Page 55 of Reluctant Rebel

The taunt worked, and Z scales melted away. His body flowed like liquid mercury back into human form, and within moments, a handsome man stood before her, his eyes glinting with amusement. He ran a hand through his tousled hair and smirked. “Like I said,mouthy. I must say, I didn't expect such a fight from you.” His voice was smooth as silk, with a hint of grudging admiration. “No wonder my dear brother is so captivated.”

She glared at him, chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath. Her muscles ached from the intense battle, but adrenaline still coursed through her veins. She hated that she was naked while Z’s skinwalker abilities allowed him to transform with clothes. “Mikhail isn’t captivated,” was all she could think to say. Because if he was, her soon-to-be death was going to devastate him.

Z took a step closer, his smirk widening. “Now, how about we stop these little games, and I give you a command instead, hmm?”

Jinx’s heart raced, her mind whirling as she sought an escape. She couldn’t allow Z to control her. She’d die first. She stepped back, her bare foot landing on a rock and cutting deep. Flinching, she looked down, seeing rocks, dirt, and debris. In a flash, she snatched up a handful of dirt from the ground and threw it in Z's face. He cursed and covered his eyes, giving her enough time to dodge around him. She sprinted out of the cave, spying a beach in the distance. Her feet sank into the cool sand as she ran towards the shore. Behind her, she could hear Z cursing and scrambling to chase after her.

Jinx ran as fast as she could, adrenaline pumping through her veins as she darted through the trees and brush. With every step, she prayed for some kind of miracle—a hidden path or aboat or something. As she reached the edge of the beach and saw nothing but an endless ocean before her, she knew that there would be no escaping that way.

Panic began to set in as Z's footsteps grew closer behind her, and she took off in the opposite direction. When he started yelling at her, she covered her ears, hoping it would be enough to stop his words from penetrating her mind. She kept running until she reached the cliffs at the edge of the beach. Without hesitation, she leapt off the edge and plunged into the cold water below. The impact knocked the breath out of her, and for a moment, all she could see was darkness. But then she surfaced and gasped for air, treading water as she frantically looked around for any sign of land. To her relief, she spotted a small rocky island not too far away from where she had jumped. With renewed determination and the speck of Z disappearing from the clifftop, she swam towards it with all her might.

When she finally reached land and dragged herself onto shore, she allowed herself a moment of rest before struggling to her feet. Her inner tiger was just as exhausted as she was—not to mention injured—and she knew shifting was not going to be an option for a while.

The tiny island was barren: nothing but jagged rocks and sparse vegetation surrounded by endless ocean. She must be on the very edge of Purgatory. It would offer very little protection if Z decided to shift into a shark and chase after her. The vision of Z as a pissed-off Great White made her giggle—she was a little hysterical, so sue her— but the guy was just crazy enough to do it.

Her body convulsed with violent tremors as she staggered toward a large rock, collapsing against its rough surface. Pain shot through her like electric shocks, and she winced as she tried to take stock of her injuries. She was far more injured than she'd initially believed. Blood gushed from a deep gash in herthigh, staining her torn skin a dark, ominous red. The freezing water had left her drenched and shivering, her teeth chattering uncontrollably.

She fumbled for her phone, but of course, she didn’t have it on her. She’d been in the ring with Stinger before Z had shown up. Besides, it would be waterlogged beyond repair by now.Plus, you’re naked,she reminded her foggy brain. All she could do was pray silently that rescue would come. But as she slid slowly into unconsciousness, she knew that was stupid. Her friends had no idea where she was and no way to get there.

I think we’re screwed, my friend,she told her tiger. Jinx never heard the reply, instead succumbing to darkness.

23

Mikhail's heart raced as he sprinted through the upper level of the unnaturally shadowy warehouse. He skidded around a corner, nearly losing his footing. He was trying to follow Sabre’s directions of where Jinx’s apartment should be, but the oppressive darkness made it nearly impossible.

The warehouse seemed to stretch endlessly before him, a labyrinth of metal and shadow. His eyes strained to pierce the gloom, searching desperately for any sign of Jinx. But the darkness seemed to swallow everything, muffling sound and consuming light.This is shadow work,he thought, scared for a whole new reason. Shadow demons were powerful with unique abilities. If Z had one working for him, they were even more screwed than before.

“Jinx!” Mikhail called out, his voice swallowed by the cavernous space. Only eerie silence answered. His heart pounding, he pressed on, blindly trying every door handle he came across. None opened.

“Jinx! Gage! Eric!” he cried once more, the desperation in his voice cutting through the thick air like a knife. The shadows seemed to mock him, swallowing his words whole and leavingnothing but a void of silence in their wake. “Where are you?” he muttered under his breath, his mind racing with possibilities. Had Jinx been captured by Z? Was she hiding, hurt, or worse? The not-knowing gnawed at him. He had to find her. He had to?—

A distant, sharp crack split the air, freezing Mikhail in his tracks and sending a jolt of fear through his veins. The unmistakable sound of gunfire echoed through the warehouse, ricocheting off metal beams and concrete walls, creating a cacophony that seemed to come from all directions at once. For a heartbeat, he stood paralysed, his mind racing to process the new danger before he sprinted towards the source of the noise, leaping down several steps at a time.

Just as he burst into the large, open area on the lower level, the shadows abruptly disappeared, and the lights came back on. He blinked, the sudden brightness hurting his eyes. He spotted Gage with an arm around Eric and hurried over to them. “Gage? Eric? What happened? Where’s Jinx?” he demanded.

Gage spun around, a pistol aimed in the centre of Mikhail’s chest.

Mikhail held up his hands. “Whoa. It’s me.”

Gage didn’t move. “How do I know that? Z can look like anyone. Including Mikhail.”

“Z?” Mikhail felt his stomach drop. “He was here? Where’s Jinx?!” he demanded again.

Eric touched his forehead, his fingertips coming away bloody. He winced before pushing gently on Gage’s arm. “Z is gone, Gage. We know that. He took Jinx,” he said, looking at Mikhail.

“No …” Mikhail breathed.

“Yes,” Gage grumbled, the muzzle of his gun now facing the floor. “And he had help. Since when is your brother in league with a shadow demon?”

Mikhail bit his lip, dread filling him. “I don’t know. I knew the shadows weren’t right when my portal opened up. But there are so few shadow demons, and I happen to know them all personally. I hoped I was wrong.”

“It was Perran,” Gage revealed with a scowl.

“Perran? He’s the head of the clan. And a damn good demon. It doesn’t make sense,” Mikhail said, looking around and feeling useless.

“I’m positive it was him. He used the shadows to trap Jinx and fight us off,” Gage explained. “Then he sucked Z, Jinx, and himself into a shadow gate. They’re gone.”

“I know where Perran lives. I’ll start there,” Mikhail said, opening up a portal immediately. But Gage stopped him before he could walk through.

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