Housebound with the Blackridge Heirs novel Chapter 63

**Change Begins With You — Jayden Collins**
**Chapter 63**

**Caden**

As Leo and I slipped into the embrace of the trees, the world around us transformed into something raw and instinctual. The very air was thick with the metallic scent of rogue wolves, a heavy warning that hung over us like a storm cloud ready to burst. Each breath filled my lungs with a sense of urgency, driving me forward. The ground beneath my paws was soft and yielding, but the instinct to protect Maya surged within me, propelling me onward with silent determination. I matched Leo’s pace, our movements synchronized as we followed the trail of our prey.

The betrayal I felt was like a knife twisting in my gut. Engaging the emergency house lock had been a desperate measure, the only way to ensure Maya’s safety—not just from the rogues who might use her as a distraction, but also from the darker parts of herself that could surface in moments of fear. It was a sacrifice I had to make, even if it tore at my heart.

The three rogues we pursued did not exhibit the wild, chaotic behavior typical of their kind. There was no frenzied dash through the underbrush, no frantic glances over their shoulders. Instead, they moved with unsettling precision, weaving through the forest like a well-rehearsed formation, an organized unit rather than a pack of stray wolves.

Leo’s wolf, larger and lighter than mine, sliced through the foliage with a deadly silence that belied the fury roiling beneath his skin. I could feel it in the air, the rage that simmered just below the surface, a fire ignited by the memories of his fallen pack. These were the very wolves who had stripped him of everything he held dear, and now they sought to take Maya from us as well. The thought ignited a primal fire within me, an ancient instinct that demanded retribution.

We quickened our pace, urgency fueling our every step. The rogues darted between the trees, but they were no match for the two Alpha heirs closing in on them. The wolf with white streaks, clearly their leader, surged ahead while the other two attempted to form a defensive line, snapping and growling as if to deter us.

But Leo was undeterred. With a fierce lunge, he collided with the first rogue, sending him crashing to the forest floor. I wasted no time, launching myself at the second rogue before he could flank Leo. My teeth sank into his fur, and the taste of blood flooded my mouth as I clamped down on his throat.

Wolves like this fought with a desperation born from having nothing left to lose. They were driven by instinct and hunger, their minds twisted into something primal. But he was no match for the fury that surged through me, fueled by the cold calculation I had inherited from my father. He clawed at my sides, but I pressed down harder, determined to end this fight swiftly.

A sickening crunch reverberated through the air, and the rogue’s body went limp beneath me. One down.

Leo was engaged in his own battle, tearing through his opponent with a terrifying precision that was almost surgical. He had always been the peaceful one, the one who sought resolution over violence, yet when it came to fighting, he was formidable. He was neither wild like Tylon nor savage like me; each movement was deliberate, as if he had sworn an oath long ago to protect what mattered most.

The rogue didn’t stand a chance. Leo brought him down with a calculated strike, ripping him apart with a swift motion that echoed through the trees, leaving behind a haunting silence in its wake. Two down.

Only the leader remained, and he was trying to escape. But rogues could not outrun heirs, especially not those trained for this very moment. I pushed myself harder, muscles screaming in protest as I surged forward, while Leo flanked right, effectively cornering the rogue against the old riverbank.

The white-streaked wolf snarled, his amber eyes glowing with an unnatural intensity that sent a shiver down my spine. It was a color too bright, too sharp, as if something sinister lurked behind those eyes. He lunged at Leo, a foolish choice that sealed his fate.

Leo dodged effortlessly, his wolf moving like a shadow, and slammed into the rogue from the side, sending him sprawling into the mud. Before he could regain his footing, I pounced, pinning him down with my full weight, my claws digging in just enough to restrain him without delivering a fatal blow.

I felt the shift beside me as Leo transformed back into his human form, the crack of bones and the steam rising from his body as he knelt in the mud, his expression dark and unreadable as he fixed his gaze on the rogue.

“Shift,” he commanded, his voice low and firm.

The rogue remained motionless, a defiant silence hanging in the air.

Leo leaned closer, his voice dropping to a menacing whisper. “I said shift.”

Still, there was no response.

My claws dug deeper, and the rogue’s growls morphed into panicked shrieks. His eyes darted between us, and then it happened.

His lips parted, and a voice emerged that did not belong to him.

“Maya.”

Time froze for both Leo and me. He hadn’t shifted, his mouth hadn’t moved, yet he spoke her name. My mate’s name.

The rogue’s body jerked as if manipulated by unseen strings, and the voice echoed again, warped and haunting.

“Maya… is ours.”

A cold dread washed over me, a chill that seeped into my bones.

Leo seized the rogue’s jaw, forcing his gaze to meet his own. “Who are you? Who’s controlling you?”

The rogue’s amber eyes flickered, burning brighter as if something dark was pushing through.

“She remembers…” the voice hissed. “She remembers who she belongs to.”

My blood ran icy at the implication.

Leo recoiled slightly, shock flickering across his features before morphing into a fierce rage. “Who sent you? How do you know her name?”

The rogue remained silent.

Suddenly, he began thrashing violently, his body contorting as if something within him was trying to escape.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify