Chapter 303

LUKE

From the moment Nick grabbed the toolbox, I knew something was wrong. He wouldn’t look at me, his movements sharp and deliberate. There was a darkness in his eyes I hadn’t seen before. I followed him, trying to figure out what he was planning. I couldn’t let him do something reckless.

But then I heard it—the slam of the door, the click of the lock. Nick was inside with Xander. My stomach dropped. This wasn’t just a confrontation. This was something worse.

I rushed to the door, pounding my fists against it. “Nick! Open the door! We need to talk!” My voice echoed in the hallway, but there was no response. Just silence.

“Nick!” I shouted again, louder this time. “He’s not worth it! Let me handle this!”

Still nothing. I pressed my ear to the door, straining to hear anything. Then it came—a sound that made my blood run cold. A cry, raw and guttural, like nothing I’d ever heard. It wasn’t human. It wasn’t animal. It was something in between.

I stepped back, my heart pounding. Was that N