C3 Rebecca's POV

"Rebecca, you’ve always been stubborn."

The voice startled me out of the haze of fear and confusion from the encounter with the shadows. My vision was still adjusting to the soft glow of morning light filtering through the cracked blinds when I saw him. Kazan.

He leaned casually against the doorway, his tall frame silhouetted by the sunlight streaming in from the hall. His emerald-green eyes—the same shade as mine—shone with a mixture of amusement and concern. His wavy, dark hair was longer than I remembered, brushing the collar of his leather jacket.

"Kazan?" My voice cracked, a mix of disbelief and raw emotion.

"In the flesh," he said, stepping into the room. "You don’t look happy to see me."

I stood frozen for a moment before the flood of memories broke through the dam of my disbelief. My older brother, the one person who had always made me feel safe, had been gone for years. Exiled, banished from the pack for reasons Damian refused to explain. I’d thought I’d never see him again.

“What… How did you—”

“Get here?” He smirked, cutting me off. “It’s a long story. Let’s just say I’ve been keeping an eye on things from a distance. You didn’t think I’d really leave you to deal with all this on your own, did you?”

I blinked back tears, my legs moving before my mind could catch up. I crossed the room and threw my arms around him, clinging to him like a lifeline. The scent of cedar and leather, so distinctly Kazan, hit me like a wave, bringing with it a sense of familiarity I hadn’t felt in years.

“I thought you were gone forever,” I whispered, my voice trembling.

“I thought I might be, too,” he said softly, wrapping his arms around me. His voice held a weight I didn’t recognize, a heaviness that spoke of battles fought and burdens carried alone.

Pulling back, I searched his face, noting the faint scar running along his jaw and the tired lines around his eyes. “Why now? Why come back after all this time?”

His expression darkened, the playful glint in his eyes replaced by something far more serious. “Because you need me, Becca. More than you realize.”

I stiffened at his words, stepping back. “What do you mean?”

Kazan sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Word travels, even beyond the pack’s borders. I’ve heard whispers about what’s been happening here—the unrest, the council’s meddling, and Damian…” He trailed off, his jaw tightening.

“Damian has nothing to do with this,” I said defensively, though the words felt hollow even to me.

“Doesn’t he?” Kazan’s sharp gaze pierced through me. “You’re falling apart, Rebecca. The pack’s falling apart. And if Damian can’t see what’s happening, then he’s as much a part of the problem as the council.”

I wanted to argue, to defend Damian despite everything, but the words wouldn’t come. Kazan was right, and we both knew it.

“I’m trying, Kaz,” I said finally, my voice barely above a whisper. “I’m doing everything I can to hold this together, but it’s like trying to stop a dam from breaking with my bare hands.”

He placed a hand on my shoulder, his grip firm but reassuring. “You don’t have to do it alone, Becca. You never did.”

The weight of his words settled over me, bringing with it a surge of emotions I couldn’t contain. For the first time in months, I let myself cry, the tears streaming down my face as I leaned into my brother’s embrace.

We stood there for what felt like an eternity, the silence broken only by the sound of my ragged breaths. Finally, Kazan spoke.

“There’s something else,” he said, his tone hesitant.

I pulled back, wiping my eyes. “What is it?”

He hesitated, his gaze flickering to the window as though searching for the right words. “The shadows.”

My heart skipped a beat. “You know about them?”

“I’ve encountered them before,” he admitted, his voice low. “They’re not just a threat to you, Rebecca. They’re a threat to the entire pack. And they’re only going to get stronger.”

A chill ran down my spine as I recalled the glowing red eyes and the guttural voice that had haunted me the night before. “What are they? What do they want?”

“They’re tied to something ancient, something dark,” Kazan said, his expression grim. “And I think they’re drawn to you for a reason.”

“Me?” I repeated, my voice trembling. “Why?”

“That’s what I need to find out,” he said, his jaw set with determination. “But to do that, I need you to trust me.”

I nodded slowly, though unease coiled in my stomach. “I trust you, Kaz. I always have.”

“Good,” he said, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “Because things are about to get a lot more complicated.”

Before I could press him for more information, the door burst open, and Damian stormed into the room, his eyes blazing with anger.

“What the hell is he doing here?” Damian growled, his gaze locking onto Kazan like a predator sizing up its prey.

“I’m here to help,” Kazan said evenly, meeting Damian’s glare without flinching.

“Help?” Damian spat, his voice dripping with disdain. “You were banished, Kazan. You have no right to be here.”

“Banished or not, I’m still Rebecca’s brother,” Kazan shot back, his tone calm but firm. “And I’ll do whatever it takes to protect her.”

“I don’t need your protection,” Damian snarled, stepping closer to Kazan. “I’m her mate. It’s my job to protect her.”

“Then start acting like it,” Kazan said coldly.

The tension in the room was palpable, the air thick with unspoken words and unresolved anger. I stepped between them, placing a hand on Damian’s chest to hold him back.

“Stop it, both of you,” I said firmly. “This isn’t the time for old grudges. We have bigger problems to deal with.”

Damian’s gaze softened as he looked down at me, but the anger in his eyes didn’t fully fade. “Rebecca, you don’t know what you’re doing. Kazan can’t be trusted.”

“I trust him,” I said without hesitation. “And right now, I need all the help I can get.”

Damian opened his mouth to argue, but before he could speak, a low growl echoed through the room.

All three of us turned toward the window, where a pair of glowing red eyes stared back at us from the shadows outside.

Kazan stepped forward, his body tense, his hand moving to the dagger at his belt. “They’re here.”

The growl grew louder, more menacing, and the shadows outside began to shift, taking on a shape that was both terrifying and unearthly.

“Rebecca, get behind me,” Damian ordered, his voice laced with urgency.

“No,” I said, my voice steady despite the fear coursing through me. “I’m done hiding.”

The creature outside let out a deafening roar, and the window shattered, sending shards of glass raining down around us.

“Kazan,” I whispered, my voice barely audible over the chaos. “What do we do now?”

He glanced at me, his eyes filled with determination. “We fight.”