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Riven sighs. “Ahhh. Here we are.”

Incredulously, I watch as Riven calmly slides a pair of designer sunglasses from the inside pocket of his suit jacket and puts them on.

“What the fuck are you⁠—”

Bright light detonates through the room.

It’s not just a flare, or a flash, but a full-on explosion, as though the sun itself is making an appearance. I’m not even looking directly at the female and still have to shield my eyes. It’s like every inch of her body is infused with light, and she’s channeling it out of every pore. It spills out of her skin, her eyes, her hair—thousands of bright, thick beams of pure light.

The illumination feels like it’s trying to press into me, like it’s somehow tangible. I have the insane thought that I could run my fingers through it and feel it brushing against my skin. It only lasts a few seconds before it dims enough that I can open my eyes again fully. My breath catches as tendrils of the Omega’s hair rise, floating around her head like she’s underwater.

“Holy fucking shit,” Vae breaths. “Do you guys feel that?”

“Yeah,” I whisper, unable to look away. “I feel it.”

“It feels like raw power,” Gavran adds.

Even Riven, despite having witnessed this before, is clearly unsettled.

“It feels like I could reach out and gather it in my hands. It feels old,” Caelan mutters, his voice thick and full of gravel.

Vae nods enthusiastically. “Yeah. Old. That’s the word. It feels ancient.” He frowns. “How the fuck does light feel ancient?”

I can’t open my mouth to reply. Can’t pull my eyes away. The Omega is, of course, beautiful in her own right, but the light itself is far more mesmerizing.

Raw, primordial, powerful. It feels like I’m witnessing something not meant for my eyes. Yet, at the same time, the light feels like it belongs to me.

Like it’s mine.

The illumination begins to recede, seeping back into the Omega. An image pops in my head of little fairies with wings, gently gathering each shaft, spooling it back into her body. Then, her lashes flutter open, and she looks right at Vae, who’s still hovering over her.

“Hey, you’re alright,” He croons gently, flashing his dimples. “I’m Vae. What’s your name?”

The Omega stares at him for so long that I start to think we’ve lost her. I expect her to start mumbling again, but shockingly, she blinks rapidly, and a look of confusion crosses her face. “My name?” Her features scrunch in thought. “My name is…”

Something sparks in her eyes, and when she answers, her voice is much stronger.

“Daniella.”

She studies Vae’s face for another few breaths before her eyes glaze over, and she returns to her mutterings.

“Four became one. One became light. Light wakes the gate. She is the gate.” There’s a long pause, and she begins repeating the words. Except this time, her voice is louder and more frantic.

“She is the gate. She is the light, and the light, and the light, and the gate.” Her words trail off, and her voice is barely more than a breath by the end. Her gaze turns distant, causing a shudder of unease to work its way down my spine.

“Fuck. That was disturbing.” Vae mutters, joining us across the room. “We’ll have to check if there are any Omegas named Daniella missing, or if we’re dealing with another Chicago situation.”

He keeps talking, but I’m not paying attention. Something about what he just said caught my attention and won’t let go.

“You want to pull up the registry so that we can check for her, Dax? Dax? Dax!”

There’s a thread my mind is clinging to…something Vae said…. What was it? I curse, replaying his words.

It hits me like a lightning bolt to the chest.

“Daniella? She said her name is Daniella?”

“Yeah. I mean, I’m not the only one who heard her, right?” Vae looks confused, but Caelan and Gav are suddenly paying attention.