And the scents. Jonah's strategic focus hits me first—copper and pine, sharp with adrenaline that makes my own pulse spike.Each brother carries a distinct signature, information pouring into my brain faster than I can sort it.
Beneath everything, the ley lines pulse through my feet and up my spine. They move in patterns that almost make sense, like trying to read a language I don't quite speak yet.
My photographer's eye spent years learning to see light and shadow. Now I'm drinking in data from senses I can't control, and the overload makes me want to crawl out of my own skin.
"The problem," Calder says, tapping his marker against a diagram of overlapping circles, "is that we need at least two people. Someone who can navigate the shadow realm without getting lost—go in, anchor the seal, and get back out—and someone who can channel ley line energy from this side to hold the connection open and seal the tear."
"I'm the only one who can navigate the shadow realm." Jonah's voice is flat, final. He stands with his arms crossed, every line of his body radiating determination. "Six months gave me more than enough practice."
"And I can channel the ley lines," Calder continues. "As the primary guardian, I have the strongest connection. But I can't do both. If I go through, the ley lines destabilize further. If I stay here and Jonah goes through, he might not find his way back. The shadow realm doesn't give up what it takes easily."
The mate bond flares in my chest at those words.'Not find his way back.'The possibility makes my bear snarl.
"What if we sent two people through?" Eli asks.
Jonah nods. "Anyone who goes in starts changing within minutes. You saw what it did to me over six months. Sending someone else through is just creating another problem."
"Then what's the solution?" Beau demands. "Because we've got maybe two hours before this gets catastrophic."
Silence fills the workshop. The brothers exchange glances, that wordless communication born from years of working together.
"Wait." Calder stops mid-gesture, marker hovering over the whiteboard. "What about Maren?"
Every eye in the room swings toward me.
"What about me?" My voice comes out steadier than I feel.
"You were sensitive to the ley lines before," Calder says, his gaze assessing. "Saw the shimmer when most humans can't. Now that you're newly turned, your connection's still forming. Still flexible. We can use that."
"I'm not following," I admit.
Calder's expression changes, something like hope flickering across his features. "You're bonded to Jonah. The mate bond is the strongest tether that exists in shifter magic. It's literally anchored in the ley lines themselves."
Understanding hits like cold water. "You think I could hold the bond from this side while Jonah goes through."
"Not just hold it." Calder moves to the whiteboard, sketching rapidly. "We could use you as a conduit. Channel ley line energy through the mate bond directly to Jonah while he anchors the seal from the other side. The bond would keep him tethered to this reality, make it impossible for the shadow realm to keep him."
The theory sounds solid. Elegant, even. But the fear spiking through my chest suggests my instincts know something my rational mind doesn't.
"What's the risk?" I ask.
The brothers exchange glances. Nobody wants to say it.
"The strain could break the bond," Jonah says finally, his voice rough. "Kill us both."
"Or?" Because there's always an or with these kinds of plans.
"Or it works perfectly and we seal the tear with minimal casualties." Calder's tone suggests he doesn't believe in perfect outcomes. "But there's a third option. You both go through. Seal it from inside. Combined strength, combined navigation."
"We might not get back out," Jonah finishes.
The workshop goes silent again. Outside, the ley lines pulse erratically, each surge sending tremors through my newly awakened senses. Time is running out.
"No." Jonah's voice cuts through my thoughts, sharp and final. "Absolutely not. Maren stays here where it's safe."
The presumption ignites something fierce in my chest. My bear surges forward, and I feel my muscles tense. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me." He crosses to where I'm standing, each step radiating alpha dominance that makes my new instincts bristle. "You've been a shifter for three hours. You don't even know how to control a transformation yet. Through the bond, I feel you struggling to process everything—every sense firing at once, your brain drowning in input. I'm not letting you walk into the shadow realm."
