The morning had shifted from tense to surreal. Abandoned breakfast plates sat forgotten on the kitchen counter, steam no longer rising from cups of coffee gone cold. The protective wards around their home hummed steadily, yet somehow felt less secure with each word Callum spoke.
Maya and Lucas lingered by the doorway like casual sentinels, while Callum commanded the center of the room with an ease that both attracted and unsettled. His presence had transformed their sanctuary into something else - a battlefield of wills, where every word carried weight.
Samantha couldn't shake the effect his violet eyes had on her, the way they seemed to see through every defense. Even Marcus, usually unmoved by strangers, watched Callum with an intensity that spoke of both wariness and intrigue. Only Kai maintained his complete skepticism, his protective instincts clearly battling against the newcomer's magnetic pull.
