The darkness swallowed everything.
Sienna barely had time to react before the chamber plunged into an abyss of suffocating black. The air thickened, pressing against her skin like unseen hands grasping, clawing, dragging her downward. She gasped, her pulse hammering as the temperature plummeted, ice blooming through her veins.
Kael was there, his presence solid beside her. She felt his warmth, the slight shift of his body as he turned sharply, his instincts screaming danger.
Then, the voice returned.
It was deep, amused and ancient.
"Found you."
A force slammed into her mind, sharp and searing. She staggered, her knees nearly buckling as a wave of something foreign and overpowering surged through her. It wasn't just a presence anymore—it was pushing, invading, attempting to take hold.
Sienna clenched her teeth, shoving back with every ounce of resistance she had left. But it was strong. Stronger than before.
The Alpha's voice cut through the thick silence. "Hold your ground."
