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.