Housebound with the Blackridge Heirs novel Chapter 27

**Change Begins With You — Jayden Collins**
**Chapter 27**

**Maya**

The last time I found myself on this table, my body was shaking, but for an entirely different reason.

Now, crouched beside it, my knees drawn tightly to my chest, I was trembling—not from the cold or nerves, but from a deep, gnawing fear that gripped me like a vice.

What Leo had seen or heard remained a mystery, but one thing was painfully clear: I was terrified. Terrified that my instincts were correct, that something sinister was unfolding around me, something that involved those wolves I had heard whispers about.

The thought of being left alone here, with whatever lurked outside, sent a shiver down my spine. It felt as if the very shadows were conspiring against me, ready to pounce and devour me whole.

The air inside the shed was thickening with each passing moment, becoming almost suffocating. Every creak of the wooden beams echoed like a warning bell in my ears, making my heart race and skip like a frantic drum. I pressed my hand against my mouth, trying to stifle my panicked breaths, but my palms were clammy with sweat, and my heartbeat reverberated loudly enough for me to hear it.

Outside, the sounds of nature had transformed into something ominous. I could hear branches snapping underfoot, the soft crunch of footsteps, and something moving back and forth in the dirt, circling me like a predator. Each noise drew nearer, until it halted just outside the door.

Then, an oppressive silence enveloped me.

It was the kind of silence that made my bones ache and my skin crawl.

I remained frozen, not daring to move or even breathe, as if my very presence might provoke whatever lay in wait. The tension hung in the air, stretched so tightly that it felt like it could snap at any moment.

And then, without warning, the door burst open.

A scream escaped my lips before I could contain it, and I scrambled backward, colliding with a stack of old buckets that clattered noisily across the floor. My heart leaped into my throat, a wild bird desperate to escape, but before I could make a run for it, strong arms wrapped around me, pulling me back from the edge of panic.

“Hey, hey—” a familiar voice rumbled, low and gravelly. “It’s me.”

Caden.

A wave of relief crashed over me, so intense it nearly made me dizzy. He drew me close, his chest solid and warm against mine, his heartbeat racing in sync with my own.

The sharp, earthy scent of rain mixed with his cologne enveloped me, grounding me amidst the chaos that had erupted in my mind.

“You’re safe,” he murmured softly into my hair, his breath warm and reassuring. “I’ve got you.”

I released a shaky breath, finally daring to look up at him. His shirt was half-buttoned, his hair damp from the rain, and his expression was a storm of fury and concern.

“What the hell were you thinking?” he snapped, pulling back just enough to lock eyes with me. “You can’t be out here alone. It’s not safe.”

“I wasn’t alone,” I shot back defensively, still trembling from the adrenaline. “I was with Leo.”

His body went rigid, his jaw tightening with a force that made me wince. “Leo left you alone in here?”

The sharp edge of his tone cut through me, twisting my stomach into knots.

“By ignoring me?” I challenged. “By making me feel like I did something wrong? You don’t protect people by pushing them away, Caden. You hurt them. You hurt me.”

He took a cautious step closer, the distance between us charged with unspoken words. “It’s not that simple.”

“It is that simple,” I replied firmly. “You either want me here or you don’t. You either mean what you say or you need to stop pretending you do. Because I can’t keep doing this—being close enough to feel you but never close enough to reach you.”

He inhaled sharply, his throat working as if he were swallowing words he was too afraid to say. “Please, Maya, you don’t understand what you mean to me.”

“Then make me understand!” I shouted, my voice ringing with desperation. “Stop acting like I’m too fragile to handle the truth! Stop deciding what I should or shouldn’t know.”

His gaze met mine, and for a fleeting moment, I thought he might finally open up, but then he broke eye contact, and that hurt more than any lie could.

“If you’re not ready for commitment,” I said quietly, my voice trembling now for an entirely different reason, “then just tell me. Don’t string me along. Don’t play with my feelings because it hurts, Caden. It really hurts.”

The last word escaped me like a sob, and I pushed past him, blinking rapidly as tears threatened to spill over.

The cool air outside hit my face like a splash of cold water, and I stepped out of the shed, my vision blurred by the threat of tears I refused to let him witness.

He didn’t follow.

And somehow, that hurt the most of all.