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Todos os capítulos de Bound by Fangs and Blood: Capítulo 81 - Capítulo 90

108 Capítulos

79

ADAMVictoria made her move forty eight hours later.Not against us directly. Against everyone we'd ever helped.Twelve hybrid families hit simultaneously across four continents. This time, no survivors. Parents, children, everyone killed. Houses burned to the ground.Then she sent us the footage.Every death. Every scream. Every child begging for mercy they didn't receive.With a message: "Release Elena or this continues every forty eight hours until you do."I watched it once. Couldn't make it through the second time. Just sat there staring at the blank screen while my hands shook."She's a monster," Eve said quietly. "She killed children to make a point.""We have her daughter. She's escalating to force our hand.""So we don't give in. We hold Elena and keep applying pressure. Force Victoria to meet on our terms.""At the cost of how many more families? How many more children?" I looked at her. "Eve, we can't keep this up. Every forty eight hours, another dozen families die. That's

80

ADAMVictoria made her move forty eight hours later.Not against us directly. Against everyone we'd ever helped.Twelve hybrid families hit simultaneously across four continents. This time, no survivors. Parents, children, everyone killed. Houses burned to the ground.Then she sent us the footage.Every death. Every scream. Every child begging for mercy they didn't receive.With a message: "Release Elena or this continues every forty eight hours until you do."I watched it once. Couldn't make it through the second time. Just sat there staring at the blank screen while my hands shook."She's a monster," Eve said quietly. "She killed children to make a point.""We have her daughter. She's escalating to force our hand.""So we don't give in. We hold Elena and keep applying pressure. Force Victoria to meet on our terms.""At the cost of how many more families? How many more children?" I looked at her. "Eve, we can't keep this up. Every forty eight hours, another dozen families die. That's

81

Winter came early that year, bringing snow in late October. Riley stood at her office window, watching the flakes fall, thinking about how much had changed in the eight years since she'd first met Samuel. Eight years since that pool deck, that terrified moment when her world had shifted. Now she was thirty-five, mother of two, Alpha's mate, successful author and media entrepreneur. A life she'd never imagined possible. "You're being contemplative again," Diana said from the doorway. "Just thinking about time. How fast it moves." "That's very philosophical for a Tuesday morning." Riley smiled. "I'm allowed to be philosophical occasionally." "Occasionally, sure. But you've been staring out that window for twenty minutes. Everything okay?" "Everything's fine. Just... reflective." Diana left her alone, and Riley returned to her thoughts. She'd been feeling it more lately. The passage of time. Selene was nine now, growing independent and opinionated. Isaac was three and a half,

82

EVEI woke up in the medical wing three days later.Adam was in the bed next to mine, still unconscious. Tubes and machines everywhere. His chest rising and falling steadily but his face was too pale."He'll be okay," Dr. Chen said, checking my vitals. "You both will. You lost a lot of blood but nothing vital was permanently damaged. You're lucky to be alive.""Lucia and Sophie?""Safe. They're with Madam Bella. Both physically unharmed." Dr. Chen paused. "Emotionally is another story. They watched the attack on security feeds. Saw you and Adam nearly die. That kind of trauma doesn't just disappear.""Where are they now?""Right outside actually. They've been camped here for three days waiting for you to wake up." She moved to the door. "I'll send them in."Both girls rushed in the moment the door opened. Lucia threw herself at me, sobbing. Sophie was more careful but just as emotional."You were bleeding so much," Lucia cried. "I thought you were dead. I thought both of you were dead

83

EVE - AT DAWN woke to the sound of war horns. They were here. Adam was already up, dressed in battle armor, weapons strapped to his body. He looked every inch the Alpha King—powerful, dangerous, ready for war. "Stay inside," he commanded, kissing me hard. "No matter what happens, you stay protected." "Adam..." "Promise me, Eve. Our daughter needs you alive more than she needs you fighting." Before I could respond, an explosion rocked the palace. The wards had been breached. "They're through the outer defenses!" Zara's voice crackled over the radio. "All units engage!" Adam ran, and I was left alone in our room, hands on my stomach, feeling the baby kick frantically. "It's okay, baby girl," I whispered. "Daddy's going to protect us." But another explosion, closer this time, made me doubt those words. I moved to the window and immediately wished I hadn't. The hardliner forces were massive. Hundreds of wolves, all in attack formation, pouring through our breache

84

EVE The first intelligence came through two months later. One of the sympathetic vampire clans had successfully infiltrated a Purist cell in Chicago. They'd sent us names, meeting locations, and most importantly, information about the leadership structure. "They have a Council," I told Adam, reading through the encrypted files. "Seven members. Each representing a different region. They coordinate through a central figure they call the Architect." "The Architect?" "No real name given. But this person designed the Haven attack. Planned every detail. They're the strategic mind behind the Purist movement." I pulled up what little information we had. "Brilliant. Ruthless. Completely committed to eradicating hybrid children." "So we find the Architect, we cut off the head of the snake." "In theory, yes. In practice, no one in the cells knows who the Architect actually is. They receive orders through intermediaries. Dead drops. Encrypted communications." I closed the file, frustrated.

85

CHAPTER 81EVEWe sent the girls away with Madam Bella at dawn.Remote location in the Canadian wilderness. Off grid. No phones. No technology Victoria could track. Just survival supplies and instructions to stay hidden until we gave the all clear."How will we know when it's safe?" Sophie asked."We'll come get you ourselves. In person. If anyone else shows up, even if they claim we sent them, you run. Understand?"Both girls nodded."And if you don't come back?" Lucia's voice was small. "If the bad lady wins?""Then Madam Bella raises you. You grow up strong and safe and you don't spend your lives hunting revenge. You just live. Be happy. That's what we'd want.""But—""No buts. Promise me. If we don't come back, you live good lives anyway. You don't let this destroy you." I held her face in my hands. "Promise me, Lucia.""I promise." Tears streaming down her face. "But you have to promise to come back.""I'll try my absolute hardest. That's all I can promise."They left in an unmar

86

The actual ten-year anniversary came in July.Riley woke up to find Samuel already awake, watching her with a soft smile."Morning," she said."Morning. Happy anniversary.""Ten years. That's a long time.""Best ten years of my life.""You always say that.""Because it's always true."They'd planned a small celebration. Nothing extravagant, just dinner at the restaurant where they'd had their first date, then a weekend away while Nora watched the kids."I can't believe we're leaving them for three whole days," Riley said, packing."We've left them before.""Not since Luna was born. What if something happens?""Then my mom will handle it. She raised me. She can handle our kids for a weekend.""But what if—"Samuel took the shirt Riley was folding and refolding for the fifth time. "Riley. The kids will be fine. My mom will be fine. We deserve a weekend together.""You're right. I know you're right.""Then stop catastrophizing and finish packing."They dropped the kids off at Nora's that

87

ADAM They let us out of Sanctuary after a week. The vampire attack had failed. Twelve Purists dead, three captured. The Council was calling it a victory. Proof that they could protect supernatural children from extremists. I called it a nightmare that cost us everything. Lucia was stable. Perfectly stable. No more power surges. No more batteries needed. Circe's essence was integrated completely, acting as an internal regulator. Our daughter was finally safe. But Circe was gone. And Eve was still broken. "Where will you go?" Dr. Cross asked as we prepared to leave. "Home. Back to Umbra Pack." I looked at Eve, who was mechanically packing our belongings. "Maybe familiar surroundings will help." "Help with what?" "With bringing my wife back." Dr. Cross followed my gaze. "The soul weavers say it's permanent. The damage can't be reversed." "They've been wrong before." I picked up Lucia, who immediately grabbed my shirt and smiled. She'd been different since the merge. Calmer. M

88

ADAMThe first month without Eve was a blur.I functioned on autopilot. Got the girls to school. Made meals. Went through the motions of being a parent and pack Alpha while feeling nothing inside except emptiness.Lucia retreated into silence. She'd come home from school, go to her room, and not come out except for meals. Barely spoke. Barely ate. Just existed.Sophie cried every night. I'd hear her through the walls, trying to muffle the sound with her pillow. But I heard anyway. And didn't know how to help."They need therapy," Madam Bella said. "Professional help. They're both drowning in grief and you can't help them when you're drowning too.""I'm fine.""You're not fine. You're barely functional. Adam, I know you're trying to be strong for them. But strength isn't pretending you're okay when you're falling apart. It's admitting you need help and getting it.""I don't have time for therapy. I have a pack to run. Daughters to raise. I can't fall apart.""You're already falling apa

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