Jayden arrived too late.
The clearing still vibrated with residual power—raw, untamed, unmistakable. The grass lay flattened in a wide radius, as if pressed down by an invisible force. Shards of broken glass glittered near the village edge, catching moonlight like frozen screams.
Jayden knelt slowly, fingers brushing the ground.
Not hunger.
Not battle.
This was instinctive power.
Untrained.
Young.
His chest tightened violently.
Children.
Again.
His jaw clenched as he inhaled deeply, tracking scent trails layered over one another—Ariana's familiar warmth tangled with something new. Something sharp. Untested. Terrifyingly potent.
Two distinct signatures.
Not one.
Two.
His breath hitched before he could stop it.
"No," he whispered.
The word felt like denial rather than certainty.
He stood abruptly, rage coiling tight and cold beneath his skin. Someone else had been here—another vampire. The air still carried a faint trace of crimson magic, old and predatory.
They weren't just watching Ariana.
They were circling her.
And whatever she was hiding was no longer hidden.
Ariana didn't wait for dawn.
She packed quickly, hands steady despite the storm roaring inside her chest. The twins sat quietly on the bed, watching her with solemn eyes far too old for their faces.
"He's close," one of them said softly.
Ariana paused.
"Yes," she admitted. "Which means we're running out of time."
"Are we going to keep running forever?" the other asked.
The question cut deeper than any blade.
She knelt before them, gripping their small hands tightly. "No. But until I know you're safe… until I know what you are capable of controlling…"
She trailed off, unable to finish the thought.
Because the truth was cruel and heavy:
If Jayden learned what they were—what they meant—the world would never stop hunting them.
And Jayden would never forgive her.
They didn't make it far.
The ambush came at the mountain pass, where the road narrowed and the wind screamed like a warning. Shadows peeled themselves away from stone—three vampires, ancient and arrogant, blocking the path forward.
Ariana stopped short, pulling the twins behind her.
"Well," one of them said, smiling with sharp amusement. "There you are."
"You're trespassing," Ariana said coldly.
The vampire laughed. "You don't get to make claims, human."
Something inside her snapped.
She stepped forward—and the air bent.
The ground cracked beneath her feet, power surging outward in a violent wave. The vampires staggered back, expressions shifting from amusement to alarm.
"Interesting," another murmured. "She's awakened."
The twins gasped behind her.
Ariana barely registered it.
She fought.
Not with claws or fangs—but with will. Raw force. Desperation sharpened into something lethal. One vampire slammed into the rock wall with bone-crushing force. Another barely dodged as the earth erupted beneath him.
But there were too many.
And she was human.
Her knees buckled as a hand closed around her wrist, power burning painfully into her veins.
"She's strong," the vampire hissed. "But she'll break."
A growl split the night.
Not human.
Not gentle.
The world seemed to snap sideways as a blur of motion tore through the pass. Blood sprayed. Bodies flew.
Jayden landed between Ariana and the vampires like an unleashed storm.
Golden eyes blazed.
"No one," he said softly, dangerously, "touches what's mine."
The vampires didn't argue.
They ran.
Silence fell—heavy, charged, unbearable.
Jayden turned slowly.
Ariana stood frozen, breath shallow, power still humming faintly beneath her skin. Her eyes met his—and everything else vanished.
"You're hurt," he said.
"I'm fine," she replied automatically.
His gaze dropped to her wrist—bruised, red, trembling.
"You're lying."
He reached for her.
She flinched.
That was all it took.
His expression cracked.
"I'm not going to hurt you," he said hoarsely. "Not ever."
Her resolve wavered. For one reckless second, she wanted to lean into him. To let him pull her close and pretend none of this existed.
But then—
"Mama."
The small voice echoed through the pass like a blade sliding free of its sheath.
Jayden froze.
Slowly, he looked past her.
Two children stood there, eyes glowing faintly in the dark, power curling around them like living breath.
The world tilted.
Jayden's heart slammed violently against his ribs.
They looked at him.
Really looked.
Something inside him recognized them.
His vision blurred.
Ariana moved instantly, stepping between them again, fear flaring sharp and wild.
"Don't," she whispered. "Please."
Jayden's voice came out rough. "Ariana… whose children are they?"
The question hung between them—fragile, dangerous, inevitable.
Her mouth opened.
Closed.
"I can't," she said.
That was answer enough.
Something shattered inside him.
Not anger.
Not betrayal.
Something deeper.
Something aching.
"Five years," he said quietly. "You disappeared for five years and came back with—"
He stopped himself.
He couldn't finish the sentence.
Not yet.
Not without breaking.
The twins pressed closer to Ariana, power flaring instinctively in response to his distress. The air crackled violently.
Jayden stepped back, raising his hands slowly.
"Easy," he murmured—not to Ariana, but to them.
The way he said it—instinctive, protective—sent a shock through all three of them.
Ariana's breath caught painfully.
He felt it too.
He had felt it from the beginning.
"I won't force this," Jayden said after a long moment. "But listen to me carefully."
His gaze locked onto hers.
"They're being hunted. And whether you like it or not… so are you."
She swallowed.
"And you?" she asked softly.
His jaw tightened. "I'm not leaving again."
The words weren't a promise.
They were a warning.
That night, Ariana lay awake with the twins curled against her, listening to the wind howl through the mountains.
Somewhere not far away, Jayden stood watch.
Separated by distance.
Bound by blood.
And standing at the edge of a truth that would destroy them both.