Page 27 of Secrets and Shadows

Still nothing.Fuck.Anger bubbles up inside me, mixing with fear for her safety. My heart pounds in my chest as panic rises within me. I was supposed to help her explore the limits of her newfound magic, not make her lose herself to it.

I go to call her name again and remember our safe word.

“RENEGADE!” The word erupts from my mouth and in an instant, her magic dissipates into thin air.

Lilith blinks rapidly, confusion etched on her face as if she’s coming back to reality after being lost in a trance. What the hell was that? Was the Headmistress right to find her suspicious? And if not, does that make her an even bigger target?

Before I can begin to process it all, I sense a shift in the energy at the edge of the forest. Every nerve in my body tingles with warning, telling me that danger is nearby. The ground beneath my feet rumbles ominously.Shit. Shit.

Fuck.

“S-simon?” Lilith’s soft voice cuts through the tension, but I quickly put a finger to my lips, signaling her to stay silent.

We may be far from the northern shore, but the recent Rogue attacks have made them unpredictable. Having Lilith by my sideonly adds to the complexity of the situation. Every muscle in my body is tense with the need to protect her.

Though her powers are impressive, they’re still new and uncontrolled, and I can sense that she’s likely depleted after the earlier display. She’s not ready for a real fight yet.

“Lilith, listen to me,” I whisper urgently. “You need to run back to the academy. Once you reach the stairs, you’ll be safe inside its protective shield, okay?” I glance back at her and see her lips part as if she wants to argue. “This is for your own safety. I can’t do my job if I have to protect you, too.”

The rumbling intensifies, and I can almost taste the tainted energy in the air. In an instant, my bear form materializes beside me, instinct kicking in.

With a quick hand gesture, I urge Lilith to go. She takes off immediately, and I sprint toward the forest, adrenaline coursing through my veins. It doesn’t take long to spot the figure lurking near the academy. As I suspected, his bald head is marked with Rogue symbols—thin, stick-like markings we’ve yet to decipher.

Our eyes lock for a fleeting moment, his almost-white orbs reflecting a wild determination. He’s quick and agile, staying a step ahead of me for a short while, but it doesn’t last long. It never lasts long. The Rogues are no match on their own.

In one swift motion, I detach from my bear, which charges at him, closing the distance in seconds. With a fierce snarl, it lunges, its razor-sharp paws slashing at the Rogue. He stumbles, attempting to conjure a protective spell, but it’s futile. My bear’s claws rip through him, and he collapses to the ground, desperately trying to save himself. But it’s too late—his strength is rapidly draining away along with his life.

In an instant, I’m on top of him, my hands wrapping around his throat. I tighten my grip, cutting off his air supply. Anger and frustration surge through me as I demand answers.

“Why are you here?” I growl, my voice low and deadly, not unlike the bear my Shadow emulates. “Answer me, and I’ll grant you a merciful death.”

A sickening smile spreads across his face, as if he relishes being caught and is thrilled by how close he came to the academy—how close he was to harming us.

“He’s here,” he rasps, blood spraying from his lips with each strained breath.

I loosen my hold slightly, “Who? Who is here?” I demand, but it’s too late. The damage to his lungs by my bear must’ve been severe.

There’s no response except for the eerie silence of the forest around us. I watch the life fade from him, leaving my question unanswered.

Eleven

KAI

When fate weavesits threads to create mates, the bond they form overcomes anything else. It’s an all-consuming devotion, a filthy obsession, a twisted fixation—every emotion heightening to its peak, integrating into your very essence as much as your own magic. It devours every cell of your being to the point you can barely function.

I used to think people exaggerated when they spoke of their fated mates. How could someone blend with you so seamlessly that you feel incomplete without their presence?

But then I met Lilith Knight.

Onelook at her is all it took for me toknow.

It’s as if the stars aligned for us to cross paths. Or, rather, simply pass by one another. She hasn’t noticed me yet, not fully. Not while I linger in the shadows, watching her from afar. I hate how much power she holds over me already, even though she remains blissfully unaware of our connection.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?” she says to the Prey guy who has practically been her shadow for the past month. They’ve been spending more and more time together, but she doesn’t seem to notice the way he stares at her.

“Maybe before class? We could meet at the library,” he suggests, his eyes fixed on her face.

“That sounds great,” she replies, and they finally part ways.

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