“She’s fucking shifting, and I can’t do a damn thing! What is the demon doing?” I roared.
Tajah and Bram could not break concentration. They were chanting like they always did. It became louder and louder, the brightness of the candles becoming brighter and brighter. This time, the candles did not give way, and neither did they while I continued to throw out curses.
My friends stood in the corner, unsure of what to do. Hell, even I didn’t know what to do. She was force shifting under duress. My mate was due to shift soon, luckily due to her genetics, but I had hoped I had more time after this demon was permanently out of her system.
It was a damn dream. How could she shift because of a dream!
“Fuck, fuck! What is going on?”
My mate let out a scream, her body shaking as it completes the shift.
“Shit, she forced a shift.” Bones ran up to the circle, jumping over the candles that violently waved at the wind he created. He grabbed my hand and forced me to touch her with both of my hands. “Keep your hand on her. I’m going to get some water; she’s burning up, and she’s barely breathing.” Bones leaped out of the circle, being careful not to touch Tajah and Bram.
Panic welled inside me. My body, my heart, and soul were crushing with every second that passed. My life was on this table, my damn world. My mate had taken these exorcisms so well, and fuck, she came out smiling every time.
They were worse than what she was telling me. Was I so blind to, or did I not want to know what she was suffering? I was a fool, yet again.
“You are not a fool. She was—is too damn strong. She wanted us happy too,” my grizzly tried to calm me. His anger rose. “I will always be in her mind after this; she will never have any privacy,” he growled.“Now stop being a prick and beating yourself up. This is harder than all the others. This demon has saved all its power until the very end. It damn well knew what it was doing.”
I snarled, my body shaking with anger.
I closed my eyes and let my fingers sink into her soft fur. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. She was supposed to be awake, to enjoy her body changing into her animal. I had plans, wanted to talk her through this, to let her become one with her bear.
Damnit!
My eyes darted toward Bones as he burst into the room, clutching the bucket of water. My chest tightened with a sudden sense of urgency, and I knew that I had to act fast.
“What are you waiting for?” I snapped at Bones. “Pour it over her! Do it now!”
Without a second thought, Bones dumped the bucket of water over her limp body. I watched with bated breath as the water cascaded over her, her fur now matted against her skin. But nothing happened.
I couldn’t believe it. Was it possible that this demon had finally succeeded in taking her life?
“Come on, little bee,” I whispered, my voice choked with emotion. “Don’t give up on me now.”
And then, just as I was about to lose all hope, I saw the slightest movement from her chest. A gasp of air.
“She took a breath!” I shouted, my heart swelling with relief.
Bones grabbed a stethoscope and put it over my mate’s small body. “Her heart is still slowing.” Bones shook his head.
The chanting continued, and Tajah looked up at me with hopelessness in her eyes. They were giving up.
“No, the fuck you are not,” I whispered. “You keep doing your voodoo shit!” I yelled.
I turned to Journey, who was coming toward me already. The Goddess had to do something. This wasn’t the end. I couldn’t have my mate give up. I would not give up, not when I just found her.
“Please, Journey.” I kneeled before her. “Please don’t let this thing take my mate away. I just got her. I’m not ready to give her up. She doesn’t deserve it. Nadia deserves to live more than me. What can I do? I’ll pray more. I’ll do damn anything.”
I pulled on Journey’s arms, hearing a growl from Grim, but he did nothing when I tugged on Journey’s arms more. I would never do such groveling to anyone, but I couldn’t let my mate be taken. Surely Grim had to understand that.
Journey got on the floor with me, her lip shaking along with mine. Nadia had become a friend to Journey as well. Surely she could see that.
“Nadia thinks it’s real. She thinks the dream is real. You have to make her see that it’s fake, that it’s a dream,” she said.
Nadia had told me countless times before she could tell when it was fake. Why did she feel that it was real, and how could I stop it?
“What do I do?” I begged again. “What will the Goddess have me do? Tell me, and I will listen!” I pleaded with Journey, but she shook her head.
