Yes, we are.
One last burst of speed, pulling Jonah with me. We leap together, the bond stretched taut between us like a rope pulling us forward. The tear's edges brush against us, burning cold as we pass through.
We burst into reality, the tear snapping shut behind us with a sound like thunder.
Solid ground. Real air. The forest of Redwood Rise surrounding us with living green instead of dead grey. Pine and earth flood my senses. I've never been so grateful for the smell of anything in my life.
We collapse together, both naked from the forced shifts, both shaking with exhaustion and relief. The golden bond between us pulses weakly but steadily.
We made it.
Voices converge on us. Jonah's brothers, their mates, all of them gathering around with relief and concern written across their faces. Someone drapes blankets over both of us. Someone else checks Jonah for injuries.
Standing seems like a good idea. My legs don't agree. The moment I try to rise, my vision goes dark at the edges. The cost of channeling that much power catches up all at once. My newly turned body simply doesn't have the reserves to recover this fast.
Jonah's arms catch me as I fall. His voice, rough with panic, calls my name.
The world goes grey at the edges, then black. His arms are the last thing I feel.
CHAPTER 14
JONAH
Isurvived six months in hell, but watching her slip away might actually break me.
Maren's body is limp in my arms as I carry her through the compound, wrapped in the blanket someone thrust at us the moment we emerged from the shadow realm. She's breathing. Her heart beats against my chest, steady but weak. The golden thread connecting us pulses thin as spider silk but unbroken.
That's what I cling to as I shoulder through the door of Calder's cottage. The connection. The proof she's still here, still mine, still fighting.
"Put her on the couch," Calder orders, already moving. His voice cuts through the chaos, giving me something concrete to do. Follow instructions. Keep moving. Don't think about the grey tinge to her skin or the way her head lolls against my shoulder.
Cilla appears with more blankets, her face pale but composed. She's seen this before, dealt with mate bonds pushed to their limits. "Jonah, you need to let Calder examine her."
Lowering Maren onto the couch, I keep hold of her hand. Can't let go. Our connection thrums stronger when we're touching, and I'm not risking even the slightest weakening.
Calder kneels beside us, placing his hands above Maren's body without touching. His eyes close. Ley line energy gathers around his palms: golden threads that look nothing like the corrupted darkness we just escaped. These are clean, pure, alive.
The silence stretches. My brothers gather at the edges of the room, their mates with them. Waiting. Everyone's waiting to see if the woman who saved Redwood Rise will survive the cost.
Calder opens his eyes. "She's alive. Stable. But depleted in ways I've never seen before."
"Explain." The word comes out harsh.
"She channeled ley energy in the shadow realm itself." He sits back on his heels, running a hand through his hair. "That shouldn't be possible. The shadow realm operates on different laws. Ley lines don't exist there—or shouldn't. But she used your bond as a conduit, pulling power from our reality into theirs."
"Is that what's killing her?" My throat closes around the question.
"No. It's what's keeping her alive." Calder meets my eyes. "Your bond is anchoring her to this reality. Without it, the shadow realm's touch would have consumed her the moment she crossed over. With it, she became something unprecedented—a bridge between dimensions."
"But she's unconscious."
"Because her body hasn't adjusted fully to being a shifter and she just did something that would exhaust a guardian who's been training for decades." His voice gentles slightly. "She needs time, Jonah. The ley lines are feeding energy back into her, but it's slow. Her cells are still learning to process and store that kind of power."
"How long?"
"Days. Maybe a week." Calder glances at Maren, something like awe crossing his features. "What she did: channeling that much energy through a bond that's barely formed, maintainingit while fighting, then pulling you both back through a collapsing dimensional tear. She's either incredibly strong or incredibly lucky."
"Both." My voice is hoarse. "She's both."
