Page 23 of Dead Wolf Falling (Bad Moon Academy 2)

Chapter 6

CARTER

Raven’s head is bowed, and her hair creates a curtain around her, but the red strands don’t block the sobs. Jinx watches her with wide eyes, excitement flaring over her face. This is what she does. She breaks shifters before feasting on them. Raven is just another meal to Jinx. She doesn’t know who she’s dealing with though. Raven conceals it well, and her soul may be a little splintered, but in spite of it all, she loves fiercely, and she’ll do anything to protect her friends. I knew the moment she befriended Bea.

The poor child who’s too young to be taken into a place like this. A house of horrors for a spurned demon. Jinx, the human with demon blood was turned into a shifter. Our asshole alpha uses her to gain more power, and in turn, she gets to take as many changed shifters within our territory as she wants. Sometimes she plays with her food, like with the guys and me, slowly dragging it out across the years. Other times she doesn’t hesitate to steal the wolves from the shifters and suck their souls from their bodies.

What she did was purely to fuck with Raven, and I’ve never hated her more than I do now. Her oil-like power still holds me in place, so I can’t go to Raven no matter how much I want to. Neither can the others. We’re helpless to her power.

Damn it all.

“Here’s what I need from you.” Jinx leaves Layla’s side and squats in front of Raven, holding the black sword in front of her like a staff.

Raven lifts her head, glaring at her. “Go to Hell.”

Jinx snickers. “Bold of you to assume I’m not already there. Earth is sort of like the Underworld, you know? More green plants, but honestly, the two places aren’t so different.” She reaches out to brush a lock of hair from Raven’s face.

“Don’t touch me.” Raven swats her hand away.

With a slight frown, Jinx pouts her lower lip. “Fine, but you’ll still have to play along.”

“Play along?” Raven asks, sliding her eyes to me.

“You play my game, and I won’t kill your friends.” Jinx grins like she’s delivering good news.

I press my lips into a line and shake my head, trying to tell Raven not to agree. Nothing good can come from making deals with this demon.

“What do I have to do?” Raven asks, tucking her hair behind her ears and straightening her shoulders.

She’s so ready to do whatever Jinx wants to keep others safe.

“Well,” Jinx says, adjusting the top of her corset dress. “The first part is easy; you keep doing what you’ve been doing all along.”

Raven’s eyebrows press together much to Jinx’s delight.

“All you have to do is continue going to class.”

“What’s the catch?” she asks.

Jinx tilts her head to the side. “You promise to come to my party next weekend.”

The full moon ritual. The entire reason she was brought here in the first place. If Jinx is willing to bind Raven in a deal, she’s afraid the wards will be broken again. I’m sure the fae’s magic breaking her little spell pissed her off.

Raven squints and glances at Draco.

“Don’t,” he says.

Jinx taps her nails on the blade of the sword, drawing Raven’s attention. “Draco’s never been a good team player, but you will be, won’t you?”

Layla moves on the ground, slow and painful. Raven’s face pinches in frustration. She doesn’t want to agree, but she clearly isn’t selfish enough to let Layla die.

“Fine, I promise to come to your stupid party.”

Shoving her hand out, Jinx winks at her. “Shake on it?”

Eyeing the demon’s hand like it might bite, Raven slowly places her palm against Jinx’s. Jinx wraps her fingers around hers, and her eyes turn from white to black, a startling transition, as she channels her demon power. When she starts whispering in her demon tongue, Raven tries to pull away, but it’s too late. The deed is done. Her fate is sealed.

“Good,” Jinx whispers in English when she finishes her chanting. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to finish my dessert.

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