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I tightened my grip on her, feeling her soft curves press against the hard planes of my chest. The memory of what had just happened replayed in my mind with horrifying precision—Sierra walking trance-like toward the balcony, her silver hair flowing behind her like a ghostly trail. Her face had been blank, eyes unseeing as she moved with slow, deliberate steps.

"You're holding me too tight," Sierra gasped, her voice still raw from screaming.

I loosened my grip marginally but couldn't bring myself to truly let go. My wings beat steadily, keeping us aloft as I stared down at her face, drinking in every detail as if to reassure myself she was really here, alive in my arms.

"You walked off the fucking balcony," I growled, unable to keep the tremor from my voice. "Right off the edge, Sierra. No hesitation. Nothing."

Her eyes widened, pupils still dilated with fear. "I... I don't remember that part."

The scent of her fear-sweat clung to her skin, mingling with the natural sweetness that was uniquely hers. I breathed it in, using it to ground myself even as my demonic instincts surged protectively, urging me to take her far away from whatever threatened her.

"I was asleep beside you," I said, my voice low and tight. "We all were. Then you started thrashing, screaming." I swallowed hard, the memory too fresh. "By the time we fully woke, you were already walking toward the balcony doors. Callum tried to grab you, but it was like you couldn't hear us."

I gazed down at the balcony where Callum and Archer stood, their faces turned upward, tense with concern. Without another word, I angled my wings and began our descent, holding Sierra tightly against me.

"I would have been too late if I hadn't transformed," I admitted, more to myself than to her. The truth in those words sent another spike of fear through me. "If I hadn't been able to fly..."

I didn't finish the sentence. I didn't need to. The sixty-foot drop from our balcony to the jagged rocks below would have killed even someone with Sierra's unique constitution. The image of her broken body on those rocks would haunt me for eternity.

My feet touched down on the balcony with a gentle thud. Callum and Archer immediately rushed forward, their hands reaching for Sierra. A possessive growl rumbled in my chest before I could stop it. My tail lashed behind me in agitation, the pointed tip slashing through the air with deadly precision.

"Give her to us," Callum demanded, his pale green eyes fierce in the moonlight. "You're still in demon form, Rowen. Your claws?—"

"I'm not hurting her," I snarled, clutching Sierra closer. The rational part of my brain understood their concern—my black talons were currently curved around Sierra's bare thigh, my other arm supporting her back. One wrong move could slice her skin open. But the primal part of me, the part that had just watched one of my mates nearly plummet to her death, refused to relinquish her.

"Rowen," Archer's voice was calm but firm as he reached for Sierra. "Let us check her over. You're still in shock."

I bared my fangs at him, hating myself even as I did it. These were my brothers, my fellow mates to Sierra. But right now, they were threats trying to take her from me.

"Please," Sierra whispered against my neck, her breath warm and blessedly alive against my skin. "I'm okay. Let them help."

Her voice penetrated the fog of protective rage. With tremendous effort, I forced my demonic aspect to recede. The wings folded into my back, disappearing beneath my skin. The horns retracted, and I felt my claws shorten to human nails. Only my tail remained, still twitching with residual agitation.

Without speaking, I carried Sierra through the balcony doors and into our bedroom, ignoring Callum and Archer's outstretched arms. I sat on the edge of the bed, Sierra still cradled in my lap. Her nightgown was hiked up around her thighs, the thin material doing little to conceal the curves beneath. Under any other circumstances, I would have been distracted by the softness of her skin against mine, but right now, all I could focus on was her safety.

"What happened?" Archer asked, crouching before us. His blue eyes studied Sierra intently, searching for signs of injury or possession. "You were screaming in your sleep, calling for us."

Callum sat beside us, his hand finding Sierra's, fingers intertwining with hers. "You weren't responding to any of us," he added, voice tight. "It was like you were somewhere else entirely."

Sierra's breathing had started to even out, but I could still feel tremors running through her body. She leaned her head against my shoulder, seeking comfort. I pressed my lips to her temple, inhaling her scent.

"I was dreaming," she began, her voice small and uncertain. "At least, I think it was a dream. But it felt so real."

"Tell us everything," I commanded softly, my thumb tracing circles on her hip in what I hoped was a soothing gesture.

Sierra took a deep breath, and I felt her gather her strength. "It was the darkness again. The same black sludge from before, but... different somehow."

My jaw clenched at the mention of the shadow beast. That ancient evil had been hunting Sierra since before she'd come to us, growing bolder with each encounter. Callum's eyes met mine briefly over Sierra's head, his expression mirroring my concern.

"Different how?" Archer prompted gently.

Sierra shivered against me. "It was... weaker, maybe? But still so strong. It was consuming me, inch by inch. Burning and freezing at the same time." Her voice broke slightly. "It kept whispering to me, telling me what it was going to do once it had taken over my body."

My tail lashed violently at her words, the pointed tip cracking against the wooden floor. The thought of anything violating Sierra, taking her body as a vessel, made murderous rage bubble up inside me.

"What exactly did it say?" I asked, fighting to keep my voice steady.

She closed her eyes, as if trying to block out the memory. "It said it would devour me from the inside out. Wear my skin andwalk among you all." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "It said it would feast on you while you thought you were kissing me."