Housebound with the Blackridge Heirs novel Chapter 61

**Change Begins With You — Jayden Collins**
**Chapter 61**

**Caden**

Leaving Maya was an agonizing decision, especially when I could see the distress clouding her features. It felt as though I was abandoning her in a storm, but the urgency of Leo’s call was undeniable. When Leo reached out, it was never trivial.

His voice carried a weight that spoke volumes, revealing the gravity of the situation even before he said a word.

Something was terribly amiss.

I gently brushed my thumb along Maya’s cheek, savoring the softness of her skin one last time. Then, with a heavy heart, I slipped out of the room, moving as swiftly as I could manage.

As soon as the door clicked shut behind me, I felt an almost magnetic pull—a bond that tugged at my very core, urging me to return to her side. The urge surged within me, sharp and insistent, but I forced my feet to carry me down the stairs instead.

In the foyer, Leo stood by the window, his arms crossed tightly over his chest, and his jaw clenched in a way that revealed his tension. The flickering security lights outside cast eerie shadows across his face, accentuating the deep lines of worry that had appeared only a handful of times before.

“What happened?” I demanded, my voice steady despite the turmoil within.

He was silent for a moment, his gaze fixed outside, before he simply pointed.

I followed his finger, and my heart sank.

Three wolves loomed at the edge of the treeline, their forms half-concealed by the encroaching darkness. They were barely distinguishable, save for the haunting glimmer of their amber eyes, which glowed like small, predatory stars. Their bodies were rigid, angled toward the house, alert and poised as if waiting for something—someone.

A chill slithered down my spine, coiling around my nerves.

These weren’t the Blackridge wolves I was familiar with. No, they were rogues.

How audacious of them to venture this far into our territory, especially around the Blackridge house. Didn’t they know the fate that befell the last pack of rogues that dared to do the same?

“I know exactly where they’re from,” Leo said, his dark eyes narrowing. It was clear this was personal for him.

Neither Tylon nor I had ever been privy to the complete history of Leo’s pack or the events that had shaped him, but we were aware that rogues had played a significant role in his past.

“Are you certain?” I pressed, my anxiety mounting.

Leo nodded, his expression grave. “They’re the same size, the same formation, and they carry the same scent as those who attacked the estate that night we intervened, and during the first time she was taken. It can’t be mere coincidence. Back then, I didn’t fully register the scent, but it was oddly familiar. Today, it all clicked when I spotted their leader. I’ve seen him before… right in the middle.”

I squinted, trying to discern their features, but the shadows of the trees obscured my view. Yet, I could make out the unmistakable white streak of fur that ran along his otherwise black coat.

“What do you think they want?” I asked, though I already had a sinking feeling in my gut. The thought both infuriated and terrified me.

My stomach churned with unease.

“They’re watching the house,” Leo replied in a low voice, the weight of his words settling heavily between us.

I exhaled sharply, but it wasn’t a release of tension; it was pure, unfiltered anger. “They’re not here for us.”

“No,” Leo confirmed, his gaze unwavering. “They’re here for her.”

The silence that followed was suffocating.

Rogues weren’t known for their stealth; they were brutal attackers, leaving chaos and blood in their wake. They acted impulsively, driven by primal instincts.

Yet these wolves were different.

They were waiting, observing, almost as if they were stalking their prey. Perhaps they were hunting.

But the real question loomed ominously: What did they want with Maya?

Leo shattered the oppressive silence. “Do you think they somehow know?”

I hesitated, my jaw tightening as I recalled everything that had transpired.

Even before the council had taken her and subjected her to their tests, these rogues had been drawn to her the moment she stepped foot in Blackridge. What secrets did they hold about her that we were still unaware of?

“This colony of rogues isn’t like the others,” Leo added, his voice laced with concern. “They’re strategic and organized. They know exactly what they’re doing.”

His jaw tightened, and I could see the fury simmering in his eyes.

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