CHAPTER 29

JAYDEN

The words slithered across the distance, clear as if she whispered them against my ear. A chill ran down my spine, though my wolf bristled, hackles rising.

Behind me, Gabriel groaned where he lay against the tree, still human, still catching his breath from the impact. He managed a rasp, his voice edged with a grimace. “Well… at least she’s home.”

I ignored him, keeping my gaze locked on her. My jaw tightened, fists curling at my sides. She wasn’t just a witch. She was the kind that reeked of power, of danger. And she already knew why we’d come.

I squared my shoulders, forcing my voice steady. “We didn’t come here to start a fight. I came because my son—”

Selena lifted one pale hand, silencing me with nothing more than a flick of her wrist. Her eyes glittered like knives.

“I have no interest in wolves or your endless pack squabbles,” she said coldly, each word laced with disdain. “Leave my land before I decide to do something you’ll both regret.”

My jaw tightened, fury simmering. “You don’t understand. This isn’t about a pack feud—”

A groan sounded behind me. Gabriel pushed himself upright, his chest still heaving from the last blow. His voice was rough but sharp. “At least listen to him—”

He didn’t finish.

Selena’s hand cut the air, and power erupted from her like a storm. A burst of raw magic struck Gabriel square in the chest, hurling him backward. He slammed into the trees again with bone-cracking force, the ground quaking beneath the impact.

I lunged forward, but another wave of her power hit me, slamming me into bark so hard my teeth rattled. The air left my lungs in a rush, pain tearing across my back.

By the time I staggered upright, coughing, she was gone.

The house, the glowing windows, the towering spires—all of it had vanished, fading like smoke on the wind. The forest stood silent once more, as though she’d never been there at all.

Only the echo of her words remained, searing in my skull.

Leave before I decide to do something you’ll regret.

I dragged myself upright, every rib aching, blood hot in my mouth. My wolf raged inside me, clawing for release, for a way forward.

“I’m not leaving!” I roared, my voice tearing through the forest. I staggered back toward where the shimmer had been, fists clenched. “Break the fucking shroud! Hear me, Selena—listen to me!”

Power slammed me back again, hard enough to rattle my bones. I groaned through gritted teeth, forcing myself to rise, fury burning brighter than pain.

“Jayden—” Gabriel’s voice cut sharp, but I didn’t stop.

My third attempt ripped me from my feet, throwing me into the dirt. Blood slicked my lip, my lungs heaving like fire. Still, I shoved up onto shaking arms.

“I won’t stop,” I spat. “Not until she hears me.”

I charged again—

But this time, Gabriel was there. He blocked me, shoving me hard enough that I skidded back.

“Back off,” I snarled, teeth bared. “You don’t understand—”

“Don’t I?” His eyes flashed, his wolf close to the surface.

I lunged again, but Gabriel caught me, this time slamming me into the earth. His weight bore me down, his hand at my throat, his own snarl vibrating against the trees.

“You need to stop, Jayden!” he snapped. “This won’t help. She won’t let you in, not even if you break a bone, not even if you bleed out right here. That’s how much she hates wolves. I thought you knew that when you came all this way.”

I snarled up at him, my body trembling with rage, but the truth in his words dug deep, bitter as poison.

Gabriel’s grip tightened before he finally shoved off me, his voice cutting like steel. “We retreat—for now. We need a way in that she’ll accept. That won’t happen here, not like this.” He exhaled, his chest heaving. “Head back to the hotel. Reset your mind. And then—come back with a clear head. Otherwise, you’ll destroy yourself before you ever save your son.”

His words echoed in the stillness.

And though fury still burned in me, I knew—damn it, I knew—he was right.

The forest was still, almost mocking, as we gathered our clothes from the mossy rock. This time there were no illusions, no loops dragging us back where we started. The path down opened easily, as though Selena herself had already dismissed us and the land no longer cared if we stayed or left.

I yanked my shirt back over my head. Gabriel dressed beside me without a word, his movements clipped, his silence heavy. The air between us carried the weight of what we’d failed to do—and what we’d barely survived.

The cars sat where we’d left them, untouched. Relief pulsed low in my chest; at least one thing had gone right.

We drove in silence, me trailing him again along the narrow roads that curled back toward the city. My hands gripped the wheel tight, knuckles white, every mile dragging me closer to the hotel and farther from the chance I’d hoped for. My wolf paced restlessly, snarling at the retreat, at the thought of returning empty-handed.

Hours bled away, the mountains fading into rolling countryside and then into the orderly streets of Vienna.

Finally, the Imperial Crown Hotel rose before us, its polished glass walls glowing against the skyline. We pulled in one after the other, engines cutting out almost in unison.

I sat there for a long breath, staring at the gleaming facade.

Just as I stepped out of the car my phone buzzed in my pocket.

“Catriona?” I answered immediately.

Her voice cracked on the other end, sharp with panic. “Jayden—we’re at the hospital. Abriel—he… he fell into the pool.”

The world spun for half a second. My heart slammed into my ribs. Without a word, I spun past Gabriel, ignoring his sharp look, and threw myself back behind the wheel.

“Which hospital?” I barked, already starting the engine.

“St. Anna’s,” she sobbed. “Jayden, please—”

“Calm down,” I cut in, forcing my voice firm, though my knuckles were white on the steering wheel. “I’m coming. Just stay with him. I’ll be there.”

I hung up and floored the accelerator, the tires shrieking against the asphalt as I tore out of the hotel lot. Every car in my path was an obstacle I couldn’t afford.

Then—blue lights flashed in my rearview mirror. A police siren wailed, growing louder.

“Fuck!” I slammed my palm against the steering wheel, teeth bared. My wolf raged at the delay, at the thought of wasting even a second.

A normal man would slow down. A cautious man would pull over.

But I wasn’t either of those. Not today.

I had a son fighting for his life, and nothing—not even the police of Vienna—was going to stop me.

I dropped my foot harder on the gas, engine roaring, weaving through traffic with reckless precision. Sirens wailed behind me, but I didn’t look back. My focus was forward, every muscle wired tight.

The sirens grew louder, closer. My wolf snarled inside me, urging me faster. Streets blurred, traffic horns blared, but I didn’t lift my foot off the gas. Not when my son lay in a hospital bed fighting for air.

Then—red and blue lights flashed ahead.

A police blockade.

Three cars stretched across the intersection, doors open, officers already stepping out, guns raised. Their voices echoed through the loudspeakers in German, sharp, commanding: Stop the vehicle! Pull over immediately!

My grip tightened on the steering wheel until the leather bit into my palms. My pulse thundered.

“Fuck,” I spat, teeth gritted. Stopping wasn’t an option—not when every second mattered.

I swerved hard, the tires screeching, engine roaring as I weighed my options in a single heartbeat.

Left—too crowded. Right—narrow alley, maybe too tight for a car this size. Straight—barrels and bullets waiting for me.

My muscles coiled, my breath ragged.

I had to choose.

Either slam through them like a battering ram—or trust my instincts and take a risk that might wreck the car, but not waste the chance to reach my son but I couldn't risk getting shot by what might be a silver bullet in a foreign country.

“Damn it,” I hissed, slamming my fist against the wheel. The curse tore from my throat as I yanked the car toward the curb. Tires squealed, the vehicle jerking to a hard stop.

Doors opened all around me, shouts cutting through the air. “Hands up! Hände hoch! Step out of the vehicle!”

My chest heaved. Slowly, I shoved the door open, raising my hands as ordered. Cold night air rushed over me. Police closed in, weapons steady, their German commands sharp and clipped. One officer shoved me against the side of the car, my cheek pressing to the metal. My wrists were yanked back, the sting of cuffs biting into my skin.

“Name,” one officer demanded in accented English.

“Jayden,” I growled, the rage barely contained. “My son is in the hospital. He almost drowned. I don’t have time for this shit!”

They didn’t care. They frisked me, checked the car, their questions overlapping in German and broken English. One kept asking for my passport, my papers.

Every second felt like a blade carving deeper into me.

I clenched my jaw, barely breathing past the fury. Abriel. Hold on. Just hold on. I’m coming.

The cuffs bit into my wrists with every jolt of movement. They shoved me into the back seat of a patrol car, the door slamming shut like a verdict.

My pulse pounded in my ears, every instinct screaming at me to fight, to break free. But what good would it do? Every officer here had their eyes on me, and if I tried to explain, it would fall on deaf ears. To them, I was just another reckless foreigner tearing through their streets.

So I sat still. Silent. My wolf clawed against my chest, but I forced it down. Losing control now would mean losing Abriel for good.

The car rumbled forward, cutting through Vienna’s streets toward the station.

In the driver’s seat, one officer kept glancing at me in the mirror. Not with suspicion—no, it was sharper than that. His stare was all venom, his lips curled in a sneer he didn’t bother to hide.

He looked at me like I was filth. Like I was a butcher caught with blood still dripping from the blade.

I met his glare once, steady, unflinching. And in that instant, I knew.

That officer wasn’t just doing his job. He wanted me broken. He’d be trouble. The kind of man who’d twist the knife just to hear me bleed.

I leaned back against the seat, jaw clenched, cuffs burning my skin.

The patrol car screeched into the lot behind the station. The doors swung open and rough hands dragged me out, the cuffs still biting deep into my wrists. Every jolt made them sear hotter, like fire eating into my skin.

By the time they shoved me through the metal doors and into the bright white of the station, the burn had become unbearable. My jaw locked, but I didn’t give them the satisfaction of a sound.

Finally, they unlocked the cuffs.

The instant the steel fell away, my arms breathed again. Blood rushed back into my hands, tingling sharp and hot. Red welts circled my wrists, raw and angry.

One of the officers frowned as he caught sight of them. “Sind Sie allergisch? Are you allergic?”

I flexed my fingers slowly, covering the truth with the calmest tone I could muster. “Sensitive skin. Happens sometimes.”

The excuse rolled off easily, but from the corner of my eye, I saw him—the officer from the patrol car. The one who’d been glaring death at me the whole ride. His mouth curved, not in a smile but something close to contempt. His eyes burned into mine with a disbelieving look, like he saw straight through me and hated what he saw.

“Sit,” another officer barked, pointing at the chair bolted to the floor.

I sat, shoulders stiff, my wolf pacing restless.

They began the questions. Rapid, clipped English peppered with German:

“Name?”

“Why were you speeding?”

“Where were you going?”

“Do you have documentation—passport, license?”

Each one came like a strike, meant to corner me. I gave them what I could without giving away more than I should. My voice stayed level, though fury brewed beneath the surface.

Because every second I sat here, Abriel was out there—my son, my boy—lying in a hospital bed with Catriona looking scared without me.

And that thought was a blade against my throat.

The chief officer finally pushed back his chair, his face stiff with irritation. “You’ll have to wait here for a little while.”

A breath hissed out of me, sharp with frustration.

He paused mid-step, turning back. “Do you have a problem with that?”

I locked eyes with him, every instinct howling to let the wolf out, to tear his smug face clean off. My jaw ached from the pressure of holding it back. Through gritted teeth, I forced the words. “Of course not. But I’d like to make a call.”

He waved a hand. “Go on,” he said, already walking away.

I rose, the chair screeching across the floor, but before I could move, the officer from the car—him—stepped directly into my path.

“Make it from here,” he said, his accent thick, his tone dripping with disdain. “One minute.”

My brows pulled tight, fury sparking. What the fuck is this guy’s problem with me?

I dialed anyway, jaw tight. The line clicked.

“Jayden,” Gabriel’s voice came in smooth, too calm. “You left in a hurry. Something—”

“Go to St. Anna’s hospital,” I cut him off, my voice sharp, urgent. “For my son’s sake. I’m stuck at the police—I can’t make it. Go now—”

Suddenly, the phone was ripped from my hand.

The officer snarled something in German, the words harsh, spitting with venom. I didn’t understand them, but I didn’t need to. The tone said it all—none of it was good.

Heat surged in my veins, my wolf clawing up my spine. My fists trembled, my vision narrowing. It took everything I had not to lunge, not to let the beast break free.

He stepped closer, so close I could feel his breath on my cheek. His eyes glittered with cruel knowing.

“What are you going to do?” he murmured, leaning closer still. Then, softer, poisonous: “Wolf. You want to shift and kill me?”

The word wolf cut through me like a blade. My muscles tensed, the air thick with danger.

And in that suspended heartbeat, I knew this man wasn’t just a cop.

He knew exactly what I was.