On the eve of his wedding, Nathaniel’s closest friend is found dead in a locked room — his eyes carved out, his final expression frozen in terror. There are no signs of forced entry. No fingerprints. No witnesses. Only one chilling detail: The last call he made was to Nathaniel. And the symbol carved into the wall belongs to the Varyn bloodline. Now the general who once commanded armies must fight without soldiers, without rank and without knowing whether the monster he’s hunting is wearing his own face.

When the government abruptly aborted a covert operation and abandoned its elite unit, Shadow Reign, the result was catastrophic. Twelve soldiers lost. Betrayed. Left to die.Kael Maddox, the unit’s formidable commander, disobeyed orders and stormed the enemy camp alone. He was captured, tortured, and erased from the headlines.Branded a traitor, forgotten by the country he nearly died for—Kael lost everything.Five years later, he returns—scarred, hardened, and ready to bring down the ones who left him for dead.Now, the man they tried to bury is about to unleash a storm.And this time, he’s not following orders.