Chapter 72 Chapter 72
_Leah’s POV_
The night was heavy. Silence wrapped around the mansion, but inside me there was no rest. My body lay on the bed but my mind was a mess. I closed my eyes, forcing myself to breathe slowly, to convince myself that I was safe.
But safety was only a shadow. The Seer’s words lingered like smoke in my chest. Tariq will come. Susan is a witch. He will not stop until he has you.
Athena paced restlessly in my mind. Her claws scraped the inside of my skull.
You shouldn’t close your eyes, she warned. He waits for us in the dark. Don’t let him in.
“I have to sleep,” I whispered to her. My voice trembled even in my own head. “I need strength.”
Athena growled but she eventually got quiet.
Sleep came suddenly like a rope around my neck.
I opened my eyes and I was no longer in the pack house. I stood in a cold and endless hall made of stone. The air smelled of rust and roses. It was sweet and rotting. The walls bled with shadows, and at the end of the hall, a torch burned blue.
And there he was.
Tariq.
He stood before an altar carved from black rock. His smile was wide and cruel.
“Leah,” he called, his voice smooth and thick like poison. “Come closer, little wolf.”
I wanted to run, but my feet were heavy as stone. My wrists burned. There were ropes binding me and cutting into my skin. Every step I took, chains rattled.
“You belong to me,” Tariq said. “You always have. Your blood will free me. The Moon Goddess blessed your line, but she cursed mine. And you, Leah, you are my key.”
“No!” I screamed. My voice echoed in the hall. “I’ll never be yours!”
He laughed. “You already are. Did you forget who saved you from the cellar? Who showed you kindness when your mate rejected you?”
The words hit me like knives. My chest ached with old wounds.
Don’t listen to him, Athena snarled inside me. He lies. He always lied. Fight him, Leah!
I pulled against the ropes until my skin split. Fear twisted into rage. My heart raced, and with it came heat. Something ancient, something buried, rose inside me.
The altar behind Tariq caught fire. There were blue flames roaring upward. His eyes widened, but he laughed louder.
“Yes,” he said. “Burn for me. Show me your power.”
Flames spread across the hall. They crawled up the walls and kissed the ceiling. My chains melted away. Fire poured from my hands, spilling wild and uncontrolled.
I screamed again. This time, the sound broke into sparks.
I could smell the smoke. It was choking me.
Heat scorched my skin. My blankets were burning at the edges. The curtains hissed as fire devoured them. The smell of ash and char filled my lungs.
“No,” I gasped, panic gripping me. “No, no, no...”
The door burst open.
“Leah!” Kayden’s voice cut through the smoke. He was already there, his broad frame filling the doorway. His eyes widened when he saw the fire but he didn’t hesitate. He grabbed the heavy blanket from the couch and threw it over the flames, stamping them out with swift and strong movements.
The room hissed, the fire shrank, and smoke curled upward in fading ribbons.
I was shaking. My body was drenched in sweat. My hands glowed faintly, as if the fire still lived inside them.
Kayden crossed the room in two strides. He gripped my shoulders and shook me lightly. “Leah! Look at me. Wake up. You’re safe.”
“I....I didn’t mean to,” I stammered. My throat was raw. “It was a dream. Tariq.....he was there. I tried to fight him. I couldn’t stop it. The fire, it came out of me....”
Kayden’s eyes searched mine, hard and full of something that looked like fear. Not fear of me, but fear for me. His hand trembled against my cheek as he brushed soot away.
“You set the room on fire in your sleep,” he said quietly. His voice was rough. “If I hadn’t heard you....”
“I could’ve hurt you,” I whispered. My chest caved in with guilt. “I could’ve burned this whole place. I could’ve....”
“Stop.” His tone sharpened and I froze. His hand stayed firm against my face. He was grounding me. “You did not do this on purpose. You were trapped in a nightmare. But this means we can’t ignore it anymore. Your power is too strong. Too dangerous for you to face alone.”
Athena stirred inside me. He is right. You need an anchor. Otherwise the fire will eat everything....maybe even us.
I don’t want his help, I answered bitterly.
And yet your fire stopped when he came, Athena whispered back. You felt it. His presence steadied you. Don’t lie to yourself.
Kayden’s thumb brushed against my cheekbone. His voice softened. “Leah, you can’t sleep alone after this. It’s not safe.”
I jerked back. “No. I need to be alone. I can’t....”
“I won’t argue,” he said firmly. “I’ll sleep in my room. You’ll stay there too. I’ll take the couch. You’ll have the bed. I promise I won’t disturb you, but I can’t risk leaving you alone when your powers are this unstable.”
His words left no space for refusal. His tone was the Alpha’s, but his eyes were Kayden’s—dark, raw, and full of a fear he couldn’t hide.
“I don’t want you watching me,” I muttered. “It feels like....like the cellar all over again.”
He flinched, as if I had struck him. For a moment, his jaw tightened. Then he breathed out slowly. “This isn’t a cage, Leah. It’s protection. Not for me...for you. If something happens again, I’ll be there to pull you out.”
I stared at him. I was torn between anger and gratitude. My heart thundered painfully in my chest.
Athena’s voice curled around my thoughts. He speaks the truth. He is afraid of losing us. Let him prove his words.
“Fine,” I whispered finally. My voice was so small I barely recognized it. “One night.”
Relief washed over his face, softening the hard lines. He nodded. “One night. And tomorrow, we’ll speak to the Seer. We’ll find a way to anchor your power before it consumes you.”
Later, in his room, I sat on the edge of his enormous bed. The sheets smelled like pine and smoke and something warm that was purely him. The scent wrapped around me, tugging at a part of me I wanted to keep hidden.
Kayden stretched out on the couch across from me. The couch was too small for his tall frame, and he shifted uncomfortably, trying to fold himself into the space. His shoulders hunched and his legs bent awkwardly. He looked nothing like the powerful Alpha who commanded a whole pack. He looked like a man forcing himself into discomfort just so I could feel safe.
Something inside me twisted painfully.
“You’ll be sore in the morning,” I said quietly.
He gave a half-smile. “I’ve slept in worse places.” His eyes softened when they met mine. “As long as you’re safe, I don’t care.”
Heat rose to my cheeks. I turned away quickly, pulling the blanket up to my chin.
Athena purred. She was amused. His scent is on the bed. Do you feel it, Leah? Do you feel how it calls to us?
Stop, I hissed inside. This is not the time.
It is always the time, she teased. The mate bond makes us stronger. Can’t you feel how his presence calms the fire?
I pressed my face into the pillow, shutting my eyes tight. The warmth of Kayden’s scent clung to me, confusing me, softening edges I wanted to keep sharp.
I forced my body to relax. Forced myself to breathe slow and steady.
“Goodnight, Leah,” Kayden said softly from the couch.
I didn’t answer. My heart was beating too hard.
But as my eyes closed, I knew I was safer than before. And that truth both comforted and terrified me.