Jackson’s POV

The air was heavy, thicker than usual, as though the walls themselves were pressing against me. My chest burned, every breath dragging like fire across my lungs. The deal with the seer had left its mark, I could feel it in my bones, a dull ache that turned into sharp spikes whenever I tried to move too quickly. My legs trembled beneath me as I forced myself upright, clutching the edge of the table for balance.

My reflection on the glass pane mocked me. The proud Alpha who once ...