The moment I slid into the car, my eyes found Kenny in the rearview mirror. His brows furrowed in confusion, mirroring the storm brewing inside me. His expression was caught somewhere between concern and fear—and I couldn't blame him. I probably looked like I'd seen a ghost. Maybe I had.
Andreis had left the office earlier than me, picked up by Marco for what they said was an "important meeting." No other details. No explanations. Just like that, he vanished from the building, leaving me to wrestle with my own chaotic thoughts.
Was it really Zevian I saw in the parking garage? Or was my mind playing cruel tricks on me?
The car hummed quietly along the road as we made our way back to the farm. I leaned my head against the window, the cool glass grounding me, while the trees blurred past in green and gold smears. My heart still thudded with leftover adrenaline. Every shadow felt like a threat.
Then my phone rang.
A chill swept through me.
No name. Just numbers.
"Hello?" I answered, voice trembling.
"Mia. Are you okay? Where are you?" It was Andreis.
His voice, steady but laced with worry, wrapped around me like a blanket. Of course he knew. Of course he felt it. The fear, the confusion. That was the imprint.
I opened my mouth, tried to speak, but nothing came out. My throat clenched. My lips moved. But silence answered.
"It's okay," he said gently. "I'll meet you at the farm."
I nodded, even though he couldn't see me. He must have felt that too, because he ended the call without another word.
I didn't even realize we had pulled up to the house until the smell hit me.
Garlic. Chicken.
Honey Garlic Chicken. Mom's signature dish.
I stepped out of the car and walked briskly into the house, like I was chasing that scent, chasing that feeling of home. I found her in the kitchen, humming as she stirred the pot. The warmth, the spices, her familiar presence—they all hit me like a wave.
Without saying a word, I wrapped my arms around her.
She didn't ask questions. She didn't pull away. Just held me, swaying gently, her cheek pressed to my hair.
"I made your favorite," she whispered.
Dad was already at the table when I stepped into the dining room. He looked up and smiled, a soft one, eyes kind.
"Rough day?" he asked.
I nodded.
"It's hard going back after everything," he said. "But you did. That matters."
"I'm trying," I said, sitting beside him. "It helps that I'm not alone. Andreis... he's been—" I paused, unsure how to describe what he was to me now.
"He's part of your life," Dad finished for me. "And you're part of his. We know."
I blinked, surprised. "You do?"
Mom joined us, placing bowls of steaming rice and chicken on the table. "Of course we do. We feel it too, in our own way. It's a bond not even time can hide."
Before I could respond, the front door opened.
Marco and Andreis walked in, laughing about something. The moment my eyes landed on Andreis, something inside me eased. His presence was like sunlight through fog.
He caught my gaze and smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling.
"You started without us," he teased.
"We waited just long enough," Dad chuckled. "Sit. Eat. Tell us about this so-called meeting."
Marco rolled his eyes as he pulled out a chair. "Long story short, pack politics. Boring stuff."
"Necessary stuff," Andreis added, helping himself to rice. "Some neighboring tribes are getting restless. We're keeping a close eye."
"Restless how?" Dad asked, the Alpha in him surfacing.
"They're asking questions about Mia. About what happened. About the future."
The room went still for a second.
I lowered my gaze. I didn't want to be a symbol. I didn't want to be the reason for tension.
"They won't touch you. Not while I'm breathing." Andreis looked at me in the eye.
Dinner continued with lighter conversation, but that undercurrent of concern never fully faded.
After the dishes were washed by KC and Mom and the table cleared, I slipped out to the garden. The night air greeted me with a crisp breeze that danced through the trees, rustling leaves like whispered warnings. Dew clung to the grass beneath my bare feet, and stars blinked overhead in an otherwise silent sky.
It was peaceful.
But it couldn't quiet my thoughts.
Eventually, the cold drove me back inside. The dining room was empty. The lights dim. I peeked into the living room—no one. Upstairs, soft murmurs and creaking floorboards told me the rest of the house had gone to bed.
I showered, the warm water soothing but not enough to erase the tension coiled in my spine. I changed into my pajamas and slipped beneath my blankets, hoping for dreamless sleep.
I was not so lucky.
***
I was standing in the forest. The altar loomed ahead—crumbling stone, stained with old blood. Moonlight filtered through blackened trees, and shadows writhed at the edge of my vision.
Zevian was there.
His eyes glowed silver, a cruel grin stretched across his face.
I was bound. Hands tied, mouth gagged. He stepped closer, and with every step, my breath shortened.
"You thought you could escape me?" he hissed. "You think a new name, a new life, erases what you are?"
I struggled, screamed against the gag. But no sound came.
Behind him, the shadows took shape—figures, cloaked and chanting. A ritual. Just like before.
He raised a knife.
The moon turned red.
Then I felt it—hot, burning pain across my chest.
***
I woke up gasping, drenched in sweat. My lungs seized, heart hammering. I wanted to cry but couldn't even find the tears.
Then—a knock at the door.
I froze.
"Mia."
His voice.
Andreis.
"C-c-come in," I stammered.
He stepped inside quietly, dressed in a plain white t-shirt and a red checkered pajama pants. He carried a glass of water, but his eyes locked onto mine with immediate concern.
"I felt you're scared," he said, sitting beside me. "Why?"
I reached for him without thinking. I didn't want to talk. I just wanted to be held.
He understood.
He set the glass down and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close.
His warmth, his scent, the steady beat of his heart—all of it chased the nightmare away.
"You're safe," he whispered. "With me, you're always safe."
And in that moment, I believed him.
Because with Andreis, even the shadows couldn't touch me.