I try, but the room refuses to cooperate. The edges blur, light bending and twisting colors. My mates’ voices sound distant now, distorted as if underwater. Then, images flash behind my eyes.
At first, it’s fragmented-silver trees, blood-soaked earth, and a shadow moving swiftly and purposefully. The vision flickers like an old film reel, too fast to fully grasp. I reach out instinctively, trying to anchor myself, but it only pulls me deeper.
I find myself standing beside a creek. The water looks clear, reflecting the sky above, but beneath the surface, faint glowing threads twist like veins. A man kneels at the water’s edge, hands coated in black sludge. When he lifts his head, I see eyes like cold glass-reflecting no light.
He whispers words I can’t hear, but the tone makes my skin crawl. Behind him, the trees shift as masked hunters move between the trunks, rifles in hand. One raises his weapon toward me-and the world shatters into silent white.
“Paige!” Someone shouts, but their voice is distant, echoing through the blur.
I gasp, air flooding back into my lungs, and my knees give way. Strong hands catch me before I hit the floor. Pain radiates through my body-my heart pounding wildly, the hum inside me surging until I feel like I’m burning from within.
“Easy,” Ronnie’s voice commands, steady but urgent. “Stay with us. Paige, open your eyes.”
I do, barely. The room swims back into focus. Ryder holds me firmly, his hands steady on my back, worry etched across his face. Parker crouches beside me, muttering softly under his breath. Callen’s knuckles are white as he grips the table’s edge, his wolf barely beneath the surface. Remy is already half-shifted, his amber eyes glowing.
Ronnie kneels beside me, calm but sharp. “What did you see?”
I swallow hard, the images still flickering behind my eyelids. “The creek,” I whisper. “There was a light in the water… something beneath it… and men-hunters. They were watching.”
Ryder swears quietly, but Ronnie’s face remains composed, though his eyes darken with recognition. “Did they see you?”
“I don’t think so. But one of them looked right at me before it ended. Like he knew.”
Ronnie nods once, grim and certain. “Then they’re close.”
He rises and paces briefly before turning to Ryder. “Double the border patrols near the creek. If what she saw is true, they’re preparing for something. Paige’s gift is reacting to whatever they’re planning-it’s a warning.”
Parker frowns. “Is it warning us about something imminent, or showing her the future?”
The question lingers heavily in the air. No one answers immediately. From the next room, Jaxon’s Lego fortress collapses with a soft crash, and the noise makes me flinch more than I expect.
Ryder squeezes my hand gently, grounding me. “Whatever this is, it’s happening for a reason. Paige will figure it out when she’s ready. No need to add more pressure.”
“I didn’t mean-” Parker begins, but Ronnie raises a hand to stop him.
“Enough. You’re all scared. That’s okay, but don’t take it out on each other. This might not seem like much now, but it’s information. And we’ll use it.” His gaze softens as it lands on me. “You did well, Paige. You saw what we needed to see. You might have just bought us time.”
I nod weakly, though the room still spins slightly. The hum inside me has quieted but remains deep, as if watching from beneath the surface, waiting.
Ronnie turns to Ryder. “Get her somewhere she can rest. I’ll stay here as long as I’m needed. We’ll talk more once she’s stable.”
Ryder nods, lifting me carefully into his arms. The warmth of his skin is the only thing that feels solid and real. My head rests against his shoulder as he carries me toward the stairs, his steady heartbeat a comforting rhythm against my ear. I want to protest, to say I’m fine-but the truth is, I’m utterly exhausted. Even breathing feels like a monumental effort.
The last thing I see before darkness claims me is Jaxon watching us, Lego bricks clutched in his small hands, his wide eyes unblinking. The tower he built lies scattered across the dark wood floor-broken, yet still somehow bright.
Then, everything fades to black.
**Ryder’s POV**
The instant Paige’s eyes rolled back, everything around me seemed to tilt and lose its balance.
Her body went completely limp, heavy and unresponsive as I caught her in my arms. For a split second, time itself seemed to freeze inside me. Then, like a tidal wave, panic surged through every fiber of my being.
“Paige!” I yelled, gently shaking her, desperate for any sign of life. Her head lolled against my shoulder, her hair cascading over my arm like a dark waterfall. The faint glow that had been pulsing beneath her skin flickered once-then vanished.
Before I could even blink, Parker was at my side, grabbing her hand and pressing his trembling fingers to her wrist, trying to find a pulse. Remy muttered a curse under his breath. Callen’s wolf growled low and menacing, the sound raw and primal, vibrating through the room like a warning.
Ronnie’s voice cut sharply through the chaos, calm but urgent. “Lay her flat. Ryder, on the floor. Now.”
I didn’t hesitate. Without thinking, I lowered her carefully onto the rug at the foot of the stairs. My hands were shaking uncontrollably, and I hated how weak I felt. I’d carried wolves torn apart in bloody battles, survived poison, and watched my brother fight for his life-but seeing her so still, so fragile, unraveled every ounce of control I had left.
Ronnie knelt beside her, checking her pulse with practiced fingers. “Still strong. That’s a good sign.” He pressed two fingers to her temple, then to the hollow of her throat. “Breathing’s shallow, though. She’s drained. That vision took way too much from her energy reserves too fast.”
Parker crouched next to me, concern etched across his face. “Drained? You mean… physically? Or something else?”
“Spiritually. Energetically. Call it what you want,” Ronnie replied evenly, though his eyes betrayed his worry. “Her power is new, raw, and reactive. She probably overloaded herself-like a live wire trying desperately to ground.”
Callen ran a hand through his hair, pacing back and forth behind us. “She said she saw the creek. Hunters. Light in the water. Could that really be happening?”
Ronnie’s expression hardened. “I’d bet my life on it. She’s a conduit, not just a dreamer. If she saw it, it’s real-or about to be.”
A soft whimper broke through the tense silence. Jaxon stood in the doorway, clutching a handful of Lego bricks tightly to his chest, his eyes wide and fearful. His small voice trembled. “Mummy?”
That single word cut through me like a blade.
I rose quickly and crossed to him, crouching down so we were eye to eye. “Hey, hey… she’s okay, buddy,” I said, my voice breaking halfway through. “She’s just… really tired, that’s all. She’ll wake up soon.”
Jaxon shook his head stubbornly, tears welling in his eyes. “She’s not moving.”
Behind me, Ronnie spoke quietly, “Let him come closer. He’ll help.”
I hesitated. “I don’t think he should see her like this.”
“He needs to,” Ronnie insisted firmly. “There’s no bond stronger than between a mother and her child. He’s her anchor.”
Reluctantly, I nodded and scooped Jaxon into my arms. He clung to me tightly, his tiny fists gripping the fabric of my shirt as I carried him back to the rug. Something in his expression shifted, a flicker of hope sparking in his eyes.
He wriggled free and knelt down beside Paige, placing his small hand gently over hers. “Wake up, Mummy,” he whispered, and damn if it didn’t make something flicker between them.
A faint shimmer appeared, barely noticeable-a heatwave-like blur rising from the surface of the floor. Paige’s chest rose a little more with a shallow breath; her lips twitched. Ronnie’s eyes narrowed, watching intently.
“That’s it,” he murmured. “She’s grounding herself through him. The love between them is pulling her back.”
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