Chapter 22 - Jade

One minute, I’m wrapped up in Damien’s arms, feeling more vulnerable and open than I’ve ever been, and the next, a scream cuts through the night like a knife. My heart lurches as I pull away from him. What now ?

“Damien…” I barely have time to get his name out before he’s already on his feet, heading for the door, his entire body tense and ready for whatever nightmare is about to unfold.

I throw on my clothes and bolt after him. Adrenaline kicks in, and my bare feet slap against the cold floor as I race outside. I can already hear the commotion—a mix of growls, yelps, and the unmistakable sounds of a fight. My stomach clenches as we round the corner, and the scene that greets us makes my blood run cold.

The demon.

The same one from before. The one that killed Patrick. It’s here again, but this time, it looks more crazed, more desperate. Its slick, blackened form moves erratically through the party-goers, and everything feels like it’s happening in slow motion.

Shifters everywhere are in mid-transformation as their bodies morph into wolves. It’s a wild scene, one that would terrify anyone else, but I know these shifters, and right now?

They’re pissed. They’re out for blood.

The demon lunges at one of the shifters, a young male from the East Hills pack. But before it can land the blow, a massive brown wolf barrels into it, knocking it sideways. The demon screeches, its long, razor-sharp claws swiping through the air, but it’s clear that it’s losing ground fast.

“Get back!” Damien growls, pushing me behind him as he starts shifting. His bones crack and lengthen, and black and silver fur sprouts as he transforms into his wolf.

I barely have time to register his change before the demon lets out another ear-splitting roar. Shifters are darting in and out of the shadows, moving with incredible speed and coordination. It’s like watching a well-oiled machine, with the way they attack from all sides, biting, slashing, and taking turns distracting the demon while the others go for the kill.

For a moment, I just stand there, stunned. It’s a full-on assault, but there’s something almost beautiful in the way the wolves fight together. Even though this demon is dangerous, the shifters have a natural advantage—their pack mentality. They don’t fight alone.

I take a step back, trying to stay out of the way while I summon my magic, but something inside me shifts, an odd tingle running down my spine. My heart beats faster, and suddenly, my vision goes blurry. I blink hard, trying to shake it off, but the world around me starts to swirl, and the chaos of the battle fades into the background.

Oh no. Not now.

My head throbs, and before I can stop it, a vision slams into me, taking over my mind completely.

In the blink of an eye, I’m not at the party anymore. I’m somewhere else. Somewhere darker. The woods around me are thick and silent, the air heavy with an unsettling stillness.

And then I see it. A wave of creatures moving toward us. Dark, shadowy figures lurking at the edges of our territory, waiting, watching, preparing to strike.

It’s an attack.

My breath catches in my throat, and my heart pounds painfully in my chest as the vision intensifies. I see them—demons, but not just one. There are more, dozens of them, slinking through the trees like predators, their eyes glowing in the darkness.

And they’re coming straight for us.

I snap out of the vision with a gasp. The world comes rushing back in, and I nearly stumble backward. The battle in front of me is still raging, but the demon is faltering now, overwhelmed by the sheer number of shifters tearing into it.

Damien’s massive wolf form leads the charge, and his powerful jaws clamp down on the demon’s throat while Leah, Mason, and a few others move in to help. It’s over in seconds, and the demon lets out one last screech before it goes limp, crumbling to the ground in a lifeless heap.

There’s a moment of stunned silence as the shifters stand there panting with their fur matted with blood and dirt, but they’ve won. The demon is dead.

But all I can think about is what I just saw.

More are coming. And we’re not ready.

My heart hammers in my chest as I watch Damien shift back into his human form, wiping the sweat and blood from his brow. He looks over at me, his chest heaving, and for a brief second, there’s relief in his eyes. But I can’t focus on that right now.

Because what I saw in the vision? It changes everything.

And we’re running out of time.

I swallow hard as panic bubbles up inside me, but I force it down. I have to keep it together. I have to tell Damien. Tell them all. We need to prepare, to get the packs ready.

They have no idea what’s about to hit us.

And neither do I.

But my heart feels like it’s lodged in my throat. All I can think about is Penny. She’s with Haley, but something inside me is blaring like a siren in my head.

Damien’s eyes meet mine from across the room, and before I can even get a word out, he’s already moving toward me.

“Jade, what’s wrong?” His voice is steady, but I can hear the concern underneath.

“We need to go,” I blurt out. “Now. Something’s coming. Something worse.” I grab his arm. There’s no time to explain everything. All I know is that we have to leave. “Penny. We have to get to her. I had a vision, Damien. It’s bad.”

The tension in his body ratchets up immediately, and I can practically see his wolf side taking over. I know his instincts are screaming at him to protect his pack—our family.

Without hesitation, he’s already shouting orders to the remaining shifters. “Get everyone back to our territory. Now!”

Leah, Mason, and the others spring into action, gathering the scattered pack members. But I can’t focus on them right now. All I can see is Penny’s little face in my mind, and the pit in my stomach grows heavier with every passing second.

Damien shifts, and his dark fur ripples as his massive wolf form stands beside me, waiting. I don’t waste a second before climbing onto his back, and in the blink of an eye, we’re tearing through the trees toward Starfire Hollow. The wind whips past me, and the only sound I hear is the pounding of Damien’s paws against the forest floor. I hold on tightly, trying to keep my thoughts from spiraling out of control.

We break through the tree line, and the cabin comes into view. My pulse quickens, and I practically jump off Damien’s back before he’s even come to a stop.

“Penny!” I shout as I run toward the cabin.

But something’s wrong.

The door is wide open, swinging slowly in the wind, and the air smells thick with sulfur. My stomach lurches as I rush inside, but my breath catches in my throat when I see her.

Haley. She’s crumpled in a heap on the floor with her body twisted at an unnatural angle and blood pooling around her.

“No,” I whisper as my knees threaten to buckle beneath me. I drop beside her, checking for a pulse even though I know, deep down, it’s too late. She’s gone. “Oh, God.”

Damien shifts back and trots up beside me. “Jade, where’s Penny?”

The question snaps me out of my horror, and I scramble to my feet, scanning the cabin as dread curls around my spine. “Penny!” I call, my voice trembling. “Penny, baby, where are you?”

But there’s no answer.

“Damien—”

I barely get the words out when I hear it. A low growl, so guttural and dark, it feels like it crawls up from the very depths of hell. I whip around just in time to see it—another demon. A lesser one, just like the one at the party. But this one is bigger, and its blackened skin is slick with something foul.

It’s standing in the doorway, blocking any hope of escape, and in its claws…

Penny.

She’s unconscious, limp in its grasp. Her tiny body looks so fragile, so small. And just like that, every fear I’ve ever had comes crashing down on me all at once. The world narrows, everything else fading into the background until all I can see is my daughter in the hands of a monster.

“Let her go,” I growl, my voice shaking with a fury I’ve never felt before. The magic inside me flares to life, wild and untamed, crackling at the surface. My hands begin to glow as the energy buzzes under my skin, but I force myself to focus.

The demon lets out a guttural laugh as it lifts Penny higher like she’s some sort of trophy. It’s taunting me. It knows exactly what it’s doing.

“Jade…” Damien’s voice is tight with warning, but I’m already moving. My magic is swirling around me like a storm ready to break.

Without thinking, I throw out my hand, sending a bolt of energy crashing into the demon. It screeches and drops Penny to the ground with a thud as it stumbles back. Black ooze drips from its wounds, sizzling as it touches the floorboards.

I rush forward and scoop Penny into my arms as the demon shakes off the blow. Its grotesque body twitches with anger.

Damien shifts again, and his wolf form launches at the demon, jaws snapping as they engage in a brutal fight. But I don’t have time to focus on them. I can feel something more sinister lurking in the air, just beyond my reach.

I gently lay Penny down, brushing her hair from her face, and stand. My magic is swirling stronger now, and I’m ready to let it all about.

The demon roars as it fights Damien, but it’s already losing. I raise my hands, calling on every bit of power I can muster, and with a flick of my wrist, I send another blast of energy straight at its chest.

The impact sends the demon flying backward, and it crashes into the wall. Its body convulses, more black ooze spilling from its mouth. With one final shudder, it crumbles into a lifeless heap.

The silence that follows is deafening.

I stand there, panting, but the sense of victory is fleeting. Something still feels wrong. The air around me is thick with darkness, and I can feel it—an energy so malevolent, so overpowering, that it sends a chill down my spine.

This wasn’t the real threat.

This demon was just a diversion.

I glance at Damien, who’s already shifted back, his face pale and drawn. He knows it, too.