Four pairs of eyes lock onto me with sudden, intense focus. The energy changes, becomes charged.
Beau steps forward. "Brother, there's no thinking about it. I can feel it from here."
"Confirmed," Eli adds. "That's strong energy. Unmistakable."
I climb out of the truck on shaking legs. "Hi. Sorry. This is all a bit overwhelming."
Calder crosses to me. Up close, he's even more imposing than usual, but his eyes are kind when he looks at me.
"You saved my brother's life." His voice is deep, steady. "That makes you family. Mate bond or not. Thank you."
The cabin door opens and Cilla, Quinn, and Anabeth emerge. Cilla stops dead, her hand flying to her mouth. "Jonah?" Her voice breaks. "Oh my god, Jonah!"
"It's him," Calder says, his voice rough with emotion. "Maren found him. And she's his mate."
Cilla rushes past me, throwing her arms around Jonah. Quinn and Anabeth follow, completing the circle of family surrounding him. I stand by my truck, suddenly uncertain. This is their reunion. Their miracle.
Quinn breaks away and comes back to me. "Come on. You're part of this now." She takes my arm, tugging me forward. "Whether you're ready or not."
"I don't know what I'm supposed to do," I admit.
"None of us did at first," Anabeth says quietly, falling into step beside me. "But you'll figure it out."
Calder is examining Jonah now, hands hovering over the corruption marks without touching. His face goes carefully blank. "This is worse than I thought. The shadow energy has integrated with your ley line signature. It's not just sitting on the surface. It's woven through you." He looks up at his brothers, and real fear flashes across his face. "We need to get him inside. Now."
They move as one, a coordinated unit that speaks of years of working together. Supporting Jonah between them, careful not to jostle him, moving him toward the cabin like he's made of glass. He's weakening fast. His legs won't quite hold him, the black veins pulse faster, his breathing has gone shallow.
Cilla tugs me toward the cabin, her hand warm and steady on my arm. "Come on. You shouldn't be alone for this."
"For what?"
"For whatever comes next." Her eyes are kind but sad. "Trust me. You want friendly faces around you when things get scary. And things are about to get terrifying."
Inside, the cabin is warm and smells like coffee and something baking. They guide Jonah to a couch, and Calder starts examining him more thoroughly. His brothers hover close, clearly wanting to help but not knowing how.
Sawyer paces, runs his hands through his hair. "Shadow realm. Six months. How did you survive?"
"Stubbornness. And her." Jonah looks at me. "Dreaming about her kept me sane. Gave me a reason to fight."
The weight of that statement settles over the room. They all turn to look at me with gratitude and something close to awe.
I don't know what to do with that.
Calder pulls out what looks like a crystal on a leather cord. It's the size of his palm, naturally faceted, glowing faintly with internal light. "Ley line focus stone. It'll show me his energy pattern. How deep the corruption goes." He holds it near Jonah's chest, and the glow intensifies.
The crystal flares bright white, then pulses with black veins that mirror the corruption spreading through Jonah's body. The pattern is mesmerizing and horrifying. Like watching poison spread through clear water in real time.
"Jesus," Beau breathes. "It's everywhere."
"The disruption in the north," Calder says quietly, his eyes never leaving the crystal. "The anomaly we've been tracking for six months. The one that kept getting stronger, more insistent. That was you."
"I was pushing against the convergence points from the other side. Trying to create weak spots I could break through." Jonah'sbreathing is labored now, each word an effort. "Every disruption was me saying I'm still here. I'm still fighting. Come find me."
"And we heard you." Eli's voice breaks. "We just didn't understand what we were hearing."
"The problem," Calder continues, "is that every time you pushed through, you created small tears. Micro-rifts between dimensions. The shadow realm is bleeding through them. That's why the creatures are here. That's why they're hunting you."
"Can you seal them?" I ask. Everyone looks at me. "The tears. Can they be closed?"
