Chapter 84 — The Call

Chapter 84 — The Call
Jared was pacing the length of the hallway outside her room, his wolf restless beneath his skin. Zeus had been pacing for hours now, refusing to let him relax even though Sam and the others had assured him the house was secure again.

He dragged a hand through his hair, torn between going back in to check on her and giving her the space she probably needed after… after what he had done. After marking her without her consent, even if it had been the only way to save her life.

He was halfway down the hall when it hit him.

Not sound. Not scent.

Her.

A thread, thin but undeniable, stretched taut in the center of his chest. A whisper slid through his mind, so faint he thought for a second he imagined it.

‘Jared.’

He froze mid-step, breath locked in his lungs.

Then it came again—shakier this time, full of fear, but it was there. Her voice. In his head.

‘Please… I need you.’

Zeus howled inside him, a sound of both triumph and anguish. ‘She called for us. Our mate reached for us through our bond!’

Jared slammed a hand against the wall to steady himself, his heart hammering. For years, he’d heard of the mate bond—how it connected souls in ways that defied logic, how a call for help could cross miles if the bond was strong enough. But Kori was human. She wasn’t supposed to have this.

And yet… here she was. Crying out for him through a bond that shouldn’t even exist.

“Hold on, sweetheart,” Jared whispered hoarsely, shoving off the wall. He was already running, already moving for her door. “I’m coming.”

Zeus surged with him, fierce and protective. ‘She’s ours now. Nothing will touch her again.’

Jared shoved her door open without hesitation, chest heaving, eyes scanning until he found her curled in the sheets. Her body trembled, her skin pale and damp with sweat. She looked so small, so fragile—yet her wide, terrified eyes snapped straight to his, locking on him as if she’d been waiting for him all along.

The bond thrummed between them, alive.

“I’m here,” he said, voice low but steady as he crossed to her side. His hand found hers, grounding her, anchoring them both. “I heard you, Kori. I’ll always hear you.”

Jared sat down on the edge of the bed, careful not to jostle her too much. His hand was firm and steady on hers, though inside he was anything but.

“Kori,” he murmured, brushing damp strands of hair from her face. “Talk to me. Tell me what is wrong.”

Her lips trembled, but her gaze never wavered from his. “It’s… it’s like my skin’s on fire. Every inch of me. It itches, it burns, I can’t stop it.” Her free hand raked at her arm, desperate to relieve the crawling sensation. “And there is this… buzzing. In my head. Like something trying to break out.”

Her words hit him like a fist to the gut.

Burning skin.
Buzzing in her head.
Something breaking out.

No. No, it couldn’t be.

His mind spun, trying to make sense of what she was describing. She was human—human. Even if she had Alpha wolf blood running through her veins, she was years past the age a wolf should’ve awakened. Eighteen was the marker. Not thirty. Not after giving birth. Not after living half her life believing she was nothing more than fragile flesh and bone.

And yet… the signs were there. All of them.

Moon Goddess, what the hell is happening?

Jared’s chest constricted, panic clawing at him. If this was what it looked like, if Kori’s wolf side was finally awakening—what did that mean for her? Could she survive it this late? Could her body even handle it?

‘Stop spiraling,’ Zeus snapped, his voice a thunderclap in Jared’s head. ‘She doesn’t need your fear. She needs you.’

Jared dragged in a breath, focusing back on her pale face, on the way her body shivered like it was both burning and freezing at once.

“You’re okay,” he whispered, squeezing her hand. “I’ve got you, sweetheart. Just breathe with me.”

“I c-can’t—” Her words broke into a strangled sob as another tremor tore through her body.

“Yes, you can,” Jared said firmly, pressing his forehead to hers. “You’re strong, Kori. Stronger than you realize.”

Zeus rumbled deep inside him, a primal certainty lacing his words: ‘She needs to be outside. She’s suffocating in here. The wolf in her can’t break free inside these four walls.’

Jared stiffened, realization dawning slow and heavy in his chest. Zeus was right. If she was awakening… if this was real… keeping her trapped in this room would only make it worse.

He pulled back just enough to look into her panicked eyes, his thumb stroking over her knuckles. “Kori,” he said, voice steady despite the storm inside him. “I know this sounds crazy, but you need to come outside with me. Right now.”

Her brows furrowed, confusion cutting through the fear. “Outside?”

“Yes,” Jared urged, standing and guiding her up with him. “Trust me. Whatever’s happening to you, the fresh air will help. Let me take you.”

Zeus pressed closer, his conviction unshakable. ‘Get her to the night air. To the earth. She’ll find her balance there.’

Jared prayed he was right. Because if Kori really was awakening her wolf after all these years… they were standing on the edge of something that has never happened before, and neither of them could’ve ever prepared for.