Page 57 of Hunter

They ran through the passageway toward the vestibule. “You go first,” Julian insisted, gesturing to the hole.

“No. This is my mess not yours.”

“I’ll be fine. Just go, Willa. We don’t have time.”

“Jules, please.” Moisture welled in her eyes as the smoke grew thicker. She coughed, the scent of Hell growing stronger.

“Stop arguing. The demons are going to be here any minute. I’m gonna use that spring water over there to help ward them off.”

“Water?” Tears streamed down her face as she shuffled forward in confusion.

“You’re not the only one who plays with magick, minha querida irmã. Now go,” he growled.

“I thought you said we shouldn’t play with…” Willa’s words trailed off as Julian lifted her by the waist, shoving her headfirst into the dark opening. With barely room to turn, she glanced back to her brother, the black smoke creeping up around her shoulders. “Julian! Hurry!”

“Don’t stop moving! Go! Go!” he yelled at her.

She scurried faster as Julian’s powerful energy touched her mind, urging her to flee. No, no, no. This can’t be happening.

Willa’s heart pounded against her ribs as she scrambled through the stone tunnel. A stabbing pain shot through her as a jagged rock tore through her jeans, slicing her knee. Her adrenaline kicked in, blocking the pain. Light blinded her eyes, fresh air rushing into her lungs as she emerged from the passageway. She tumbled into the brush, her hands plowing into the muddy earth.

Willa quickly shoved to her feet and peered back inside the hole, screaming for Julian. Thick smoke billowed from within, and she choked back the sulfur-tainted fumes. In a futile attempt to illuminate the tunnel, she forced her power to her hands. “Julian! Where are you? I can’t see you. Julian!”

Her stomach rolled as seconds ticked by. A deafening scream emanated from within, the dark howl of the demon beckoning her to Hell. The deathly sound overwhelmed her, and her head began to spin. Disoriented, she lifted her head, smacking it onto the passageway’s stone ceiling. Stumbling backwards, she struggled to stay conscious.

“You’re goin’ to be okay.” Hunter’s words registered as her vision blurred. Falling, she gasped as his strong arms caught her. Her limbs went limp within his embrace.

Julian. Help him. She screamed in her mind, but as the dizziness slammed into her, no words left her lips.

“Demons.” Hunter shook his head at Viktor.

Demons. The sting of the tears streaming down her face and her throbbing skull were the only things reminding her she was still alive. As the darkness tunneled in, she succumbed, unable to fight. Julian. Hell had taken him.

“Why, Willa?” Hunter whispered.

Willa’s heavy eyes refused to open but the Alpha’s calming presence surrounded her. The weight of his strong arms around her kept her grounded. Safe. Skin to skin, the warmth of her Alpha protected her.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you run. I shouldn’t have left you alone.”

Where is Julian? Demons. The jungle. Where am I? A fire of panic burned through her thoughts as she struggled to awaken. She attempted to shake off the fog.

You’re in my home. New Orleans. Hunter pressed his lips to the back of her head. “You’re safe.”

“Julian,” she managed in a whispered cry, blinking her eyes open.

“He’s going to be fine.”

“No,” she moaned. “They’ll kill him. We have to go back to Hell.”

“I promise we’ll find him. We can’t go back right now but I swear we will.”

Willa’s swollen eyes burned as she opened them. The gentle flame of the candlelit room made it easier to adjust to the dark. With no memory of leaving the jungle, she didn’t know where she was, but the comfort of his body surrounding her soothed her wolf. With her bare skin against his, she was reluctant to move.

“I destroyed the formula, but he wouldn’t come with me. He said something about the water. And magick. Why didn’t he just come with me?’

“Because he was protecting you.”

“But he could have escaped.”