جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 40

The moment the connection broke— It didn’t leave quietly. It tore out of me. Pain slammed into my head like something had split it open from the inside. My breath hitched violently as the world tilted, sound crashing back all at once—too loud, too sharp, too much. I staggered. Then everything dropped. Strong hands caught me before I hit the ground. “Althea.” Ronan’s voice was there—but distant. Muffled. Like I was hearing him through water. “I—” My words broke off as something surged through me. Not my thoughts. Not entirely. Fear. Sharp. Suffocating. Not mine. I’m not ready— The voice wasn’t spoken. It echoed inside me. I gasped, clutching at my head as the feeling twisted deeper. “No—get it out—” I whispered, panic rising. Another wave hit. Pain. Not physical. Memory. Darkness pressing in. Breath failing. The cold pull of something dragging downward. His memory. His fear. It was still inside me. “She’s not stabilizing—” “What

The healer’s wing was quieter this time. Not silent. But calmer. Like the storm had passed— and everyone was still waiting to see what it left behind. I hesitated outside the door. For the first time since everything happened— I wasn’t sure if I should go in. “You’re going to stand there all day?” Kael’s voice came from behind me. I stiffened slightly before turning. He stood a few steps away, arms crossed, expression unreadable. “I wasn’t sure if I was welcome,” I said honestly. “That’s new,” he replied. Fair. I exhaled slowly. “How is he?” Kael held my gaze for a moment. Then— “He’s awake.” Something in my chest tightened. Relief. Nervousness. Something else I didn’t want to name. “And?” I asked. “He’s alive.” A pause. “Thanks to you.” The words weren’t warm. But they weren’t cold either. They just… were. I nodded once. “I didn’t—” “Don’t,” Kael cut in. Not harsh. Just firm. “I already know.” That stopped me. Because for once— I didn’t have to

Sleep didn’t come easily anymore. Even when my body was exhausted— Even when my eyes closed— My mind never fully rested. But this time… It wasn’t the voices that woke me. It was something else. Something deeper. Stronger. Calling. My eyes snapped open. Darkness filled the room, quiet and still—but my heart was already racing, breath uneven like I had been running. For a moment, I didn’t move. Didn’t think. Because the feeling was still there. Not fading. Not like a dream. Real. A pull. Low. Constant. Somewhere beyond me. “What… is that?” I whispered. No voices answered. No thoughts brushed against mine. For once— My mind was silent. Completely silent. And that— That was wrong. I sat up slowly, pressing a hand against my chest. The feeling pulsed again. Not pain. Not fear. Something else. Something… ancient. It didn’t feel like it came from outside. It felt like it came from within me— But was reaching outward. Calling. Or responding. I swung my

Blackwood Pack had changed. Not rebuilt. Not restored. Reforged. The walls stood taller now—reinforced with stone and steel instead of tradition and pride. Warriors moved with sharper discipline. Patrols doubled. Training grounds never rested. Lucien had made sure of that. Weakness had cost him once. It would not happen again. “Again.” His voice cut across the training field like a blade. The warrior in front of him barely had time to react before Lucien moved. Fast. Precise. Unforgiving. Steel clashed. The strike came from the left— Blocked. From below— Countered. From behind— Too slow. Lucien twisted, disarmed him in one clean motion, and drove him to the ground. Hard. The impact echoed. Silence followed. “Dead,” Lucien said coldly. The warrior didn’t argue. Couldn’t. He stayed down, breathing hard. Lucien stepped back, tossing the blade aside without looking. “Again,” he repeated. No one moved immediately. Because everyone knew— This wasn’t training

Lucien did not sleep that night. Not because he couldn’t. Because every time he closed his eyes— He felt it again. Her. The sensation lingered beneath his skin like an old scar reopening. Faint now. But impossible to ignore. And what unsettled him most was not the connection itself. It was the fact that it had felt… Mutual. Lucien stood alone on the balcony outside his chambers, the cold night air moving through the silence around him. Below, Blackwood remained awake despite the late hour. Warriors patrolled the walls. Guards rotated positions with disciplined precision. Everything controlled. Everything exactly as it should be. So why did it feel like something was slipping beyond his reach anyway? “You’re still awake.” Lucien didn’t turn at the voice. “You’re still talking.” A quiet scoff followed. “You look worse than usual.” That finally earned a glance. Caius leaned against the doorway, arms crossed, entirely too relaxed for someone standing near an Alpha in