LOGINJaxon’s POVThe moment I crossed the threshold, my blood turned to ice.The doors slammed shut behind me on their own, stone grinding against stone with a finality that echoed through my bones. The sound reverberated through the chamber, loud and unmistakable.I knew this place.I’d never been here in flesh.But I had bled here in my dreams.The crypt stretched out before me exactly as it had in every nightmare that had haunted my sleep. The same statues lining the walls, faceless wolves frozen mid howl, their mouths forever open in silent screams. The same lamps burning with an unnatural pale flame, casting long, warped shadows across the floor.The air smelled wrong.Old magic. Blood. Rot. Power that had been steeping for centuries.My heart slammed painfully against my ribs.“No...." I breathed.At the center of the room stood the platform.And bound to it was....“Reese.”My voice came out broken. Raw.She was strapped to the stone slab just as I’d seen in my dream. Wrists bound a
Jaxon’s POVThe desert stretched endlessly before us.Miles of sand and scorched earth beneath the sky. It felt too empty like the gods themselves had abandoned this place long ago. Heat shimmered in the air, warping the horizon, making everything look unreal.And yet there it was.I slowed to a stop, my boots sinking slightly into the sand as my gaze locked onto the structure ahead.“What in the hell…” I muttered.It rose out of the desert, a massive stone mansion, dark and imposing, its walls etched with ancient markings that pulsed faintly, almost alive. Towers climbed toward the sky, sharp and deliberate, as if daring the heavens to strike them down. There were no roads. No tracks. No signs of life around it.A fortress hidden in plain sight.I turned sharply to Selena. “This is it?”She nodded, her expression solemn. “Yes.”I frowned. “How has no one ever found this place?”She hesitated, then said quietly, “Because you can’t find it until you know what you’re looking for.”That
Reese’s POVThe Bishop walked toward me in simple slow steps. Each step echoed against the stone floor, slow and deliberate, the hem of his dark robes whispering as they swept the ground. The air felt heavier with every pace he took, like the room itself was bowing to him. My wrists burned against the ropes as I strained uselessly, my heart hammering so loudly I was sure he could hear it.Strapped to his waist was a dagger. It was weird looking and it looked dark. Darker than his robes. I gulped at the sight of it.The blade looked ancient, dull in places, etched with symbols that hurt my eyes if I stared too long. The leather sheath was cracked and worn, as if it had been drawn and returned a thousand times. A weapon used often. Reverently.Ritually.Liam stepped forward before I could stop him.“You’re not going to kill her, are you?” he asked, his voice shaking. “You said you wouldn’t.”The Bishop didn’t even slow.He spared Liam a glance.Just one.And in that single look, I saw
Reese’s POVEverything was blurry at first as my eyes snapped open. And even after it became stable, I thought I had gone blind with how dark the room was. That was until my eyes adjusted to the dim lights in the room.The first thing I noticed was the smell.It wasn’t damp like the cave had been. It wasn’t stale like the Bishop’s tent.It was old.Cold stone. Burnt oil. Something metallic that clung to the back of my throat and made my stomach twist the moment I inhaled too deeply.I groaned softly as consciousness dragged me up from darkness.Every muscle in my body screamed.My wrists burned.My ankles too.I tried to move and pain shot through me instantly, sharp enough to steal the breath from my lungs.I was lying flat on my back on a raised platform carved from black rock, my arms stretched above my head, my wrists bound tightly with thick ropes that dug into my skin. My ankles were secured the same way, spread just enough to make me feel exposed, pinned, powerless.The ceiling
Jaxon’s POVThe meeting dragged longer than it should have and every second felt wrong.I stood at the head of the table, my hands braced against the wood, staring at warriors who were talking strategy while my chest buzzed with unease. I’d already given the orders, rotating patrols, reinforced borders, scouts doubled on the eastern and southern ridges. The Bishop’s howl still echoed in my head like a warning bell that refused to quiet.“Alpha,” one of the captains said carefully, “if they circle back—”“They won’t,” I cut in.The words came out sharper than intended. I straightened, forcing my tone back under control. “Not tonight.”Solomon watched me closely from the other end of the table. He knew. He always knew when I was barely holding the leash on my wolf.“Anything else?” I asked.Silence.“Good.” I turned toward the door. “Dismissed.”Chairs scraped back. Warriors filed out quickly, sensing the tension radiating off me. Solomon fell into step beside me as we left the room.“Y
Reese’s POVJaxon still hadn’t let go of me.Not even after he carried me into his room.Not after he laid me gently on the bed like I was something fragile, something precious that might shatter if handled wrong.He stood there between my knees, his hands braced on either side of me, his forehead pressed to mine. I could feel his breath, uneven and warm, fanning across my lips.“You’re shaking.” he murmured.“So are you." I whispered back.That earned me a weak huff of laughter, but it died quickly. His hands slid up my arms, thumbs brushing back and forth like he was grounding himself through me.“How are you feeling?” he asked quietly.I swallowed.How was I feeling?Tired.Empty.Full.Alive.Broken.Home.“I don’t know how to answer that,” I admitted. “My body feels like it ran through hell and forgot how to stop running. But...I’m here. I can breathe. I can feel you.”His jaw tightened.“And how did you feel,” he asked, voice rougher now, “when you were there?”The room seemed t







