Page 15

The first thing I notice is the chill.

I blink awake, groggy and disoriented, and it takes me a moment to remember where I am. The hard surface beneath me isn’t a bed but the worn bedroll inside the hunting hut. Sunlight filters weakly through the cracks in the wooden walls, sending pale streaks across the room.

And Gray is gone.

The realization hits me like a splash of cold water. I sit up, pulling the blanket tighter around me as I glance around the tiny space. The air still carries his scent, rich and warm, but there’s no sign of him.

My heart sinks, even though it shouldn’t. I mean, what did I expect? For him to still be here, watching me sleep like some over-dramatic romance scene?

Still, the absence stings, especially after last night.

I press a hand to my chest, trying to tamp down the memory of how his lips felt against mine, how his hands made me feel things I’ve never felt in my life. Things I wasn’t sure I even knew how to feel.

But now he’s gone. And maybe that’s for the best.

I push the thought aside and focus on finding my clothes. They’re scattered across the room like a reminder of just how reckless I was willing to be. With a groan, I drag on my jeans and shirt, then zip up my jacket, steeling myself for whatever comes next.

That’s when I hear it—a shrill, ear-piercing alarm that makes my magic spike involuntarily.

Not again.

The sound sends a jolt of adrenaline through me, and I rush to pull on my boots, fumbling with the laces in my hurry. The alarms only go off when something crosses the ward lines. Yesterday, it was just a panther. Please let it just be another panther.

The moment I step outside, I know it’s not.

The smell hits me first—sharp, acrid, and sulfuric, so thick it makes my eyes water. It’s nothing like the earthy musk of the forest or the faint animal scent I’ve come to expect. This is something else entirely. Something wrong.

This isn’t an animal.

The sulfuric stench intensifies as I step farther into the forest, making my stomach churn. My magic buzzes under my skin, reacting to the wrongness in the air. My palms start to heat, readying for a fight before my brain even catches up.

And then I see it.

It’s twice the size of any wolf I’ve ever encountered, with black, gleaming scales that reflect the weak sunlight in sickening patterns. Its massive horns curl upward like something out of a nightmare, and its reptilian yellow eyes lock onto me with a predatory focus. Saliva drips from its open mouth, viscous and smoking as it hits the ground.

A demon.

The stories didn’t do it justice. It’s monstrous, and its presence exudes a malignancy that crawls over my skin and makes my magic practically explode. My heart pounds in my chest, but I force myself to stay rooted, summoning my magic to my hands as the demon’s gaze sharpens.

It charges without hesitation.

I hurl a burst of magic toward it. The energy crackles through the air and slams into its side. It staggers, but it doesn’t fall. Instead, it whirls toward me with a guttural roar that shakes the ground under my feet.

“Shit,” I spit, dodging as it lunges. Its claws swipe inches from my face, and I hit the ground hard, rolling to avoid another blow. My magic crackles around me, forming a weak barrier as the demon snarls in frustration.

I push to my feet, forcing the panic down. “All right, big guy. You want to play? Let’s play.”

With a flick of my wrist, I send a pulse of energy toward the demon’s legs. It growls as the magic wraps around its limbs, tangling it in place. But the triumph is short-lived. It thrashes violently, snapping the magical bonds like they’re nothing.

“Fantastic,” I grumble as the demon barrels toward me again. I throw up another barrier, but it only slows the creature down. My breath comes in sharp, frantic bursts as I scramble to come up with a plan.

“Jaslyn!” a familiar voice shouts, cutting through the chaos.

I glance over my shoulder just in time to see Tim and his girlfriend, Amber, running toward me. Relief floods through me for half a second—until I realize how poorly this is about to go.

“What the hell are you two doing here?” I yell, dodging another swipe from the demon.

“We heard the alarm!” Tim shouts back. “Thought you might need some backup!”

“Yeah? Well, unless you’ve got a magic nuke in your pocket, I’d suggest staying back!”

Tim growls as he takes a step closer to the fight, his muscles rippling with the strain of starting his shift. I can see the faint shimmer of his magic as it tries to force the change. His claws elongate, and his jaw begins to reshape.

“We’re not leaving you to handle that thing alone!” he snarls, his voice already deepening as his body prepares for the transformation.

“Tim, stop!” I yell, panic spiking in my chest. He’s not shifting fast enough, and that thing won’t wait for him to finish. “You don’t know what you’re dealing with—”

The demon’s head snaps toward the new arrivals. The transformation process seems to enrage it further, the sight of a shifting wolf igniting something primal and furious in its already chaotic energy.

My stomach twists as the demon rushes toward them. I may not like the guy, but that doesn’t mean I want to see him eviscerated.

“Tim, get her out of here!” I scream. “Now!”

But it’s too late.

The demon closes the distance in a heartbeat, slamming into Tim with enough force to send him flying to the ground mid-shift. His half-formed claws scrape against the dirt as he struggles to push himself up, but the demon is already pivoting, shifting its focus to Amber.

She shrieks as the creature looms over her, and its massive jaws snap inches from her face. Her terror freezes her in place as the beast prepares to lunge.

“No!” My magic bursts forward, stronger than before, and I hurl it toward the demon with everything I have. The blast slams into its side, knocking it away from Amber and sending it skidding across the forest floor. It shakes off the hit with little more than a whimper, but the effort leaves me dizzy and my knees threatening to buckle.

The demon shakes off the hit and turns on me, snarling with renewed fury. I barely have time to react before it’s on me, and its claws rake across my side. Pain explodes through my body, and I cry out, stumbling as blood seeps through my shirt.

“Jaslyn!” Amber’s voice is panicked, but I can’t focus on her. All I can see is the demon circling me like a predator scenting its kill.

My vision blurs as I summon the last of my strength, forcing my magic to the surface. The demon lunges again, and I throw up a barrier, buying myself a precious few seconds.

This is it. If I don’t end this now, it’s over.

I channel every ounce of power I have left, shaping it into a lance of energy. The demon roars as I hurl it forward, and the lance pierces its chest and sends it reeling. It stumbles, and its movements become sluggish as my magic weakens it further.

But it’s not enough.

The demon struggles to regain its footing, and I realize with a sickening clarity that I don’t have the strength to finish it off.

“Get away from her!” Gray’s voice booms.

My heart leaps as he barrels into the clearing in wolf form. His massive frame crashes into the demon, sending it sprawling.

He doesn’t hesitate. With one powerful swipe of his claws, he tears into the demon’s throat, ripping through scales and sinew with brutal efficiency. The creature lets out a final, gurgling roar before collapsing, its body twitching as the life drains from it.

I sink to my knees as the adrenaline fades and the pain in my side throbs with a vengeance. Gray shifts back into his human form and is at my side in seconds, his hands steadying me as I sway.

“Jaslyn, you’re hurt,” he says.

“I’m fine,” I mutter, though the blood soaking through my shirt tells a different story.

“You’re not fine.” His tone leaves no room for argument as he scoops me into his arms.

“I can walk,” I protest weakly, but the truth is, I’m too drained to fight him.

From my new vantage point, I see Amber huddled a few feet away, her wide eyes fixed on the demon’s crumpled body. Tim crouches beside her, breathing hard and clutching his ribs as if his half-finished shift has taken a toll. Both of them look shaken but alive.

Amber glances up and asks, “Is it… is it really dead?”

“Yes,” Gray confirms. “Theo and the others will be here soon to get you back to the packhouse.”

Tim’s voice is gravelly, still caught somewhere between human and wolf. “What about her? She’s bleeding—”

“I’ve got her. Get yourself patched up, Tim, and make sure Amber’s safe.”

Tim nods reluctantly, and Amber murmurs a shaken “thank you” as she leans on him for support.

Gray’s attention shifts back to me, his gaze softening. “Let me take care of you,” he almost pleads. “Please.”

I don’t have the strength to argue, so I let my head rest against his chest. My body sags into his warmth as the forest around us blurs into the background.

***

Gray doesn’t leave my side once we’re back at the packhouse. His presence is a constant, steadying force, even as my world tilts and blurs at the edges. I barely register the warm press of his hand on my arm or the sound of his voice uttering reassurances as I’m carried through the hallways.

When he lays me down on a bed, the motion sends a fresh jolt of pain tearing through my side, dragging a sharp cry from my lips. My vision swims, and the room comes in and out of focus. I feel hands on me—steady, firm—but the sensation is distant, like it belongs to someone else.

“You’re going to be okay,” Gray tells me, as if his sheer force of will can make it true. “Just stay with me.”

I try to respond, but my tongue feels thick, and my head rolls to the side. Darkness creeps in, pulling me under.

When I surface again, the pain is sharper, more insistent. I blink, disoriented, as Gray’s face comes into view. He’s leaning over me with a damp cloth in one hand and a bottle of antiseptic in the other. The gash in my side burns as he works, and I can’t stop the whimper that escapes my throat.

“You’re lucky it didn’t go deeper,” he comments. “Next time, wait for backup.”

I try to summon some of my usual snark, to tell him that I didn’t exactly have a choice. But the concern etched into his face stops me cold. Instead, I manage a weak, “Noted.”

He finishes bandaging the wound with a gentleness that surprises me. His hands are steady even as blood stains his fingers. When he’s done, he presses a cool hand to my forehead, brushing my damp hair back with a touch so tender, it makes my chest ache.

The pain is endless, and every small movement feels like knives slicing through my ribs. I lose track of time, slipping in and out of consciousness as Gray’s presence becomes my only constant. When the worst of it hits, he’s there, holding my hand tightly in his own. His thumb brushes over my knuckles in a soothing rhythm, grounding me when I feel like I might drift away entirely.

“Breathe, Jaslyn,” he urges me. “Just breathe.”

At some point, I wake from a restless dream to find him still there. His hand is warm in mine, his head bowed as he rests against the edge of the bed. His hair is mussed, and the lines of tension on his face tell me he hasn’t slept.

“Gray…” My voice is barely more than a whisper, raw and cracked.

His head snaps up, and relief floods his expression. “I’m here. I’m right here.”

It’s intimate in a way that leaves me feeling exposed in a way I’m not used to. But I can’t bring myself to push him away, not when his touch feels like the only thing keeping me tethered to the present.

When the pain drags me under again, I catch him watching me with those soft blue eyes. They’re filled with something I can’t quite name. It’s not pity; it’s deeper than that. Stronger. Something that settles into the cracks of my heart like a salve, even as the darkness pulls me back under.