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CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

NATHAN/ IVAN

NATHAN

I met Ivan for lunch, and from the moment I sat down, I could feel his eyes on me.

Concern flickered in his gaze. I knew what he was going to ask before he even opened his mouth.

“How are you feeling today?” His voice was gentle, but there was an edge to it, as if he were trying to gauge how close I was to breaking.

“I’m better,” I said quickly, hoping to ease his worries.

I gave him a small smile, though it felt forced. I didn’t want him to keep treating me like I was fragile.

“Really, Ivan. I’m fine,” I told him.

He didn’t look convinced.

“You should probably stay over tonight. Or I can stay with you at your place. Just for precaution,” Ivan said.

I shook my head before he even finished.

“No,” I insisted. “I won’t let yesterday’s incident disrupt my life.”

My voice was firm, more so than I actually felt.

Truthfully, the memory of being followed, of those men cornering me and Otis, still haunted me.

But I couldn’t keep hiding behind Ivan. I had to show him that I was strong, that I could take care of myself.

“I need to get back to my routine,” I told him.

Ivan’s brow furrowed, skepticism clear on his face. “Nathan?—”

“I’ll be fine.” I reached across the table, placing my hand on his. “Trust me, Ivan. I can handle this.”

His hand tightened around mine, and for a moment, I thought he’d argue. But then he sighed, his shoulders relaxing slightly.

“Alright,” he said, though his reluctance was obvious. “But text me as soon as you get home. If anything feels off—anything—you call me.”

“I will. Promise.”

Ivan nodded, but I could still see the worry etched into his features.

It made me feel a little guilty, but I needed to prove to him—and to myself—that I could be strong. That I wasn’t a victim.

Later that evening, after my shift, I made my way back home.

The streets were quieter than usual, the fading daylight casting long shadows over the pavement.

I should’ve felt at ease; I was just going home, after all.

But something nagged at the back of my mind, a prickling sensation that I couldn’t shake.

About halfway to my apartment, I had the distinct feeling that I was being followed.

My heartbeat quickened, my senses going on high alert. I glanced over my shoulder, but there was no one there.

Nothing but the dimly lit street and the rustling of leaves in the wind.

I swallowed hard, forcing myself to stay calm. It’s nothing. Just paranoia after what had happened last night.

I kept walking, my pace a little faster now.

But every few steps, that same feeling crept up my spine, like eyes were boring into the back of my head.

Maybe Ivan was right. Maybe I should’ve agreed to stay with him.

When I finally reached my apartment building, I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. I had made it. I was fine.

There was no one following me—it was all in my head. I punched in the code to my building, hurried inside, and rushed up the stairs.

My apartment was on the seventh floor, and as soon as I unlocked the door, I stepped in and bolted it shut behind me.

Safe. I was safe.

My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I quickly pulled it out to see a message from Ivan. Did you make it home?

I quickly texted him back. Yeah. Just got home. Everything’s fine.

But as I hit send, something stopped me. A sound. A faint creak, like the floorboards shifting under weight.

I froze.

The air in the room felt heavier, thick with something I couldn’t quite place. Slowly, I turned my head, my heart racing again.

My gaze landed on the closet door at the far end of the room. It was slightly ajar.

I didn’t leave that open.

Before I could move, I saw a dark figure, slipping out from the shadows.

Panic shot through me like a lightning bolt, my wolf instincts kicking in too late.

A hand clamped over my mouth before I could scream, stifling the sound.

Reece.

I struggled, thrashing against him, but he was stronger than I remembered.

His breath was hot against my ear, his voice low and venomous.

“Don’t move, Nathan. Don’t make a sound,” Reece warned.

My mind raced, the memory of last night flooding back in a wave of terror.

Ivan had killed Ron and Chad, but Reece was probably there as well. He must’ve been waiting, watching. And now, he was here.

My wolf snarled inside me, fighting for control, but Reece tightened his grip, his fingers digging into my skin.

“You should’ve come with us quietly yesterday,” he hissed, his breath foul against my neck. “But now… now I’m not feeling so patient.”

I kicked back, catching his shin, but it only made him tighten his hold.

My lungs burned, the air cut off as his hand pressed harder against my mouth.

“I’m going to make this quick, omega,” he growled. “You’re coming with me.”

My heart pounded in my ears, the sound so loud it drowned out everything else.

Fear surged through me like a tidal wave, pulling me under. My thoughts were scattered, frenzied, like birds in a storm.

I couldn’t think straight. My chest tightened, every breath a struggle, like there wasn’t enough air in the room.

I had to do something. Ivan. I need Ivan.

My mind instinctively reached for the mate bond, the connection that tied me to Ivan, my lifeline.

It was always there, a steady pulse in the back of my mind, a comforting warmth.

But now, I pushed into it with all the force I could muster, willing Ivan to feel my fear, to know I was in trouble.

Please, Ivan... feel this. Come now. Help me.

I tried to focus, sending every ounce of panic and distress through our bond. Maybe he could sense it, even from far away.

I had to believe that Ivan would feel me calling out to him. He’d come. He always did.

But before I could even finish that thought, Reece’s hand clamped down harder on me, fingers like steel digging into my skin.

His weight pressed against me, suffocating, and I felt the world tilting, my vision swimming.

A sharp pain exploded at the back of my skull as Reece yanked me back with brutal force, my head slamming against the wall.

“Stop fighting,” Reece growled, his voice low and filled with rage.

He pinned me in place, his breath hot against my neck.

“You’re not getting away from me this time,” Reece said.

I tried to move, to push him off, but my limbs felt heavy, my strength draining rapidly.

Black spots danced in my vision. I coughed out blood.

Desperately, I reached for the mate bond again, but everything was slipping away too fast.

My fingers twitched, but my body wasn’t responding the way I wanted it to.

Ivan…

The last thing I felt was Reece’s rough hand coming down hard against my head, a blinding flash of pain, and then darkness swallowed me whole.

I slipped away into unconsciousness, my last coherent thought a desperate plea for Ivan to find me before it was too late.

IVAN

I had been keeping a close eye on Nathan ever since he told me he’d be fine.

After the alleyway incident, where those shifters tried to corner him and Otis, I couldn't shake the uneasy feeling gnawing at the back of my mind.

He had reassured me that he was okay, even laughing off my concerns over lunch earlier today.

I wanted to believe him, but my gut told me otherwise.

My dragon was restless, simmering just beneath the surface, waiting for any sign of trouble.

From my truck parked outside his apartment building, I watched as Nathan entered, his figure disappearing behind the glass doors.

I sighed, running a hand through my hair, trying to convince myself that I was overthinking things.

Maybe I was being too protective, but after what had happened, I couldn’t risk it.

Nathan wouldn’t appreciate it if he realized I was out here all night, watching like some paranoid stalker.

But damn it, what if Reece made a move? The memory of Nathan’s panic flooded back to me.

The terror I felt through our mate bond when those shifters had cornered him and Otis… I never wanted him to feel that again.

Ever. My jaw tightened, my hands gripping the steering wheel.

I had to ask him to move in with me. Maybe not tonight, maybe not tomorrow, but soon.

Once this whole mess with Reece was behind us, I wouldn’t waste any time. I needed to keep him close. Safe.

Just as I was debating whether I should grab dinner from the sandwich shop down the street, I felt it.

A spike of terror shot through me, hitting me like a freight train. Nathan.

My heart raced, and I could feel the raw fear pulsing through our bond, overwhelming and frantic.

Something was wrong. I didn’t think—I just moved.

I threw the truck door open, not caring if I left it unlocked, and sprinted toward Nathan’s building.

My mind was a blur, but my instincts were razor-sharp. I needed to get to him, and I needed to get there now.

The elevator seemed to crawl as if taunting me with its sluggish pace. Each second felt like an eternity.

My dragon stirred inside me, angry and impatient, its heat building in my chest.

I forced myself to stay calm, to keep control, but it was harder with every passing moment.

When the elevator doors finally opened, I bolted down the hallway, my legs moving faster than they ever had.

I skidded to a stop in front of Nathan’s apartment. The door was open.

My pulse quickened, and my stomach dropped. Something was terribly wrong.

I pushed the door wider, stepping into the room. The air was thick with tension, and it reeked of blood.

My dragon growled inside me, pushing closer to the surface, my skin prickling with the heat of impending change.

But I couldn’t shift, not here. Not in a place filled with civilians.

There would be too many casualties. I had seen it before, what happens when a dragon loses control. The devastation. The bodies.

Doyle had gone berserk after losing his first mate, and it had taken everything Zane and I had to calm him down.

I couldn’t let that happen again.

I took a deep breath, trying to force the beast back down. But then I saw the blood.

A slick, wet trail on the floor. My breath caught in my throat, and I nearly slipped as I knelt down to inspect it.

Nathan’s blood. He must’ve fought.

And then I caught the second scent—a strange mix between human and shifter. It was faint, but I recognized it. Reece.

My blood boiled.

The scent was strongest near the closet. That bastard had been hiding in there, waiting for Nathan to come home.

He had been lying in wait, like a predator, ready to pounce. My muscles tensed, fury bubbling up inside me.

Reece had dared to come after my mate— my mate—again.

My vision blurred with red-hot rage. The possessiveness I felt over Nathan was like nothing I’d ever experienced.

He was mine, and I would protect him with everything I had. A low rumble filled the air, faint but unmistakable.

I turned toward the window, eyes narrowing as I heard the distinct growl of a motorcycle engine.

My heart clenched as I rushed over, looking down just in time to see a rider speeding away.

And slumped against him, limp and unmoving, was Nathan.

“ No! ” I snarled, my dragon roaring inside me.

There was no time to think, no time to plan. I didn’t even bother with the elevator.

I leaped out the window, feeling the heat of the shift roll over me.

My body surged with power, my skin shimmering as it transformed into hard, glistening scales.

My wings unfurled with a snap, and I shot into the sky, flames licking at the edges of my lips as I flew higher, the air whipping past me.

I spotted Reece on his bike below, weaving through the streets with Nathan in tow.

The sight of my mate slumped against that bastard made my chest tighten with fear and fury.

Reece glanced up, and when he saw me, he had the audacity to grin.

The bastard had the nerve to flash me a smug look before flipping me off, as if daring me to come after him.

I wanted to burn him alive. My dragon wanted nothing more than to rain fire down on him, to turn him into ash for what he’d done.

But Nathan was with him. If I attacked, if I let the flames loose, I could hurt Nathan too.

I had no choice but to follow. Reece knew it, too.

He sped up, gunning the bike toward the outskirts of town, toward the forest that bordered Sky Stead.

The Sky Stead Woods. I cursed under my breath, my wings beating faster as I followed, tracking them from above.

My dragon growled, frustrated, as we pursued them, the dark trees looming closer with every passing second.

Reece was leading me into the woods, where the cover of trees would make it harder for me to fight him from the air.

He thought he had the advantage. He thought wrong.

I would follow him into hell if I had to, but I wasn’t letting him take Nathan any further.

We reached the edge of town, the trees swallowing them up, but I was right behind. The game was over.