Page 57 of An Oath at Midnight

“What do you want?” I asked, trying to keep my voice down.

Payne crossed his arms. “Fun time’s over. You’re needed.”

“I’m needed here.”

“That’s not a choice you get to make, and you know it.”

My fingers curled into a fist. Not now. I couldn’t go now. “She needs me.”

“I don’t give one single fuck. You’ll be no good to her if you don’t take care of yourself. You need this. I can tell just looking at you.”

I hated that he was right, especially after what Magnolia told me, but I couldn’t leave her. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Mags stirred and groggily opened her eyes. “What’s going on?” She lifted her head, then she spotted Payne.

“Bram’s needed elsewhere,” my brother said to her.

“And I said I’m not going,” I fired back.

Her fingers curled around my bicep, drawing my attention back to her. “You need to go.”

“Mags—”

“It’s okay. I’ll be okay.” She looked back at Payne. “He’ll get in trouble if he doesn’t go, right?”

Payne’s gaze slid from her to me and back, and he nodded. I would, but not the kind of trouble she thought.

She gave my arm another squeeze. “You have to go.”

I stared down at her, and the look in her eyes was a gut punch. She wanted me here, needed me, but she was letting me go anyway, putting me first. The darkness swirled inside me, a wild storm that needed release. I wanted to stay, but Payne was right, I needed this as well, badly. I tucked her hair behind her ear. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, B. Go do what you have to, then come home,” she said, her voice still husky from sleep.

I couldn’t bring myself to let her go. “I’ll be back as fast as I can.”

She nodded and eased off my chest, sitting back, doing the hard part for me. “I’ll see you when you get back.”

I stood and followed Payne to the door, then turned before I walked through. My stomach was in knots, but I couldn’t work out what I was feeling. All I knew was something about this moment felt…final. I couldn’t explain it. There was a voice in my head saying that once I walked out this door, for better or worse, everything would change, that nothing would ever be the same again.

I took her in, the way she looked in that moment, locking it away in my mind. “Promise me you’ll stay safe while I’m gone.”

She pulled her knees up, wrapping her arms around herself. “I promise. Now I want the same from you.”

“Promise,” I rasped.

I shut the door and shifted, then flew into the night sky.

And even though I wanted to go back to her as soon as I’d left—there was also no stopping the dark excitement that filled me.

Time to hunt.

* * *

Magnolia

I tapped the steering wheel and checked out the massive house in front of me.

It’d been thirty-six hours since Bram left. Thirty-six long freaking hours. He’d texted once this morning to check on me, but nothing since.