Page 49 of The Alpha's Runaway Mate
Silence settles like dust. The only sound is the steady tick of Xander’s old wall clock.
“So whatever this darkness is,” I say finally, “it followed you back.”
Declan nods, slow and grim. “It’s here. I can feel it sometimes, at the edges of my mind. Like it’s waiting for something.”
A muscle jumps in my jaw. “And if it’s what wiped out the Fae that saved you, we’re dealing with more than rogue shifters.”
Kolt pushes off the wall and starts pacing, boots scuffing the floor. “We’ve had plenty of bad over the years, but Fae curses and disappearing villages? That’s new.”
“New and dangerous,” Xander adds. “If it spreads through our ranks, we’re screwed.”
Declan’s voice drops to a whisper. “Ryn said something before she vanished, ‘the veil is thinning.’ I didn’t understand it then. But I think whatever’s infecting me came through that break. And it’s not done.”
No one speaks for a long moment. The air feels heavy, charged, like the storm outside is pressing against the walls.
Finally, I stand. “Get some rest. You’re safe here, for now. We’ll figure this out before it gets anywhere near the ridge.”
Declan nods once, shoulders sagging. “Thanks, Nolan.”
“Don’t thank me yet.” I glance at my brothers. “Double patrols until further notice. Nobody is alone. If this thing wants a fight, it’s gonna get one.”
We head for the door. Xander grabs his jacket, Kolt snatches his keys from the counter, and together we step out into the fading light.
The rain’s just starting, thin, cold drops tapping against the porch roof. The wind carries the scent of pine and something sharper underneath, metallic, almost like iron.
Kolt blows out a breath. “You believe him?”
I keep my gaze on the treeline. “I do. Every damned word.”
He huffs a quiet curse. “Then we’ve got a problem bigger than anything we’ve ever seen.”
Xander locks the door behind us, jaw tight. “Great. Fae magic, rogue shifters, and curses. What the hell kind of year is this turning into?”
“The kind we survive,” I answer.
He snorts, but there’s no humor in it. We start down the steps, boots thudding against wet wood.
The forest hums in the distance, dark shapes moving between the trees as the wind picks up. I can feel it, the wrongness Declan described. A weight in the air, too still, too cold.
Kolt falls into step beside me. “If the veil really is thinning… what does that even mean for us?”
“It means the boundaries between our world and theirs are cracking,” Xander says before I can. “And if that’s true, whatever was trapped on the other side might not be anymore.”
He’s right. I don’t say it out loud, but the thought crawls down my spine like ice. We reach our trucks. Xander slides behind the wheel of his, Kolt lingers beside mine.
“You think Declan brought it back with him?” he asks quietly.
“Not on purpose.” I rub a hand over my face. “But yeah. It came through him. That curse, it’s not just a mark. It’s a link.”
“To what?”
I look toward the ridge, where storm clouds are crawling over the peaks. “Whatever’s waiting on the other side.”
Kolt swears under his breath, shoving his hands into his jacket pockets. “Hell of a thought.”
“Yeah.” I open the door, pausing with one hand on the frame. “Keep the mind link open tonight. If anything feels off, reach out. Don’t try to play the hero.”
He smirks faintly. “That’s your job.”
