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Tyler’s blood ran cold. He’d heard whispers of the book—ancient, forbidden, and dangerous beyond comprehension.

It was the kind of thing that should’ve been locked away in the deepest, most unreachable part of the supernatural realms, never to see the light of day.

The fact that anyone, let alone a sprite—who were known to still possess significant amounts of magic despite the waning power of the supernaturals—was claiming to possess it was a nightmare come to life.

“I’ve heard of it.” Tyler’s voice was low as a memory surfaced.

“But it was supposed to have been destroyed after the witch, Desdemona, attempted to use it to open the gates of Hell.” Somewhere along the way in the past few years that information had been tucked away in Tyler’s mind, but now he remembered what Vasile had shared about the Warlock King, how he’d met Lilly, and what all had gone down with them.

Jeff let out a humorless laugh. “Yeah, well, someone forgot to tell Celise that it was destroyed and what she has must be a shoddy imposter. Oh, except for the fact that the shoddy imposter is actually working. My trackers are hearing rumors that she’s wielding power over supernaturals.

There’s a growing darkness, Tyler. Something’s stirring, and it’s got everyone, including me, on edge. ”

Tyler’s wolf growled, the sound rumbling low in his chest. Darkness .

The word echoed in his mind like a death knell.

He thought of Fane and his comrades, of the high fae’s warning, and of the fragile Balance that kept the supernatural world from descending into chaos.

If Celise truly had the Book of the Dead, otherwise known as the Nushtonia , and was using it to amass power, then the Balance wasn’t just tipping; it was shattering.

“Have you seen this sprite?”

“Not yet,” Jeff admitted. “But my wolves are tracking her movements. She’s staying out of sight, but the news is spreading fast. If she’s got the book, Tyler, and it seems like she does, we’re all in trouble. You know what that kind of power can do.”

“I know.” Tyler’s jaw clenched. “And if she’s tied to this … whatever’s happening with Fane, then we’re already in deep. Too deep.”

There was silence on the line for a moment, the kind of silence that spoke louder than words.

Both alphas knew what was at stake. Fane was more than just the alpha of the Romania pack.

He was a symbol of unity—a leader who kept the dominant Canis lupus in check—placed there by the Great Luna.

Without him, the wolves would be leaderless, fractured, and vulnerable to whatever darkness was coming.

“Have you reached out to the other packs, Tyler?”

“Not yet. I wanted to get my head on straight before I started calling alphas and flipping their worlds upside down. They’re already dealing with the hybrids that Cain let loose on all of us.

That evil alone could be enough to push some male wolves who may already be close to the edge of going feral right over the cliff.

But if what you’re saying is true, then we need to act fast. If this sprite has the book, and if she’s using it to spread darkness?—”

“She’s not just spreading it.” Jeff’s voice was hard.

“She’s feeding it. My wolves are reporting strange behavior in the supernaturals they’ve come across—warlocks, fae, pixies, and even some of the lesser species like the trolls.

They’re more aggressive, more volatile. It’s like something’s twisting them from the inside out. ”

Tyler’s heart sank. This wasn’t just about Fane or the book. This was bigger than any of them, and it was growing by the second. “What do you need from me, Jeff?” He kept his voice steady despite the chaos swirling in his mind.

“Keep your pack on high alert. And, not to tell you how to do your job, but if you’ve got anyone who can move quietly, send them out. We need eyes and ears everywhere. If Celise is out there, we need to find her before she can cause any more damage. And Tyler…”

“Yeah?”

“Be ready for a fight,” Jeff said grimly. “Something tells me this isn’t going to end without bloodshed.”

The line went dead, and Tyler lowered the phone, his mind racing. He turned to the room, his eyes blazing with determination. He might not have all the answers, but one thing was certain: whatever was coming, they couldn’t face it alone.

“You never have to face anything alone,” his mate, Sadra, said through their bond. “I’ve always got your back, alpha-mine.”

Peace, a feeling that only she could ever give him, flowed into him.

His other half. He thanked the Great Luna that he had his true mate.

Sadra would keep him grounded as the growing darkness filled their world.

But the unmated males? Tyler’s heart went out to them.

The blood that Jeff spoke of might not only flow because of war.

Tyler might just have to spill the blood of one of his own in order to keep others safe. A feral wolf was a dead wolf walking.

“Thank you, mate.” He hoped Sadra felt even a sliver of the love that he experienced from her.

Sadra had always had a warm heart and an almost unnatural kindness toward others.

She was able to see past the worst in people to their core.

And she’d done that with him—seen past the darkness that had nearly consumed him before they met—and she’d pulled him back to sanity with her light. “I love you.”

“And I you.”

Feeling a little more centered, Tyler brought his attention back to his surroundings.

“Eric,” he called, his beta appearing in the doorway almost instantly.

He’d no doubt felt Tyler’s anger and worry through the pack bonds and had come to find out what the hell was going on.

“Gather the pack. We’ve got a problem, and it’s bigger than anything we’ve dealt with before. ”

Eric nodded, his expression grim. “What’s the plan?”

Tyler’s jaw tightened. “We find Fane. We find this sprite. And we put an end to this darkness before it destroys us all.”