POV: Xavier

"Four minutes, thirty seconds," Kael's voice is steady, but I can see the sweat beading on his forehead as his fingers fly across the control panel. "This thing is more complex than anything I've ever seen."

I stare at the bomb in front of us. It's beautiful in a terrible way, all sleek metal and glowing circuits. But underneath the technology, I can feel something else. Magic. Dark, ancient magic woven through the mechanical components like a spider's web.

"It's hybrid," I realize, my True Alpha senses picking up the dual nature of the threat. "The bomb is both technological and magical. We need to disarm both simultaneously."...