Chapter 21

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Justice's gaze locked onto me, and my breath caught in my throat. The warm, protective gaze I'd come to cherish was gone, replaced by a cold fury that pierced through me.

"I'm in charge, Sawyer. Not you." His voice dripped with menace.

His hands curled into tight fists, knuckles white with strain. As he pulled back his lips, the sight of his sharp fangs sent a jolt of primal fear through me. For a heartbeat, I was frozen, my mind reeling back to stories of my mother's murder. Was this the terror she felt in her final moments, facing a vampire consumed by bloodlust?

This creature before me wore Justice's face, but everything else about him was wrong. The loving mate I knew had vanished, leaving something feral and dangerous.

Garrick's hand clamped on my arm, yanking me backward. "Sawyer, get out of here," he hissed urgently. "He's gone primitive, regressed to a time when vampires were first created. All he knows now is the lust for blood."

The words cut deep into my heart. Part of me wanted to heed Garrick's warning, to flee from this terrifying version of Justice. Yet a deeper, more stubborn part refused to give up.

I wrenched my arm from Garrick's grasp, my decision already made. "No," I insisted, my voice stronger than I felt. "He's my mate. I have to save him."

As I stepped toward Justice, I felt Garrick's fear for me and practically heard Maggie's unspoken objection. But I pushed forward. Justice was still in there beneath this violent facade. I would bring him back, no matter the cost.

I thrust the mirror toward Justice, my arms quivering with hope and fear. Yet, as the silvered surface caught his reflection, my heart plummeted. There was no flash of recognition, no moment of clarity washing over his features.

He kept advancing, his gaze locked on me with an intensity that made my blood run cold. This wasn't the look of my lover, my mate. This was the stare of a predator, filled with nothing but hate and hunger.

Panic clawed at my insides as beads of sweat trickled down my temples. I shook the mirror frantically as if I could somehow jolt it into working. "Why isn't it working?" I called to Garrick, my voice cracking.

Soft footsteps edged behind me, and I looked over my shoulder.

Garrick's eyes never left Justice. "Because he can't see his reflection," he replied grimly. "You need to run, Sawyer. Now."

Shit-shit-shit-shit.

How could I possibly outrun a vampire? It was laughable, a cruel joke in the face of certain doom.

"I'll draw him off," Garrick offered, his body tensing as if preparing to spring into action. "Give you a chance to escape."

Adrenaline gushed through me like a roaring river, my heart thundering. Every instinct screamed at me to flee, but a stubborn part of my brain refused to give in. I cast a frantic glance at the dark forest surrounding us. "Escape? Where would I go? To have a party with the lust demons?"

Garrick's expression hardened. "He'll kill you, Sawyer," he snapped. "You're not a supernatural. You're human. Right now, you're food to him."

His words shocked me like I'd stuck my finger in a light socket, but as they sank in, something else rose to the surface. A truth so fundamental, so undeniable, that it cut through my fear like a blade.

I was human, yes. But I was something else, too. I was Justice's mate. We were bonded.

"That's it." I stepped away from Garrick, my gaze fixed on Justice's approaching form.

My mind screamed at me to turn and run, shrieking that this was pure madness. But my heart, my soul, knew what I had to do. Love conquered all, didn't it? That phrase was famous and timeless for a reason.

As I moved toward Justice, Garrick's voice rang out behind me, filled with confusion and fear. "Sawyer, what are you doing?"

I didn't answer. I couldn't explain the certainty that filled me, driving me forward despite the terror still coursing through my veins. Justice was in there somewhere beneath this feral, bloodthirsty exterior. And I would reach him no matter the cost.

With each step, I felt like I was walking a tightrope between salvation and destruction. I pressed on, clinging to the hope that our bond, our love, would be strong enough to break through whatever dark spell had ensnared him.

It had to be. Because if it wasn't, I was walking straight into the arms of death.

In a heartbeat, Justice transformed into a blur of motion. My breath caught in my throat as I realized what was happening. Before I could react, invisible hands seized me, yanking me off the ground with terrifying force.

"Justice, no!" Garrick's anguished cry echoed, but it was too late.

My world spun as I was slammed against something unyielding. The impact rattled my bones and sent shockwaves of pain through me. My vision swam, unable to focus on anything but the face inches from mine.

Justice's eyes burned with an inhuman hunger. His lips curled into a cruel smirk as he spoke, his voice dripping with malice. "Prepare to meet Jesus."

Time seemed to slow as he threw his head back. Moonlight glinted off his fangs, now fully extended and razor-sharp. True fear gripped me, squeezing the air from my lungs.

Then came the pain.

Justice's fangs tore into my flesh with savage brutality. This wasn't the gentle, almost hesitant bite I'd experienced before. This was primal, cruel, designed to inflict maximum suffering. I gasped, the agony stealing my voice.

He sucked hard, greedily drinking my blood. Each pull sent waves of dizziness washing over me. Yet, as my strength ebbed away, I didn't fight him. I couldn't. My entire being was focused on one desperate hope. That somehow, this would break through the spell.

As my consciousness faded, a single tear escaped, trailing down my cheek. With the last of my strength, I whispered, "Justice, no matter what happens…I love you."

My legs gave way, and my head lolled back. The bitter irony wasn't lost on me. I'd spent my entire life trying not to become my mother, determined not to die at the hands of a vampire. Yet here I was, with history cruelly repeating itself.

Darkness crept in at the edges of my vision, and a montage of memories flashed before me. My mother's smile. The first time I met Justice. All the moments that led to this point.

I closed my eyes, bracing myself for whatever came next. Would I see my mom again? The thought brought a strange mixture of comfort and regret.

Then, as the last threads of consciousness slipped away, everything went dark.