“Not yet. But I’m getting there.” I flip my clasped hands to cradle hers. “This helps.”
That soft smile of hers reserved just for me tugs up the corners of her lips. “I’m glad.”
Chapter 20
Jared
Today is the day. I’m finally ready to take off the dampening amulet. Nerves made for a fitful night of sleep, leaving my tired eyes feeling like sandpaper this morning. Still, I refuse to back out. I need to know whether I really can control my powers. Opening night of the Halloween festival is less than a week away—it’s now or never.
Hux is confident that, thanks to the generous size of my back garden, even if I have another power surge I’ll be far enough from the house not to cause any damage. Thankfully that means we’re doing this experiment away from the town’s prying eyes, no privacy wards necessary.
“Remember, once the amulet comes off, your power may try to force you to shift into your demon form again. If that happens, just go with it. The first shift can be uncomfortable, but fighting the process will only make it worse, understand?”
I shoot a nervous look at Selene where she’s perched a few feet away on the low wall separating the back patio from the lawn, then nod at Hux. “Got it.”
At first the news that I could end up sprouting horns and a bloody tail rattled me but, after seeing Huxley’s seamless shift, I’m less afraid—the guy’s demon form is badass.
“Ready?” Hux asks, hands hovering millimetres above the clasp of my necklace.
I take a deep breath and focus on the muted power inside me, imagining a still lake once again. “Do it.”
The weight of the amulet falls away. Magic swells within me, the lake in my mind’s eye once again going deeper, deeper. But unlike last time, I’m able to set the pace. I imagine myself sinking below the surface of the water, drifting towards the darkness at the bottom of the lake, into the unknown.
Minutes or hours pass by—I can’t tell—but eventually I feel my feet hit the lakebed. I look up, no longer able to see the sunlight dancing on the surface of the water. I’ve sunk further than I thought.
The dark water swirls around me, swallowing me whole. A scream bubbles up in my throat, but I bite it back, remembering what Hux said. I have to let the change happen.
Suddenly I’m back in the garden, blinking as my eyes get used to the harsh sunlight. The world looks different. Like I’ve been walking around with the wrong prescription in my glasses all this time and it’s finally fixed.
The pull I felt in my chest before has magnified tenfold, and I stagger forward, feeling like I’ll be torn apart if I don’t follow it. My gaze lands on Selene, and a low growl rumbles in the back of my throat.
“Mate.”
“Oh, shit.” My head swivels to look at the demon who dares to come near my mate. This weakling thinks he can take her from me?
I’ll kill him.
Power builds inside me as I prepare to destroy the demon who thinks he can steal my mate. Something pricks at the edge of my mind, telling me this isn’t right, but I shake it off.
He brought this on himself.
SELENE
“Mate.” Jared’s voice is low, guttural. He’s grown several inches, and his fair golden skin has turned a deep, dark green. Black claws tip each of his fingers, and a set of onyx horns has sprouted from his hairline, their pointed tips angled almost directly behind him.Oh boy. I’m in trouble. Waiting to tell Jared we’re mates suddenly seems like a fucking idiotic idea. I was going to tell him before he took off the amulet, but between the incident with the Devil’s Brew and his panic attack yesterday morning there hasn’t been a good time.
Now the amulet’s off, and Jared knows the truth. On its own, recognising the mate bond for the first time would be enough to ramp up his demonic instincts but, coupled with his first shift, Jared’s rational mind has been completely overrun.
“Oh, shit,” Huxley curses.
Like something out of a human horror film, Jared slowly turns his head to look at Hux and snarls. There’s no spark of recognition in his eyes, only burning rage. Raw power crackles in the air surrounding us, lifting the dark strands of my hair from my shoulders, and I realise what he’s planning to do.
Leaping between the two demons, I call out, “Jared, stop!”
My outstretched palms smack into his chest just as he lunges towards Huxley. His shifted form is bigger, broader, and the burgundy cotton of his t-shirt strains to accommodate him. He’s running hotter than a furnace too—not an uncommon side effect of a demon’s first shift according to Huxley but, if Jared doesn’t calm down and shift back soon, he’ll risk overwhelming his system.
“Mate.” Large hands grip my upper arms. I can feel the light prick of his claws through my dark wool coat.
“Yes, I’m yours,” I reassure him.
