Page 38 of Alpha's Secret Baby Girl
Claws tore through her skirt as the demon grabbed at her. She flipped onto her back, pushing herself as she kicked at the space where its face should be. Her foot connected with a solid thud, and the demon hissed, pulling back. She grabbed handfuls of sand and threw them at the demon; it lifted one arm to shield itself.
When she tried to pull herself back to her feet, the demon pounced on her again. Dark claws slashed across her chest and torso. Pain flared, blinding her. Something like a hand wrapped around her throat, and the demon dragged her back down thebeach. She kicked and fought, clawing at the shadow, trying to find something on the loose sand to catch herself on.
There wasn’t even a rock for her to grab. The demon pulled her back into the ocean. The salt water stung her wounds, blood leaking red to form clouds in the gentle waves.
“Help—” she screamed before the water closed over her head.
Bubbles streamed from her nostrils. The demon didn’t even take her far from the shore. As she thrashed against it, trying to break free, her arms and legs left the water. The demon pressed down on her chest, grinding her head and shoulders into the sand as it pressed what felt like a knee into her stomach, digging its hard point into the space just below her ribs. Sunlight framed its shadowy head, rippling and distorted from the waves. She struggled to free herself. Claws dug into her neck, and water rushed into her mouth as she screamed from the pain.
She was going to drown.
Her lungs burned for air. The water frothed red with her blood, and the demon’s knee ground harder into her sternum, keeping her pinned. She clawed at its arms, but it only gripped her tighter, keeping her submerged in little more than a foot of water. Darkness started to close around the edges of her vision. Panic and despair flared through her.
Just when she thought it was the end, something else flared. A burst of energy enveloped her in a searing blast of heat. She grabbed it, the spark of magic flowing through her body. The spike of a migraine stabbed through her temples as she threw her hands out. Maybe there was a flash of light; she couldn’t tell. But then the pressure of the demon was gone.
Flailing, Gwen pushed herself up, gasping, coughing, and spitting out water. Her limbs shook as she flipped over, fallingbeneath the surface once more. Everything was blurred and dark around her as she clawed at the wet sand, dragging herself toward the shore.
Help, she wanted to cry, but there was still too much water in her lungs.
Behind her, she sensed the ocean ripple.
Chapter 16 - Rafael
The special ops team bent over a map of the island spread over the desk, each of them frowning with frustration. Michael and Joshua were there, too, with Joshua glaring out a window and Michael pouring himself a new cup of coffee. Rafael tried to hold in his own annoyance. The team had found evidence of the demon all over the island, but they had yet to figure out any pattern. Worse, the neighboring pack on the other side of the island was being strangely hostile toward the special ops team.
Rafael had done a lot of work to repair the relationship between the two packs. He hated the thought that his father’s behavior was once more putting his pack at a disadvantage.
“What if we—” Daniel started, only to stop when Joshua yelped.
Rafael’s head swiveled toward the window. Light flared from somewhere outside the town limits. He frowned, moving toward the window. What was that? A shiver ran down his spine, and his wolf snarled, pushing him to run for the light. It couldn’t be the demon, could it?
“Something’s wrong,” Michael breathed.
The light shone again, a beam of light shooting straight into the sky. A ripple seemed to burst out from it, washing toward the town.
The ripple of energy washed through the office, and Rafael was struck by an image that flashed through his mind—Gwen, her eyes pale and fogged with death, floating face-down in the ocean. Her body swaying back and forth in the water as fish nipped at her clothes and skin. Fear shot frozen through his blood, and his wolf took over. He shifted instantly and didn’teven bother with the door, instead leaping onto the table to then crash through the window.
Shouts followed him, but he ignored them, rolling on the tin roof. He scrambled to the edge of the roof and leapt off. He absorbed the impact as he landed and tore toward the beam of light. It flickered, ragged at the edges. Rafael howled, calling his pack to him as he raced through town.
He reached the beach with the sound of yelping and snarls and answering howls behind him as the special ops team chased after him, joined by the pack. Gwen was at the edge of the water, clawing huge handfuls of sand as she kicked her feet weakly, trying to drag herself from the ocean. Streams of blood trailed down her wet skin, blooming in patches against the torn fabric of her dress.
Rafael slid over the sand next to her, shifting to his human form as he did so. He pulled her into his arms, ignoring his own nakedness as her head fell to his shoulder. Her chest heaved, her lips blue, and her eyes wide.
“What happened?” he demanded, his heart slamming into his ribs.
“Demon,” Gwen rasped. “It attacked me. Tried to drown me.”
She was shivering violently. Rafael pulled her into his arms bridal-style and stood. The special ops team surrounded him, sniffing the air and searching for any signs of the demon. Michael yelped and headed back toward town. He nipped at the doctor as he passed her. Good; he’d make sure they were able to take care of Gwen when they returned.
The rest of the pack watched with eager and anxious eyes.
“Joshua, you’re with the special ops team. Find the demon,” he ordered. “Kira?”
A small wolf at the back of the pack stepped forward.
“Lianne is with her friend Jewel. I want you and Chelsey to take her back to my place. The rest of you, make sure your families are in town and stay indoors until further notice.”
Gwen made a slight noise. “It can’t enter the town.”
