Chapter 30

"Come back, immediately," Howard snapped into his cellular, his voice taut with urgency.

"You don't get to boss me around," Sylvia retorted smoothly, her tone unfazed by his anger.

"This isn't a game, Pat," he growled, running a hand over his bald head in frustration. "This is Austen James."

"Exactly," she agreed. "Austen James. The man we've been studying since we were kids. You're telling me he's alive, in Tybee Harbor, and you didn't expect me to pack my bags the second we ended our phone call?"

He cursed under his breath. "Don't blow this for us. Conner—"

"Won't mind me as backup. He can't even do magic without someone else from our coven around. How fair is that on him? Especially with James involved. Plus, it'll give him a reason for being there—a cute college couple on a little vacation." Sylvia's voice was determined, completely ignoring any form of reason.

"Come back," Howard ordered, his patience wearing thin.

"No," she refused flatly. "I'm going to Tybee Harbor if it's the last thing I do. And there's nothing you can do to stop me."

Howard opened his mouth to challenge her, to demand obedience, but that was when he heard it.

A blaring horn.

Sylvia's scream.

The sickening crunch of metal.

And then, silence.

"Sylvia?" Howard whispered, his grip on the phone tightening until his knuckles turned white. "Pat?"

A chilling, agonizing sensation coursed through him. It was the most horrifying feeling a coven member could experience.

The coven... broke.

Howard dropped the phone, his legs giving out beneath him as he collapsed into his chair. He stared blankly ahead, shock etched into his features.

A lone, silent tear traced its way down his pale cheek, a testament to the profound loss and the shattering of their bond.

The light flicked on, and the sound of feet padding against the floor heralded Steve's appearance at the window. Shirtless and rubbing his eyes, he unlocked and opened it. "What the hell?"

"You're okay," Maya whispered, her voice filled with relief. "I was so worried!"

Leaning against the window frame, Steve yawned. "Why? What's up?" His eyes widened as he noticed her bandages. "What happened?"

"Get in, get in, get in!" Sam hissed, arriving behind her. "I just saw the damned thing!"

"What?" Maya looked behind her in fear, her heart racing.

Sam glared at Steve. "Help us in!"

"What is going on?" Steve blinked, reaching out to pull Maya inside before making way for Sam to slide in. The brunet quickly closed and locked the window, staring outside.

Maya and Sam joined him on either side, all three zeroing in on the white wolf as it sat next to Sam's motorcycle, just staring at them.

"The fuck?" Steve hissed, his eyes wide with disbelief.

"It attacked me," Maya whispered, her hand going to her bandages. "I figured it might go after you next, so I came to warn you."

"Thanks for the heads up," Steve mumbled, staring outside. "But, uh," his gaze slid to Sam, "what were you doing with Turner? It's like, four in the morning."

"You mean she hasn't told you about us?" Sam raised an eyebrow. "I thought you two were closer than that."

Maya shot him a look.

"Told me about what?" Steve made a face, confused.

"We're deeply in love," Sam declared, moving around him to wrap an arm around Maya and pull her close. "It's destiny written in the stars. Sonnets will be written about us, just give it time."

Maya barely kept herself from rolling her eyes.

Sam winked at her, clearly amused with himself.

"Really?" Steve scrunched up his face as he eyed them before snorting. "Justin's going to get his heart ripped out when he finds this out."

"Justin? Which Justin?" Sam asked, intrigued. "Justin Calvin?" At Steve's head shake, Sam's eyes widened, and he sniggered. "Justin Gaines? Seriously?" He turned his head to laugh at Maya. "Justin Gaines is in love with you?"

"He's not in love with me," she grumbled, only letting Sam's little farce slide because it was the easiest way to explain why she was with him at this moment. "He's just a really sweet guy."

Steve snorted. "That guy's got a fair bit of darkness in him. He just hides it from you."

Maya rolled her eyes. "Justin wouldn't hurt a fly."

"Right." Steve shook his head, his gaze returning to the wolf outside. "Not to change the subject or anything, but what's the game plan wolfie-wise?"

"Well, I'm not going back out there if that's what you're asking," Sam snorted, staring over Maya's head at the creature. "It better not mess with my ride, that's all I'm saying."

"Beverly's in a couple of hours. It's never shown itself in broad daylight," Maya reasoned. "Once the sun's up, Sam and I will get out of your hair."

"I meant, what are we going to do since this thing's obviously smart," Steve corrected.

"Oh." Maya cleared her throat. "I think we need to cool off on the investigation for now. It clearly doesn't want us to keep investigating it...and it attacked me in my bedroom to prove it."

"But your bedroom's on the second floor," Steve pointed out, making a face.

"How does he know that?" Sam asked, curious.

She ignored Sam, her eyes on Steve. "Exactly."

"Fuck," Steve muttered, giving the beast outside a hard look. "We could always shoot it."

"Excuse me?" Sam chuckled. "You got a cache of guns and ammo stacked in here that we don't know about?"

"Yeah." Steve nodded, surprising them both and looking annoyed at their obvious shock. "My dad's in the army. I've known how to shoot since I was old enough to hold a gun." He took a deep breath. "I say we hunt the bitch."

Maya and Sam exchanged looks, realizing Steve had layers they hadn't known about. The blonde turned to him, her concern deepening. "If this thing is as intelligent as we think it is, it could target Beverly if we push it too far."

That was when she saw the crack in Steve's tough facade—the fear in his eyes. "Jesus."

She nodded, her voice soft but firm. "I say we back off. You lose some, you win some."

Steve looked clearly unhappy but didn't argue. He sat down on his bed, his shoulders slumping. "Fine."

Sam sauntered to the beanbag and threw himself onto it with a dramatic flair. "Might as well get comfortable." He patted his lap. "Come here, sweetie pie."

Maya fought the urge to roll her eyes at him. "Someone should keep an eye on that thing. It did somehow open my bedroom window."

Steve threw himself back against the bed, pulling a pillow over his face and groaning. "This can't be happening."

Feeling guilty for dragging him into this mess, Maya sighed. She turned her gaze back to the window, staring at the beast that had brought this chaos into their lives. She settled in for the first watch, determined to protect her friends from the threat lurking outside.

Jason leaned against the wall, arms folded tightly across his chest, eyes locked on Howard. Howard sat there, staring at his blank computer screen, his expression stoic but his blue eyes betraying a storm of emotions. The moment Sylvia had died, they had all felt it—the coven's bond breaking and dissolving, leaving them feeling shattered and disoriented. As children, they had promised that if one of them died, they would never bind their coven with anyone else. Now, with Sylvia gone, that promise meant they would never truly be a coven again.

For Jason, who had never felt like he truly belonged in his own family, this was devastating. None of the members of their coven had ever had a real family, which was why they had molded together in their own dysfunctional way.

"What do we do now?" Jason finally asked, breaking the heavy silence.

"Sylvia's death changes nothing," Howard replied, his voice calm and even. He was a master at hiding his emotions, but Jason could see the raw pain in his eyes. "I'm sending Mandy and Otis to Tybee Harbor. Sylvia was right. Austen needs backup now that we know for a fact that James is alive and there."

Jason nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. "What about me?"

Howard's gaze shifted to meet Jason's. "You and I will be going on a special mission."