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“Great,” he mutters. “She’s turned the place into a goddamn obstacle course.”

I glance around, frowning. That wasn’t the only one. There’s more. A snare hidden by the side of the path. Subtle. Clever.

Dane lets out a low whistle. “Who the hell is this woman?”

Xar nudges one of the traps with his boot. “Someone who really doesn’t want visitors.”

I scan the area, my chest tightening despite myself. “She’s serious about keeping us out.”

Dane shrugs. “Wouldn’t you be?”

I don’t answer. I can feel the irritation building inside me, but I try to keep it in check.

“It’s not personal,” Xar insists. “She’s just scared. She’s trying to protect herself.”

But I know why she’s doing it. And it sure as hellispersonal.

It’s hard to ignore the growing tension in the air as we carefully navigate the traps. It’s like she’s daring us to get closer, but at the same time, trying to keep us as far away as possible.

My alpha loves the challenge and the hunt.

Bring it on, little omega.

Another trap. This time it’s a tripwire that I almost miss. I step into it, but it doesn’t snap tight, just causes a small chain reaction that makes a rustling sound in the leaves.

“Jesus,” Xar mutters. “She’s got the place rigged like a damn battlefield.”

“I think she reallyisserious about trying to keep us out,” I say, shaking my head. “Maybe we should just let her cool off.”

But I don’t mean it. My words are as hollow as the music I was trying to make, as empty as the space in my chest where my alpha is insisting she belongs. There’s no turning back now. I take a deep breath and push forward, my eyes scanning the ground for more surprises.

We’re getting close. She’s watching us. I can feel it. She’s waiting for us to make a mistake.

XAR

The wind is howling as we approach the farmhouse, but I barely hear it over the pounding in my ears. Blood, trepidation, or something else? Every step forward only strengthens the gnawing urgency in my gut. We’ve already gone too far to turn back, but the closer we get to the house, the more obvious it is – Eviana is fighting us. She’s doing everything in her power to keep us out.

And fuck, it stings.

I glance at Dane and Blaise. Their faces are drawn tight, mirroring my own thoughts. Is this too much? Are we pushing her too hard?

We move forward cautiously now, our eyes sweeping the ground for more surprises. The tension thickens with each step– she doesn’t want us here, but we’re not leaving. Not after everything we’ve felt.

A loudsnapsounds underfoot.

Before I can react, a burst of white powder explodes in my face. Flour.Fucking flour. I cough, waving my hand to clear the air as Blaise snorts beside me.

“She’s messing with us.”

Dane wipes some off his sleeve, his expression unreadable. “She’s testing how far we’ll go to get to her.”

I step forward again, more alert now. A sudden creak from above makes me freeze. I glance up just as a small metal pail swings down from the porch beam, barely missing Blaise’s head. It crashes onto the steps with a loud clang.

He exhales sharply. “Alright, now I’m pissed. This crap is like we’ve stepped in for fuckingHome Aloneor some shit.”

We push on, dodging another crude trap – a slick patch of oil spread across the wooden porch steps. I catch Dane before he can slip, and we make it up without too much damage.

But when we finally reach the front door, a sense of unease grips my chest.