CHAPTER 25

CATRIONA

The morning air was cool, sunlight just beginning to stretch across the pack’s grounds as I walked toward my car. My keys jingled faintly in my hand. Abriel trailed behind me, his fingers curled tightly around Sandra’s hand, his little feet dragging like he wasn’t ready for the short trip to his grandmother’s.

I had just reached for the door handle when the world cracked open.

THUD.

A weight crashed down onto the hood of my car, so heavy and sudden the metal groaned beneath it. I screamed, stumbling back, my keys clattering to the ground.

Sandra gasped sharply behind me, yanking Abriel closer to her chest. My heart raced so violently I thought it would burst through my ribs.

It was a deer.

Or what used to be a deer. Its body sprawled grotesquely across the hood, blood matting its fur, its head twisted at an unnatural angle. Its lifeless eyes stared through me like glass marbles. Steam hissed up from beneath where the weight had dented the hood deep.

I couldn’t move. My breath came in shallow bursts, my whole body trembling. The echo of my own scream still rang in my ears.

Then I heard him—Jayden’s voice cutting through the chaos, rough and sharp.

“Catriona!”

I turned, my throat raw, and saw him sprinting toward me, his face carved tight with fear.

My legs threatened to buckle beneath me as Jayden reached me. His hands were on me instantly, gripping my shoulders, his eyes scanning every inch of me like he expected blood to start pouring out any second.

“Are you hurt?” His voice was sharp, almost desperate.

I shook my head quickly, though my chest heaved like I’d run miles. “No—I… I’m fine.” My voice trembled, betraying me.

His gaze snapped past me, to the twisted mess of my car. The deer’s lifeless body slumped against the hood, blood streaking down the silver paint. Abriel whimpered softly against Sandra’s shoulder, his small face pressed into her neck.

Jayden swore under his breath, his hands moving down my arms, gripping tighter. “You screamed like—” He cut himself off, his jaw clenching, then softer, “You scared the hell out of me.”

I swallowed hard, trying to ground myself, but the image of that broken body falling from nowhere was carved into my mind. My hands wouldn’t stop shaking.

“It just… fell,” I whispered. “Out of nowhere. Right in front of me.”

Jayden’s arms wrapped around me, pulling me against his chest. I let myself sink into him, my fingers clutching his shirt like if I let go, the world would shatter again.

Behind us, Sandra rocked Abriel gently, murmuring to soothe him. But my son’s wide eyes peeked over her shoulder—watchful, almost too knowing—as they flicked from the deer to me.

The noise had already drawn attention. Pack members spilled out from the surrounding houses, voices low, confused, as they peered toward the mess in the driveway. Their eyes darted between me, the ruined car, and the bloodied deer slumped across the hood.

Abriel whimpered again, his small body tense in Sandra’s arms. My heart twisted. I reached for him immediately, pulling him into me, hugging him so tightly his cheek pressed against my chest. He was trembling, his wide eyes still locked on the horror outside.

“Go back inside,” Jayden’s voice commanded, sharp and clipped, sending a ripple through me. “Now.”

I nodded, not trusting my voice, and turned on my heel. My legs carried me quickly back inside, Sandra close behind. In the main living room, I sat Abriel gently on the couch, brushing his hair back from his forehead. My hands still shook as I fumbled for my phone.

I pressed the call button for Miss Oliver, my voice tight when she answered. “Miss Oliver… I—I can’t come. Something happened here and it… it shook Abriel badly. I’d like you and Edrine to come instead, if that’s okay.”

There was a pause, then her warm, steady voice: “We’ll get ready and come right away, child. Don’t worry.”

Relief swept through me. “Thank you for understanding.” My voice cracked before I quickly hung up.

I turned back to Abriel, crouching in front of him. “Are you okay, baby?”

His brows furrowed. “What was that… on your car?” His little voice was cautious, threaded with fear.

My chest ached. I smoothed my hand down his arm. “That was just a deer, sweetheart. Sometimes they run too close to the roads, and… accidents happen. But it can’t hurt us.”

He searched my face as if trying to decide if he should believe me.

“Would you like to go upstairs and play in your playroom?” I asked softly, tucking a curl behind his ear. “Grandmother and Uncle Edrine will come visit later.”

Slowly, he nodded.

I turned to Sandra, my voice firmer now. “Take him upstairs. Stay with him.”

Sandra nodded and gently coaxed him away. His small hand clung to hers as they disappeared up the stairs.

When I stepped back outside, the deer was already gone, its broken body cleared from the hood of my car. The dented metal still groaned, and streaks of blood clung stubbornly to the paint, but the carcass itself had vanished.

My eyes roamed the woods, shadows still thick between the trees, then lifted to the sky. Where could it have fallen from? It didn’t make sense. A deer didn’t just drop from the heavens. My stomach twisted tighter with every thought.

“Catriona.”

Jayden’s voice pulled me back, sharp and grounding. I turned, finding him watching me closely, his jaw set. “Is Abriel alright? Not too shaken?”

I nodded slowly. “He’s upstairs with Sandra. Still rattled, but he’ll be fine.”

Jayden gave a small nod, but the heaviness in his eyes didn’t ease.

I drew in a sharp breath, my nerves fraying. “Where did it come from, Jayden?”

He didn’t answer right away. His silence was heavier than words, dragging my pulse faster.

“You’re not telling me something.” My voice was urgent, demanding. “Don’t shut me out. Not about this.”

Jayden’s gaze shifted past me for a moment before he reached for my hand. His grip was firm, steady, pulling me away from the wreck. He led me into one of the empty rooms inside the house and shut the door quietly behind us.

The silence swelled between us, my heartbeat echoing in my ears. “It’s something serious, isn’t it?” My voice shook despite me trying to steady it.

Jayden exhaled sharply, dragging a hand down his face before meeting my eyes. “When I was giving Abriel a bath earlier…” His voice lowered, heavy. “He stopped. And then he spoke—but it wasn’t his voice. It was a man’s voice. Deep. Cold. He told me we’re wasting time going to Europe. That if we leave, he’ll make our lives hell.”

The words hit me like a blade sliding between my ribs. I went still, my whole body trembling.

Jayden continued, his tone harder. “I think it’s the same old man you talked about. And I think… this was him. His way of showing us he meant what he said.”

The truth hit me like a dagger to the chest. My knees almost buckled as the weight of it pressed down on me. “Jayden…” I whispered, my voice trembling. “Our poor son. My poor baby is suffering because of me.” My throat closed, tears burning my eyes. “I brought this to him—I dragged this curse to our child.”

“Catriona.” Jayden’s voice cracked like thunder, sharp and commanding. He stepped closer, his hands gripping my shoulders with steady force. “Look at me.”

I forced my eyes up, tears spilling down my cheeks, my whole body shaking.

“That old man must be scared,” Jayden said firmly, his voice like steel. “Because he knows Selena Jones is going to help us. He must have seen it—seen that we’re going to release your guardians. That we’ll put an end to his madness.”

I froze, the words sinking in past the storm in my mind. My lips trembled. “You… you think so?”

“I don’t just think.” His gaze was unwavering, burning with certainty. “I’m very certain of it.”

Something in me eased, a fragile thread of hope breaking through my fear.

Jayden’s hands slid down my arms, steadying me. “Now pull yourself together. We’ll need to prepare everything—clothes, supplies, whatever we can. We’re going to save our son, and you.”

A shaky smile broke across my lips despite the heaviness in my chest. His certainty had always been my anchor.

“Good.” His tone softened, his thumb brushing over my cheek as he gave me one last steady look. Then he stepped back. “Go on. I’ll meet with the pack and get things in motion.”

He hesitated, then asked, “Do you want me to drive you and Abriel to Miss Oliver?”

I shook my head quickly. “No. I called her already. She and Edrine are coming here instead.”

Jayden nodded once, approval in his eyes. “Well then… that’s good.”

He leaned in, his lips brushing mine in a firm kiss that lingered just long enough to remind me I wasn’t alone in this. Then, with a purposeful stride, he turned and left the room, the weight of leadership already in his step.

As soon as Jayden left, the room felt emptier, heavier. I pressed a hand to my chest, willing my heartbeat to slow. He was right. I needed to pull myself together. For Abriel. For all of us.

I walked back into our room, grabbed an empty suitcase, and began pulling clothes from the closet. My hands moved quickly, but my mind raced even faster—Selena Jones, the guardians, the old man. Every piece of this puzzle felt like it was dragging me deeper into something far larger than I could comprehend.

“Focus, Catriona,” I whispered to myself, folding Abriel’s shirts, slipping them neatly into the bag.

A soft laugh echoed from the playroom down the hall—Abriel’s. The sound both soothed and pierced me, a reminder of everything at stake. I paused, pressing his small sweater to my chest, breathing him in. We’ll save you, my baby. I promise.

I zipped one suitcase shut and started another, pulling some of Jayden’s clothes, mine, and whatever little comforts I thought we’d need. My mind drifted to Europe, to Selena Jones—the witch who hated wolves—and I swallowed hard. Could we really trust her? Or were we running straight into another trap?

The door creaked behind me.

“Jayden?” I asked without turning.

Silence.

I froze, my fingers still clutching the edge of the suitcase. Slowly, I turned, my heart hammering against my ribs.

But it wasn’t Jayden.

At the far end of the room, half-shrouded in shadow, stood a tall figure. His presence was suffocating, ancient… wrong. His eyes glowed faintly, a cruel smile tugging at his lips.

“You really think you can run from me?” he said softly, his voice the exact one that haunted my dreams—the old man.

My breath caught, my scream trapped in my throat.