CHAPTER 18

JAYDEN

I dragged myself to my feet, spine screaming. The print was gone. Wiped clean. Like it had never been there.

But it had.

And now I knew this wasn’t just about threats or warnings.

This was personal.

Whatever the hell this was...

It wanted her.

---

By the time I broke through the edge of the woods, it was so late. The wind had dropped, but the static in the air hadn’t.

My ribs still ached from that hit—whatever the hell that was. I wasn’t sure if the shift back had torn something inside me or if it was the voice… the pull.

I caught sight of Catriona’s car as I cleared the trees.

She was back.

A part of me eased. Just a fraction. But it didn’t last.

I crossed the yard fast, wiping the sweat and dirt from my face. The house stood still—too still. I stepped inside. The pack members were busy with their usual life routine. I continued on my way upstairs.

I saw Catriona walking out of Abriel’s room, her hair loose, her expression warm—glowing, almost. Her eyes lit up when she saw me.

“I told you,” she said with a proud little smirk, “I’d manage it. And I did.”

But the smile died the moment her eyes scanned my face.

Her steps slowed. “Jayden… what happened?”

I didn’t answer immediately. I just looked at her. She looked safe. Unharmed. Whole. Everything I wanted to protect. Everything I could still lose.

Without a word, I reached for her—pulled her straight into my arms.

I held her like I hadn’t in weeks, pressing her close, breathing her in like she was the only thing tethering me to this reality.

“I missed you,” I murmured against her hair.

She hugged me back just as tightly. “I missed you too.”

But then she pulled back slightly, her hands still resting on my chest, her gaze locking with mine.

“Something happened,” she said, quietly. “I can feel it.”

I leaned down and kissed her forehead. “Let’s not talk here.”

I took her hand and we headed into our room. Once inside, I closed the door and locked it. Then turned to her.

“It’s the prints,” I said. “They have something to do with your spirit guardians.”

She frowned. “You’re sure?”

I nodded.

She sat on the edge of the bed, thinking, then said, “But they’re spirits. They can’t possibly leave physical marks like that. You said the prints were massive, Jayden.”

“I don’t know the science behind it,” I said, sitting beside her. “But I stepped into one. And the second I did, it reacted. Like it had been waiting for me. And then… the voice came. Saying they want you to look for them.”

She looked down, her fingers fidgeting. “Of course I'm looking for them. I want to talk to them. Can’t they see that? I’ve tried everything. They just have to come to me or open a way.”

Silence fell.

Then she turned to me again, scooting closer, concern flooding her face.

“Did they hurt you?” she asked softly. “You don’t look good.”

“No,” I said with a small shake of my head. “I’m just tired. I sprinted through the entire damn forest trying to keep the territory safe and ended up getting tossed like a ragdoll into a tree.”

Her hand came up to touch my jaw, her eyes scanning me gently.

I leaned into the touch.

But then she whispered, “I’m still on what I said, Jayden.”

I pulled back slightly. My voice came out sharper than I intended. “We are not continuing that conversation, Catriona.”

“I have to do this,” she said, her tone soft but unshakable. “Jayden, you felt it too. Something is pulling us closer to whatever the hell is tormenting our son. If I can cross over, if I can face them directly—it might end it. I can feel it in my bones.”

I stood up, hands on my hips, trying to keep from pacing like a caged beast. “You want to gamble your life on a feeling?”

“Yes,” she said firmly.

I turned back to her. “Catriona, you are not thinking straight. Abriel just called me daddy. You saw it—you felt it. We’re making progress. He’s finally starting to open up. If you do this and something goes wrong…”

Her eyes shimmered but she didn’t look away. “If I don’t, something worse will happen. I can feel them, Jayden. They’re closing in.”

I shook my head. “No. I won’t lose you. Not again. Not when we’re finally close to having a life that isn’t soaked in blood or fear.”

“You think I want to leave?” Her voice broke then. “You think I want to step away from the only two people who make me feel like I matter? I don’t. But I’ll never forgive myself if I sit still and watch our son suffer when I had a chance to stop it.”

“We’ll find another way,” I said quickly, stepping toward her. “We’ll talk to more seers, more mystics—hell, we’ll burn the whole damn forest down if we have to—but this? You dying to talk to shadows? No.”

She blinked at me, lips trembling. “You don’t believe in me.”

“That’s not what this is—”

“No?” she cut in. “Then why won’t you trust me with this? Why do you think I’m too weak to survive what I already survived twice?”

I exhaled through my nose, anger and panic scraping against each other. “Because I love you. And I just got you back.”

Silence.

She didn’t say anything.

Instead, she turned for the door.

“I’ll sleep in Abriel’s room tonight,” she said flatly, her voice drained. “You clearly need space. And I need clarity.”

The door clicked behind her before I could stop her.

I stood there, running a hand over my face. Then raked it through my hair.

Shit.

I yanked on a pair of pants and threw on a shirt. I needed air. I needed to move.

---

Outside, the wind was cool, biting at the edge of dusk. I spotted Jerome by the fence line, talking to two of the night patrol guards.

He noticed me approaching, then dismissed them with a wave.

“Alpha,” he greeted. “You good?”

I exhaled sharply. “We fought.”

He cocked his head slightly. “About the dying thing?”

I nodded.

Jerome let out a low breath. “Jayden… if she says she can end this by meeting her guardians—I think you should trust her. I don’t think they’ll let her die.”

“She said the same thing,” I muttered. “But I don’t trust those spirits. I never did.”

Jerome’s gaze narrowed. “Why not?”

I looked at him, jaw clenched. “Because of what happened in the woods. There were fresh prints—massive ones—and when I stepped into one, it felt like I was being dragged. It slammed me into a tree. Like something was waiting. Watching. Testing.”

Jerome went quiet for a beat. Then said slowly, “Then something’s escalated. Something they can’t fix without her. That’s why they’re reaching out now. They need her to put things back in balance.”

I stared out into the darkness.

If Jerome was right… then Catriona might be the only one who could end whatever storm was crawling toward us.

But that didn’t mean I had to be okay with sending her into it.

"Until I find another better option," I said to Jerome, jaw tight, voice low, "I'm not letting her do it. Not now."

He didn’t argue. Just gave me a curt nod as I turned away.

"I'm heading out for a moment," I added, already pulling my keys from my pocket.

Jerome stayed where he was, watching me go.

---

I climbed into the car, slammed the door, and started the engine with a growl. The frustration boiling in my chest was turning into something I couldn’t keep down anymore.

I grabbed my phone, opened the contact list, and dialed Gabriel.

The line rang once.

Twice.

Then, he picked up.

"Jayden."

"I'm coming over to your house?" I said, my voice a low growl. "I need to talk. Face to face."

"I’m not at the house right now," he replied.

"Where?" I snapped. "I’ll come to you."

There was a pause on the other end.

A long one.

Then he finally said, "I’m in Kingshade. Downtown. There's a club called EmberSin."

"I’ll be there in a while."

I ended the call without waiting for anything else. Tossed the phone into the passenger seat. My jaw clenched so tight my teeth hurt.

---

Kingshade.

Twenty minutes later, I pulled up outside the club. The streets were alive, neon lights bleeding across the pavement, music thumping so loud it vibrated in my chest.

The sign for EmberSin pulsed red like a heartbeat.

I got out and scanned the area, eyes sharp. A pack wolf out of place here, but no one would dare approach me unless they were drunk or stupid.

I entered the club.

Heat. Sweat. Perfume.

The bass hit me first. Then the crowd. Bodies moved like smoke, lights flashing over skin, faces, flashing eyes.

Women noticed me. They always did.

A brunette in a low-cut red dress sidled up to me.

"First drink's on me, handsome. Or... we could skip the drinks."

I ignored her and pushed past, eyes scanning for one bastard in particular.

Gabriel was nowhere in sight.

I mindlinked him.

Where the hell are you?

A second passed.

Then his voice slid into my mind.

Private lounge. Upstairs. Back of the club. Room 7. Come alone.

Of course. Always some cryptic drama with this guy.

I gritted my teeth and muttered, "What the hell are you playing at, Gabriel?"

I moved toward the back, ignoring the hands reaching for me, the offers whispered, the eyes that followed. I wasn't here for games.

I was here to get answers.

And maybe, if he didn’t give me what I needed—I'd give him what he deserved.

---

I stepped into the dim-lit room, shoulders tense, eyes scanning the unfamiliar space. I came to a dead stop.

Gabriel was there.

But he wasn’t alone.

Five wolves surrounded him—tall, broad, built like living walls. The moment I entered, their eyes snapped to me. And the biggest of them all grinned like a damn hyena ready to tear something apart.

"Well, well," the brute rumbled, voice low and rough. "Look who just walked in. Another alpha, huh? Must be a popular spot tonight."

I didn’t flinch. I met each of their gazes like a man who’d been through worse and came out sharper.

Gabriel leaned against the far wall, all relaxed arrogance, like the chaos around him was just background noise. He gave me a lazy half-smile. "Tried to tell you it could wait till morning, Jayden. But nooo..."

My jaw locked. "When you’re done playing whatever game this is, I’ll find you again."

I turned to leave.

That’s when it happened.

A thick, calloused hand clamped onto my wrist.

"Not so fast, Alpha," the brute sneered.

I growled low. "Let. Go. Of my hand."

He chuckled, tightening his grip like he thought I was bluffing. "You got a mouth on you. Bet it gets you in trouble."

I narrowed my eyes. "Do I look like someone interested in a pissing contest with a mutt?"

He didn’t even get the chance to reply.

I slammed my forehead into his nose—hard. There was a sickening crack. Blood sprayed. The guy let out a howl of pain and stumbled backward.

"Fuck!"

Then all hell broke loose.

The others lunged. I ducked the first swing, smashed my elbow into one’s gut, pivoted, then drove my knee into another’s chest. A table exploded behind me. Bottles shattered. The room erupted into chaos.

I fought like the Alpha I was—precise, brutal, controlled rage.

But even an Alpha has limits.

A bottle slammed against my back.

Fists crashed into my ribs.

Then it came—a dull, heavy thunk to the side of my head.

My vision swam. My knees hit the floor.

Everything slowed.

The last thing I saw before the dark closed in was Gabriel’s unreadable face...

And that same bastard wolf, grinning down at me like he’d already won.

"Sweet dreams, Alpha."

---

The throb at the back of my head pulsed like a war drum, blood warm against my scalp. I tried to rise, fists clenched, but the floor tilted sideways and my body wasn’t listening.

A boot slammed into my side.

Pain ripped through me, hot and brutal, but I didn’t yell. Wouldn’t give them that.

“Big bad alpha,” one of them sneered. “Doesn’t look so tough now.”

I gritted my teeth, spitting blood to the floor as I braced on one elbow. I could hear them moving around me, circling like a pack of rabid dogs—wolves who’d long forgotten honor. Their scents were foul—iron, sweat, cheap liquor, and something older… something darker. Not just rogues. Something else.

What the hell is this, Gabriel? I mindlinked, my voice hoarse and sharp in his head. Mind explaining what kind of trap I just walked into?

There was a pause.

Then Gabriel’s voice slid into my mind, smooth but tired. This isn’t about you, Jayden. I told you to wait till morning. You insisted.

So what is this?

It’s about a debt. One I owe. These wolves are part of a rogue group that kept me alive years ago when I had nothing left—not even my name. I thought I could buy my way free with silence and distance. Turns out they wanted more. They still found me even after years of silence.

I blinked through the blur, my heart thudding. You dragged them into my territory?

No, Gabriel replied. They followed me into yours. You showing up here just gave them leverage.

They knew who I was.

Exactly.

Something in his tone changed then—sadder. Angrier.

Jayden… you weren’t supposed to be here tonight. But now you are. And now they know what matters to you.

I clenched my fists, rage and warning pulsing in every breath.

Because I knew what he meant.

They knew about my pack.

About Catriona.

About Abriel.

The last thing I saw before everything went black…

Was one of them pulling out a phone.

Snapping a photo.

Of me and sending it to someone.