Something painful detonated in my chest and I knew something was definitely wrong, but I had no clue what it was.

Samara zoomed past me, throwing her arms around Nova before I could tell my own body to move forward, to fix whatever was wrong so she would smile at me like she used to. She should have been in my arms at that very moment, damn it.

“Happy birthday!” Samara squealed, hugging Nova tightly. There was a five-year age gap between the two of them, but already, Samara was several inches taller than Nova’s petite five feet. “I wanted to tell you that first thing this morning, but you were already gone before I even woke up.”

“Thank you,” Nova said with a tiny laugh. “Sorry. There was just so much to do today, and I didn’t want to wake you. You deserved to sleep in a little after passing all your exams last week.”

“I would rather spend the time with you than sleeping any day,” my sister told her, echoing my own thoughts. She took Nova’s hand and tugged her away from the three men. “You guys get her all the time. I’m stealing her and keeping her for my own.”

Max grinned down at them. “I’m not worried about it. You’ll bring her back before the end of the day. Her daddy would murder you all if you try to kidnap her.” He pulled Nova in for a quick hug. “Go have fun, birthday girl. Don’t go far, though. Delaney and I have your present, and my treasure is excited for you to open it.”

“Yeah, go on, Nova,” Lyric told her. “We can talk more about everything tomorrow. I’ll have Aunt Emmie email you all the details.”

“I’m not sure I trust the three of you trying to get rid of me,” she said with a lift of one dark-blond brow. “Don’t go pulling any surprises. I’m seriously not in the mood for that crap right now.”

“Guess you’ll just have to wait and see, little beauty,” Elias told her with a wink, and I fisted my hands at my sides in an attempt to keep from slitting his throat then and there. “Better get going. Your boy over there is getting all growly.”

“He’s not mine,” she told him, but before I could react to that, she took Samara’s hand again and pulled her toward the bar. “I’m starving,” she told my sister. “I haven’t eaten all day in anticipation for all the food Kingston and Aunt Quinn were making for today.”

I was left speechless. My feet felt rooted to the spot as I watched her walk away, my body in absolute agony. The three other men seemed just as surprised, their mouths gaped open as they frowned from me to her retreating back.

“What the fuck did you do?” Max demanded, taking a threatening step in my direction.

Refusing to back down, I met his menacing glare head on. “If I knew, do you think I would be standing here?” I stabbed my fingers through my hair again, trying to replay everything from our recent conversations that might give me a clue as to why she was upset with me. But I couldn’t come up with anything. Fuck, what had I missed?