Page 15 of Mystic's Sunrise

“Yeah,” Devil barked. “Back to the clubhouse. Doc’ll handle it. Let’s move before someone else shows up.”

I nodded, gently lifting her out of the van and heading toward our vehicle. The sun beat down, heat baking the pavement. Not good. She was already burning up. Her pulse thumped, weak but steady.Good girl... just hold on.

We loaded up quick. As the engines fired, I glanced down at her face one last time. Couldn’t shake that moment. That trust. Like she knew—somehow—I’d catch her. Keep her safe.

Didn’t make sense.

Didn’t matter.

But hell if it didn’t get under my skin.

CHAPTER EIGHT

PAIN.

IT DRAGGEDme from the dark, sharp, burning, twisting through every inch of me. My body felt heavy, like I was sinking into the bed, limbs too weighted to move. Breathing hurt.Everythinghurt.

I peeled my eyes open, lids like sandpaper scraping over raw skin. The room was dim, shadows stretched along the walls. The air smelled like antiseptic and fabric softener—clean and unfamiliar. Panic fluttered in my chest.Where…

A movement caught my eye. A figure sat in a chair beside the bed—broad shoulders, blond hair. His presence should have been threatening—he was massive, half his face scarred—but… it wasn’t.

It washim.

The man from the van.

His gaze lifted from the floor, locking onto mine. One blue. One Gold. Striking. Intense. They softened when they found me awake.

“Hey,” he murmured, voice rough but… gentle. “You’re safe. Doc patched you up. You gave us a scare.”

Safe.The word echoed, strange and distant. My fingers twitched, trying to grab the sheet, but my hands were wrapped tight.Bandages?

I tried to speak—tried to askwhere am I?—but nothing came out. Just a rasp. A dry, airless wheeze.

Confusion spiked.

I tried again—harder—my chest tightening with the effort.Why… can’t I—

His expression shifted, understanding and concern threading through it. “Hey, hey, easy,” he said, leaning closer. His hand hovered near mine but didn’t touch.Respectful. Careful.

“Doc said… your windpipe took a hit. You won’t be able to talk for a bit. Gotta let it heal, yeah? Don’t push it.”

The words sank in, slow and heavy.

No voice.

My throat clenched, panic clawing up fast and fierce.No. No, no, no…

I couldn’t breathe—I couldn’t—

His hand reached out, warm and steady, resting lightly on my arm.

“Look at me,” he said, his voice grounding.

I did—because there was nowhere else to go—and those mismatched eyes caught mine. Held me there.

Not demanding. Not commanding.

Just… there.Present.