Chapter 127

JAX

I found Asher lying in the rubble, barely conscious, blood pooling beneath him. My heart stopped for a second when I saw him. He looked broken, and for a terrifying moment, I thought I was too late. But then, his chest rose, slow and shallow, and I let out the breath I didn’t even realize I’d been holding.

I crouched down next to him, my hands shaking as I touched his face. “Asher, come on, stay with me,” I muttered, trying to keep the panic out of my voice. He groaned in response, his eyelids fluttering, but he was too weak to open them fully.

I couldn’t think. I couldn’t breathe. I had to get him out of here—now.

It took everything in me to lift him, his weight dragging me down as I stumbled through the debris. Every step felt like an eternity, but I couldn’t stop. I wouldn’t stop until I got him back to the pack. Back to our mother.

I tried to think about Knox—about what happened to him, about the chaos we’d been caught in—but I couldn’t. I couldn’t let myself go there. Not yet. Not until Asher was safe.

When we finally reached our family home at the pack, I burst through the door, gasping for breath, still half-carrying, half-dragging Asher beside me.

“Mama!” I shouted, my voice hoarse, barely recognizing the sound of it. “Mama!”

Mom appeared at the end of the hall, her face pale, her eyes wide as she took in the sight of us. She froze for a split second, her gaze locked on Asher’s limp form, before rushing forward, her hands flying to her mouth in horror.

“Oh Godess,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “What happened? Jax, what happened?”

“I—” I couldn’t get the words out. My throat felt like it was closing up, the weight of everything crashing down on me all at once. “He’s hurt. Bad.”

Tears welled in her eyes as she knelt down beside Asher, her hands moving over him quickly, assessing the damage. Her panic was palpable, and it made my stomach churn.

“He’s alive,” she whispered, almost to herself, as though she needed to hear it aloud. “We need to get him stable. I’ll get the healer.”

She stood abruptly, rushing to the door to call for help, and I just sat there, staring at Asher’s pale face. His breathing was still labored, shallow. It wasn’t right. None of this was right.

The door slammed behind her, and I finally let out the sob I’d been holding back. I covered my face with my hands, feeling the tremor in my fingers, the guilt tightening around my chest like a noose.

And then it hit me. Knox.

I hadn’t seen him go down, but I knew what had happened. He’d been taken. I’d heard the hunters—the way they’d whispered his name like a prize.

I couldn’t save him.

The thought made me sick.

Maggie returned with the healer in tow, who quickly began working on Asher, but I couldn’t bring myself to move. I just stayed there, sitting on the floor next to my brother, staring blankly at the scene in front of me.

“Jax,” my mother said softly, crouching down beside me. She reached out, brushing my hair away from my forehead like she used to when I was a kid. “What happened? Where’s Knox?”

I swallowed hard, not wanting to say the words, not wanting to admit what I knew. But I had no choice. “Knox... they took him.”

Her face drained of color, and for a moment, she just stared at me, her eyes wide with disbelief. “What do you mean, they took him?”

I clenched my fists, the memory of it burning behind my eyes. “Hunters. Werewolf hunters. They were there—led by Emilia.”

At that, my mother flinched as though I’d slapped her. The shock and betrayal in her eyes cut me deep. “Emilia?” she whispered, her voice shaking. “Isabella’s mother?”

I nodded, my throat too tight to say anything else.

For a long moment, there was only silence. The healer worked quietly on Asher, but I couldn’t hear anything beyond the pounding in my ears, the guilt and panic swirling together in a nauseating storm.

Finally, Maggie spoke again, her voice barely above a whisper. “Jax... we have to get him back. We have to find Knox.”

“I know,” I choked out. “But how am I supposed to go home and face Isabella? How do I tell her that we lost her mate... and that her mother is responsible?”

The thought of walking through that door and seeing her face twisted with grief—of having to explain that I couldn’t save her family—it felt like too much. It was too much.

“I couldn’t even protect him,” I whispered, the words slipping out before I could stop them. “I couldn’t stop them.”

Maggie’s arms wrapped around me then, pulling me close. She didn’t say anything, just held me there, rocking me gently like she used to when I was little.

But it didn’t help. Nothing would—not until we found Knox.

SPENCER

The uneasy feeling gnawed at me, growing stronger with each passing hour. I couldn’t shake it, even though I’d been telling myself all night that everything was fine. But the longer the silence stretched, the more certain I became that something was wrong. Very wrong.

Isabella had finally drifted off to sleep, Luca nestled in her arms. I should have felt some relief, seeing them so peaceful, but I couldn’t. Not when the boys still hadn’t returned. Not when every instinct I had was screaming that danger was near.

I paced the living room, the tension building in my chest. I hated being out of the loop like this. Whatever was happening, I needed to know. Protecting Isabella and Luca was my purpose, and I couldn’t do that if I didn’t understand what we were up against.

I pulled out my phone and called Asher. Maybe hearing his voice, hearing him say everything was fine, would calm me.

The phone rang... and rang... and rang. No answer.

I tried Jax next. Same result.

With each unanswered call, my worry deepened. Where the hell are they?

Finally, I called Knox, my last hope, but again—nothing.

Just as I was about to try Asher again, my phone buzzed in my hand. I quickly checked the screen, hoping it was one of them calling back. Instead, it was Maggie’s name.

Confusion flickered through me, but I answered immediately. “Maggie?”

“Spencer,” Maggie’s voice came through, steady but with a tight edge. “I’m calling you because... the boys won’t be coming back tonight.”

Her words set off alarm bells in my head. I gripped the phone tighter, stepping away from the bedroom where Isabella was asleep. “What happened? Where are they?”

Maggie hesitated, and the pause was all I needed to know that things had gone south. “Asher and Jax made it back to the pack. Asher’s hurt, but he’ll be okay. Jax brought him home, but... Knox didn’t make it back with them.”

I felt the blood drain from my face. “What do you mean, Knox didn’t make it back? Where is he?”

“They took him,” she said, her voice tightening. “Werewolf hunters... led by a woman named Emilia.”

“Who the hell is Emilia?” I asked, my heart pounding.

“Isabella’s mother.”

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. I stood there, speechless for a moment, trying to piece it all together.

I finally found my voice. “She’s coming after Isabella, isn’t she?”

“That’s what I’m worried about,” Maggie admitted, the gravity in her tone undeniable. “We don’t know for sure, but if Emilia is targeting the boys, she could very well come for Isabella.”

My chest tightened. I looked back toward the bedroom where Isabella and Luca slept peacefully, completely unaware of the threat that might be looming over them. If Emilia had already taken Knox, there was no telling what she’d do next.

I couldn’t let that happen. “I’m not going to let anyone near them, Maggie. I promise you that.”

“I know, Spencer. Just... be careful. We’re trying to track down Knox, and the pack’s on high alert, but you need to stay sharp. Don’t let Isabella know just yet. She doesn’t need to worry more than she already is.”

I nodded, though she couldn’t see me. “I’ll take care of it. Keep me updated on Knox.”

We ended the call, but the weight of the situation settled heavily on my shoulders. I slipped the phone into my pocket and ran a hand through my hair, trying to calm the storm of thoughts racing through my head.

Isabella’s mother. A werewolf hunter? That didn’t make any sense. And now she had Knox.

I needed to keep a clear head, but everything in me screamed to protect Isabella and Luca, no matter what. If Emilia was coming for them, I needed to be ready.

I glanced back toward the bedroom door. Isabella was still asleep, blissfully unaware of the danger that had just escalated. I wasn’t going to wake her—not now. Not until I knew more.

But I wasn’t going to rest either. I sat down in the living room, on guard, waiting for any sign of trouble. Knox had to be found, and the hunters had to be dealt with. Until then, I’d stay vigilant, my mind running over every possible move Emilia could make.

Whatever came next, I was ready to face it. Because no one—no one—was going to take them from me.