Page 77 of Chasing Stripes

With the twins trailing behind despite his warnings to stay, Bartek followed the painful pull into the forest.

He turned to his nieces. “Do not follow me. Alpha order.”

Their dual frowns told him they would not disobey his order. He hoped.

Golden light extended from his chest like a taut cord, leading him deeper among the trees.

In a small clearing not far from the pride house, he found her. Artemis stood rigidly in the center of another burned circle, surrounded by five hooded figures. Her nightgown billowed in an unnatural breeze, and her eyes stared blankly ahead—evidence of some compulsion magic keeping her immobile.

The golden tether between them stretched visibly across the clearing, connecting Bartek’s chest to hers. One of the hooded figures held what appeared to be an ancient knife against the magical connection, testing its resistance.

“Subject demonstrates extraordinary bond strength,” the figure dictated in a clinical tone. “Recommend additional suppression measures for the extraction ceremony.”

Cold fury rose within Bartek, his tiger surging to the surface. Before he could charge forward, a blast of golden light exploded from Artemis—more powerful than anything he’d witnessed from her before. Her eyes cleared, fury replacing the blank stare as her own magic broke through whatever had been constraining her.

“Get away from my mate!” she commanded, her voice carrying otherworldly power.

Beside him, the twins shifted partially—tiny claws and fangs appearing as they growled in unison, the sound incongruously fierce coming from such small forms.

“Impressive, little baker,” the figure said, voice distorted. “The Collector will be pleased with your development.”

The leader slashed at the visible tether with the knife.

Both Artemis and Bartek cried out in agony as the blade made contact—not severing the bond but wounding it. The golden connection between them flickered dangerously before stabilizing, a dark spot appearing where the knife had struck like ink dropped into clear water.

As the attackers fled, pride members arrived in response to the alert, led by Hudson and Gloria. Bartek barely registered their presence, his focus entirely on Artemis. He stumbled to her, gathering her in his arms, his body trembling with rage and residual pain.

“What happened?” he demanded, scanning her for injuries.

“I don’t know,” she said, shaking her head in confusion. “I remember waking up feeling drawn outside like something was calling me. Then nothing until I saw you in the clearing.”

SIXTY-EIGHT

“They were testing extraction methods,” Bartek growled, the realization chilling his blood. “This was just a rehearsal for the eclipse.”

Together they examined the wound in their tether—a dark, cold spot in the golden connection where the knife had struck.

“It’s still intact,” Artemis whispered, her fingers hovering over the damaged area. “But weakened.”

“We need to complete the strengthening ritual before the eclipse,” Bartek decided, no longer hesitant. The attack had eradicated any doubts he harbored about fully committing to their bond. “We can’t risk them finding another vulnerability.”

The twins pushed between them, small arms wrapping around their legs. “We helped fight the bad shadows!” Lily announced proudly.

“Very brave,” Jade agreed, nodding solemnly.

Despite the danger, Artemis smiled down at them. “You were very brave. Your uncle is lucky to have such fierce defenders.”

“So are you,” Lily said with children’s directness. “You’re our aunt now. Forever.”

The simple statement brought unexpected tears to Artemis’s eyes. Bartek watched emotion wash across her face as she met his gaze over the children’s heads.

“Forever,” she agreed quietly, the promise seeming to seal something deep within.

As she spoke the word, the wounded area in their connection began to glow faintly, golden light creeping back into the darkened spot. Bartek felt warmth spread through his chest, countering the lingering cold from the knife’s strike.

Hudson approached, his expression grave. “The property wards have been completely compromised. We need to restructure our defenses.”

“And figure out how they got past them in the first place,” Gloria added, wrapping protective arms around the twins.

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