Their Secret Obsession by Pippa Moon

Chapter 0327

Liam's POV

The searing white light swallowed us whole, and for a moment, it felt as though we were suspended in nothingness. Then, just as abruptly, the brilliance faded, leaving us in a dim haze. My stomach churned violently as if my insides had been twisted and wrung out. A throbbing pain pulsed behind my eyes, and every muscle in my body felt like jelly.

I stumbled forward, my legs barely supporting me. The floor beneath me was cool and smooth-marble? I blinked rapidly, trying to clear the blur from my vision. The air here was... different. It was crisp, almost too clean, carrying a faint scent of unfamiliar blossoms mixed with something electric that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

Chase groaned beside me, collapsing onto his knees. "Ugh, I feel like I just got off the world's worst roller coaster," he muttered, clutching his stomach.

I forced myself to stand upright, taking in our surroundings. We were in a vast room, more opulent than anything I'd ever seen. Towering columns of polished stone soared toward an arched ceiling adorned with intricate mosaics depicting celestial scenes-constellations intertwined with mythical creatures and swirling galaxies golden light filtered through stained glass windows, casting a kaleidoscope of colours onto the gleaming marble floor.

Along the walls, tapestries woven with threads of silver and gold depicted battles and ceremonies from eras long past. Elegant furniture crafted from dark woods and inlaid with mother-of-pearl lined the room. Shelves held ancient tomes and artefacts that seemed to hum with latent energy.

In the centre of the room stood an ornate bed draped in luxurious silks and velvets of deep blues and purples. Knox was lying on it, his eyes open and alert. Colour had returned to his cheeks, and he appeared unscathed, a stark contrast to the dire state he'd been in moments before.

"Knox?" I called out, my voice echoing slightly in the vast chamber.

"Liam? What's going on? Where are we?" He sat up slowly, flexing his fingers. Before I could answer, Chase let out a low whistle.

"Well, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore," he quipped. I turned to glare at him. Chase was still wearing those ridiculous pink sweatpants-Charlotte's that were now torn and stained from our earlier struggles. His shirt was missing entirely, revealing a myriad of scratches and bruises that twisted across his tattooed torso. Despite our precarious situation, he managed to smirk, raising an eyebrow at me.

"Seriously?" I snapped. "This isn't the time for jokes."

trying to lighten the mood, man. Besides, if we don't laugh, we'll probably start screaming." He shrugged, attempting a casual behaviour that didn't quite hide the anxiety in his eyes. I couldn't argue with that, but his nonchalance grated on me. "We have no idea

Knox announced as he swung his legs over the side of the bed, testing his weight.

death's door a minute ago." He gave me

dying. But now..." He rolled his shoulders. "Now I

unease settled over me. The air might have been fresh, but there was an undercurrent of something unsettling a lingering sense of being watched. Havoc, Knox's wolf, should have

"Feel what?" I questioned.

the

need to

great.. like breathing pure energy and.." Knox took a few steps forward, and his knees buckled suddenly. He collapsed to

and together, we lifted him back onto

happening to him?" Chase asked, panic

don't know! He was fine just

wracked with violent tremors. His eyes rolled back, and a guttural sound escaped his lips. Without warning, he started vomiting a thick, black substance-it oozed

burned my nostrils.

ordered, grabbing a cloth from a nearby table and trying to wipe away the viscous liquid. But

on, buddy,

shoulders, his knuckles white from the strain.

зэл

more desperate than the last. His

hot, the next