Lance lives, Katherine?"

"Yeah, I know his apartment building. I followed him home once when I first arrived in Portland."

"Maybe we should check it out," Bob suggested.

"I think I will," I decided.

"I'm coming with you," Bob declared.

"I can handle myself."

"You're too protective of him," Bob argued. "You need backup."

"I'm going too," Edward announced, suddenly beside us.

I sighed, shaking my head as I turned toward the door. There was no point arguing with overprotective werewolves.

We drove halfway to downtown Portland before I made Edward pull over. "We'll walk from here. Through the forest preserve. It's less conspicuous."

We hiked through the dense trees until we reached the edge of an upscale neighborhood where Lance's luxury apartment building stood. I led them to a cluster of tall trees with a perfect vantage point of his windows.

"Up here," I whispered, climbing with ease despite my supposedly human status. Edward and Bob followed silently.

From our perch, I could see directly into Lance's sleek, modern apartment—and I wasn't prepared for what I saw. My mother was there.

"You won't tell me why you're here?" Mary's voice carried through the partially open window. "Is it because of Katherine? Is that why you're in Portland? I should have known you liked her more than me."

My eyes widened in shock. What the hell was my mother doing here?

"Evelyn, I didn't invite you here to discuss my intentions toward Katherine," Lance replied coolly.

"Then why? You said you needed to talk about her."

"Do you care about her? She's your daughter. Do you care?"

"Of course I do. I think. I don't know."

"She's in danger."

"Well, if she's in danger, she probably brought it on herself."

"I'm not talking about ordinary danger you'd expect. She's getting involved with the triplets. People want them dead, and if Katherine is near them, the Pure Blood Alliance will kill her too."

"Well, like I said, it's her own actions causing it."

"Get out." Lance's voice hardened.

"What?" My mother sounded shocked.

"I don't know why I even bothered talking to you about this. You've never cared about her. Get out. I'll take care of her myself. Just like when we were dating. Go."

Lance practically shoved her out of the apartment. Moments later, my mother emerged from the building, muttering under her breath as she got into her car and sped off.

"What the fuck?" Bob whispered.

"I don't know," I replied. "He clearly doesn't think me being in North Portland is a good idea."

"We need to find out why he's in Portland," Edward said, his voice tight with suspicion.

"It's still daylight. He has plans tonight—that's why he rescheduled. So get comfortable, boys. We're going to be here a while."

I settled against the trunk, sitting on a thick branch, and closed my eyes to rest. Nothing more would happen until sunset.

As darkness fell, Lance finally emerged from his apartment. We waited until his car disappeared around the corner before descending from our lookout and sprinting back to Edward's vehicle.

We followed Lance's sleek car along the coastal highway, maintaining enough distance to avoid detection. He was heading away from Portland's center.

"I don't like this," Bob muttered from the backseat. "We're getting too far from North Portland territory."

"Relax. He's not going to hurt me," I assured him.

"He will if he thinks you're a threat. He's a vampire."

"He doesn't kill humans. He feeds on animals."

Lance eventually turned onto a small road leading toward the coast. We parked on the highway and continued on foot, with Edward practically glued to my side, his eyes constantly darting between me and Bob behind us.

We reached a coastal rest area where Lance sat on a bench with another man I immediately recognized.

"Otis," I breathed.

"You know him?" Edward asked.

"That's the man who taught me to use my vampire abilities."

We crept closer, positioning ourselves within earshot but remaining hidden.

"Have you seen her?" Otis asked.

"She looks good. Her mother and stepfather are still assholes," Lance replied.

"Yeah, we expected that. How are the triplets?"

"They're safe. But their school was leveled today by some kind of attack. I'm still trying to get details. I talked to her on the phone afterward, and she seemed okay."

"Did you know where she was when you called?"

"I didn't ask. I can't let her know why I'm in Portland."

"Well, maybe you should tell her. We're not here to hurt her."

Something snapped inside me. I stepped out from our hiding place and into the rest area.

"Then why the fuck are you in Portland?" I demanded.

Lance and Otis whirled around, their faces frozen in shock as I glared at them, betrayal burning in my chest.