Outside the window, the snow kept falling.
Inside the room, the fire of a mother's love burned hotter than any curse.
And in the silence that followed… another feather floated down from the c***k beneath the door.
Not black.
Crimson
"Where is he?" James thundered, his voice like gravel grinding against stone. His eyes burned gold with fury, the beast beneath his skin clawing for release. "Jared. That bastard who dares call himself my blood. My brother. Where is he?!"
The corridor trembled with the force of his presence as James didn't just push the door—he *slammed* through it like a wrecking force, the thick oak splintering against his shoulder as it burst open.
Jared stepped out from the shadows of his room like a ghost emerging from the grave, silent, steady, and
