~~XANDER MORTAIN~~

~~THE ECLIPSE PACK~~

I stood in the hallway, heart hammering against my ribs until I saw Marek vanish around the corner with Anika in his arms. I waited, counting every heartbeat, until I was certain they’d reached the safety of the vault. Only then did I turn toward my father’s study to face the music.

The sudden silence in the manor was deafening.

I kicked the double doors open. My father was there, just as I’d expected.

He looked ancient, his face etched with a bitterness that had eaten him alive.

"The Shadow Pack is at our gates, Father," I spat, my voice vibrating with a hostility I...