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CHAPTER EIGHT

T he man didn’t move; he merely stared like he could see everything inside me.

Warmth exploded through me. It wasn’t anything like the sensation I felt with Ryker. This wasn’t a tug and attraction but more like familiarity that shouldn’t be possible. A whisper threading through my veins, the intensity stronger than anything I’d ever felt before.

My new magic stirred like it recognized him and wanted to go to him.

His hand fell away from my mouth—slow, deliberate.

I needed to scream, but I wasn’t able. The noise just wouldn’t come. I was locked there, staring into his glowing eyes while something unseen passed between us. My magic seemed to pool into him as he returned the favor.

For a heartbeat, we just existed in this strange moment of knowing and not knowing. My skin prickled. I was both petrified and freed, as if a part of me that had been hidden was finally being seen.

Somehow, I realized he wasn’t here to hurt me.

Just as quickly as the warmth bloomed, Ryker stirred beside me, and it disappeared. The stranger’s eyes flashed—liquid gold catching the light—and then he was gone. Vanished into thin air with no trace of a shadow to denote his presence. No sound of movement, nothing but a faint swirl of floral scent and the lingering imprint of his presence ebbing from within me.

My lungs finally worked on their own as Ryker’s concern slammed into me.

He bolted upright, searching the room for danger. Is someone in here?

Of course, he’d suspect it to be a shadow. Heart pounding like a drumline against my ribs, I scanned the room searching for some hint of him . He couldn’t really just vanish, but shouldn’t I be able to see him if he was cloaked?

Still, there was nothing.

The room was empty.

“No, no one is in here right now.” I let out a breath, and my hands shook. “At least, I don’t think so.”

“Ember?” Ryker’s voice grew sharper now. His hand gripped my arm, turning me toward him as he rasped, “What the hell just happened?”

I couldn’t answer. I shook my head, my pulse screaming, then opened my mouth to respond, but nothing came out. I wasn’t sure how to describe what had just passed between me and the stranger, but he’d done something to me. The warm presence I’d come to recognize inside me had calmed, but it was stronger than it had been before his arrival.

Baby, you’re scaring me.

I blinked, trying to force words to form. “I…” My throat closed again, the words sticking to the back of my tongue like ash.

His thumbs brushed my cheeks. “I don’t feel pain, but are you hurt?” Cold tendrils of fear flowed into me from him.

I had to get my head on straight. Worrying him like this wasn’t right, especially with everything going on right now. The strange man. He was here. I tried to wake you, but you didn’t stir.

Ryker’s body snapped taut like a wire about to break. “What? What do you mean? Was it a dream?” He scanned the room again like he expected to find the man hiding in a corner.

It wasn’t a dream. If my warm, strange magic wasn’t still sparking within, I might have believed it was. I woke up, and he was leaning over me. He clamped a hand over my mouth so I wouldn’t scream.

His nostrils flared. “He touched you? I’m going to kill him.”

The thought of the man being harmed caused my heart to drop. “ No. You can’t.” I grabbed his wrists, forcing him to look at me. “He didn’t do anything but… watch me. And then he touched me. But it wasn’t threatening. It was like… my magic knew him. Then he vanished into thin air without even a shadow defining him.”

Something unreadable passed into me from Ryker. My blood turned cold as the sheen appeared over his eyes.

“You think he wasn’t a threat?” His voice dropped low, more dangerous than I’d ever heard. That’s when I realized what he was feeling—fear and bloodlust. He wanted to kill the man for putting me in danger.

He wasn’t, I linked, but the second the words left, I knew I’d made things worse.

Ryker reared back slightly, shaking his head, disbelief—and something deeper—burning through our bond.

“That’s what has you shaken like this?” he ground out. “Because someone broke into this house while we were sleeping, and your magic liked it ? Why the fuck would your wolf like it, Ember? You completed the bond with me. That shouldn’t be possible.”

My mouth opened. Closed. I didn’t know how to defend what I’d felt, but I understood why he was feeling that way. A strange man had appeared in front of me while I slept in bed with my mate, and I’d shared my magic with him with Ryker by my side. “It wasn’t my wolf magic.” I winced, realizing I hadn’t actually told him about the warm, strange magic within me.

Betrayal shot through our new bond. “What do you mean it wasn’t your wolf magic ?”

I reached for him again, needing to touch him, to anchor us both. When I touched his hand, he moved a little like he was going to pull away, but then he didn’t. The buzz between us sprang to life.

“I don’t know. There’s… something else inside me. Something that woke up after you pulled me from the river that day. It’s warm. Not wolf. Not witch. Different. I didn’t say anything because I didn’t know what it meant. And I thought—” My voice caught. “I thought maybe it was just my mind playing tricks on me because of my grief.”

“When did you figure out it wasn’t?” His expression strained as his eyes examined me, looking for any sort of reaction.

“Tonight.” The ache in my chest threatened to fracture me. “Just now. The part that I thought resembled the way we carry our pack inks flared within me, like I recognized him.”

Ryker’s lips parted, but nothing came out. Our bond throbbed, channeling pain, betrayal, fear. All tangled into a knot so tight it nearly strangled us both.

“I need to keep you safe.” His voice was hoarse. “A witch must have put a spell on you or something. You’re not thinking clearly.”

“But I am.” I clasped one of his hands in mine and continued. I don’t know how to explain it, but I could sense his intention, and it wasn’t to cause harm.

His mouth tightened. “From here on out, I need you to promise to tell me if anything strange happens again, even if it’s internal. I need to know we’re a team. That’s what I signed up for, and I won’t allow another man to come in and ruin it.”

“I promise.” I looked him in the eye, needing him to know that I meant it. “And I swear, I have no romantic feelings for this man at all. No one could ever take your place.”

Some of the tension left his shoulders. “I swear, if he tries anything with you in any sort of way, I’ll take pleasure in killing him slowly.”

I wanted to argue with him, but that would make him more steadfast in that decision. The best thing I could do was downplay my connection with the strange man. I couldn’t fault Ryker because, if I were in his shoes, I’d be acting the same way. However, something inside me recognized that man.

He threw the covers off and kicked his feet over the edge of the bed just as his voice popped into my head along with the other four pack links. Everyone, get up. We have a threat to chase down.

I tilted my head and spoke out loud so the other four couldn’t hear me. “What are you doing? Everyone needs rest, and we haven’t been alerted that there’s a breach.”

“But there has been a breach.” He lifted his chin.

What’s going on? Briar replied, and I heard her door open down the hall. Are we being attacked again?

I bit the inside of my cheek, but I suspected I knew where this was going. I didn’t like it one bit, but I had to stop pressing, or he’d be more determined.

Yes, but your sister doesn’t agree. Ryker crossed his arms, daring me to say something.

If Ember doesn’t think it’s a big deal, then I agree with her, Gage added, still not wanting to listen to Ryker.

“Ryker, please.” I jumped out of bed with my hands up. “Don’t do this.”

“I have to protect you.” He walked over and kissed my cheek. “I know you don’t agree, but I can’t just sit back and then have something happen to you, especially when he got away without a trace.”

The comment hit me in the chest because he was right. If even I couldn’t see the man, he could attack, and we’d never see it coming. But I knew he wouldn’t.

Someone just came into our bedroom and vanished. Not even Ember could see him once he disappeared, and he didn’t set off the perimeter alarm. Ryker took my hand and gently squeezed. “I don’t mean to upset you. I love you more than life itself, but I can’t risk something happening to you. What if he turned on me, or Briar?”

The walls seemed to close in on me. I hadn’t considered that, and I couldn’t argue. Let’s go. Still, I knew it would be futile.

Some of the tension melted from his face when he realized I wasn’t arguing. He took my hand, leading me out to the hallway. The wood creaked beneath our steps, and soon we entered the living room where the other four waited.

Gage sat up on the couch, his hand wrapped around the grip of his gun. “What’s wrong?”

Jaw tight, Xander stood. “Are we under attack?”

Emerging from the hallway with his shirt half on, Kendric flexed muscles that strained against the fabric.

Briar stood near the archway, her braid a mess but her eyes alert and already scanning for a threat.

“No one’s attacking yet.” Ryker stepped closer to me and continued, “But someone got inside this house while we slept.”

“How the fuck did that happen?” Xander nabbed his gun from the couch.

I interjected, filling them in on the events from earlier.

Kendric nodded. “I agree with Ryker. He had to be taunting us. I can watch over Ember while we’re running around so you can stay focused, Ryker.” He stepped close to my other side.

“No.” Ryker snapped his head toward him. “She’s coming with me. There’s no way in hell I’m separating from her now. Briar can go with you.”

“What?” I blinked. “I thought you wanted me to stay here.”

“I want you to be safe,” he said, teeth clenched. “And you’re safest with me.”

The others stilled, but no one dared to argue.

“But Briar—” The thought of something happening to her made me nearly lose my mind.

“Will be fine since the man is fixated on you.” Ryker’s wolf surged forward as if he might use alpha will.

He linked, You think I’m going to leave you behind after that thing got that close? Frustration and anger constricted my chest from his emotions. I didn’t even feel him, Ember. He slipped past me. That’s not happening again .

Gage exchanged a glance with Xander, who gave a tight nod.

“We move quietly,” Ryker continued. “Briar, Kendric—flank us. Eyes sharp. Nothing gets near Ember unless it wants to die.”

Kendric nodded once, already pulling his knife from his belt and tucking it into his boot.

“Let me grab my boots. I thought we might be shifting.” Briar darted back down the hallway toward her room.

Ryker turned to me, his jaw still tight. “Get your shoes. I’m not letting you out of my sight.”

I didn’t argue. Not because I was afraid but because, deep down, I knew he was right. Whatever that man was, he’d seen something in me. Reached something I didn’t understand.

And I wasn’t ready to face that alone.

Gage bent down and produced three more guns. He handed one to Ryker and another to me. The cold metal bit into my hand, feeling foreign despite my history with it.

Briar came down the hall, boots laced, a knife strapped to her thigh. Her expression was grim, and the sharp lines on her face confirmed she felt similarly to me.

“Here, take this,” Gage said, handing her a gun.

“Let’s roll.” Xander headed to the door and opened it.

The six of us went outside and, for a second, we all stared at one another.

Be safe, everyone, I linked. Let me know the second something feels off. Anything at all.

I followed Ryker, the others falling in behind us.

The moment we stepped off the porch, the world looked different.

Twilight crept along the horizon, streaks of pink and gold trying to paint over the horror of last night. But I could’ve sworn the shadows still clung to the edges of the trees, and the scent of blood hadn’t faded.

Bodies.

Dozens of them still lined the clearing across the neighborhood—some wrapped in sheets, others barely covered. The wolves hadn’t had a chance to bury their dead. Not yet.

A low growl rumbled in Ryker’s chest as we passed them, his eyes flicking to each one.

We walked in silence, the only sounds our boots crunching over gravel and the wind rustling through the trees.

When we reached the edge of the woods, Ryker stopped and raised a hand.

Stay human, he ordered. If we encounter shadows or worse, we need to be able to shoot. Shift only if absolutely necessary.

Everyone nodded, weapons already drawn.

My fingers twitched on my pistol, nerves dancing in my blood. The weapon didn’t feel right, and I wanted to drop it. However, I had to be strong.

We stepped onto the forest path, the trees closing in around us.

The air changed.

Became colder. Heavier.

That familiar sensation hit first, like a gaze pressing into the back of my neck. The warmth I’d felt earlier stirred again, telling me someone was watching.

Him .

As I tried to locate him, I didn’t see any sign or sense any evidence that he was near. But the sensation intensified. Then came the chill, a creeping, icy dread that wrapped around my spine.

My breath caught. I didn’t need to see red eyes or shadows to know.

Vampires.

They were close, and they had to be hunting.

Hunting us.