Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 21 - Chapitre 30

We returned to the Northern Territory compound in silence.The grimoire sat on the seat between us like a bomb waiting to explode. Every time I looked at it, the words burned in my mind.*Sacrifice the self. Burn from within.*Kade hadn't spoken since the cave. His jaw was locked, hands white-knuckled on the steering wheel. Through the bond, I felt his emotions churning—fear, rage, denial, desperation.He was already planning. Already searching for a way around the impossible.When we arrived, Elder Orin was waiting on the steps."You found something," he said. Not a question."We found everything," Mara said, climbing out. "And it's worse than we thought."We gathered in Kade's office—Mara, Marcus, Reeves, Elder Orin, and us. The grimoire sat on the desk, radiating dark magic."Show me," Elder Orin said.I opened the book. The words appeared again, written in blood.The old man read them carefully. His expression grew graver with each line."This is ancient magic," he said finally. "

The compound was quiet when we arrived.Too quiet.Warriors were gone. Lights dark. Everything felt wrong."Where is everyone?" Mara asked.Through the bond, I felt Kade's unease."Stay close," he said.We moved in formation. Marcus scouted ahead."I don't hear anyone," he said. "No heartbeats. Like the place is deserted."I opened my bond-sight. The threads led toward the main hall."There," I pointed. "The source is in the hall."We approached cautiously. The doors stood open. Inviting.Definitely a trap."I'll go first," Kade said."We go together," I countered.He didn't argue. Just took my hand and walked through the doors.The hall was lit by candles. Hundreds arranged in a circle. And standing in the center—Elder Orin.My blood ran cold."No," Mara breathed.The ancient keeper stood in the circle, dark magic swirling around him. Connected to him—threads of parasitic bonds stretching everywhere.All of Morgath's false bonds. Connected to him."Elder Orin?" Kade's voice was roug

I woke to sunlight streaming through the windows.For a moment, I didn't remember where I was. Then it all came flooding back. The network. Orin's betrayal. The breaking.I was alive.We were alive.Kade's arm was draped over my waist, his breathing deep and even. Through the mate bond, I felt his contentment. His relief.I didn't want to move. Didn't want to disturb this perfect moment of peace.But the pulse came again. Stronger than last night.Come. Find us. You're needed.I slipped carefully out of bed. Kade stirred but didn't wake. I grabbed clothes and dressed quietly, then stepped out onto the balcony.The compound was already busy. Warriors repairing damage from yesterday. Pack members going about their morning routines. Everything looked normal.But nothing was normal anymore.I closed my eyes and reached for the pulse. Let it wash over me.This time, I felt more. Not just a call. Images. Fleeting. Fragmentary.Stone halls. Ancient. A circle of people. Their hands glowing wi

Morning came too soon.I woke to a knock on the door. A young woman stood outside with a tray of breakfast."The Keepers request your presence in the library after you've eaten," she said quietly. Then left.Kade and I ate in silence. Through the bond, I felt his tension. His distrust."We don't have to do this," he said finally. "We can leave. Right now. Go home.""And ignore the prophecy they mentioned?""It could be manipulation. A way to control you.""Maybe. But what if it's real?"He had no answer to that.We found our way to the library. Massive. Floor-to-ceiling shelves filled with ancient texts. The smell of old paper and magic.The three Keepers waited at a large table. A book lay open before them. Ancient. The pages yellowed with age."Thank you for coming," Elspeth said. "Please, sit."We sat. Mara and Marcus flanked us. A united front."You said you'd show us the prophecy," I said. "So show us."Elspeth turned the book toward us. The writing was in a language I didn't rec

The explosion threw everyone back. The Keepers hit the walls. The barrier shattered.I stood at the center, glowing with silver light. The mate bond visible. Pulsing."Impossible," Elspeth gasped."I'm not just a bond-breaker anymore," I said. "I'm bonded. And that changes everything."Through the mate bond, Kade's strength flowed into me."The crystals," Brigid shouted. "Activate them!"The six crystals pulsed. Stolen powers erupting outward.But I absorbed them. Through the mate bond, Kade took half the burden.And suddenly, I could see all bonds. Everything. The threads connecting all things."She's taking the powers!" Niamh screamed.The Keepers launched magic at me.I raised my hand. The mate bond flared.And I forged a bond. Between their magic and the air. Redirecting it."What—" Elspeth stared. "You can't forge bonds. You haven't been trained—""I don't need training. I have instinct. I have power. And I have him." I looked at Kade. At my mate. My anchor. "Together, we're stro