Chapter 1

This was the 99th time I had died for Ethan Lester.

My body felt like a hollowed-out shell, the familiar ache of life force being drained away settling deep in my bones. I lay on the crisp white sheets of the hospital bed, the sterile smell of antiseptic a stark contrast to the scent of pine and damp earth from my mountain home.

Ethan sat beside me, his hand holding mine. His grip was firm, possessive. He looked every bit the powerful governor he now was, his suit immaculate, his face etched with a carefully constructed concern that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Jocelyn, my love," he whispered, his voice smooth as polished stone. "You did it again. You saved me."

He leaned in, his lips brushing my forehead. It was a practiced gesture, one I had received 98 times before. Each time, he brought me back from the brink, his own vitality a temporary loan until my own replenished. It was our secret, the foundation of his brutal, unstoppable rise to power.

"They almost got me this time," he continued, his thumb stroking the back of my hand. "An assassination attempt, right on the steps of the capitol. But now, it's over. I've won, Jocelyn. We've won."

I managed a weak smile. For him, I had faced down bullets, knives, and bombs, my family's elixir, our shared lifeblood, pulling him back from death's door each time. In return, he promised me everything.

"Now, I'll make you my First Lady," he said, his eyes finally gleaming with something that looked like sincerity. "A wedding at the mansion. Everything you deserve."

My heart gave a small, hopeful flutter. This was it. The final reward for all my sacrifices. I had a secret of my own, a reason why this promise meant more now than ever. I placed my free hand on my stomach, where a new life, our child, was quietly growing.

I opened my mouth to tell him, to share the one piece of news that would make our future complete.

But before I could speak, the door to my hospital room burst open.

Two men in dark clothes, their faces hard and unfamiliar, rushed in. One grabbed Ethan, throwing him against the wall. The other came for me.

I felt a sharp prick in my neck.

The world dissolved into blackness.