Page 64 of Bully Alpha's Secret Baby

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 athudas 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.

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