Chapter 0153

Six months ago

The tires screech as I peel away from Evelyn's birthday celebration. My fingers dial Nathaniel before the engine even settles into a steady hum.

"Alpha?" His voice cracks with anticipation. The entire Blackthorn Pack had been holding their breath, praying Evelyn would pick me.

"Clear out my suite. I'm staying at the penthouse tonight." The words taste like ash. I'd spent weeks preparing that room - rose petals strewn across silk sheets, black candles scenting the air with sandalwood. All for nothing.

Nathaniel's exhale crackles through the speaker. "What's our next move?"

"Victor Blackwood. My apartment at dawn." Eighteen years. That's how long I've waited to avenge my mother. Lucian Blackwood's rogue Beta had slit her throat before vanishing into the night. My father hunted him until his dying breath. Now the bastard's resurfaced, trying to claim Evelyn as his mate last month.

The leather steering wheel groans under my grip. That failed kidnapping only made me hungrier for his blood.

"Should I come keep you company?"

"Just leave the bourbon in my office."

The city skyline swallows my car whole. Blackstone Enterprises towers over the financial district - my dual empire of construction and private security. Nearly eight hundred shifters depend on these human-fronted businesses.

The elevator dings open directly into my private bar. The bartender doesn't speak, just slides over a tumbler of 18-year-old Pappy Van Winkle. I drain it in one swallow and shove the glass back. "Bottle. Now."

Memories flicker like bad film reel. Evelyn's laugh. The way her Guardian strength could pin me during sparring matches. That damn birthday cake with candles I'll never blow out with her.

Then - jasmine and night-blooming cereus. A woman materializes beside me in a dress that should be illegal. Ebony hair cascades over golden shoulders. The cheetah-print fabric clings to every dangerous curve.

Her crimson nails tap the mahogany bar. "Buy a girl a drink?"

I scowl, nostrils flaring. She laughs - a velvet purr - and leans in. Her cheek brushes mine as she whispers two words that make my wolf snap to attention:

"Panther shifter."

The tension in the room was palpable as Adrian's grip tightened around Evelyn's waist. His golden eyes burned with barely contained fury, reflecting the flickering candlelight of the underground chamber.

Selene growled low in Evelyn's mind, her hackles rising at the sight of the Fae prince's smug expression. Finnian lounged carelessly against the stone wall, twirling a silver dagger between his fingers.

"You dare threaten my mate?" Adrian's voice dropped to a dangerous whisper that sent shivers down Evelyn's spine. The air crackled with the energy of his barely restrained shift.

Finnian merely smirked, his emerald eyes glinting with mischief. "I merely offered the Guardian a choice, Alpha. Surely even you can't deny the benefits of an alliance with the Fae court."

Evelyn felt the weight of Oberon's ancient gaze upon her. The Fae king sat motionless on his obsidian throne, his expression unreadable. The silence stretched between them, broken only by the distant drip of water echoing through the cavernous hall.

"Enough." Evelyn's voice cut through the tension like a blade. She stepped forward, placing herself between Adrian and the Fae royalty. "I won't be bargaining chip in your political games."

Finnian's smirk faltered for the first time. Oberon's fingers twitched against the armrests of his throne.

Adrian moved like lightning, positioning himself at Evelyn's back in a protective stance. His warmth seeped through her clothes as his fingers brushed against hers in silent reassurance.

Selene surged forward in Evelyn's consciousness, lending her strength. "We don't need your magic," Evelyn declared, lifting her chin. "The Guardian bloodline has survived without Fae interference for centuries."

A slow, chilling smile spread across Oberon's face. "Brave words, little wolf." His voice slithered through the chamber, raising the hairs on Evelyn's arms. "But every Guardian before you has eventually bowed to necessity."

The ground beneath them trembled suddenly. Cracks spiderwebbed across the stone floor as an unearthly howl echoed through the caverns.

Adrian's arms encircled Evelyn as the walls began to shake. "What the hell was that?" he growled.

Finnian's face drained of color. "Father..."

Oberon rose from his throne, his regal composure shattered. "They've found us."

Before Evelyn could demand answers, the chamber's far wall exploded inward in a shower of rubble and dust. Through the gaping hole, dozens of glowing red eyes stared back at them.

Evelyn's blood turned to ice.

Vampires.