Housebound with the Blackridge Heirs novel Chapter 19

**Change Begins With You — Jayden Collins**
**Chapter 19**

**Maya**

The shadow moved with an unsettling grace, gliding through the darkness like a specter, too swift and too low to be human. My heart raced, pounding against my ribcage as I stumbled backward, gasping for air. The lights flickered ominously, illuminating a glimpse of glistening, wet teeth that resembled daggers, before plunging me into complete darkness.

Then came the sound. A scraping, a dragging of claws against the wooden floor, followed by an overwhelming stench that assaulted my senses.

The smell of iron… and something earthy.

The deep, metallic scent of blood.

And then it hung in the air, thick and suffocating.

Before I could even let out a scream, the creature lunged at me. I hit the floor hard, the breath knocked out of my lungs as a heavy weight pinned me down. My elbow collided painfully with the tiles, sending a jolt of agony racing up my arm.

What loomed above me was far from human. It wasn’t even a dog or a wolf as I understood them. In the murky darkness, I could barely make out the outline of its fur, the flash of razor-sharp canines, and the hot breath that fanned across my face. Its eyes glimmered with a sickly yellow hue, wild and unnervingly intelligent, as if it possessed a mind far beyond that of a mere animal.

Every muscle in my body froze. I didn’t even know if I was still breathing.

The creature lowered its head, its teeth glinting dangerously close to my neck. I pressed my palms against its chest—or whatever it had in place of a chest—and pushed with all my might. It didn’t budge. Of course, it didn’t.

My heart screamed louder than I could muster the strength to cry out.

Suddenly, a deep, violent snarl erupted in the air, reverberating so powerfully that I felt the walls tremble. But it wasn’t the monster above me that had made that sound.

The weight on me shifted, and the creature’s head snapped toward the source of the noise. Before I could even process the shift in the atmosphere, the door burst open with a force that rattled the hinges.

Caden stood in the doorway like a tempest unleashed, his hair wild, chest heaving, and eyes burning with an intensity so dark they seemed to swallow the light around him.

The growl erupted again, but this time it came from him—a primal sound that was anything but human.

“Mine.”

His voice was low and guttural, resonating with a ferocity that was both terrifying and oddly reassuring.

The word sent a shockwave through me, a mix of heat and fear that somehow felt… right.

Something deep within my chest stirred, an instinct I didn’t recognize, responding to his claim.

Behind him, the shadows fractured, and two massive wolves stepped into the light, their presence so commanding that the creature pinning me down suddenly looked like a mere stray. One wolf was a pitch-black silhouette, its fur sleek and glistening like oil, with steely silver eyes that reflected a fierce intelligence. The other was a dark, smoky brown, its muscles rippling under its coat as it snarled, ready for battle.

They didn’t hesitate.

In an instant, they lunged.

What followed was pure chaos. Snarls and growls filled the air, accompanied by the sickening thud of bodies colliding, shaking the very foundation of the living room.

I was momentarily stunned, unable to comprehend how such massive creatures could fit in the expansive space.

The air thickened with the acrid scent of blood, smoke, and something ancient, primal. Caden was already at my side, his hand gripping mine with a strength that felt both protective and urgent as he yanked me away from the fray.

“Don’t look,” he commanded, his voice low and urgent.

But I couldn’t help myself.

I turned my head just in time to see the black wolf’s jaws lock onto the intruder’s shoulder, throwing it across the room with effortless strength. The brown wolf followed suit, its claws tearing through fur and flesh, creating a cacophony of sound that felt as if the very air was splitting apart.

I stumbled as Caden pulled me down the corridor, my knees weak and trembling beneath me.

“What—what was that?” I gasped, trying to catch my breath. “What are they?”

He didn’t respond, his grip tightening around my hand as he pulled me faster until we turned a corner and halted. He faced me, his eyes still darker than the night sky, his chest rising and falling rapidly.

“You’re hurt,” he said, his voice laced with concern as he caught my wrist before I could hide it.

“It’s nothing,” I insisted, even though my arm throbbed where the creature’s claw had raked across it, a small streak of blood glistening on my skin.

He swore under his breath, lowering my hand toward the light. He inhaled deeply, as if trying to decipher something new in the air. Then his gaze darted down, not to my wound but to my blood. For a fleeting moment, I thought I saw something shift in his pupils—not fear, but a flicker of recognition.

“What the hell just happened?” I whispered, my voice barely above a breath.

He released my hand too quickly, muttering something I couldn’t quite catch.

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