Housebound with the Blackridge Heirs novel Chapter 21

**Change Begins With You — Jayden Collins**
**Chapter 21**

Maya

Sleep was a distant memory, a fleeting shadow that had no chance of capturing me.

Every time I attempted to close my eyes and drift into the comfort of slumber, the haunting images rushed back uninvited.

Those deep, golden eyes that seemed to pierce through my very soul. That thick, coarse fur that felt both foreign and strangely familiar.

The chilling sound of bones snapping echoed in my mind, mixed with the raw intensity of Caden’s voice as he growled—not merely a sound, but a proclamation that he had claimed me.

The word “claimed” reverberated in my thoughts, as if it had been seared into my consciousness, refusing to let go.

As the first rays of sunlight broke through the trees outside, I found myself still perched on the edge of my bed, fixated on my reflection in the mirror. My hair was a wild tangle, my complexion ghostly pale, and then…

I froze, my heart racing.

The cut. It was gone. Vanished without a trace.

Not a single scab or bruise remained. All I could see was smooth skin, marked only by a faintly pink line, as if it had healed over the course of a week rather than mere hours.

Tentatively, I reached out to touch it, bracing for pain. But there was nothing—no sting, no ache.

“What the hell?” I whispered, tracing the spot again, bewilderment flooding my thoughts.

Could it have been the adrenaline? Had I imagined the entire ordeal?

In the haze of last night, Caden had entered my room, his demeanor a mixture of concern and distress as he helped me tend to the wound. Our exchange had been minimal, punctuated only by his insistence that I remain in my room. It was as if he was guarding a secret too heavy to share.

And then, just before he left, he kissed me—hard and quick, a fleeting moment that felt more like a dream than reality.

But the bandage he had wrapped around my arm was still on the floor, stained crimson with blood that was all too real.

An unsettling twist formed in my gut, a coil of unease that threatened to unravel me.

I forced myself to shower and dress, seeking the comfort of normalcy. I slipped into my favorite jeans and a cozy sweater—attire that felt like a mask for a girl who was anything but ordinary.

As I stepped into the kitchen, the aroma of coffee mingled with the faint scent of smoke, wrapping around me like a warm embrace. Tylon stood by the counter, phone in hand, his appearance suggesting that sleep had eluded him as well.

He didn’t glance my way immediately.

“Maya,” he finally acknowledged, his voice low and gravelly. “You’re up early.”

“So are you,” I replied, reaching for a mug from the cabinet. “Or do you just not sleep at all?”

A slight twist of his lips hinted at a smirk, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Sleep’s overrated.”

“Right,” I muttered, pouring steaming coffee into my mug, the warmth grounding me.

The silence stretched between us, heavy and palpable, until I could no longer bear it.

“Is Caden here?” I asked, my voice laced with urgency.

“No,” Tylon replied sharply, his tone leaving no room for misinterpretation.

I turned to face him fully, my heart racing. “You mean he’s gone-gone, or just not home right now?”

Finally, he met my gaze, his storm-gray eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that made my breath hitch. “He’s dealing with last night. He told you to stay in your room for a reason. You can’t go to school today.”

A surge of anger ignited within me, hot and fierce.

“I’m not your prisoner,” I shot back, my voice rising.

His jaw clenched, a muscle ticking in response, before he spoke again. “It’s for your protection.”

I scoffed, disbelief coloring my tone.

“Right,” I said, though the word felt inadequate. “Because that creature that nearly ripped my face off was clearly respectful of your protection.”

For a fleeting moment, I saw a flicker of guilt cross his features before it vanished, replaced by a stoic mask. “It’s handled.”

That word again.

Handled.

The urge to hurl the mug across the room surged within me, a desperate attempt to crack open the walls he had built around himself.

Instead, I sank onto a stool at the counter, taking a deep breath to steady my racing heart.

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