All Chapters of The Lost Heir: Chapter 21 - Chapter 27

The sun broke over the ridge in a wave of white, blinding heat, clearing the lingering smoke of the battle. Stonehaven was changed. The main house was a jagged ruin of stone and splintered timber, its foundation split as clean as a lightning-struck oak. But as the pack moved through the yard, they didn't move with the frantic energy of the defeated. They moved with a hushed, reverent focus. The air itself felt different—sanctified, as if the ground had been scrubbed clean by something more powerful than fire. Maya stood on the edge of the meadow, her breath hitching in her throat. She looked at Alec. He was standing by the remains of the old stone well. He'd discarded his torn shirt in the morning heat, his bare skin catching the light. Where the night before there had been a catastrophic chest wound, there was now only smooth, unblemished skin. The blood had been washed away, and with it, the exhaustion that had plagued him for years. He wasn't just recovered; he was restored. I

Alec stayed at the northern watchtower long after Garrett left, his eyes fixed on the dark line of trees where the Coalition waited. The night air was cold against his skin, but he barely felt it. His mind was running through scenarios, contingencies, every possible angle of attack or negotiation. Behind him, the pack moved with practiced efficiency. Perimeter teams spreading out along the ridge. Scouts disappearing into the forest. The wounded being carried to the makeshift medical station in what was left of the east wing. Stonehaven had survived. Barely. And now this. Garrett emerged from the shadows, his expression grim. "We've got one of the rogues alive. Took a blade to the gut but he's stable enough to talk. For now." Alec turned. "Where?" "Holding room. I had him cuffed and locked down. He's all yours." The walk to the holding room felt longer than it should have. Alec's boots echoed on the stone steps as he descended into the foundation of the old outbuilding. T

The den was exactly as Alec had left it—cold stone, dim light, and the faint drip of water somewhere in the dark. But the air felt different now. Heavier. Like the weight of everything that had happened was pressing down on the small space, making it hard to breathe. Maya sat on the edge of the cot, her back straight despite the exhaustion that must have been clawing at her. Ivy was curled beside her, finally asleep. The girl's face was pale, dark circles shadowing her eyes. Her small body looked fragile in a way it hadn't before—as if using that much power had hollowed something out of her. Maya looked up when the door opened. Her eyes found Alec's immediately, and for a moment neither of them moved. She was on her feet before she'd made the decision to move. She crossed the space between them and pressed her palm flat against his chest, right over his heart, as if she needed to feel it beating to believe he was real. Alec's hand covered hers, holding it against him. His sh

"Verify." Alec let the word hang in the air. "That's a polite way of saying you've come to investigate a threat." "We've come to assess a situation." Nix's tone didn't change. "Power of that magnitude doesn't go unnoticed. It echoes. Calls to things that shouldn't be called." She paused. "We need to know what generated it. And we need to know if it's stable." Maya felt Alec's hand tighten around hers. "The source is stable," Alec said. "And under my protection." "Then you won't object to allowing us to confirm that." Nix's voice was reasonable, but there was steel underneath. "We're not asking for control. Just verification." "You brought fifty warriors to verify something?" Maya heard herself say. The words were out before she could stop them. Every eye in the Coalition turned to her. The weight of their attention was crushing—predators evaluating prey, deciding if she was a threat or just an annoyance. But Nix's expression shifted. Something like approval flickered across her