Housebound with the Blackridge Heirs novel Chapter 20

**Change Begins With You — Jayden Collins**
**Chapter 20**

**Caden**

Tylon’s fury wasn’t truly directed at me. No, it was aimed squarely at the chaotic situation we found ourselves in, the unwelcome breach of our sanctuary. A rogue had infiltrated our home, and that was a violation that struck at the very core of our existence. Yet, as his voice escalated, I played my part, keeping Maya blissfully unaware of the depths of our predicament.

The moment her door clicked shut upstairs, a palpable shift enveloped the room. Tylon’s rigid posture relaxed slightly, but the controlled rage morphed into something far more ominous, a weight that pressed heavily on his shoulders.

“She could’ve died,” he uttered, his voice low and strained. “In this damned house, Caden. When did rogues start crossing the wards?”

“Never,” I replied, my heart heavy with the truth. “Not until tonight.”

The living room was already being tended to by the staff, their movements swift and efficient. I knew it wouldn’t be long before the traces of violence were scrubbed away, yet the memory lingered in the air. The scent of rogue blood had a way of embedding itself in the very fabric of our surroundings, a metallic, rancid odor that seemed to seep into the walls long after the source was gone.

Beneath my skin, my wolf stirred restlessly, agitated by the silence that followed such a confrontation. He despised the stillness that hung in the air, a stark reminder of the chaos we had just faced.

The back door creaked open, and Leo stepped inside, his appearance disheveled. Dirt smeared across his neck and a shallow cut marred his jawline, already on the mend. He raked a hand through his tousled hair, a blend of irritation and fatigue etched across his features.

“Never until tonight,” he echoed, his voice tinged with disbelief as he kicked the door shut behind him. “What the hell was that? In the house, of all places?”

Silence enveloped us, thick and suffocating. The lingering scent of damp fur remained where the body had been dragged away, a grim reminder of the danger we faced.

Tylon rubbed his hand across his face, the tension around his eyes deepening as he processed the implications. “When did rogues become this bold?”

“They’re not bold,” I countered, my voice steady despite the turmoil within. “They’re desperate. Or hunting.”

Leo’s brow furrowed. “Hunting what?”

“Maya,” I replied, the weight of my words hanging heavily in the air.

Both Tylon and Leo turned sharply to face me, their expressions a mixture of shock and concern. I held my ground, unwavering. “It followed her scent here. It was so fixated that it didn’t even notice me until I was right on top of it.”

Tylon’s hands fell from his face, and the steel in his gaze sharpened. “You’re sure?”

“I’m sure,” I affirmed, though a part of me wrestled with doubt. “This didn’t feel random.”

The silence stretched on, an uncomfortable tension settling in as if the very walls were holding their breath.

“Is she really your mate?” Tylon finally asked, his tone devoid of judgment but laced with an underlying strain, as if the question itself weighed heavily on him.

“Yeah,” I responded, my heart racing. “Maybe I didn’t realize it at first because we thought she was human, but—”

Leo interrupted, his voice incredulous. “She’s not?”

“I don’t think so,” I said, the certainty in my voice surprising even me. “I felt it. I formed a bond with her. You both sensed it the day we found her in the woods. And her scent… it’s not just human anymore. It’s something else entirely.”

“Like her scent has been tampered with,” I continued, struggling to articulate the strange feelings swirling inside me.

Leo shook his head, disbelief etched across his features. “I nursed her after the first attack. Her blood didn’t smell special to me.”

Tylon crossed his arms, pacing the room with a furrowed brow. “Maybe it’s because she’s your mate. Bonds can change perceptions. Perhaps someone is masking her scent from us.” He paused, his brow knitting together in thought. “But if she’s not human, and she’s not wolf, then what the hell is she? Why can’t we sense her wolf?”

“I’ve been asking myself that for days,” I admitted, frustration bubbling beneath the surface. “Every instinct in me screams that she’s mine, but she doesn’t react like one of us. Her pulse, her scent—it’s too clean. It’s as if the bond only touched half of her.”

Tylon’s gaze flicked to me, a glimmer of concern in his eyes. “And the other half?”

“I don’t know,” I confessed, feeling the weight of uncertainty settle heavily on my shoulders. “But it’s waking up.”

Leo leaned back against the wall, arms crossed, deep in thought. “You think it’s tied to the rogues?”

“It has to be,” I replied, the pieces of the puzzle starting to align in my mind. “They never step foot on protected land, let alone inside the mansion. These wards are older than the Academy. They shouldn’t have been able to breach them.”

Tylon’s fist clenched at his side. “Unless someone on the inside lowered them.”

The realization hit us hard, and for a moment, silence enveloped the room, thick and suffocating.

“That’s impossible,” Leo said, shaking his head in disbelief. “The wards are sealed by bloodline. Only you can access them, Tylon.”

“Exactly,” Tylon muttered, the gravity of the situation settling in. “Which means something else broke through. Something stronger.”

“Maya is tied to this somehow,” I added, my voice steady despite the chaos swirling in my mind. “Whatever they’re looking for, they believe she has it.”

Leo exhaled sharply, skepticism etched on his features. “That doesn’t make sense. She’s only been here a little over a week. You can’t seriously believe she’s connected to the rogues.”

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