Logan held me tightly, his body radiating warmth and reassurance, but my mind churned with unease. The connection to the demon wasn’t fully severed-I could feel it, like an ember smoldering beneath ash, waiting for the right moment to ignite again. And Warwick… even after everything, I knew he wasn’t done.
“We need to move,” Mal’s sharp voice cut through the quiet. She wiped sweat from her brow, her face pale but determined. “The chamber won’t hold much longer, and if that demon isn’t fully purged…” She didn’t need to finish. The look in her eyes said it all-time was running out.
Logan nodded, his jaw clenched tight. “I’m calling the pack,” he said, his voice steady despite the tension thrumming through him. “If Warwick is out there, we’re going to need all the help we can get. Mal, can you keep Audrey stable?”
Mal knelt beside me, her gaze flicking to my trembling hands and the faint, dark tendrils still curling under my skin. “I’ll do what I can, but this is far beyond anything I’ve handled before. If that demon flares up again…” Her eyes darkened. “I can’t promise she’ll survive.”
“I’ll survive,” I said, my voice hoarse but firm. “We don’t have a choice. Warwick isn’t going to stop until he gets what he wants-and if he succeeds…” My throat tightened. “That demon won’t just be inside me. It’ll consume everything.”
Logan’s grip on my arm tightened. “Not if I can help it.” He stepped back, pulling a sleek, engraved phone from his pocket. With a quick swipe, he dialed a number and brought the phone to his ear.
I could barely make out the low rumble of someone answering. Logan’s face hardened. “It’s Logan. We’re at the Nexus chamber, and it’s bad. Warwick’s still alive, and he summoned… something. It possessed Audrey.” His eyes flicked to me, his expression pained. “We need everyone. Bring the pack to the castle ruins-now.”
He hung up and stuffed the phone back into his pocket. “They’ll be here in an hour.”
Mal let out a low whistle. “Calling the whole pack? That’s not just reinforcements; that’s a declaration of war.”
“It’s already war,” Logan said grimly, helping me to my feet. His hands lingered on my waist as I wavered. “We can’t let Warwick regroup. And whatever’s left of that demon…” He exhaled sharply. “We end it tonight.”
“Bold words,” Mal muttered. “But we’re working on a countdown, Castlefield. That thing’s grip on Audrey isn’t loosening-it’s evolving.”
I shuddered at her words, my body betraying me with a ripple of dark energy that pulsed beneath my skin. Mal swore and pressed her hand against my shoulder, murmuring incantations that helped the shadows recede, but their presence lingered like a toxic stain.
“Let’s get her out of here,” Logan said, his voice leaving no room for argument. “We’ll regroup outside.”
We emerged into the moonlit clearing just beyond the ruins, the crisp night air sharp against my heated skin. Logan remained at my side, his eyes scanning the tree line for any sign of his pack.
Mal busied herself with creating protective wards around the perimeter. She muttered under her breath, her hands glowing faintly as she etched symbols into the ground. “This won’t hold forever,” she warned. “But it should buy us some time.”
I sank onto a boulder, pressing my palms to my knees as I tried to steady my breathing. The demon’s voice had gone quiet, but I could feel it lurking just below the surface, a cruel smile I couldn’t quite see.
“You’re stronger than this,” I whispered to myself. “You have to be.”
Logan crouched in front of me, his hazel eyes glowing faintly in the moonlight. “Hey,” he said softly, his hand brushing against mine. “You’re not alone in this.”
The tenderness in his voice cut through some of my fear. I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat. “I know. I just… I don’t know how much longer I can keep it contained.”
“You don’t have to,” he said firmly. “That’s why we’re all here-to make sure you don’t have to fight this alone.”
A distant howl broke the quiet, and Logan straightened, his entire body going taut. “They’re here.”
A few moments later, a group of figures emerged from the darkness-dozens of them, their eyes glowing in the dim light, their movements fluid and predatory. They moved as one, their presence radiating strength and unity. At the head of the pack was a towering man with graying hair and an air of authority that rivaled Logan’s.
“Logan,” the man greeted, his deep voice reverberating through the clearing. “This had better be worth the risk.”
“It is, Cyrus,” Logan replied. “Warwick’s alive, and he’s summoned something more powerful than anything we’ve faced before. Audrey…” He glanced at me, his expression pained. “She’s the vessel. If we don’t stop it, the demon will fully possess her-and everyone’s screwed.”
Cyrus’s sharp gaze landed on me, assessing. He didn’t offer any comfort, but his nod carried the weight of acceptance. “Then we do whatever it takes.”
“What’s the plan?” one of the wolves asked, his voice tinged with urgency.
“We split into two groups,” Logan said, taking command. “Cyrus, take half the pack and search for Warwick. If he’s still nearby, we can’t let him slip away. The rest will stay here with me. We hold the line and deal with the demon.”
“And her?” Cyrus jerked his head toward me.
Logan’s jaw tightened. “She’s not giving up without a fight. Neither are we.”
The wolves around him nodded, their resolve palpable. Logan turned to Mal. “Any progress with binding spells?”
“I can hold it back,” she said, “but I can’t destroy it. Not without more time-and resources we don’t have out here.”
“What about weakening the bond?” Logan asked, his gaze sharp.
Mal hesitated, then sighed. “I have an idea, but it’s risky. If we force the demon into manifesting fully, we might be able to break its connection to Audrey before it stabilizes.”
“And if we fail?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper.
Mal’s expression darkened. “If we fail, it will consume you completely. And then we’ll have to kill you to stop it.”
The weight of her words hit hard, but I refused to let fear paralyze me. I pushed myself to my feet, meeting her gaze. “Then we don’t fail.”
Logan stepped closer, his presence a steadying force. “We won’t let it come to that. We’re with you, Audrey.”
The wolves around us growled their agreement, their collective strength bolstering my resolve. For the first time since this nightmare began, I felt a flicker of hope. Together, we had a chance-no matter the odds.