Page 84 of Bad Demon

Fern arched against the bed, panting and hissing as welts lifted on her arms.

I surged forward.

“Stay the hell back,” Sutton bit out. “I need to get to work, and I need to start now.”

Her gaze went to Jag. “If he tries to get closer when this starts, you’d better make yourself useful and stop him.”

Jagger nodded, and stepped in front of me, turning his back to Sutton and Fern.

As soon as he did, the witch slid the blanket off my Tinker Bell. There were more welts on her body now—her stomach and thighs.

“Let’s make you feel better, sister,” Sutton rasped. “It’s going to hurt at first, and I’m so sorry about that.”

My heart pounded in my ears. The thought of her suffering any more pain had the beast trying to break free and forced a growl from my chest.

“Easy,” Jag said. “Lock it down, brother. Let Sutton do her job. Let her help your female.”

I nodded, but every muscle in my body was rock-solid, and I was barely holding the beast back. There was no way I was leaving this room though, not a fucking chance, and Jagger knew it as well.

Sutton slipped off her jacket and draped it over the couch. A tiny bat, clung to the front of her shoulder.

“It’s okay, Boo,” she said, carefully removed it and putting it inside her jacket. “You stay in there. We’ll be done soon.”

She turned back, and the smile left her face, her expression shifting to one of determination. She rolled up her sleeves, then tied her wild blond hair back into a messy bun. Her eyes closed, and she rubbed her hands together as she muttered words—a spell. The veins in her throat turned black again, but this time, it traveled higher—over her jaw, her cheeks, the darkness pooling below her eyes. When she finally opened them, the whites were stained black as well.

Emotions bombarded me—sensations that were still so new. The biggest was fear that I’d lose Fern. I wanted to shove Sutton away. I didn’t know her, and I didn’t trust her, but she was all we had. I kept reminding myself that Magnolia wouldn’t send anyone here unless she trusted them.

Sutton climbed onto the bed beside Fern, staring down at her with those black eyes and bright red irises, and a magical wind whipped around the witch as she picked up the small pot containing the potion she’d just mixed. Dipping her finger into it, she whispered, repeating her spell, not even stopping when she inhaled, so the words were an unbroken loop of magic.

One by one, Sutton smeared her potion on every single scar on Fern’s skin, and with every application, Fern’s cries grew louder, more agonized.

“You’re hurting her,” I snarled.

Sutton ignored me and continued spelling, applying her potion while Fern screamed in pain.

The beast roared. My mate was in pain. She needed me.

“Brick!” Jagger yelled.

The young hound burst through the door, and froze, his gaze locked on the bed. I turned to him and roared again, so loud that he took a step back before he quickly averted his eyes. Jagger barked another order at him, but I didn’t hear it because all rational thought had left me. The more my Tink screamed, the more the beast shoved at my control.

My face changed, my fangs elongated, and my claws burst from the ends of my fingers. I was about to shift, and there was no stopping it. Red rage filled my eyes.

Someone shoved me back—hard.

Warrick. He stood in front of me.

Our alpha held me against the wall, his beast’s eyes locking with mine. “Stand down,” he barked. “You do not fucking shift, understand?”

I snarled, but I had no choice but to listen to War’s order and the dominance of his beast pulling me back from the edge. I panted, hissing through my teeth as Fern continued to scream and thrash.

Sutton was straddling her, holding her down as she smeared on more of her potion. “Charming, I need you over here to hold her down.”

Jagger cursed but did as she said, and I lost it all over again.

“Let him help,” War barked. “He’s not trying to take your female from you. You know that, brother. Let him help her.”

I knew it. Rationally, I knew it, but the animal in me did not. What I wanted to do and what my alpha commanded were two different things, and it was as if I were being torn down the fucking middle.

---