Chapter 183
I wasn’t sure what startled me awake at first. My body felt heavy, my limbs sluggish, and the warmth of my blankets begged me to stay curled beneath them. But something was wrong. The air around me felt… charged. A presence lingered in my room, unseen but felt, and a whisper brushed against my ears.
"Ayla… wake up."
My breath hitched, and my eyes snapped open. The room was dim, only faint moonlight streaming through the window, but I knew I wasn’t alone. My heart pounded as I pushed myself up, scanning the shadows.
**Prisca.**
I had heard her before, always in my dreams. But this time was different. This wasn’t a dream.
**"Wake up. The twins."**
Panic gripped me. I threw off my blankets and ran.
The hallway was eerily quiet, the only sound my hurried footsteps as I rushed toward Lily and Logan’s room. Dread settled deep in my stomach, a horrible premonition clawing at my chest.
When I reached the door, my heart stopped.
The guard.
He was slumped against the wall, head tilted to the side unnaturally, his chest rising and falling far too slowly. I shook him hard. “Hey! Wake up!”
Nothing. He was **breathing**, but he wouldn’t wake up. It was like he was in some kind of drugged sleep.
A cold sensation ran down my spine.
Inside the room, I heard movement.
I **knew** I should call for help first, but my instincts took over. I **had** to protect them.
I pushed the door open.
At first, everything seemed normal—the soft glow of the nightlight, the gentle scent of lavender, the rhythmic breathing of the twins. But then I saw her.
A woman stood near the crib. One of the workers.
Mila.
She shouldn’t be here.
Her hands hovered just above Logan, who shifted in his sleep, unaware of the danger inches away.
I didn’t even think—I stepped forward, my voice sharp and demanding. “What the hell are you doing?”
Mila froze. Her back straightened, and for a long, terrifying moment, she didn’t move.
Then, **without a word, she bolted.
She moved so fast I barely had time to react. Her body twisted unnaturally, inhumanly, as she launched herself toward the window.
I lunged for her, but she was quicker. Before I could grab her, she jumped.
I ran to the window, my chest heaving, but she was gone—vanishing into the darkness like she had never been there.
My pulse pounded in my ears. I turned to the crib, my hands shaking as I checked the twins. Lily let out a tiny sigh, her fingers curling against her blanket, and Logan shifted but remained asleep. They were **okay**.
But why had she been here?
Who sent her?
I didn’t waste another second.
I grabbed the nearest mind-link.
"Wake up! Everyone—there was an intruder in the twins’ room!"
The reaction was instant.
A howl echoed through the night.
Within minutes, warriors swarmed the hallways, their footsteps thundering through the packhouse. Doors flew open, voices shouted, and chaos erupted around me.
Then he arrived.
Jake.
His presence hit me like a force of nature. Barefoot, his black sweatpants hanging low on his hips, his hair still tousled from sleep. But his eyes—sharp, furious, dangerous—were locked onto me.
“What happened?” His voice was controlled, but I could hear the barely restrained rage underneath.
I swallowed, still gripping Logan to my chest. “Mila. She was in here. I caught her near the crib, but she ran. The guard outside was unconscious—I think he was drugged.”
Jake’s jaw clenched so tight I thought he might snap his teeth.
Chris, his Beta, cursed under his breath.
“Where is she now?” Jake’s voice was dangerously low.
“She jumped out the window,” I said. “I don’t know where she went.”
Chris turned to the warriors. “Search the perimeter. I want her found.”
Jake exhaled sharply, rubbing a hand down his face. I could feel the tension radiating off him, waves of fury barely held back.
But there was something else in his eyes when he looked at me—something raw.
“She wasn’t here by accident,” I said quietly.
Jake’s nostrils flared, his hands curling into fists. “You think I don’t know that?” His voice was rough, but not dismissive.
I hesitated. This was it. The moment I had been waiting for.
“It’s time we talk,” I said.
Jake’s piercing gaze locked onto mine.
A long, heavy silence stretched between us.
Then, finally—
He nodded.
And for the first time, I felt like he was finally ready to listen.
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