Anya felt like her entire body was on fire. Her neck throbbed in tandem with her racing heartbeat, a sharp, pulsating ache that refused to subside. It was as though a searing brand had been pressed into her skin, and every nerve in her body was hyperaware. Her head spun, disoriented by exhaustion and the vivid memories flashing through her mind. Looking around, she realised that they were in a bedroom.
Slowly, she opened her eyes, the world around her coming into focus. A pair of glowing black-and-red eyes stared back at her with an intensity that made her breath hitch. Axel. But no…this wasn’t the Axel she knew. This was something darker, something more powerful, something utterly terrifying.
Her heart pounded wildly as the events came flooding back: the chaos, Axel’s transformation, th
