Chapter 23 - Damien

Chaos is everywhere, and my instincts are screaming at me to protect Jade and Penny first. But something darker is out there, and it’s not going to wait for us to catch our breath. My wolf is on high alert, pacing inside me, ready to tear into whatever threat we find next.

Jade’s beside me, her face pale but determined. She’s already saved us once tonight, and now there’s no time to slow down. No time for fear. We’ve got to find this thing, the real threat, before it finds us.

“I know it’s out there,” Jade declares as she cradles Penny in her arms, glancing around the darkened woods. “That… thing I felt, it wasn’t just the lesser demons. There’s something bigger.”

“We’ll get it,” I say, “but first, we get Penny somewhere safe.”

Jade hesitates, but I can tell she agrees. The weight of being a parent is hitting both of us hard right now, knowing that one wrong move could end in disaster.

I hand Penny off to Leah, who’s already shifted back into her human form. “Take her to the chapel, and don’t leave until I tell you it’s safe. No exceptions, Leah. Watch her with your life.”

Leah nods without a word and takes Penny before heading toward the safety of town.

As soon as they’re gone, Jade says, “Let’s go find this bastard.”

I’m not about to argue. My wolf is practically salivating at the chance to tear into whatever threat is coming next. Alec was already leading his pack away from the neutral grounds, but now the scent of blood, smoke, and something far darker fills the air.

We head deeper into the woods, where the smell of sulfur is thick as hell. I can feel it crawling under my skin, setting every nerve on edge.

And then I see it.

“Damien,” Jade whispers, ready for the fight. “Look.”

Through the trees, I spot Alec and members from all three packs—what’s left of them—trying to fend off something massive. Its form looms large in the shadows, emaking the trees look like twigs by comparison. Black scales glisten under the pale moonlight, slick with blood. Its eyes glow a deep, vibrant red, and its jagged horns scrape the sky.

This isn’t just a demon. It’s their king.

Alec’s men are attacking from all sides, but it’s like hitting a brick wall. No matter how hard they bite or claw, it doesn’t flinch. Doesn’t even bleed. The thing is practically toying with them, batting them away like flies.

Jade steps forward, eyes blazing with a mix of fury and fear. She starts to raise her hand, her magic already sparking around her fingers. “I have to—”

I grab her arm. “No. Not yet.”

She whirls on me. “Damien, if we don’t stop it now—”

“We’ll stop it, but not like this. From this far away, you could hit any one of them.” I gesture toward the clearing where Alec and Gray are fighting desperately to keep their people alive. “We need to be smart about this.”

She hesitates, but I can see the logic sinking in. She nods tightly, and we move forward, sticking to the shadows.

Alec’s howl breaks through the night as he charges the demon, slamming into its side with all his strength. The beast doesn’t even flinch. Instead, it turns and snaps massive jaws at him like a gator. Alec barely manages to duck in time. He rolls to his feet and dodges at the last second.

I don’t wait any longer; I shift mid-run. My muscles stretch and bones snap into place as my wolf form takes over. Alec and the pack are struggling, and there’s no time to waste.

Gray appears out of nowhere, his fur streaked with blood and his teeth bared. He lunges at the demon’s back legs, trying to hamstring it.

The demon roars, furious now as it finally takes notice of us. Its red eyes lock on Jade, and my heart seizes.

“ No !” I roar, charging forward with my paws pounding the earth.

But it’s too fast.

Before I can reach her, the demon swings one of its massive arms with its claws outstretched and wraps its hand around Jade’s waist. She gasps, and her eyes go wide with shock as the beast plucks her into the air.

“ Jade !” I leap, aiming for the demon’s arm, but it swats me away like I’m nothing more than a nuisance.

“ We need to hit it from all sides! Now !” Alec orders through our connection.

Gray snarls in agreement, and we move as one. Alec goes for the demon’s legs, trying to destabilize it. Gray circles around, launching himself at its head. I run straight for its arm. Jade’s in danger, and nothing else matters.

I latch onto its wrist with my jaws, biting down with all the strength I have. The demon howls in pain, and its grip loosens just enough for Jade to breathe, but it’s not letting go. Not yet.

“Damien!” Jade’s voice is tight with panic, but there’s still that spark of determination in her eyes. She’s fighting, trying to summon her magic, but the demon’s grip is too strong. She can barely move, let alone cast a spell.

Alec and Gray keep up their attack, biting, slashing, anything to keep the demon distracted, but it’s not enough. This thing is stronger than anything we’ve ever faced, and it’s not going down easy.

But I’m not letting it win. Not tonight. Not when Jade’s life is on the line.

I bite harder, feeling the demon’s tough skin give way under my teeth. It screeches, jerking its arm in pain. Jade slips from its grasp, falling to the ground with a hard thud.

She’s free.

The second Jade hits the ground, something in her snaps. I can see it in her eyes—pure, unfiltered fury. The demon roars, but Jade’s not backing down. Hell, she’s just getting started.

Before I can even call her name, her hands fly up, and the air around us crackles with magic. It’s wild and untamed, the kind of power that feels like a storm about to break. The ground beneath my paws trembles, and the hairs on my neck stand on end as her magic pulses out like a shockwave.

“Jade, don’t—” I try to warn her, but it’s too late. She’s already letting it loose.

The air around her hums with energy, and her body starts to glow with an eerie light as her magic gathers, growing stronger by the second. The demon snarls and lunges at her, but Jade doesn’t flinch. With a flick of her wrist, she sends a blast of raw power straight at the creature’s chest, and it stumbles back, screeching in pain.

For a moment, I’m stunned. I’ve seen her use magic before, but not like this. Not with this kind of force.

“Stay the hell away from my pack!” she shouts. Her magic surges again in a violent torrent of energy that slams into the demon, sending it skidding across the ground.

The impact shakes the earth, and trees splinter as the force of her power tears through everything in its path.

The demon tries to recover, but it’s too slow. Jade’s magic is merciless, hitting it again and again, each strike more powerful than the last.

But it’s not just the demon that’s suffering. The ground around us is scorched, the trees near her charred, and I can see the strain it’s putting on her. Her face is pale, and sweat drips down her brow as her magic rages out of control.

“Jade, stop!” I shout as I shift back into my human form. Her hands are trembling, her breathing ragged. She’s giving everything she’s got, but I know if she keeps going like this, she’ll destroy herself along with the demon.

But she doesn’t stop. She can’t. She’s too far gone.

The demon roars and claws at the air, trying to fight back, but Jade’s magic slams into it again. This time, I hear bones crack.

The creature staggers. Its massive form shakes as it lets out a pained howl.

I can’t stand by any longer. I rush toward her, grabbing her arm. “Jade, enough!”

She jerks away from me, and her eyes are wild and glowing with magic. For a moment, she doesn’t even seem to recognize me, and my heart clenches. I’ve never seen her like this—so consumed by her power, by her need to protect. But if she keeps this up, she’s going to lose more than just control.

“I have to finish it!” she gasps as she summons another wave of energy.

“You’ve done enough!” I grip her shoulders, forcing her to look at me, to see me. “Jade, you’ve weakened it. Now let me end this.”

Her breathing is shallow, and her body is trembling with the effort to keep her magic in check. For a second, I think she’s going to fight me, but then I see the flicker of fear in her eyes. Not fear of the demon, but fear of what she’s doing to herself.

She nods, just barely, and I take that as my cue.

I turn, my body already shifting, bones cracking as my wolf takes over. The demon is still struggling, weakened but not defeated. Its red eyes lock on me, and it lets out a guttural snarl. But I don’t hesitate.

With a fierce growl, I launch myself at the creature, my claws sinking into its thick, scaly hide. It thrashes, trying to shake me off, but I’ve got the advantage now. Jade’s magic has done the hard work, and the demon is barely holding on.

I bite down on its throat, and my teeth tear through flesh and bone. The demon lets out one last, strangled cry before it collapses beneath me. Its massive body hits the ground with a sickening thud, and then everything goes still.

It’s over.

Panting, I step back, shifting back into my human form as I wipe the blood from my mouth. The demon is dead. Its lifeless body is sprawled out at my feet. But I don’t feel relief. Not yet.

“Jade!” I call, turning to her.

She’s still standing, but just barely. I rush to her side, catching her just as her knees buckle.

“I’ve got you,” I murmur, pulling her into my arms. She leans into me, her body trembling with exhaustion.

“I’m sorry,” she whispers. “I didn’t mean to—”

“You did what you had to,” I cut her off. “You saved us, Jade. You saved the pack.”

She looks up at me, and her eyes are filled with a mix of relief and guilt. “I could have hurt you. I could have—”

“You didn’t,” I remind her, brushing a strand of hair away from her face. “You didn’t lose control, Jade. You’re still here. We’re still here. And that demon? It’s not coming back.”

She lets out a shaky breath, and I can feel her start to relax as the tension slowly leaves her body. “It’s over,” she says, more to herself than to me.

“Yeah,” I whisper, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “It’s over.”

But as I look out over the wreckage—the scorched earth, the broken trees, the lifeless body of the demon—I know our packs have a long way before we recover from this.