Page 22 of Furever Bound
"The light's actually holding it back," she breathed, amazement cutting through her fear.
"For now," Maddox said grimly, watching as Grimjaw began circling the building's perimeter like a predator testing defensive boundaries. "But manifestations grow stronger through fearand attention. And this one's already had more social media engagement than any folklore in recorded history."
Through the café's windows, they could see other residents taking shelter while supernatural defenders coordinated responses to their first fully manifested threat. The community Sera had accidentally endangered was rallying to protect both her and themselves, treating her as someone worth saving rather than a liability to eliminate.
17
SERA
The warmth and safety of The Griddle & Grind felt surreal after fleeing through dark forests from a monster she'd accidentally manifested, but what struck Sera most was how the assembled residents treated her—not as the outsider who'd brought danger to their town, but as someone they were determined to protect.
"Drink this," Twyla said, pressing a steaming mug into Sera's hands that smelled like courage and tasted like liquid comfort. "Calming blend with a touch of grounding herb. You've had quite a shock."
"Quite a shock," Sera repeated, glancing out the window where Grimjaw continued prowling the edges of the illuminated area like a caged predator. "I manifested a legendary monster through social media engagement. That's definitely one way to describe it."
"You focused energy that was already building," Maddox corrected from his position near the reinforced windows, where he monitored the creature's movement with tactical precision. "The manifestation would have happened regardless—your documentation just gave it specific form."
"Specific form that's currently trying to figure out how to bypass our defensive lighting," Callum observed from across the café, his ranger training evident in the way he tracked Grimjaw's behavioral patterns. "It's testing boundaries like it understands our limitations."
Sera watched the creature's methodical investigation of their sanctuary's perimeter, noting how it moved with intelligence that went beyond mindless hunger. Grimjaw wasn't just hunting—it was problem-solving.
"How long will the light hold it back?" she asked, though something in the manifestation's patient persistence suggested the answer might not be comforting.
"Depends on how much power it gains through fear and attention," Emmett replied, checking his ammunition with practiced efficiency. "Right now, it's substantial but not invulnerable. If your social media engagement continues climbing..."
He didn't need to finish the sentence. Every view, every share, every comment on her viral content was feeding power to the creature stalking outside their temporary sanctuary.
"I have to take the posts down," Sera said, pulling out her phone only to discover it still showed no signal despite the café's working electronics. "Delete everything, stop the engagement before it gets worse."
"Too late for that," Maeve said from her position near the back door, her tactical awareness focused on multiple threat vectors. "Viral content spreads beyond original platforms. Screenshots, reposts, secondary sharing—the story's out there now regardless of what you do with your accounts."
The realization that she'd lost control of her own content, that strangers were now spreading Grimjaw folklore faster than she could contain it, made Sera's stomach clench with helpless frustration.
"So what do we do?" she asked, looking between the assembled defenders with growing desperation. "Just wait here until the manifestation gets strong enough to break through our defenses?"
"We figure out how to transform it," Maddox said, settling into the chair beside her with the kind of focused intensity that meant he was shifting into academic problem-solving mode. "Folklore manifestations can be changed through collective narrative restructuring. Instead of trying to destroy or contain Grimjaw, we rewrite its purpose."
"Rewrite its purpose how?" Sera leaned closer, drawn by the possibility of solutions that didn't involve more violence.
"Traditional stories about bone collectors include versions where the creature becomes protector rather than predator," he explained, pulling out his phone to show her historical references. "Community action that fundamentally alters the narrative structure can redirect manifestation energy into beneficial rather than harmful forms."
"Community action," she repeated, studying the assembled residents who continued monitoring their supernatural crisis with calm efficiency. "Meaning this entire town would have to work together to change Grimjaw's nature?"
"Meaning this entire town would have to accept you as a true community member," Twyla said with a knowing smile that suggested she understood implications beyond supernatural tactics. "Narrative restructuring requires collective belief and shared purpose. It only works when everyone involved commits to the new story."
The weight of what they were suggesting hit Sera with devastating clarity. Not only did she need to help solve a crisis she'd accidentally created, but doing so required earning acceptance from a community whose existence she'd threatened through careless documentation.
"Why would you do that?" she asked quietly, studying faces that reflected determination rather than resentment. "I brought this danger to your town. I exposed your secrets to federal investigators. Why would you trust me with community membership?"
"Because Maddox has claimed you as his mate," Maeve said with blunt practicality that made Sera's pulse skip several beats. "And mate bonds carry certain protections under supernatural law."
"Mate bonds?" Sera's voice came out higher than intended, her gaze snapping to Maddox with sharp attention. "What exactly does that mean?"
Maddox's jaw tightened as he clearly struggled with how much supernatural truth to reveal during an active crisis, but the patient way everyone waited for his explanation suggested this conversation had been inevitable.
"It means our connection isn't just attraction or compatibility," he said finally, his voice rough with emotion he was finally allowing her to see. "It's recognition on a level that goes deeper than conscious choice. My wolf knew you belonged with us from the moment we touched."
"Your wolf?" The word felt strange on her tongue, loaded with implications that challenged everything she thought she understood about reality.
