Chapter 19
“Kaelen p>
Riven’s voice cut through the tension like a blade.
Kaelen swore under his breath and turned sharply, forcing the pull down with sheer will as he stepped back into shadow.
Riven found Kaelen at the stairwell landing and he knew it the second he saw him.
Kaelen was braced against the wall, one hand pressed flat to the concrete, shoulders rigid, breath uneven. The air around him felt wrong, dense, charged, vibrating faintly with restrained violence.
“Kaelen,” Riven said carefully again.
Kaelen’s head lifted slowly.
His eyes were silver, not fully gone, not yet but close enough to make Riven’s chest tighten.
“Don’t—” Kaelen started, then stopped as the curse surged again, sharp and merciless. His jaw clenched hard, muscles locking as the wolf slammed against the control he had forced into place.
Riven moved instantly, gripping his arm. “You felt it again p>
Kaelen nodded once, breath dragged in through clenched teeth. “Too strong,” he said hoarsely. “Can’t—hold it p>
Another wave tore through him and Kaelen staggered, a low growl vibrating deep in his chest before he swallowed it back with sheer will.
“Chambers,” Kaelen forced out. “Now p>
Riven didn’t hesitate.
He activated his comm. “Security to stairwell B. Immediate assistance p>
Footsteps thundered from below and above. Two guards rounded the corner moments later, eyes widening when they took in Kaelen’s state.
“Help me,” Riven ordered. “Careful p>
Kaelen barely registered their presence. His focus was inward, locked in a brutal fight against the curse clawing for dominance. His breathing was ragged now, sweat darkening the collar of his coat.
The wolf surged again, harder this time.
Kaelen snarled before he could stop it.
Riven tightened his grip. “Stay with me p>
They moved fast.
The private elevator was already waiting by the time they reached it, security overrides engaged. The doors slid shut, sealing them inside.
Kaelen sagged slightly, control fraying by the second.
“Almost there,” Riven said, more to himself than anyone else.
The elevator descended.
When the doors opened onto the containment level, the curse broke free.
Kaelen growled.
The sound tore through the corridor, raw and feral, no longer restrained. The guards moved on instinct, hauling him forward as he fought them with his strength surging unnaturally.
Riven keyed in the chamber code and shoved Kaelen inside just as the wolf surged fully to the surface.
Chains snapped tight and the door slammed shut.
Inside, Kaelen raged, shadows rippling across the reinforced walls as his control vanished completely.
The curse had surfaced at last, violent and uncontained.
Riven stood frozen for a heartbeat, chest heaving.
Then he turned sharply to the guards.
“Who is still in the building p>
The guards exchanged glances.
“Operations,” one answered. “A few from Finance, that’s it p>
Riven’s jaw tightened.
Operations.
His mind moved fast, retracing the day, the reports, the anomalies.
The new hire, Lyra Hale, the unshifted wolf with no scent.
Riven exhaled slowly, dread settling heavy in his chest.
“Clear the building,” he ordered. “Now p>
As the guards moved, Riven cast one last glance at the sealed chamber where Kaelen’s rage thundered behind reinforced walls.
[Operations floor]
When Lyra went back to the Operations floor, the lights felt too bright now, the hum of voices too loud.
She walked in like nothing had happened, even though her legs felt unsteady beneath her.
Mira looked up first.
“Lyra?” Her chair scraped back slightly. “Hey—are you okay p>
Lyra nodded, already reaching for her bag. “Yeah, I am not feeling great p>
Jacob noticed then. He straightened from his desk, concern overtaking his professional tone. “You look pale p>
“I think I need to head home,” Lyra said quietly.
Jacob frowned. “You should, no arguments.” He glanced around briefly, lowering his voice. “Second day and overtime wasn’t fair anyway, get some rest p>
“I am sorry,” Lyra said instinctively.
“Don’t be,” he replied. “That’s not what sick leave is for p>
Mira was already beside her. “Text me when you get home, okay p>
Lyra managed a small smile. “I will p>
She didn’t rush, she didn’t draw attention. She simply shouldered her bag, murmured a few good nights and walked out with her heart still hammering and the strange pressure beneath her ribs refusing to fade.
The elevator ride down felt endless.
[Rogan’s Apartment]
By the time she reached her building, sweat clung lightly to her skin and her head throbbed with a dull ache.
Rogan was waiting.
He stood the moment the door opened, eyes sharp, already searching her face.
“Lyra p>
She tried to brush past him but he caught her wrist gently, firmly.
“You are pale,” he said. “And you are burning up p>
“I told you I was fine,” she muttered, tugging free. “Just a long day p>
Rogan didn’t answer right away.
He inhaled slowly and then he froze.
The air around her felt wrong, exposed, raw and humming with something that made the hair at the back of his neck rise. Her aura wasn’t muted, it wasn’t tucked away the way it always was, it was there, unmasked.
Rogan’s chest tightened.
“What happened?” he asked quietly.
Lyra shrugged out of her coat, avoiding his eyes. “Nothing, I just didn’t feel well p>
“That’s not nothing,” he said carefully. “Sit p>
“I am fine,” she replied but she did as he asked, sinking onto the couch with a tired exhale.
Rogan didn’t argue.
He moved to the kitchen without another word. He reached into a cabinet she never touched and pulled out a small vial wrapped in cloth. The liquid inside shimmered faintly, almost imperceptibly.
Seraphina’s warning echoed in his mind.
’This isn’t a solution. It’s a delay p>
He poured a glass of water, uncorked the vial and let a few careful drops dissolve into it and the shimmer vanished instantly.
When he returned, his expression was neutral, careful.
“Drink,” he said, holding it out to her. “You are dehydrated p>
Lyra took the glass without question and drank, too tired to argue.
Almost immediately, the tightness in her chest eased and the heat beneath her skin dulled to a faint ache.
She leaned back, eyes fluttering shut for a second. “That helped p>
Rogan watched her closely, relief and fear tangling painfully in his chest.
“Get some rest,” he said softly. “We will talk in the morning p>
She nodded, already rising. “Goodnight p>
“Goodnight,” he replied.
When her bedroom door closed, Rogan remained standing in the living room, the silence pressing down hard.
The potion and spell had worked for now but its effect was disappearing faster than expected and that terrified him.