Chapter 51:

The Second Warning

Ella’s

I sat quietly in my private room at the Shadow Clans estate, the gentle glow of a lamp dimly lighting the walls. The night felt calm, almost deceptive. My son, Jack, lay fast asleep in his crib, his small chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm. I smiled softly, brushing a strand of hair from his forehead. His face looked so calm, so innocent, and every time I looked at him, my heart filled with fierce love and a sharp, protective pain.

He looked ...