The morning sun had barely begun its slow crawl over the city skyline when Victor’s knock came, a sharp, urgent sound slicing through the fragile calm of the penthouse. Raven, still draped across Jaxon’s broad chest, stirred beneath the weight of an unquiet sleep. The room felt too still, too fragile.
Jaxon’s hand tightened around her, eyes flickering open, alert in an instant. The darkness in his gaze deepened, shadows gathering like storm clouds.
Victor’s face was grim when he stepped inside, closing the door softly behind him. His usual stoic mask cracked by the tight line of his jaw, the set of his shoulders.
“She’s gone,” Victor said simply, voice low but heavy. “Talia’s disappeared again.”
Raven’s breath hitched. Her body tensed against Jaxon’s like a live wire.
Jaxon’s eyes sha
