********Blake POV********My blood ran cold as I stared hard at Nero and saw how daring his eyes were. It had that look that seemed to say he would rather die than let me in his head. That was a challenge that I was not willing to back down from. At first, I took it lightly, but soon, frustration started to well within me with each futile attempt to breach the walls of his mind. The intensity of his mental barriers was strong and impenetrable like steel. The harder I tried, my wolf snarled and paced within me, restless and agitated by our inability to reach Nero's thoughts."Why are you protecting her, Nero?" I demanded, my voice cutting through the tense air, my eyes narrowing as I studied him.Silent at first, Nero's jaw tightened, his gaze shifting between me and himself, his expression unreadable. "I have my reasons, Blake," he replied with such softness that made me melt at his tone for a moment, and the fact that he still had that effect on

As Harley led me down the hallway toward Jason's room, my mind raced with anticipation and dread. The weight of my decision pressed heavily upon me, but I pushed those thoughts aside, focusing on the task at hand.Finally reaching the door, Harley hesitated for a moment before turning to me, her eyes filled with uncertainty. "Here we are," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper."Thanks," I said softly, offering her a small, reassuring smile. With a nod and a stiff smile, she turned and walked away, leaving me standing in front of the door to Jason's room.Taking a deep breath, I reached out and turned the handle, pushing the door open slowly. The room was dimly lit, shadows dancing across the walls, and my heart clenched at the sight of Scarlett sitting on the edge of the bed, her expression a mixture of confusion and concern."Blake?" she said, her voice soft with disbelief. "What are you doing here? And where's Nero?"Closing the door behind me, I stepped further into the r