Brielle met his gaze, fire sparking behind her exhaustion.“Good.Because if Caleb wants a fight, he’s about to get one.”
****
The hours after theGoddess’s message crawled by, dragging sunlight and sanity with them.By the time the city dipped into twilight, the rooftop had gone quiet again—no laughter this time, no wine-fueled jokes.Just tension, thick and unspoken.
Lennox leaned against the railing, staring out over the skyline, the soft glow of the city lights reflecting in his eyes.The sunset was bleeding out, everything turning gold and red, and Brielle stood a few feet away, pacing like a storm caged in human form.Her hands kept flexing, her energy restless, sparking against the wards like static.
“She’s not okay,” Hunter muttered from beside him.“And I don’t blame her.”
Lennox sighed, pushing a hand through his hair.“She thinks it’s her fault the bond hasn’t locked in yet.”
“She’s not saying it,” Hunter replied, “but, yeah.It’s written all over her face.”
They watched her in silence.The sunset turned to indigo, the stars fighting through the haze, and Brielle finally stopped pacing.Her shoulders slumped as she sank into a chair, frustration bleeding into exhaustion.
“I don’t understand,” she said quietly.“The Goddess said by midnight tonight, I need to be bonded to my fated mates.But it’s been hours, and nothing’s happened.No spark, no mark, no connection.What if I’m not enough?What if I’m not who you think I am?”
Lennox’s chest tightened.“Hey.”He crouched in front of her, catching her chin so she’d look at him.“Don’t say that.”
Her eyes flicked up, bright and wet with frustration.“Then tell me why it isn’t working.Why can’t I feel it?”
Hunter stepped closer, his expression soft but fierce.“Because something’s blocking it.That’s all.You’re not broken, Brielle.”
“You’re everything,” Lennox said, his voice rough with conviction.“And if the Goddess thinks we need a little more time, then so be it.But don’t you ever think you’re not enough.You’re everything we’ve been waiting for.”
Brielle’s lips parted like she wanted to argue, but her breath hitched instead.She looked between them, torn between belief and doubt.
From behind, Saffie made a soft, thoughtful sound.“Hmm.”
Everyone turned.
Ursula, who had been nursing another coffee like it was a potion, sat up straighter.“What the hell does this even mean?”she demanded.
Saffie’s eyes widened slightly.“I don’t know yet,” she admitted.“But I felt something shift.”
Before anyone could question her, the wards around the rooftop crackled—light flashing blue and silver for a heartbeat before dimming again.
Willow jumped up.“What the hell was that?”
Lennox’s instincts flared instantly.“That was a breach.”
The door at the far end of the rooftop swung open with a groan, and three men stepped into view—Landon, Braydon, and Colt.All three looked pale, disoriented, and more than a little nauseated.
Ursula’s eyes narrowed, her voice sharp as glass.“How in the hell did you get through my wards?”
Braydon winced.“Brute force,” he said, his voice rough.“Turns out, not a great idea.”
Colt leaned on the wall, grimacing.“Yeah, if you ever want to experience the magical equivalent of chronic food poisoning—like your stomach’s on fire and your bones are trying to crawl out of your skin, I highly recommend doing it this way.”
Saffie crossed her arms.“You idiots could’ve killed yourselves.”
Landon took another shaky step forward, his gaze fixed on Brielle.“We didn’t have a choice.We had to talk to her.”His voice cracked, sincerity bleeding through the exhaustion.“Brielle, please—don’t hate me for showing up.”
Ursula flinched, the motion sharp.Her coffee mug hit the table with a dull thud.“Oh no.Not this again.”
But Landon didn’t look at Brielle anymore.He dropped to his knees in front of Ursula instead, his voice breaking.“No, sweetness.Not because of that.We sense it now—you’re ours.I’ll hate myself forever for making you doubt it, but we think we know why Brielle can’t sense her bond with Hunter and Lennox.”
The rooftop went silent.The breeze died.Even the hum of the city seemed to pause.