The Core does not welcome Jax. It spits him out like a foreign object.
He crashes into existence with a thunderous impact, silver shards exploding beneath him as if the ground itself rejects anything that is not made from moonlight and pain. His wolf form slams down first, claws digging into the fractured surface, muscles coiled and braced for attack. The floor beneath him flickers like liquid glass struggling to hold shape.
The Core vibrates around him, disturbed by something that was never meant to enter.
Jax lifts his head. Silver eyes gleam like stormlight cutting through fog.
The sight of him hits me so hard my knees nearly buckle.
My heart launches into my throat. My pulse ignites. Tears sting my eyes before I realize I am crying.
“Jax.”
His name leaves me as nothing more than
