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Her hand, so small and soft and warm in mine, was another reminder of how breakable she was. “I know I’m a fox, not a hound like Rome, but I can protect you just as good as he could.” My words came out a snarl.

She blinked at me. “I know that.”

What the fuck was I doing? Talking myself up like I’d ever be good enough for her. Did I really think that would change her mind? That she’d suddenly want me again? I didn’t want her to change her mind, right? It was a good thing she didn’t want me anymore, that she didn’t love me, and I needed to remind myself of that when I was with her and every instinct in me roared to make her ours.

Love wasn’t a cure. I could love her, and she could love me, but that didn’t change the fact that I would never be the male I was before. Yes, I was doing a lot better, but my mind was still broken, and my soul would forever be scarred. I wasn’t what she needed, mate or not. “Sorry, I’m on edge. You’re right, we don’t know what he’s capable of, which is why I want you far away from him when I take him out.”

“It’s okay. I get it,” she said. “He’s taking the next street.”

He disappeared, turning ahead of us. I kept hold of Jasmine’s hand and walked quickly after him as quietly as we could. But it wasn’t a street he’d turned down, it was an alley, and something groaned from the shadows. “Stay behind me.”

I took a step into the darkness, and glowing red eyes opened from the depths, locking on to me. Frank was looming over a human, a homeless male going by the makeshift shelter he was slumped beside.

“He’s feeding,” Jaz said, her voice shaking.

Frank dropped the other male, leapt across the alley, and scrambled up the side of the wall like fucking Spider-Man. We ran to the human male on the ground, his face was gray, the life washed from him, already gone. “It’s too late.”

“We can’t let him get away,” Jaz said, looking up to the top of the building.

“He’ll need to come back down.” I leaned in and scented the dead male’s shoulder where Frank had gripped him. It was hard with the scent of unwashed human trying to overpower it, which was probably why Frank chose the target he had, but it was still fresh enough that I could pick it up. “I need to shift. I’ll be able to pick up his scent easier.”

Jaz nodded as I quickly stripped and handed her my clothes. “Stay close, my fox is quick, and once he catches Frank’s scent, he’ll take off. If you lose me, get somewhere safe and call Bram and Mags.”

She nodded.

Her eyes widened as I shifted, my joints popping, bone and muscle reshaping. I was big for a fox, bigger than any in the wild. If anyone saw me, hopefully they’d assume I was a dog. I expected him to take off instantly, but instead, my fox nudged Jaz, pressing his snout into her palm. She gave him what he wanted, running her hand down his back.

I gave him a mental nudge, and he finally trotted to the dead male, scented him, then turned, and nose to the ground trotted from the alley and down the street. Jaz jogged along beside us. The streets were quiet, but they weren’t empty. My fox ignored the looks he was getting, though, focused on finding our target. He turned another corner and slowed, scenting a small area more thoroughly. His ears pricked up, and I felt the spike of adrenaline rush through him.

He had the demon’s scent.

He took off, and I heard Jaz’s feet on the pavement as she ran after us. I wanted her to leave, to go somewhere safe, to stay back. But she didn’t, she stayed with us, and though my fox was constantly aware of Jasmine, he was also focused on finding his target, of showing Jaz how clever he was.

He carried on through a parking lot behind a tire shop. There were old tires in the back, stacked up, and he sniffed around them until he picked up the scent, then took off again. A brick building loomed behind it, every single window in the abandoned building had been broken, the walls graffitied. The demon was inside.

I shifted, and Jasmine handed me my clothes. I pulled them on quickly. “You need to go. You’re not coming inside.”

“You need me,” she said and pointed to the brick wall in front of us. “That symbol isn’t just graffiti, it’s an alarm, it’ll let him know you’re coming, and that one”—she pointed to another—“that one will cause sickness if you pass, stomach pain, violent shakes, vomiting. I can neutralize them, but there could be more inside.”

I ground my teeth. “I don’t like this.”

“I’ll stay back.” Her gaze held mine. “I trust you to protect me.”

Fuck. “You need to stay behind me at all times.”

“I will.”

She strode to the symbols Frank had spray-painted on the wall, pulled her knife from her pocket, and sliced her palm. I hissed, the scent of her blood setting my fox off. The scent of her blood fucked with both of us. He snarled, searching for danger. I did my best to calm him, to reassure him our mate was okay, but he was pacing and on edge.

I wanted to snatch up her hand and stop the bleeding immediately but forced myself to stand back while she spelled under her breath, then pressed her blood-soaked palm against the demon symbols. It sizzled, acrid smoke drifting from her. Jaz tensed but didn’t make a sound, then she moved to the next and did the same.

When she was done, she curled her hand against herself. I strode over and took her wrist, lifting it.

“It’s nothing.”

I ignored her and carefully uncurled her fingers. Her skin was blistered and raw. “You’re burned. We need to dress this.” My fox howled, hating she was injured, that we’d let her hurt herself.

“I’ll take care of it when I get home, besides, there could be more inside,” she said.