Raya did not fall back asleep.
She remained in between Derek and Jax, eyes open in the dark, listening not to the wind outside but to the faint, unwanted thread inside her chest. It felt like a splinter beneath skin, small yet impossible to ignore. The dream had faded, yet the echo of Drail’s voice lingered.
“You cannot cut me out.”
She hated that he sounded certain.
Derek shifted slightly, rising onto one elbow so he could see her face. “Is he still there?” he asked quietly.
“Yes,” she answered, and the word tasted bitter. “Not loud. Not strong. But present.”
Jax’s arm tightened around her waist. His wolf bristled at the idea of another male reaching through any bond toward her. The air in the room warmed with his anger.
“He does not have the right,” Jax said.
“No,” she agreed. “B
