Chapter 66: On the Road to the UnknownThe fire was low, crackling quietly in the still night. The weight of exhaustion lay against my bones, but sleep just wouldn’t. Not when my brain wouldn’t shut up.Not when I saw my children’s faces every time I closed my eyes.Elias had settled easily into the rhythm, gazing into the flames with a dazed sort of concentration, but I could tell he wasn’t entirely at ease either. He was waiting. Watching. Not for threats — though those would surely come — but for me.He was there waiting for me to crack.I wouldn’t want to give him the satisfaction.Instead, I curled in tight at the knees and looked into the darkness past the firelight. The forest surrounding us was silent, but it was a deceptive kind of silence. The kind that listened.That waited.“We should leave at first light,” Elias murmured, breaking the stalemate of silence.I exhaled. “Agreed.”“Unless, of course, you’ve suddenly decided to head back.”I shot him a sharp look. “You know th
Chapter 67: Into the Lion’s DenAs we drew closer to the river, the noise of rushing water grew louder, the current filament weaving between dense foliage like a silver snake under the moon.As Elias and I passed through the bank, we looked around. The air was heavy with the smell of damp earth, pine, and something else — something unnatural.“We’re almost there,” I gasped, the adrenaline surging.Humming, Elias rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah. Too close.”I frowned. “What do you mean?”He shot me a look. “I mean, we’ve been walking through rogue territory for hours, and no one’s tried to kill us yet.”I exhaled. “You sound disappointed.”Elias smirked. “Not disappointed. Just… suspicious.”I didn’t blame him.Rogues weren’t the sitting-waiting kind. If they knew we were coming — and I had no doubt they did — then why hadn’t they revealed themselves?I glanced at the area again, my wolf stirring under my skin.Something wasn’t right.As I stepped forward, a deep voice came from the
Chapter 68: Tethered by Destiny, Severed by DesireKade’s utterance lingered between us, dense with unvoiced weight. Come back with me. Three little words, and yet they pierced like a knife to the ribs. My pulse thundered in my ears as I fought to suppress the heat in my chest, ignore the primitive fire burning all the more brightly in his silver gaze. I had run from one betrayal to another for years, had spent my entire life knowing how to survive without depending on anyone. Now fate was brazen enough to gift me a second mate? And not just anyone—Kade. An Alpha. A man I couldn’t afford to let into my life.I clenched my fists. “You do not get to demand this of me.”Kade’s jaw ticked. “No right? Jessica, you disappeared. No warning. No explanation. You gift me with a pack council on my heels defending you as you marched straight into rogue territory armed with a fucking dagger and nothing else but your stubbornness.”“I didn’t ask you to defend me,” I hissed, my voice slicing the air
Chapter 69: Bound in Blood and FlameWe doubled up and ran through the very green forest, the plants meeting us and loosening up. It was sharp air, full of damp earth and pine, the wind cutting through my cloak as we staggered toward the unknown.We’d been running for hours at a punishing speed, which I didn’t mind at all. Every second I spent was another second closer to losing my kids.Kade jogged next to me, his silver eyes raking the shadows for threats. He made no sound, just concentrated, but I could sense him, a fire licking my skin. The mate bond throbbed between us, raw and undeniable, a tie neither of us had asked for but could no longer ignore.Elias matched me on my other side, the usual smirk gone. Even he knew the stakes now. The rogue Alpha—who’d finally introduced himself as Maddox—lagged just behind, studying us with inscrutable eyes.The tension was thick. We all knew what we were getting ourselves into.But we did not speak it openly.Not yet.The Moment the World C
Chapter 70: Giving In To FateUnlike most of the time though—I was half the way through the black sticky forest when I felt the knot between Kade and me, deluging the space with the pulse of connection, thick and unyielding. Whenever I walked away, it pulled me back. It was all I ever wanted, and every time I tried to shove it down, to ignore it, the damn thing flared hotter, burning up my veins like wildfire. I hated it. Hated how my body reacted to him, hated how my wolf purred in response to his presence, how she wanted him regardless of what he was.Elias must have felt it, too, because he sighed dramatically behind us. “So, are we all just not going to acknowledge how you two are giving off enough sexual tension to burn this whole forest down, or —”“Elias,” I snapped, my patience already threadbare.“What? All I’m saying is, if you two don’t deal with this, like, soon, I’m going to have to step in and —”A growl ripped through Kade’s throat so fast, so savagely, that Elias actua
Chapter 71: The Trap We Never Saw ComingEmerging from the dense thicket of woodland, bursting through brush, my objective flashed through my mind, in a sing song sort of chant, skull, skull, skull. Kade was standing next to me, his fingers clenched around my wrist, his body rigid and prepared for anything. Elias trailed closely, his customary smirk replaced by grim concentration. The rogue Alpha, Maddox, hovered just outside of range, his icy gaze scanning the trees as if he were expecting a brawl.Because something felt off.The air too still, the forest too quiet. My wolf paced restlessly under my skin, her instincts prickling with that special kind of warning that got the hairs on the back of my neck to stand on end.I swallowed hard. “Something’s wrong.”Kade nodded, his silver gaze sliding over to me. “I know. Keep moving.”But the feeling just got worse.With every step we took, the discomfort tightened like a spring in my belly.We were stepping into something, and it has felt
Chapter 72 – The AwakeningJessica’s body was weightless, floating between this world and another. This energy flowed in her veins as nothing she had ever known: primal, ancient, wild.Her wrists no longer ached. The burns had vanished, her skin as unmarred as if silver had never sullied her. But she knew better. She had experienced the pain, the torture. She had been tied up, powerless to struggle, could hardly breathe as her captors smothered her.And now?She was free.As she steadied herself, her breath came out in slow measured exhales. Lucian had run. Lucian had run from her. This man, who had tormented her, who had taken pleasure in her pain, had seen into her eyes and ran.Why?The question twisted tight in her mind, but just as she was able to settle into it, footsteps sounded in the corridor beyond.They were coming.Think, Jessica. Think fast.Her body may have healed, but she wasn’t naïve enough to believe she was invincible. Not yet. Whatever power had set her free, whate
Jessica stood paralyzed between Kade and Lucas, her heart hammering against her ribs and her past and future colliding before her.She should be relieved. After all these months running away, just trying to survive, desperately trying to stay alive—her pack had finally found her.But why did it feel so wrong?Lucas’s eyes were hopeful, craving for her to conform, to go back to what she used to be. Kade, however, remained unmoved next to her, barely shrouded dominance barely leashed, refusing to budge.She gulped, wavered on her feet. “Lucas… how did you find me?”His face gave nothing away. “We never stopped looking.”A twinge of guilt knotted in her chest. Had they really been searching for her all along? Or was there another reason for their mysterious re-emergence?Kade growled low next to her, catching Lucas’s ear. “She is not leaving without the truth.”Lucas’s jaw tightened. “This doesn’t concern you, Alpha. She belongs with us.”Jessica exhaled sharply. “I decide where I belong
Chapter 112 – The Black Star’s WhisperThe black star hung in the nexus’s starfield, a void within the void, its lightless glow swallowing the warmth of the wolf, the witch, and “Unity Is Strength”. Jessica led her companions along the new path, her steps heavy, the hollowness in her chest a silent scream where her spark once burned. Lysara’s defeat, her grandmother’s grief unraveled by love had restored the nexus’s balance, but the whisper from the black star “The loom is eternal, but the weaver changes” carried a menace that chilled her bones. A new weaver waited, and their shadow felt colder, hungrier, than any they’d faced.Kade’s presence was a steady anchor, his amber eyes scanning the path’s obsidian surface, veined with faint, pulsing black threads. “This star’s different,” he said, his voice low, claws glinting. “It’s not just watching us. It’s… pulling.”Selene’s spectral form glided beside him, her light dim but sharp, her gaze fixed on the black star. “It’s not part of th
Chapter 111 – The Silver Loom’s EdgeThe silver star pulsed in the nexus’s starfield, its cold light a stark contrast to the fading warmth of the familiar constellations—the wolf, the witch, and “Unity Is Strength”. Jessica stood at the head of the path, her companions close, but the hollowness in her chest was a void now, her spark extinguished after unraveling Arachne’s loom. Lysara’s revelation, her grandmother, her mother’s mother, as the true architect of the nexus’s turmoil cut deeper than any blade. The single crimson thread Lysara had left behind floated in her mind’s eye, a taunt and a promise of a battle yet to come.Kade’s hand brushed hers, his amber eyes fierce but shadowed with worry. “You’re running on empty, Jess. We face this Lysara, and you’ve got nothing left.”“I’ve got you,” she said, her voice steady despite the ache. “All of you. That’s enough.”Selene’s spectral form flickered, her light dim but her gaze sharp as she studied the silver star. “Lysara’s power is
Chapter 110 – The Nexus of Crimson StarsThe crimson portal’s light swallowed them, a searing rush that burned away the nexus’s warmth and spat them into a realm of jagged, blood-red stars. The air was sharp, laced with a metallic tang, and the ground beneath their feet was a mosaic of shattered stone, veined with pulsing crimson threads. Above, a chaotic nexus churned, its constellations twisted into snarling shapes—no wolf, no witch, only jagged forms that seemed to claw at the void. Arachne’s domain. Jessica’s hollowness throbbed, her spark a faint flicker, but the shadowed figure’s whisper—*“You’ll see me soon, Jessica. And you’ll wish you hadn’t”*—drove her forward.Kade’s growl rumbled beside her, his claws glinting in the crimson light. “This place feels like a cage. She’s waiting for us.”“She’s not just waiting,” Selene said, her spectral form dim but alert, her eyes tracing the threads in the ground. “She’s weaving. Every step we take is part of her design.”Lucas gripped h
Chapter 109 – The Loom’s ShadowThe nexus’s starfield shimmered around them, its constellations—the wolf, the witch, and “Unity Is Strength”—glowing with a fragile warmth that felt like a reprieve. Yet, as Jessica and her companions stepped off the path from the crimson star’s platform, the air carried a subtle discord, a faint echo of Arachne’s cold promise: “The loom endures.” The hollowness in Jessica’s chest pulsed, her spark a mere ember after claiming the obelisk, but her resolve burned fierce. Arachne, the True Weaver, was weakened, not defeated, and the crimson star’s lingering glow was a reminder that the balance they’d fought for hung by a thread.Kade’s hand lingered on her arm, his amber eyes searching her face. “You pushed yourself too far back there, Jess. That obelisk… it took something from you.”She met his gaze, the hollowness aching but her voice steady. “It gave me something too. I’m not just a needle in her loom anymore. I can weave my own path.”Selene’s spectra
Chapter 108 – The Crimson ThreadThe crimson star burned in the distance, its light a stark wound against the nexus’s starfield, casting long shadows that danced across the newly formed path. Jessica led the way, her steps steady despite the hollowness in her chest, now a constant companion after freeing Echo. The warmth of her sister’s final smile lingered, a fragile anchor against the growing dread stirred by the new voice—*“The true weaver watches”*—and the image of the armored figure in a nexus of dying stars. The balance they’d fought for felt like a thin thread, stretched to breaking.Kade’s presence beside her was a quiet strength, his claws retracted but his amber eyes sharp, scanning the void. “This star feels different,” he said, his voice low. “Like it’s pulling us in.”“It is,” Selene murmured, her spectral form gliding just ahead. Her light was faint, strained from the battle with Echo’s shadows, but her focus was unwavering. “The nexus is reacting to something—someone—be
Chapter 105 – The Heart of ChaosThe path to the twisted nexus stretched before them, a ribbon of black stone that shimmered like oil under the jagged starlight of the Shadow Veil. Each step echoed with a low, resonant hum, as if the void itself were breathing. Jessica led the way, her spark pulsing in rhythm with the violet light emanating from the structure ahead—a grotesque mockery of the nexus, its spires coiling like serpents around a core that throbbed with chaotic energy. The Weaver’s warning—*“The heart knows your name”*—clung to her like frost, chilling her resolve but not breaking it.Kade walked beside her, his claws glinting, his amber eyes scanning the void for threats. “This place feels like it’s alive,” he muttered, his voice low. “And it doesn’t like us.”“It’s not about liking,” Selene said, her spectral form gliding just above the path. Her light was faint but steady, her gaze fixed on the nexus. “It’s about hunger. Whatever’s in there—it feeds on disruption, on the
Chapter 106 – The Echo of AbsenceThe nexus’s starfield enveloped them, its familiar constellations—the wolf, the witch, and the blazing “Unity Is Strength”—casting a gentle glow that felt like home after the frigid chaos of the Shadow Veil. Yet, as Jessica stood among her companions, the warmth couldn’t touch the hollowness in her chest. Binding the Chaos entity had cost her a piece of her spark, and its absence was a quiet ache, like a missing heartbeat. The air hummed with restored balance, but the shadow figure they’d glimpsed in the void lingered in her mind, a silent promise of trouble yet to come.Kade’s hand rested on her shoulder, his touch grounding her. “You okay, Jess?” His amber eyes searched hers, worry etched into his furrowed brow.She forced a smile, though it felt brittle. “I’m here. That’s enough for now.”Lucas shifted uncomfortably, his dagger sheathed but his fingers twitching. “That thing we saw—whatever it was, it wasn’t part of the Chaos. Felt… personal.”Sele
Chapter 105 – The Heart of ChaosThe path to the twisted nexus stretched before them, a ribbon of black stone that shimmered like oil under the jagged starlight of the Shadow Veil. Each step echoed with a low, resonant hum, as if the void itself were breathing. Jessica led the way, her spark pulsing in rhythm with the violet light emanating from the structure ahead—a grotesque mockery of the nexus, its spires coiling like serpents around a core that throbbed with chaotic energy. The Weaver’s warning—*“The heart knows your name”*—clung to her like frost, chilling her resolve but not breaking it.Kade walked beside her, his claws glinting, his amber eyes scanning the void for threats. “This place feels like it’s alive,” he muttered, his voice low. “And it doesn’t like us.”“It’s not about liking,” Selene said, her spectral form gliding just above the path. Her light was faint but steady, her gaze fixed on the nexus. “It’s about hunger. Whatever’s in there—it feeds on disruption, on the
Chapter 104 – The Shadow BeyondThe crumbling fortress roared around them, obsidian walls fracturing as the ground bucked like a living thing. Dust and ash choked the air, but Jessica’s eyes were fixed on the new portal that had yawned open behind her father’s shattered throne. Its edges pulsed with a sickly violet light, framing a starfield that was nothing like the nexus they knew. This one was frigid, its stars dim and jagged, as if carved from broken glass. The whisper that had emerged from it—“You’ve only begun to see the truth”—lingered in her mind, cold and sharp as a blade.“Jess, we gotta move!” Kade’s voice cut through the chaos, his hand grabbing her arm. His wolf form was gone, but his amber eyes burned with urgency as debris rained down.She nodded, tearing her gaze from the portal. “Go! Now!”The group sprinted toward the collapsing chamber’s exit, dodging falling stones and leaping over fissures that split the floor. Selene’s spectral form wove spells to deflect debris