Xander held Vivi close, his long strides barely hindered by her weight in his arms as he sprinted toward Ava’s former stronghold. Kane ran just a step behind him, his voice sharp with urgency as he called ahead for Kelda. Dax stayed close, his body tense, his eyes scanning the darkened forest for any lingering danger. "Hold on, Vivi," Xander murmured, his voice thick with desperation. Her body felt too light, her skin too pale, her breaths coming in ragged gasps. Their bond pulsed erratically, like a failing heartbeat, and the jagged edges of their broken connection had yet to fully mend. The moment they burst through the stronghold’s door, Kelda was already moving. Incense and earth filled the air as she worked, spreading out various ritual tools. Shadows danced across her face, weathered and wise, as she turned to face them. "Lay her down," Kelda ordered, her voice steely and assured. Xander lowered Vivi onto the bed of furs near the fire, his grip reluctant to release her.
The chamber remained eerily silent after Ava’s chilling words. The fire in the hearth crackled softly, casting flickering shadows across the stone walls, but the warmth it usually provided felt distant, hollow. Xander’s grip on Vivi’s hand was fierce, his fingers curling tightly around hers as if he could anchor her in place with nothing more than his touch."You don’t matter anymore," Vivi had rasped, yet Ava’s smirk remained, full of dark amusement.Kane stood rigid, his fingers flexing at his sides like he was restraining himself from launching forward. "Explain," he demanded, his voice low and dangerous.Ava tilted her head, her emerald eyes gleaming—not with fear, but with something far worse. Certainty. "You think because you’ve won this battle, you've won the war," she murmured. "But believe me, darling, the war is only just beginning."Xander’s fingers clenched. "I swear, Ava, if you—"Kelda’s voice cut through the tension, steady and unwavering. "Enough." She knelt beside Viv
The fire crackled softly in the hearth, casting a dim, flickering glow across the chamber as I curled deeper into Xander’s embrace. My body still ached, bone-deep exhaustion settling into every limb, but I was here. I was alive. And I wasn’t alone.Kane sat beside me, his fingers threading gently through my hair, while Dax rested against the edge of the bed, his hand over mine, thumb tracing slow, grounding circles against my skin. Each of their touches whispered reassurance—silent affirmations that I was safe, that they were here with me."You should rest," Kane murmured, though his voice was tight with worry. He smoothed his fingers over my temple, an unspoken plea in his touch."I'm afraid to close my eyes," I admitted quietly. Any time I shut them, the images rushed back—Ava's twisted magic, my mates under her control, the way our bond nearly shattered. The fear clawed at my chest, thick and suffocating.Dax sighed, then dipped his head, pressing a lingering kiss to the back of my
The High Council’s messenger was gone, but her words had left behind a heavy weight pressing over all of us. My heart still pounded, the echo of our confrontation thrumming through my veins."Then we prepare for war," Kane repeated, his voice steady, final.Xander exhaled, running a hand through his hair. It was a rare thing to see him uncertain, but this was uncharted territory. "Do you really think it will come to that?"Kelda, standing a few paces away, let out a weary breath. "It’s not a matter of 'if,' Alpha. The High Council moves with purpose. Their decision is made. You think they’ll let her remain here, unchecked? With that child growing inside her, they’ll see Vivi as a potential threat until she proves otherwise.""Which we won’t do," I interjected, my voice firm. "Because we know exactly what proving our innocence looks like to them. They want control. They want me locked away, my daughter studied like some relic of ancient power."Dax cursed under his breath and scrubbed
Ronan stood at the perimeter of our stronghold, his expression calm yet heavy with unspoken weight. Even in the dim torchlight, I could see the years etched in his sharp green eyes, the ghosts of a past that lingered between him and my mates—especially Xander. Xander hadn’t moved since Ronan had spoken those words. His breathing was measured, but fury coiled beneath his rigid stance like a beast waiting to strike. "You’re lying," Xander said finally, his voice gravel-rough, dangerous. Ronan gave a slow, tired sigh and crossed his arms. "Would be a hell of a long way to come just to tell you a fairy tale, don’t you think?" Xander’s hands flexed, like he wasn’t sure whether he wanted to grab Ronan by the throat or turn away altogether. Dax shifted beside me, his stance deceptively relaxed but every muscle primed. Kane’s grip on my waist tightened slightly, drawing me closer. I swallowed, pushing down the unease curling in my stomach. "Tell us everything. Now." Ronan’s gaze f
The fire flickered, casting restless shadows as the weight of the revelation settled over them. Another Starfire. Trained. Conditioned. And wielded as a weapon by the High Council.Vivi clenched her hands into fists, the burn of her own power simmering beneath her skin. A cold knot of fear curled in her stomach, but she forced herself to stay calm. This was no time for hesitation. Across from her, Xander stood locked in a silent battle of wills with Ronan, his golden eyes smoldering with fury and disbelief. His jaw flexed, his muscles tight as if he were restraining himself from lashing out.No one spoke at first, the weight of what they were facing settling heavily over them. The crackling fire in the hearth was the only sound breaking the suffocating silence.Then Kane exhaled, rolling his shoulders as though shaking off the tension pressing down on them. “We can’t afford to stand here in shock,” he said, his voice steady, unshaken. “If they have a weapon trained against us, time is
Vivi exhaled slowly, willing her body to relax despite the simmering frustration coiled inside her. The training ring was quiet except for the sound of Kelda’s measured footsteps circling her. The elder witch’s sharp gaze tracked every movement, every subtle tremor of hesitation. “Again,” Kelda instructed, voice steady and unrelenting. Vivi swallowed, muscles aching with the effort of holding back—no, not holding back, containing. The fire that lived within her was there, waiting, but it wasn’t bending to her will the way she needed. It churned beneath her skin like a restless tide, too volatile, too uncertain. “I don’t have control over this,” Vivi finally admitted through clenched teeth, her breath coming fast. Kelda arched a brow, unimpressed. “Then you’ll die.” The bluntness of the statement landed like a slap. Vivi’s fingers twitched. She knew Kelda wasn’t saying it to be cruel—only to be truthful. She couldn’t afford to fail. Vivi drew in a slow, steadying breath a
Vivi"Fuck it all to hell!" I cursed as I grabbed the ticket from the windshield of my old Jeep Wrangler. It was the third one in the last two weeks! "What happened to brotherhood of the badge shit?" Two little white-headed ladies walking by on the sidewalk gave me the stink eye for my outburst. "Sorry," I mumbled, but I wasn't really. How could a town that had literally one main road have so many fucking parking laws? I felt like I had broken most of them in the short time I'd been here and apparently there was no love lost between the game wardens and the traffic cops here.As I crumpled up the ticket and climbed into my Jeep, I thought about what had brought me across the country. The memory of my last day in Florida came flooding back, bringing with it a mix of emotions I was still trying to sort through.I remembered the suffocating heat as I'd loaded the last of my boxes into the U-Haul. Aria had been there, helping me, her eyes red-rimmed from crying."You sure you don't want
Vivi exhaled slowly, willing her body to relax despite the simmering frustration coiled inside her. The training ring was quiet except for the sound of Kelda’s measured footsteps circling her. The elder witch’s sharp gaze tracked every movement, every subtle tremor of hesitation. “Again,” Kelda instructed, voice steady and unrelenting. Vivi swallowed, muscles aching with the effort of holding back—no, not holding back, containing. The fire that lived within her was there, waiting, but it wasn’t bending to her will the way she needed. It churned beneath her skin like a restless tide, too volatile, too uncertain. “I don’t have control over this,” Vivi finally admitted through clenched teeth, her breath coming fast. Kelda arched a brow, unimpressed. “Then you’ll die.” The bluntness of the statement landed like a slap. Vivi’s fingers twitched. She knew Kelda wasn’t saying it to be cruel—only to be truthful. She couldn’t afford to fail. Vivi drew in a slow, steadying breath a
The fire flickered, casting restless shadows as the weight of the revelation settled over them. Another Starfire. Trained. Conditioned. And wielded as a weapon by the High Council.Vivi clenched her hands into fists, the burn of her own power simmering beneath her skin. A cold knot of fear curled in her stomach, but she forced herself to stay calm. This was no time for hesitation. Across from her, Xander stood locked in a silent battle of wills with Ronan, his golden eyes smoldering with fury and disbelief. His jaw flexed, his muscles tight as if he were restraining himself from lashing out.No one spoke at first, the weight of what they were facing settling heavily over them. The crackling fire in the hearth was the only sound breaking the suffocating silence.Then Kane exhaled, rolling his shoulders as though shaking off the tension pressing down on them. “We can’t afford to stand here in shock,” he said, his voice steady, unshaken. “If they have a weapon trained against us, time is
Ronan stood at the perimeter of our stronghold, his expression calm yet heavy with unspoken weight. Even in the dim torchlight, I could see the years etched in his sharp green eyes, the ghosts of a past that lingered between him and my mates—especially Xander. Xander hadn’t moved since Ronan had spoken those words. His breathing was measured, but fury coiled beneath his rigid stance like a beast waiting to strike. "You’re lying," Xander said finally, his voice gravel-rough, dangerous. Ronan gave a slow, tired sigh and crossed his arms. "Would be a hell of a long way to come just to tell you a fairy tale, don’t you think?" Xander’s hands flexed, like he wasn’t sure whether he wanted to grab Ronan by the throat or turn away altogether. Dax shifted beside me, his stance deceptively relaxed but every muscle primed. Kane’s grip on my waist tightened slightly, drawing me closer. I swallowed, pushing down the unease curling in my stomach. "Tell us everything. Now." Ronan’s gaze f
The High Council’s messenger was gone, but her words had left behind a heavy weight pressing over all of us. My heart still pounded, the echo of our confrontation thrumming through my veins."Then we prepare for war," Kane repeated, his voice steady, final.Xander exhaled, running a hand through his hair. It was a rare thing to see him uncertain, but this was uncharted territory. "Do you really think it will come to that?"Kelda, standing a few paces away, let out a weary breath. "It’s not a matter of 'if,' Alpha. The High Council moves with purpose. Their decision is made. You think they’ll let her remain here, unchecked? With that child growing inside her, they’ll see Vivi as a potential threat until she proves otherwise.""Which we won’t do," I interjected, my voice firm. "Because we know exactly what proving our innocence looks like to them. They want control. They want me locked away, my daughter studied like some relic of ancient power."Dax cursed under his breath and scrubbed
The fire crackled softly in the hearth, casting a dim, flickering glow across the chamber as I curled deeper into Xander’s embrace. My body still ached, bone-deep exhaustion settling into every limb, but I was here. I was alive. And I wasn’t alone.Kane sat beside me, his fingers threading gently through my hair, while Dax rested against the edge of the bed, his hand over mine, thumb tracing slow, grounding circles against my skin. Each of their touches whispered reassurance—silent affirmations that I was safe, that they were here with me."You should rest," Kane murmured, though his voice was tight with worry. He smoothed his fingers over my temple, an unspoken plea in his touch."I'm afraid to close my eyes," I admitted quietly. Any time I shut them, the images rushed back—Ava's twisted magic, my mates under her control, the way our bond nearly shattered. The fear clawed at my chest, thick and suffocating.Dax sighed, then dipped his head, pressing a lingering kiss to the back of my
The chamber remained eerily silent after Ava’s chilling words. The fire in the hearth crackled softly, casting flickering shadows across the stone walls, but the warmth it usually provided felt distant, hollow. Xander’s grip on Vivi’s hand was fierce, his fingers curling tightly around hers as if he could anchor her in place with nothing more than his touch."You don’t matter anymore," Vivi had rasped, yet Ava’s smirk remained, full of dark amusement.Kane stood rigid, his fingers flexing at his sides like he was restraining himself from launching forward. "Explain," he demanded, his voice low and dangerous.Ava tilted her head, her emerald eyes gleaming—not with fear, but with something far worse. Certainty. "You think because you’ve won this battle, you've won the war," she murmured. "But believe me, darling, the war is only just beginning."Xander’s fingers clenched. "I swear, Ava, if you—"Kelda’s voice cut through the tension, steady and unwavering. "Enough." She knelt beside Viv
Xander held Vivi close, his long strides barely hindered by her weight in his arms as he sprinted toward Ava’s former stronghold. Kane ran just a step behind him, his voice sharp with urgency as he called ahead for Kelda. Dax stayed close, his body tense, his eyes scanning the darkened forest for any lingering danger. "Hold on, Vivi," Xander murmured, his voice thick with desperation. Her body felt too light, her skin too pale, her breaths coming in ragged gasps. Their bond pulsed erratically, like a failing heartbeat, and the jagged edges of their broken connection had yet to fully mend. The moment they burst through the stronghold’s door, Kelda was already moving. Incense and earth filled the air as she worked, spreading out various ritual tools. Shadows danced across her face, weathered and wise, as she turned to face them. "Lay her down," Kelda ordered, her voice steely and assured. Xander lowered Vivi onto the bed of furs near the fire, his grip reluctant to release her.
The moon hung low in the sky, its silvery glow casting an ethereal light over the forest as Gunnar led a group of the pack through the dense underbrush. His eyes were sharp, scanning the shadows for any sign of danger as they moved with a predatory grace. The air was thick with tension, the impending confrontation with Ava weighing heavily on their minds.Kai moved at the head of the group, his senses attuned to the subtle shifts in the forest's energy. He had been quiet since their departure from the encampment, his thoughts turned inward as he retraced the paths he had once walked as a member of Ava's pack. His heart ached with the weight of betrayal, but he pushed it aside, focusing on the task at hand.Vivi followed at a distance, her presence a silent defiance against Gunnar's insistence that she remain behind. She knew the risks, knew the danger she was putting herself in by coming along, but the thought of her mates suffering under Ava's control was more than she could bear. Th
Vivi strode out of the cabin, her steps fueled by a renewed sense of purpose. She scanned the bustling encampment, her eyes searching for the familiar figures of Gunnar and Kelda. The weight of Kai's revelation still hung heavy in her mind, but it was overshadowed by the burning determination to rescue her mates from Ava's clutches.She spotted Gunnar first, the burly warrior deep in conversation with a group of his fellow pack members. His eyes widened slightly as he caught sight of Vivi approaching, and he excused himself from the group, his brow furrowing with concern."Vivi," he rumbled, his voice laced with a mixture of caution and curiosity. "What's happened?"Vivi drew in a deep breath, steeling herself for the task ahead. "I may have a lead on where Ava has taken Xander, Kane, and Dax," she said, her voice ringing with conviction. "But I'll need your help to mount a rescue."Gunnar's eyes narrowed, his expression hardening into one of grim determination. "Of course," he said w