89 (Tyler’s POV) We returned to the war room and Lena laid out the old maps across the war room table, her fingers moving with purpose over yellowed corners and weathered ink. Kate stood beside her, eyes distant but alert, as though the maps were whispering something only she could hear. Camerin hovered nearby, arms crossed, skeptical but silent. For once, he didn’t argue. None of us had the energy to. “This isn’t just a grave,” Lena said finally. “It’s a seal. A binding ward forged a century ago, maybe more. Jaxson’s either found it or he’s dangerously close.” “How do we find something that doesn’t want to be found?” I asked, folding my arms. Lena glanced at Kate. “With her.” Kate flinched at the attention. “I… I don’t know where it is. Not exactly.” “You don’t have to,” Lena assured her. “You’ve already seen it. We just need to jog your memory. Put you somewhere close and let your gift lead.” I stepped forward. “You’re not putting her in danger.” Lena gave me a look. “You t
88 (Tyler’s POV) The war room was thick with tension. Maps were pinned to every surface, notes and sightings scrawled in fast, angry handwriting. Celia stood off to one side, arms crossed. Camerin hovered near the table, lips pressed in a tight line. Alpha Carson leaned forward over the central map, his knuckles white against the polished wood. Lena entered last, her expression grim. I didn’t wait for formalities. “What did you find?” Lena placed both hands on the edge of the table, staring down like it might bite her. “It’s worse than we thought.” No one spoke. We waited. She looked up, gaze sharp. “Jaxson isn’t just using dark magic. He’s opened something old. Something buried. The rituals he’s performing they’re blood magic, yes, but more than that. They’re tied to an entity, or a presence. I don’t know if he’s summoning it, serving it, or becoming a vessel for it… but it’s watching us now.” Alpha Carson swore under his breath. Celia visibly paled. Even Camerin stilled. Lena
87 (Kathryn’s POV) The house was quiet. After everything that had happened. After the ritual. After Lena’s warning. After I stood in front of half the pack and declared I wasn’t afraid. I was. I am. But fear doesn’t get to be the loudest voice anymore. I stood in front of the window in our bedroom, staring into the woods, arms wrapped around myself. The faint silver of moonlight touched the treetops. Somewhere out there, Jaxson or whatever was left of him was watching, waiting. Behind me, the door clicked softly shut. I didn’t turn. Tyler’s presence filled the room before he said a word. The kind of presence that wrapped around you before a touch ever came. I felt him move until he stood directly behind me, his warmth bleeding into my back. He didn’t speak. Just slid his arms around me and held me from behind. We stood there like that for a long time, his chin resting lightly on the top of my head, our breathing slow, synchronized. “I hate this,” he said finally. His voice was l
86 (Third Person POV – Ritual at the Pack Clearing) Lena needed another Alpha for the ritual, so she contacted Carson to join her. An hour before the ritual was to begin, he arrived with three cars loaded with his warriors to help out. Tyler was happy to see them. The clearing in the woods had been marked hours ago, carved with symbols that shimmered faintly under the moonlight. It was deep enough into neutral territory that no pack boundary was crossed, but the land still felt old like it remembered older magics and didn’t always welcome new ones. Lena stood at the center, barefoot, her dark skirts billowing slightly in the wind. Her voice was low as she murmured to the elements, eyes closed, palms raised to the sky. A ring of salt and ash circled her, broken only at one point where Scott lay unconscious on a makeshift stone platform, pale and still. Kate stood just beyond the edge of the circle, flanked by Tyler on one side and Alpha Carson on the other. Camerin, Micah, and se
85 (Tyler’s POV) The late afternoon sun filtered weakly through the trees, turning everything gold and red. But there was no peace in it—not today. Camerin and I stood at the edge of the training field, far enough from the packhouse that we could speak freely, close enough that we could respond quickly. The warriors were already moving, sharpening blades, reinforcing barriers, and rotating through patrol shifts. Everyone felt it. Something was coming. “You believe Lena?” Camerin asked, his voice low. “She’s never lied to us,” I replied, scanning the woods. “She says whoever put Scott under used blood magic layered and ancient. That kind of magic doesn’t just vanish. Someone still holds the tether.” Camerin nodded grimly. “And if they sense we’re trying to break it…” “They’ll come for her. For Kate. For Scott.” I looked at him. “So we make sure they don’t get close.” “I’ve doubled the perimeter watch already,” he said. “All warriors are on six-hour shifts, no downtime between r
84 (Kathryn’s POV) We had brought Scott from Carson’s hospital to ours so he would be closer to me. Plus we didn’t want to bring Carson into this war with us. He had done enough already. The hospital wing was quiet, save for the steady rhythm of the heart monitor beside Scott’s bed. The lights were low, curtains drawn against the morning glare. He hadn’t moved, not once, since the crash. His face was pale, the bruises and cuts fading only slightly. If not for the machines keeping time with his heartbeat, he would’ve looked like he wasn’t even here anymore. Tyler stood near the doorway, arms crossed, jaw tight. Lena stepped forward without hesitation, her coat billowing behind her like smoke. She approached the bed slowly, her hands already moving in intricate patterns. Fingers traced unseen runes in the air, whispering in a language I didn’t know but felt down to my bones. I hovered close to Scott, needing to be near, but trying not to get in her way. “He’s not just sleeping,” L