Jayden

By morning, we were back at the mansion. I could barely keep my eyes open.

“Luke, tell the cook to prepare food…” Zane started.

“Skip me,” I muttered, dragging myself up the stairs. My body felt like a log of wood. Every step was a full-body negotiation. I reached my room, collapsed onto the bed, and everything went dark the moment my head hit the pillows.

For maybe an hour, there was peace.

Then the nightmare came.

It was the same one. But this time it was sharper, like someone had adjusted the focus just to torture me. The woods were darker, the air thicker. I was running again—barefoot, heart pounding, chest tight. The men were right behind me. Their footsteps thundered in sync with my pulse. I turned once and saw them. Clear as day.

Buzz Cut was there. He wasn’t the biggest, but he was fast. Faster than before.

My legs burned, lungs screamed. I kept running—until I tripped. That had never happened before. My body hit the ground hard. My knees scraped the dirt and suddenly they were all around me, like shadows crawling into my bones.

“...your blood…” one whispered.

Their voices were muffled like they were underwater, but the malice in them was crystal clear. Then a man stepped forward. Tall. Hooded. The cloak he wore was black, darker than the dream itself. He knelt beside me, pulling out a silver dagger that caught the moonlight just right.

He grabbed my arm.

No one had ever touched me in the dream before.

I thrashed, tried to scream—but nothing came out.

He brought the blade to my wrist—

“Jayden. Jayden.”

I jolted upright with a gasp, the sound tearing from my throat like it hurt to breathe. The room felt too small, the walls too close. My chest rose and fell in erratic bursts, but no air seemed to reach my lungs. My hands trembled.

I couldn’t breathe.

I could not breathe.

I didn’t even realize someone was holding me until I felt it—strong arms, a firm grip keeping me anchored. My back hit something solid. Warm. Zane.

His voice was low in my ear. “It’s okay. You’re safe.”

I shook my head. “I can’t—breathe—” The panic was rising so fast, I couldn’t catch up with it.

“Yes, you can. Breathe with me. Just listen to my voice.” His hand pressed to my chest, firm and steady. “In. One, two. Hold. Now out. Slow. Good.”

I followed. Barely.

But it worked. Slowly, painfully, the oxygen made its way back into my system. The shaking didn’t stop. My shirt clung to my skin with sweat. But I could breathe.

Minutes passed like hours, but eventually the world stopped spinning. My breaths evened out, though my hands still trembled.

I found myself leaning into Zane’s shoulder, exhausted. "I'm sorry," I whispered.

Zane didn’t answer right away. When he did, his voice sounded... different. Softer. Real.

“Don’t be. Panic attacks don’t care about timing. They just happen.”

I blinked up at him, eyes red-rimmed and glassy. “How do you know that?”

Zane’s jaw tensed, but the expression in his eyes betrayed him—haunted, flickering with something unspoken. For a second, the cold mask cracked. And there it was. A glimpse of the man underneath the billionaire armor.

“Because I’ve had them,” Zane said finally. Quiet. Honest.

I stared, stunned into silence. I hadn’t expected that. Not from him.

Then, like a switch flipped, Zane’s face hardened again. He shifted away, the moment slipping like smoke between them.

“Don’t make a habit of this,” he said briskly, standing. “If you pass out on my Egyptian cotton sheets again, I’m billing you.”

“Wait… how did you know?” I asked, my voice still shaky.

“I told you, the house is alive. I felt it.” He paused. “What caused the attack?” He asked.

“Nightmares. I've had them for a while now, people chase me in my dreams. This time around, a man caught me and tried cutting my arm, that's when you woke me up.”

“And this has never happened before?”

“No. Normally I'll run till I wake up. I've never been caught before.”

“Hmmmm. Come to my room.”

“What?”

“It's your choice. You either come there and continue your sleep or you look like this for the rest of the day. I don't care.” He said and left the room.

Minutes later, I knocked at his door and entered.

Zane glanced over from the bed, eyes half-lidded with amusement. “You didn’t knock yesterday.”

I didn't answer.

I glanced round his room and I didn't see any couch.

“Where am I sleeping?” I asked.

“On the bed. Why? You think I'll bite you?”

I scoffed and climbed in. I've never slept with another person on the same bed, so I just laid close to the edge of the bed.

Zane scoffed, “make yourself comfortable, just don't disturb me.” And he turned.

His bed was so comfortable unlike the personality that owned it. In less than a minute, I blacked out again.

I woke up to the sound of my stomach throwing a tantrum. Groggy, I turned and Zane was still asleep.

Carefully, I slipped out of bed and left the room, shutting the door softly behind me.

Lucien stepped out of his own room just as I passed.

He frowned. “What were you doing in there?”

I blinked. “Sleeping?”

“I thought I told you that the Alpha’s room was off limits.” He said angrily.

“He took me to his room.”

“He what?”

“I had a panic attack earlier, he stayed with me. Then told me to sleep in his room.”

Lucien raised a brow. “I’ll confirm that with him.”

“He’s still sleeping. Said not to disturb him.”

Lucien froze. “Zane is sleeping?!”

“Shhhhh, lower your voice. I don't want to get into trouble.” I replied quickly.

Lucien shot a look at Zane's door, then back at me.

“You mean he's actually… asleep?” he asked again.

“Shouldn't he be sleeping?” I asked .

He walked over, opened the door, and stared into the room for a long beat before closing it again.

“What did you do to him?”

“What? I didn't do anything, I was sleeping and when I woke up, he was asleep too. Is that illegal?”

He just stared at me.

My stomach made noise again, reminding me to eat. I guess it knows I've found a house now since it keeps asking for food.

“Where's the kitchen?” I asked Lucien but he kept giving me that look.

“Nevermind, I'll find it myself.”

And I left him in the hallway looking like he’d seen a ghost.

I eventually found the kitchen after looping around the mansion like five times. The place was massive. A guy in a white apron stood behind the counter, already setting down a plate.

“The Alpha told me to prepare your food. It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Jayden,” he said with a kind smile.

“You’re the first person who’s talked to me that isn’t Lucien or Zane.”

He chuckled. “We don’t really have people living here. Just guards—and they’re not allowed to talk to visitors. So don’t expect much from them.”

“But can I talk to you?” I asked, hopeful.

“Feel free. I’m always around.” He said. His eyes skimmed over me, brows furrowing. “But why do you look so skinny? You barely eat?”

I gave a tired shrug. “Back downtown, I ate maybe once a week. Twice if I was lucky.”

His expression shifted from concern to alarm. “That won’t do. You’ll need energy if you’re working for the Alpha.”

“You know about that?”

“Yeah. You’re his PA, right? Though I don’t know why you got the job when the Beta’s still around.”

I gave a dry smile. “You could say he pitied me.”

He nodded, unfazed. “Very well, then. Enjoy your meal.”

I sat down and dug into the food. Warm, flavorful, and almost too good to be real.

For a moment, the world slowed down. No nightmares, no panic, no running. Just food. A quiet kitchen. And the distant hum of a house that, somehow, didn’t feel so cold anymore.

Maybe things were starting to change.

Maybe.