The night was quiet too quiet.
Adrian lingered at the window long after Kai and their son drifted into sleep. The baby lay nestled in the bassinet Adrian had carved by hand, his little chest rising and falling in steady rhythm. Kai curled on the bed, his arm draped protectively over the blankets as if instinct demanded he guard both father and child, even in dreams.
But Adrian couldn't rest.
The forest whispered. Leaves shifted when there was no wind. The wards hummed, faint and strained, as though something pressed against them just enough to test their strength.
He could smell it. Not vampire. Not wolf. Something else. Old. Patient. Watching.
Adrian's fingers curled against the window frame, claws threatening to break skin. His heart dead and cold for centuries throbbed painfully now, because every sound, every shadow meant danger to his mate and their child.
Behind him, Kai stirred, rubbing at his eyes. His voice was groggy but concerned. "You're still awake?"
Adrian turned, softening the way only Kai ever made him. "Couldn't sleep."
Kai sat up, the sheet slipping down his bare shoulder. "You felt it too, didn't you?"
Adrian nodded. "Something's circling us. Not close enough to strike. But it's there."
Kai's hand drifted to the bassinet, brushing his fingers across the baby's tiny head. "Then we'll fight if we have to. We always do."
The courage in his voice nearly broke Adrian apart. "No, mi amor," Adrian murmured, crossing the room in two strides and taking Kai's face in his hands. "You've fought enough. You've bled enough. This time, I'll keep the darkness at the door."
Kai searched his eyes, lips trembling into the faintest smile. "You always say that like I'm fragile."
"You're not fragile," Adrian said, his voice deep, dangerous, laced with promise. "You're everything. And I will burn the world before I let it touch you or him."
Kai leaned forward, pressing his forehead against Adrian's. "Then we'll protect him together."
For a moment, the world felt steady again just the three of them, locked in the safety of their fragile peace.
But outside, the wards shuddered faintly. A whisper cut through the trees, so low it barely touched Adrian's ears:
We see you.
Adrian's eyes bled red, his fangs pressing against his lip as his arms closed around Kai. His voice was a growl meant for no one but himself.
Let them come.