Chapter 287: A Deal Gone Wrong
Jacob~
The hallway of Easter’s hotel room smelled damp and sad, like old socks no one bothered to pick up. The flickering light overhead buzzed softly, creating shaky shadows over the stained carpet. I dragged my boots along the floor, every step away from Easter’s door—room 304—feeling heavier than the last.
Her note kept echoing in my head: Please don’t look for us.
Those four words cut deeper than any wound I’d ever known.
I wanted to knock until my fists bled. I wanted to scream her name through the door, to beg her to let me in, to forgive me for walking away that night. I could still feel her lips on mine, still see the way her body shook when I left, like she was silently begging me to stay.
But she asked for space.
So I gave it to her.
Even though every part of me felt like it was breaking apart, piece by piece, right there in that dim, forgotten hallway.
I was halfway to the stairwell, my breath uneven, when the atmosphere shimmered like heat rising off asphalt. A prickle of unease crawled up my spine, the ancient magic of the moon stirring restlessly within me. Before I could react, she appeared—Mariel, materializing in a swirl of violet mist, her presence as jarring as a thunderclap in the quiet hall. Her long, raven-black hair fell over her shoulders, framing a face that was both ethereal and sharp, like a knife cloaked in silk. Her eyes, a piercing silver, glinted with something dangerous, something I didn’t trust. My muscles tensed, my instincts flaring. It hadn’t even been an hour since Natalie and I had spoken her name, and now here she was, standing in the very hotel where Easter was hiding. Coincidence? I didn’t believe in those.
"What the hell are you doing here, Mariel?" I growled, my voice low, edged with suspicion. I stepped forward, positioning myself between her and Easter’s door, my senses sharpening to a razor’s edge. If she so much as twitched toward that room, I’d tear through her, contract or no contract.
Mariel tilted her head, her lips curling into a smile that was all honey and venom. "Is that any way to greet an old friend, Wolf Spirit?" Her voice was smooth, like melted sugar and cream. She took a step closer, her silver eyes flicking over me, assessing, calculating. "Or should I say, Mist, the great Wolf Spirit? Always so... protective."
"Cut the games," I snapped, my hands curling into fists at my sides. The air around me crackled with little to no containment of my powers, a growl rumbled in my chest. "You’re here, at her hotel. Why? If you’re thinking of touching Easter—"
"Oh, please," Mariel interrupted, waving a dismissive hand, her long nails glinting like polished obsidian. "I’m not here for your little human pet, though I must say, she’s caused quite a stir in your heart, hasn’t she?" Her smile widened, predatory, as if she could smell the raw ache in my chest. "No, Mist, I’m here for you. I need your help. And don’t forget—" She leaned in, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "We have a contract. Ten years, your service, my call. You owe me."