A Shared Healing and a Mother's New Fear

The wave of emotions hit me like a physical force, nearly knocking the breath from my lungs. Joy, fear, love, regret, hope—they all crashed through our bond from Jaxon's direction, raw and unfiltered. I gasped, tears springing to my eyes as I felt it all.

"He dropped his shields," I whispered in awe. "Completely."

Beside me, Kaelen nodded, his jaw tight with emotion. "Yes. He did."

We were in Kaelen's kitchen, where he'd brought me after finding me awake in the early morning. Silas sat across from us, his eyes glazed over as he too experienced Jaxon's emotional revelation.

"Rhys did it," Silas murmured, a smile playing at his lips. "He finally got through to him."

I closed my eyes, letting myself feel everything Jaxon was sharing. All the pain he'd been holding back, all the love he'd been afraid to acknowledge. It was both heartbreaking and beautiful.