Chapter 185

Chapter 185
JAX

The night had fallen quiet, settling over the house in a calm that had been missing for too long. Isabella and I had just tucked Luca in, his little fingers gripping the edge of his favorite blanket as he drifted into sleep, leaving a rare stillness in his wake. I paused at the doorway, watching the soft rise and fall of his tiny form.

Tonight, we’d all seemed to finally exhale, as if the air wasn’t carrying that familiar edge of tension.

Isabella was moving quietly around the kitchen, picking up stray cups and setting them in the sink. Asher and Knox were nearby, talking in low voices by the window, likely recounting some half-remembered story from when they were kids. It felt right. Normal, even.

And then I felt it. A sudden pulse—an instinctive alarm that had my senses firing all at once. The air shifted, grew dense, almost electric. Outside, shadows flickered against the windows, the outline of swift movements almost too fast to follow.

I didn’t even need to speak. The others felt it, too. Asher was already turning, his expression shifting from easygoing to deadly serious in an instant. Knox stepped forward, instinctively positioning himself between the doorway and Isabella.

“Hunters,” I murmured, feeling the word like a bitter taste on my tongue.

In an instant, Isabella’s eyes sharpened, her gaze flicking toward the stairs where Luca slept. We’d been ready for this possibility—briefing her, preparing her—but now that it was real, something primal in me growled in protest. I took a breath, nodding to her with a silent promise: Luca’s safety was my first and only priority.

“Stay close,” I said to her, the words carrying more urgency than I’d intended.

Just then, the first impact struck. A loud crash shattered the window in the living room. A dark shape barreled through, quickly joined by another, and then another. In seconds, a group of hunters filled the space. Their presence was like a blight, an unnatural, twisted energy tainting the air around them.

“Stay behind us,” Asher commanded Isabella, a sharpness to his tone as he stepped forward.

The lead hunter advanced with a smirk, his weapon glinting ominously. “Quite the cozy scene here,” he sneered. “Shame to spoil it.”

Knox let out a low growl beside me, his stance widening as his gaze settled on the intruder. “You made a mistake coming here,” he said, his voice quiet and dangerous.

There was no more room for words. The first hunter lunged, his weapon flashing as he aimed for Asher, who dodged with a fluidity that spoke to his years of training. I moved in next to him, blocking the second hunter’s path with a quick, defensive strike.

A third hunter made for Isabella. Before he could get within a few feet, Knox was there, intercepting him with a blow that sent him stumbling backward. I felt a surge of pride at the way she held her ground, her stance poised and ready, no sign of fear or hesitation in her eyes.

But the hunters were relentless. Their movements were faster, more synchronized than we’d ever seen, as if they’d trained for this moment alone. One slipped past our line, sidestepping Asher and making for the stairs, his intentions all too clear.

“Luca!” I shouted, lunging to block him, my every instinct roaring to protect my son.

The hunter swung his weapon, and I barely caught the glint of silver as I parried it. Pain shot through my arm, but I pushed forward, my vision narrowing until there was nothing but my opponent in front of me. I couldn’t—wouldn’t—let him take another step.

Knox, spotting the breach, moved like a whirlwind, landing a blow that sent the hunter flying back toward the others. The impact was satisfying, but the momentary victory only deepened the reality of our situation. They were coordinated, prepared—and they had come here with a purpose.

Isabella’s voice cut through the chaos, steady and unshaken. “We’re not going down like this,” she said, her voice carrying strength I hadn’t realized I’d leaned on until that moment.

Her words seemed to galvanize us all. Asher blocked an oncoming strike, twisting the weapon out of his attacker’s hand before knocking him down. I joined Knox in fending off the ones still lingering too close to the stairs.

Finally, the hunters seemed to realize they were at a disadvantage. One of them called out an order, and, as quickly as they had entered, they began to retreat. The last one shot a final, cold look at us before disappearing through the shattered window.

For a moment, we all just stood there, the air thick with adrenaline and the faint scent of blood. It was Asher who broke the silence first, moving to place a steadying hand on Isabella’s shoulder, his expression full of pride and relief.

“We held them off,” he murmured, though his gaze was sharp, still processing every move and angle of their attack. “But they’ll be back. This wasn’t random.”

I nodded, my mind racing with the implications. The hunters weren’t done with us—not by a long shot. But we’d held our ground, and they’d left empty-handed. This family, our family, was stronger than any force they could send our way.

As I glanced over at Isabella, her gaze steady and unwavering, I felt an unexpected spark of hope. Whatever they had planned, they had underestimated us. And that would be their undoing.