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
JAXON The morning light seeped in through the frostbitten windows, illuminating the living room. My fingers twitched at my sides as I stared at the paper stretched across the coffee table glistening with the ink I'd used to translate the scroll.“You’re saying you were able to read it the moment you opened the scroll?” Clarissa asked, and I nodded.Giving me a smile, she picked up the paper and read its contents aloud.“To sever the power of the hollow king, one must willingly bind their soul to the entity, allowing it to be drawn into mortal flesh. From there, the anchor must wield their power to cast it into the Void."She let out an exhale. And then she said it."I'll do it."I blinked slowly, in disbelief."What?" I asked in a low voice.She met my gaze. "It has to be done. I can hold him. I can draw it in. I can survive it."Her statement hit me like a fucking freight train.No.No. No. No.I slammed my hand into the wall. The sound cracked through the silence like a gunshot
CLARISSA The palace was too silent. There was not a single shuffle of guards. It felt like we were stepping into the graveyard. I pushed the heavy double doors open, my heartbeat pounding in my ears, unsure of what sight to expect.But what I saw stopped me cold.The Alpha King lay sprawled on the polished marble floor, his throat torn wide open, blood pooling beneath his unmoving body like a black halo.And Callum stood over him, his hands soaked scarlet. His eyes... they were pitch black, and there was not a hint of remorse or humanity.Annoyance blazed inside of me."Welcome, children of fate," he said, but it wasn't his voice.The Hollow King.I tensed up, and Zion stepped forward protectively, his shoulders tense.The Hollow King—wearing Callum's body like a borrowed coat—smiled. But his eyes stayed dead and emotionless."I'll save us all some time," he said, stepping over the corpse as if it were nothing but a broken piece of furniture. "Hand over the scroll."I kept my ch
CLARISSA I could feel Jaxon's trembling hands on my shoulders, holding on to me and anchoring me to this world when I was seconds from vanishing into the one inside my mind.I had nearly drowned in that illusion. But his voice had cut right through it and snapped me out of it. But what I hadn't expected was the next words that he uttered."Marry me."I wasn't even sure I had heard it right at first.The chamber was still trembling with magic, and dust was swirling in slow, unnatural spirals in the air. Zion was hunched beside us, his breathing ragged, his eyes wet and unfocused now. But all I could see was Jaxon.He was kneeling in front of me, his eyes red-rimmed and raw.For a second, I couldn't speak. The words wouldn't come."Jaxon," I breathed, his name trembling from my lips.He didn't back down."Clarissa," he said in a hoarse voice. "I don't know if we will make it out of here. I don't know if I will win this war inside me. But I know this. I love you. I've loved you
JAXON The eclipse wolf was getting louder. I clenched my jaw and stared at the wall, willing my pulse to steady even as my vision swam. My fingers dug into the edge of the kitchen counter. The ceramic mug I'd been holding slipped and shattered against the floor.Great. That was the third thing I'd broken today.'Weak. You're letting them see it.'I squeezed my eyes shut, ignoring the thick voice twisting through my skull. It sounded like me, but it was wrong, distorted and crueler."Not now," I muttered under my breath, wiping the blood from my nose with the back of my hand before anyone saw.But Clarissa was already turning towards me from where she stood near the stairs. Her eyes flicked to the crimson smear and narrowed."Jax—""I'm fine," I cut in, quickly. "Just a headache."She didn't believe me. I saw it in the way her lips parted slightly like she wanted to call me out on it but didn't know how hard to push. Instead, she let it go. For now.Zion was upstairs, resting a
CLARISSA The hum of the car was the only sound between us. Jaxon's hand gripped the steering wheel, his knuckles pale. But his gaze kept flicking toward me."You've barely said a word since we left the meeting," he said.I stared out the window, gazing at the orange sky. "I didn't want to say anything until I was sure I wasn't hallucinating.""Clarissa." His voice turned firm. "Talk to me."So I did.I told him about the voice in my head. The way it called me Evie and the way it had begged for help.Jaxon didn't interrupt. Not once.When I finished, I let the silence fall between us again.Then he reached over and rested his hand on my knee."You won't do this alone," he said, his gaze fixed on the road. "Not now. Not ever. We fight this together."Emotions clogged my throat.I reached over and gave his thigh a gentle squeeze. "You're too good for me.""No," he said without missing a beat, flashing me a small, sideways grin. "I'm exactly what you deserve."Gods, I loved him.I