Rage flares hot and vicious in my chest. They didn’t just test the boundary. They went straight for her. I don’t bother parking properly. The truck barely stops before I’m out of it, already moving toward the alley behind the bookstore.
The scent is stronger here. Fresh. He’s still here. Good. That means I don’t have to track him. I round the corner—and see him. Crouched at the back door, tools scattered at his feet, body angled like he’s deciding whether to try again. He hears me. Turns. His eyes flash in the dim light—too bright, too sharp. Shifter. Rogue. And stupid enough to come back after being warned.
“Wrong move,” I say, my voice low.
He grins, slow and feral. “Not for me.”
I don’t give him another second. I hit him hard. The impact drives him into the wall with a crack that echoes down the alley. He recovers fast—faster than most—but I’m already on him again. We clash—fists, claws, instinct. He’s younger. Stronger than average.
But he’s reckless.
That’s his weakness. Mine is?—
Rage. I use it anyway. He swings wide; I duck and drive my shoulder into his ribs, feeling something give under the force. He snarls, snapping at me with partially shifted teeth.
“Persistent,” he spits, circling.
“Stupid,” I correct.
He lunges again. This time, I let the shift come further. Not full. Not here. Not with her so close. But enough.
Strength floods my limbs, sharper, faster, more precise. My senses explode outward—the sound of her heartbeat inside the building, rapid and uneven, cuts through everything else.
Alive. Safe. For now. That’s all I need. I grab the rogue mid-lunge, slamming him down hard enough to crack the pavement beneath us.
“Who sent you?” I demand.
He laughs through bloodied teeth. “You already know.”
Felix. Of course. So really… Damon.
I tighten my grip. “Tell him this is his last warning.”
The rogue’s grin widens. “Or what?”
I lean closer, letting the animal slip into my voice. “Or next time, I don’t stop at warnings.”
Something in my tone lands. For the first time, uncertainty flickers in his eyes. Good. I shove him back, hard enough to send him skidding across the alley.
“Get out,” I growl.
He hesitates?—
Just for a second. Then he scrambles to his feet and bolts. I take a step after him, instinct screaming to finish it. End the threat. Make sure he never comes back. But I stop. Because of her.
Because I can still hear her inside. Because I already pushed things too far.
I drive my fist into his jaw. He goes limp for half a second—long enough for me to shift my grip?—
And then he shoves me off and bolts. I chase him to the edge of the alley?—
Then stop. Because I feel it. Her. Watching. I turn slowly. Tessa stands in the doorway, eyes wide. She saw everything. The speed. The strength. The inhuman way I moved. There’s no fixing this. No hiding it. I exhale slowly.
“It’s time I told you the truth.”
I turn toward the bookstore slowly, forcing myself to breathe. In. Out. Control it. Lock it down. The last thing she needs is to see me like that. Too late. I feel it before I see her.
That shift in the air. That awareness. I look up. She’s standing in the doorway. Watching.
