When the Past Crashes the Party: Two More for the Collection

The club plunged into darkness as the music cut out abruptly. Screams erupted around me, followed by confused murmurs and the glow of phone flashlights flickering to life like fireflies.

"What the hell?" I muttered, instinctively reaching for Landon's arm in the dark.

My eyes adjusted quickly—another Grey perk—and I scanned the crowded space. The darkness felt deliberate, not like a simple power outage. Every sense in my body went on high alert.

That's when I saw them—two burly men flanking Landon, grabbing his arms roughly. One had a tattoo crawling up his neck that looked suspiciously like the Sterling symbol. My ex's face contorted with panic as they began dragging him toward a back exit.

"Hey!" I shouted, pushing through the confused crowd. "Let him go!"

The men turned toward me, their eyes flashing blue in the darkness. Definitely Sterlings.

"Mind your business, girl," one growled, tightening his grip on Landon's arm.

Landon's eyes widened when he saw me charging toward them. "Hazel, don't! These guys are dangerous—"

I didn't hesitate. I lunged forward, grabbing the first man's wrist and twisting it backward until I heard a satisfying crack. He howled in pain, releasing Landon's arm.

"You have no idea how dangerous I can be," I snarled.

The second man reached inside his jacket—probably for a weapon—but before he could pull anything out, a familiar voice came from behind me.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Rhys appeared at my side, his usual cheerful demeanor replaced by cold fury. Ronan materialized on my other flank, his normally shy expression transformed into something feral. Silas and Jaxon emerged from the crowd too, forming a protective semicircle around me.

"Hazel, who are these people?" Landon asked, his voice shaking as he staggered backward from the Sterling who still had a grip on his arm.

"Friends," I replied simply, not taking my eyes off the men. "Very protective friends."

The Sterling with the broken wrist cursed, reaching for what looked like a gun tucked into his waistband. Jaxon moved so fast he was almost a blur, disarming the man and twisting his arm behind his back with brutal efficiency.

"Nice try," Jaxon growled into the man's ear.

The second Sterling released Landon and pulled a knife, but Ronan—sweet, shy Ronan—was on him in an instant, gripping the man's wrist so tightly I could hear bones grinding. The knife clattered to the floor.

"You picked the wrong girl's ex to kidnap," Rhys said conversationally, though his eyes flashed dangerously as he moved to collect the fallen weapons.

Landon stumbled back until he hit the wall, eyes wide with shock. "What the actual fuck is happening right now?"

I caught movement near the bar—a familiar commanding figure making his way toward us. Kaelen. The crowd parted for him like he was Moses at the Red Sea.

"Secure the exits," he ordered a few men who I recognized as Academy security. "No one leaves."

He reached our little standoff and assessed the situation with one sweeping glance. His eyes met mine briefly. "Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine," I answered, feeling a surge of pride at how my bonds had responded. "They were trying to take Landon."

Kaelen turned his attention to the two Sterlings, now effectively restrained by Jaxon and Ronan. "Who sent you?"

The men remained stubbornly silent. Kaelen stepped closer, his presence seemingly growing larger, more intimidating.

"I won't ask again," he said quietly.

When neither man responded, Kaelen's eyes flashed brilliantly blue. I felt the ripple of power as he unleashed his compulsion.

"You will tell me who sent you and why you're here," he commanded.

The men's faces went slack, their resistance crumbling under Kaelen's gift.

"Magnus Sterling sent us," the first one said mechanically. "We're to collect all unaffiliated Greys in the area. Especially any who might know the Spark."

My stomach dropped. They were here for Landon—because of me. Because somehow, Magnus knew about my past connections.

Landon pushed himself off the wall, looking completely lost. "What are they talking about? What's a Grey? What's a Spark?" His eyes darted between me and my bonds. "Hazel, please tell me what's going on."

Before I could answer, Kaelen turned his compelling gaze on Landon. "You will come with us calmly. You will not struggle or call attention to yourself."

I watched as Landon's expression went blank, his body relaxing under Kaelen's command. Part of me wanted to object—this was my ex, someone I'd once loved—but I knew it was necessary.

"We need to move quickly," Kaelen said. "Hazel, stay close."

"What about the club?" I asked, gesturing to the confused crowd still milling around in the semi-darkness.

"It's being handled. Emergency services will attribute this to an electrical fault. No one will remember anything unusual."

As we began moving toward the exit, a shrill voice cut through the din.

"Get your hands off him! What are you doing to Landon?"

I turned to see a familiar face pushing through the crowd—Isla, the girl Landon had cheated on me with. Her face was contorted with anger as she rushed toward us.

"This doesn't concern you," Kaelen said coldly.

"The hell it doesn't!" she snapped, grabbing Landon's arm possessively. "What have you done to him? He looks drugged!"

I stepped forward. "Isla, you need to back off. This is complicated—"

"You!" Her eyes widened when she finally recognized me in the dim light. "I should have known you'd come crawling back to him. Did getting abandoned by your crazy mother finally break you, Hazel?" Her lips curled into a cruel smile. "Is that why you disappeared? Finally crack under the pressure like mommy dearest?"

White-hot rage surged through me. I took a step toward her, but Rhys's hand on my arm held me back.

"She's not worth it, Little Bird," he murmured.

But Isla wasn't finished. She turned on Kaelen. "And who the hell are you people? What did you do to—"

Her tirade was cut short as her eyes suddenly flashed bright blue—the telltale sign of a Grey using their powers.

"She's a Sterling," I whispered in shock.

Kaelen didn't hesitate. His eyes glowed as he turned his compulsion on her. "You will come with us quietly. Now."

Isla's face went slack, just like Landon's. Kaelen turned to address all of us.

"We move now. Rhys, Silas—secure our new guests. Jaxon, Ronan—handle the Sterlings. Hazel with me."

I fell into step beside Kaelen as we made our way through the club toward the exit, our strange procession drawing curious glances despite the continuing darkness and confusion.

"Did you know?" I asked him quietly. "About Landon and Isla being Greys?"

"No," he admitted, his jaw tight. "This complicates things."

Once outside, Kaelen led us away from the crowd and toward a familiar building—the library where we'd first entered the human realm.

"We're taking them back to Grey Academy?" I asked.

He shook his head. "Too risky. We'll go to my residence."

When we reached the library, Kaelen secured the door behind us and gathered everyone in a circle. The two Sterling men were bound and gagged, while Landon and Isla stood blankly under compulsion.

"Everyone hold on," Kaelen instructed. "This won't be pleasant for our... guests."

I locked hands with Rhys on one side and Kaelen on the other, forming a circle around our captives. The familiar pull of teleportation twisted my stomach, but I was used to it now. Landon and Isla, however, were not.

We materialized in Kaelen's spacious living room, and immediately Landon and Isla doubled over, their faces turning green. The compulsion wasn't enough to override their bodies' natural reaction to their first teleportation.

Both dropped to their knees at my feet, retching and groaning, curled into fetal positions. I couldn't help the small smile that spread across my face as I watched my ex and his girlfriend suffering at my feet.

Petty? Maybe. But after everything they'd put me through, this moment of karmic justice felt pretty damn good.