ZION Just as the silence thickened between us, the kitchen door creaked open. "Zion?" Mum's voice was soft but steady as she stepped into the sitting room, holding a tray with two steaming mugs. Her eyes widened the moment she saw Annabell with her gun still raised, tension crackling in the air. "Whoa! What's going on here?" I exhaled slowly, the weight of the moment still heavy on my chest. "Mom, this is Annabell." Mum's gaze softened as she looked between us. "Annabell. It's... good to finally meet you." Annabell lowered the gun fully but kept her guard up. "You have no idea what you're getting into." Mum gave her a small, knowing smile. "Maybe not. But Zion's no stranger to complicated." She set the tray down and poured the drinks. "Let's all sit and talk." The tension didn't vanish, but with Mom here, I felt a fragile hope that maybe this mess could somehow be untangled. … I rubbed the back of my neck, trying not to show how uneasy I was. Which was ironic, con
ZION I groaned softly, one hand fumbling blindly across the nightstand for the cursed alarm clock. The harsh buzzing filled the quiet room, dragging me from the fog of a much-needed slumber.I blinked against the morning light filtering through the blinds, my mind still swimming in haze. I'd only just returned to my timeline two hours ago.Suddenly, the sharp ring of the doorbell echoed through the silence, startling me.Confused, I threw off the covers and shuffled towards the front door, my feet dragging across the cold marble floor. Who could be here this early? My heart pounded strangely in my chest, a flicker of anticipation stirring beneath the exhaustion.I opened the door.And there she was.Mum.She stood there like a vision. She was older than I'd ever seen her, but she was still stunning. She was the embodiment of the word "aging like fine wine".Her purple eyes sparkled with that familiar fierceness and the subtle grace that made her stunning without trying. Time had
JAXON The world outside was blanketed in snow. Thick snow flakes fell in slow spirals, coating the pines in white. Inside the house, the fireplace crackled low. I stood near the window, both hands wrapped around a steaming mug of chocolate. Clarissa made it earlier. She said it was tradition. It tasted so good. The warmth from the cup soaked into my palms, and I stared down at it as if it held answers. Stefan was gone. The Hollow King was defeated. Zion... my son—gods, my son—was finally safe. We were free in every way we never thought we could be. And still, I didn't know what to do with the quiet. I didn’t know how to let go of the war in my chest. I heard her footsteps before I felt her. Clarissa's arms slid around my waist from behind, and her cheek pressed to my back. I went still, just for a second, appreciating her warmth. "You're quiet," she murmured. Her voice was softer now. "Everything okay?" I set the mug down and placed my hands over hers. "I don't know h
ZION The second we stepped through the fractured veil, I felt it. The aura of magic that felt wrong. I saw him then. My father. Dorian and Dante had him pinned to the ground, but barely. He was thrashing under their grip, but he wasn’t being fuelled by anger. Mum choked out a cry when she saw him. His body was fighting itself the way a wolf does when rabies takes hold. Only this…this was the aftermath of something worse. Void rot combined with the power of the eclipse wolf wrestling under his skin. He was so strong. Ordinary people wouldn’t have lasted this long. Like hell would I let him end in misery."Get off him,” I barked, already moving.The twins hesitated just for a second. Just long enough for me to see the fear in their eyes, and it pissed me off."He's not your enemy," I snapped. "He's my father.”Dorian growled under his breath, but they released him.And I dropped to my knees.He was trembling, black veins crawling up his skin. He was much paler than I’d ever seen
CLARISSA The blade was still inside me, and I couldn't scream anymore. I coughed up blood, pain shooting through my chest. The whole place tilted, and I collapsed to the ground. The cold seeped into my lungs, numbing the fire in my blood, slowly stealing the strength from my limbs as well as my consciousness.Zion's face hovered over mine while my version blurred at the edges.I reached for him, my fingers trembling. "Don't—" I tried. But the word didn't make it past my lips.And then... everything fell away into darkness. At first, everything was bleak and empty, but then I saw him.It wasn't the man I loved now but the boy he used to be. He could be fifteen, maybe sixteen. He stood at the edge of a crowd, watching the others train, his shoulders set in rigid defiance. He waited for someone to offer him a place among them. But they didn't.Only then did I realize I'd been sucked into Jaxon's consciousness.They kept their distance, watching him with eyes that spoke volumes of h
CLARISSA Jaxon was burning up again. His skin radiated heat as I brushed my fingers across his forehead, tracing the edge of his hairline. His jaw clenched and a low moan escaped his lips as he tossed against the sheets. Fever dreams had claimed him, and it killed me to see him like this.I stroked his damp hair, gently pressing a kiss to his temple. "I'm sorry," I whispered against his burning skin. "I have to save you... even if it costs me everything."His body tensed as if he'd heard me, and for a moment I stayed still, watching the frown settling in between his brows. He was fighting so hard even in his sleep.A hesitant knock broke the silence and the door opened before I could respond.Dante.He stepped in slowly, his body tense with anxiety. His eyes darted over to Jaxon, then to me, and the worry etched deep into his face mirrored my own."How bad is it?" he asked in a hushed voice."Worse." I didn't sugarcoat it. I couldn't afford to. "The Eclipse Wolf is pressing i