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MACK

The elixir tastes foul, like a mixture of rotten eggs and burnt rubber. I force down the third helping, trying not to gag. Beside me, Snow is lapping at his own bowl of the concoction, his nose wrinkling in disgust.

But even as the last drop slides down my throat, I can feel it working. Finally.

The pain that has been my constant companion for days starts to recede, like a tide pulling away from the shore. My limbs feel lighter, my head clearer. It's as if my body is waking up from a long, deep sleep.

The door bursts open, and Kole, Tanner, Nova, and Thornfield rush in. They're breathless, their faces etched with a mixture of worry and relief.

“You’re better?” Nova breathes, rushing over to me and throwing her arms around my neck.

Hell-damn it, it feels good to have her treat me like normal. Not gentle, not afraid of hurting me.

My cock stirs, already thinking about all the things I’m going to do to her and all the ways I’m going to enjoy doing them.

“Seems we don’t need your textbook after all,” Tanner says to Thornfield. “Thank the stars there were other reasons to visit the bookstore, or the trip would have been a total waste of time.”

Thornfield glares at him, his lips pressing into a thin line. I have no idea what that’s in reference to, but it’s clearly riled the vampire.

As Tanner pats me on the shoulder, and tells me he’s relieved I’m going to be okay, Sam smiles from over by the fireplace.

Miranda is sitting in the armchair. She looks exhausted, which is no surprise since she’s spent the past god knows how many hours working on the elixir. I’m not even sure she’s slept.

“Mack, we have news. About the scepter.” Nova slips her hand into mine.

I push myself up straighter, ignoring the way the room seems to tilt for a moment. “What is it?”

“It wasn't the AMA who bought it at the auction,” she says, her voice tight. “Luther just called. The AMA was lying, trying to distract the Bureau.”

Confusion ripples through the room. Kole's brow furrows, and Kim shifts from foot to foot, looking uncomfortable.

“Then who has it?” Sam asks, voicing the question we're all thinking.

Nova shakes her head. “We don't know. No one does.”

Thornfield turns to the small window, his gaze fixed on the night sky. The stars are hidden behind a veil of clouds, the moon a hazy smudge of light.

To my surprise, he says, “We don't have time for this now.” His voice is low and urgent. "Zephyra is our priority. We need to deal with her first."

He looks at Kole and Kim, his eyes hard. "You two, with me. We need to go.”

“I should come too.” Tanner moves to follow them, but Kole shakes his head.

“Stay.” He’s looking at me. “Just in case.”

I inhale sharply. Kole can tell it’s riling me that I can’t go with them either.

“Get better. When you feel up to it, call Luther back. Figure out what the hell we do next. If the AMA doesn’t have the scepter, we need to know who does and what they intend to do with it.”

The door closes behind them with a soft click, and I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding. The elixir is still working its way through my system, but already I feel more like myself than I have in days.

Snow butts his head against my leg, and I reach down to scratch behind his ears. “We've got this, buddy,” I murmur, more to myself than to him.

He purrs a little, and I feel his body start to relax.

We’ve got this.

But the relief is short-lived. Without warning, a searing pain rips through my body, worse than anything I've felt before. It's like every nerve ending is on fire, every muscle seizing and contracting. A scream tears from my throat as I writhe on the bed, my hands clawing at the sheets.