Page 64 of Spike

What if I never saw Spike again? What if the last conversation we had was about the dinner I was supposed to make that night?

"Spike," I whispered to the empty cell. "What are you doing now?"

18

SPIKE/ GRAY

SPIKE

My heart lurched in my chest, the steady rhythm of my patrol shattered by a sudden surge of panic that wasn't my own. It was Gray’s. He was in danger.

Without hesitation, I sprinted in the direction of his fear, every instinct screaming at me to reach him. As I ran, anger bubbled up inside me, fierce and unrelenting.

Jack and his wolves wouldn’t dare enter Moon Burrow to snatch Gray, would they?

Jack has a dragon on his side, my grizzly reminded me. I faltered in my steps, panting.

Gray's fear started to fade, not because he was out of danger, but because he was slipping away from me.

The connection we shared, that bond between us, it was weakening, stretching thin like a thread about to snap.

And with every passing moment, Gray was getting further and further away from me, and there wasn't a damn thing I could do about it.

A wave of helplessness washed over me, drowning me in a sea of frustration and fear.

It felt like I was stuck in quicksand, unable to move, unable to do anything to help Gray.

Then, out of nowhere, a panicked raven’s shriek pierced the silence of the woods, snapping me out of my reverie.

I looked around and saw Julian hurtling towards me, his wings flapping frantically.

He landed with a thud, his breathing ragged as he quickly shifted back to his human form.

“Spike,” he gasped, his voice urgent, “a dragon came out of nowhere, right out of the clouds and snatched Gray while he was in his car.”

The words hit me like a punch to the gut, leaving me reeling. My mind raced, trying to process the enormity of what Julian had just said.

Gray, taken, ripped away from me in an instant.

The helplessness I had felt before surged back with a vengeance, threatening to overwhelm me. But I couldn't afford to fall apart now. Not when Gray needed me the most.

“Spike, what are we going to do?" Julian's voice trembled with worry, his eyes pleading for answers.

I could see the anguish etched on his face, the weight of guilt bearing down on him.

It would have been easy to succumb to anger, to blame Julian for not preventing the dragon shifter from snatching Gray.

After all, I had entrusted him with Gray's safety, and he had failed. But as I looked into his eyes, I saw the same fear and desperation mirrored in them. He was suffering too.

But this wasn't solely his fault. I had underestimated Jack's ruthlessness, his willingness to go to any lengths to get what he wanted.

Taking a deep breath, I fought to calm the storm raging inside me. Running around aimlessly wouldn't solve anything.

"I need to inform Venom and the others," I said, my voice steady despite the turmoil within me. "We need to regroup and come up with a strategy."

Julian's shoulders sagged with relief at my words, but I could still see the lingering doubt in his eyes.

"It's not your fault, Julian," I reassured him, though the words felt hollow even to my own ears.

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