Echoes of a Dream and a Father's Shadow

I woke up disoriented, blinking against the soft light filtering through the windows of Kaelen's office. For a moment, I couldn't remember how I'd gotten here or why I was sprawled across one of the leather couches. Then the memories came flooding back—Kaelen on his knees, his mouth on me, Jaxon holding me steady...

Heat bloomed across my face. Had that actually happened, or was it just an intensely vivid dream? I'd fallen asleep afterward, exhausted from the emotions and pleasure that had ripped through me.

The office door swung open, and I sat up quickly, tugging my shirt down to make sure I was decent. Relief flooded through me when Rhys, Silas, and Ronan walked in carrying bags of food. The delicious smell of burgers made my stomach growl loudly.

"Sleeping Beauty awakens," Rhys said with a grin, dropping down next to me on the couch. "We brought provisions."

"Thank god," I mumbled, accepting the burger Silas handed me. "I'm starving."

"Where are the others?" I asked, trying to sound casual as I unwrapped my food.

Ronan settled on the floor by my feet. "Jax is in the bathroom. Mr. Vance went to get some files."

I nodded, taking a huge bite of my burger to hide my expression. As I chewed, I felt something poking me through the pocket of my hoodie. Curious, I slipped my hand in and froze when my fingers touched smooth silk.

Kaelen's tie.

So it wasn't a dream. My cheeks burned hotter.

"You okay?" Silas asked, adjusting his glasses as he studied me. "Your face is red."

"I'm fine," I said quickly. "Just... hot in here."

The bathroom door opened, and Jaxon emerged, his dark gaze immediately finding mine. A knowing smirk played at the corner of his lips, confirming that yes, everything had absolutely happened. I quickly looked away, focusing intently on my food.

Jaxon dropped into an armchair across from me, stretching his long legs out. "So," he said, his voice deliberately casual, "got anything interesting in your pocket, sunshine?"

I shot him a warning glare. The last thing I needed was for him to announce to everyone what had happened between Kaelen and me.

"Nothing that concerns you," I replied, trying to sound nonchalant.

His smirk widened, but he didn't push it further. Instead, he made a zipping motion across his lips, silently promising to keep our secret. I felt a strange rush of gratitude toward him—the last person I'd expected to be discreet about something like this.

The office door opened again, and Kaelen walked in, folders tucked under his arm. His eyes briefly met mine before focusing on the group at large. If I hadn't been looking for it, I might have missed the slight darkening of his gaze when he glanced at me.

"I have information to share," he said, his voice all business as he moved to his desk. He spread several documents across the surface, gesturing for us to gather around.

I approached cautiously, my burger forgotten as I saw what he'd brought—photos of a young woman with long dark hair and familiar blue eyes. My stomach dropped as I recognized her from the woods.

"We've identified the murdered girl," Kaelen said, his voice grim. "Her name was Amelia McNell. Twenty years old, reported missing from the human realm three months ago."

"She was a Grey?" Silas asked, leaning closer to examine the photos.

Kaelen nodded. "More specifically, a Magnus Sterling. She was raised in the human realm, likely unaware of her heritage until recently."

The implications hit me like a punch to the gut. "Like me," I whispered. "She was like me."

Kaelen's eyes softened momentarily when they met mine. "Yes. That appears to be the case."

"How did she die?" Rhys asked quietly.

"Her throat was cut," Kaelen replied. "But there's more. The coroner found evidence that she'd been tortured before death. And..." he hesitated, glancing at me again, "magical residue suggests she had recently activated a Spark bond."

A chill ran through me. "They killed her because she bonded?"

"It's possible," Kaelen said. "Or they killed her because she refused to join them. Either way, it confirms our suspicions that Magnus is actively recruiting and eliminating Sterlings who don't comply."

I stared at the girl's photo, seeing myself reflected in her features. This could have been me if Seraphina had succeeded in her plan. If my bonds hadn't found me in time.

"So what's the theory here?" Silas asked, his analytical mind working. "Magnus is raising Sterlings in the human world to build an army, but some of them are forming Spark bonds instead of joining his cause?"

"That lines up with what we know," Kaelen agreed. "The question is how they're finding these hidden Sterlings and bringing them over."

"Teleportation," Jaxon said suddenly. "It has to be. Someone with the ability to move between realms without using the portals."

Ronan, who had been quietly listening, spoke up. "They're building an army," he said softly. "An army of Sterlings who don't know what they are until they're manipulated into serving Magnus."

A heavy silence fell over the room as we absorbed this. I couldn't tear my eyes away from Amelia's photo, from the life that had been brutally cut short.

"So what do we do?" I finally asked, looking up at Kaelen. "How do we stop this?"

He straightened, a determined look on his face. "We need to identify older Magnus Sterlings with teleportation abilities. They would be the only ones with enough power and knowledge to move between realms undetected."

"And once we find them?" Rhys asked.

"We bring them in for questioning. By force if necessary."

Jaxon had gone unnaturally still during this conversation, his eyes fixed on a spot on the wall. Now, he slowly raised his gaze to meet Kaelen's.

"I think I can help with that," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "It's time to visit my family. One of my fathers fits the profile."

His eyes slid to mine, holding my gaze with an intensity that made my breath catch. Something unspoken passed between us—a recognition that we were about to delve into his painful past, a past he'd kept hidden from almost everyone.

"You want me to come with you," I said, not a question but a statement.

Jaxon's jaw tightened, but he nodded once. "Yes. It's time you met the monster who raised me."