She sat alone on the plush sofa in the living room, staring at the ceiling. The silence in the mansion was heavy.
"Warning," Sev's voice suddenly blared in her head, loud and urgent. "Critical energy spike detected in the basement. Target Josue Wolfe is experiencing a secondary ability rampage. Lethal threshold approaching."
She shot up from the sofa.
A secondary rampage. If he died, the contract would flag her for abuse, and the rest of them would kill her before the authorities even arrived.
She sprinted toward the basement stairs, her boots slamming against the steps.
A terrifying crash echoed from below, followed by the sound of metal tearing.
She burst into the basement corridor.
Josue was completely out of control. His human form was slipping. Thick, silver fur sprouted along his arms and neck. His face was elongated, his jaw snapping with lethal wolf fangs.
He grabbed Alfie by the throat and hurled him across the room like a ragdoll. Alfie slammed into the iron bars of the cell and collapsed, gasping for air.
Buren was huddled in the corner, holding his head, too terrified to move.
Josue threw his head back and let out a blood-curdling howl. The raw energy radiating from him made the air feel thick and suffocating.
"Josue!" she screamed.
His head snapped toward her. His eyes were pools of boiling blood. He didn't recognize her. He only saw a target.
He dropped to all fours and launched himself at her.
"Run!" Alfie choked out from the floor.
She didn't run. She planted her feet.
As Josue's massive, clawed hands reached for her throat, she closed her eyes and visualized the core of her consciousness. She pushed every ounce of her spiritual energy outward in a massive, invisible wave.
The energy hit him like a physical wall.
Josue froze mid-air. He crashed onto the floor right at her feet, his claws stopping less than an inch from her boots.
She dropped to her knees. She reached out and grabbed his face.
His skin was burning hot. He flinched violently, a low growl tearing from his throat, but his body refused to pull away. The biological need for a female's soothing overrode his hatred.
She leaned forward and pressed her forehead against his.
The physical world vanished.
She was suddenly standing in the middle of a raging, blood-red ocean. Massive waves of pain and fury crashed around her. This was Josue's spiritual landscape. It was a place of endless torture.
She took a deep breath. She imagined her energy as a cool, white light. She pushed it out, letting it spread over the boiling water.
Calm down, she projected into the storm. You're safe.
The red waves fought back, trying to drown her in his agony. She gritted her teeth, pushing harder. The white light expanded, smoothing out the violent ripples, cooling the burning air.
In the real world, Josue let out a ragged gasp.
The tension drained from his muscles. The silver fur receded into his skin. His claws shrank back into normal fingernails.
He slumped forward, his heavy head resting on her shoulder. He let out a soft, unconscious sound—a mix between a sigh and a purr.
She opened her eyes. The basement came back into focus.
Alfie was staring at her, his jaw completely unhinged.
She tried to pull back from Josue, but a sudden, overwhelming wave of dizziness hit her. The spiritual output had completely drained her weak body.
Black spots danced in her vision. Her arms lost all strength.
She swayed backward, falling toward the hard concrete floor.
Before she could hit the ground, a strong arm wrapped tightly around her waist.
Josue's eyes snapped open. The red was gone, replaced by clear, vibrant green. He caught her effortlessly, pulling her back against his broad chest.
She leaned her head back against his shoulder, too weak to hold it up. She was panting, her skin slick with cold sweat.
Josue stared down at her. His chest was rising and falling rapidly against her back. The look in his eyes was pure chaos. He hated her, but she had just given him the most profound peace he had ever felt.
She managed a weak, trembling smile.
"Looks like..." she whispered, her voice barely audible. "...my life is saved."
The darkness rushed in, and she completely lost consciousness.
