She's standing there with her arms spread out to her sides, curls ablaze with crimson fire that spreads down to her fingertips, her eyes burning pits of red. Every inch of her burns, as if she'd been set alight, but the fire isn't alarming; it isn't consuming.
Instead, it's a fire she's able to use as she lifts her palms in front of her, forming a triangle with her forefingers and thumb. From it, fire shoots through, directed at the demon that rears its ugly self toward her.
The demon stands no chance, burning midair, ashes flitting to the ground along with a sizzling sound.
The fire covering Sophie disappears, her eyes returning to their normal shade of brown, full of fear.
She meets my wolf eyes, and I shift back into human form, but it's not fear for my shift that has her panting or sweating with fright.
Tears stream from her eyes, and she spins around and bolts into the cabin, slamming the door shut and leaving me standing there, frozen, in shock.
Did I just witness Sophie killing a demon?
Yes.
Yes, I did. But how?
Is this what the research team meant when they suspected that fire was awakening? Is Sophie linked to the Ashclaw Pack that's been extinct for decades?
It's impossible. Sophie is human.
And that human just used explosive firepower to burn a demon into nothing but ashes.
While I'm reeling from the shock, I know what I have to do. I need to go in there and check up on her.
Chapter 8 - Sophie
My heart threatens to burst right out of my chest as I slam the bedroom door shut and lock it behind me, sliding to the floor as heat still surrounds my body. With trembling fingers reaching for my temples, I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to get control of my breathing, trying to stop my head from spinning.
But nothing works.
I'm burning all over, and whatever just happened…
No, nothing happened.
That's what I keep trying to tell myself, but there's a knock on the door, and a gentle voice that pulls me into the reality of what actually happened.
“Sophie…are you okay in there?” Damian asks sweetly, and I hate how my body responds to his voice with desperation. I hate how my heart squeezes with an ache so ancient that it hurts my chest.
“Go away…” I mutter, but I hear Damian trying the door. Groaning, I pull myself together, get to my feet, and open the door only a crack.
The moment I see his face, a surge of violence spreads through me, and I blame him for everything. Whatever is going on is Damian's fault.
Damian's fault for bringing me here.
Damian's fault for forcing me to marry him.
Damian's fault for even existing.
“What did you do to me?!” I demand, watching as his brows furrow.
“I didn't do anything to you, Sophie,” he defends with quiet confidence, but I shake my head fervently as I throw the door all the way open and glare up at him.
Something inside me, while I was outside, snapped, responded to danger, and now, my fists are responding to Damian being close as I curl in defiance.
“You did! Something happened out there, and it was because of you!”
As I lift my fists to pound at his chest in frustration, Damian seizes my wrists and stops me, staring deeply, firmly into my eyes.
