That plan was curtailed by my phone buzzing in my pocket. Ducking out of the room so as not to wake Jeonghan, I glanced at Toby's name on the screen before answering the call.

"What's up?"

"Hey, boss. I know you've got a lot going on, but..."

Toby's voice trailed off, and I sighed. "I do but tell me anyway."

"Myungho was late. By a few hours. He's got a split lip, two black eyes, and marks around his throat again. He's refusing to go to the hospital or home. What do you want me to do?"

"For fuck's sake." I tugged on my beard in frustration. With everything else going on, we'd had to stop monitoring Myungho. And now this had happened. It was all my fault. "Keep him there. I'm coming. I'll compel the little fucker into telling us the truth if I need to. I'm not having my employees treated like this when I have the skills to do something about it."

"Gotcha. Does that mean Jeonghan is going to come and hang?"

I rolled my eyes. Despite their rocky start, Toby and Jeonghan now got on like a house on fire. Unsurprising, really, given their favourite hobby was winding me up. I'd come clean about my and Toby's former fuck-buddy status straight away. Fortunately, Jeonghan had laughed it off, telling me I was allowed to have a past so long as he was the only one in my future. "Nah, he's shattered. I'll leave him sleeping, then come back when I've dealt with Myungho."

After a few more words, I hung up with Toby and pocketed my phone. Sneaking back into the bedroom, I smiled tenderly at my mate. He'd kicked off the duvet and was now shivering slightly. Grabbing it from the floor, I draped it over him gently and tucked him in. He sighed, a twinge of sleep-shrouded contentment echoing from his side of the bond.

I knew how he felt. Even with the storm heading our way, this was still the happiest I'd ever been.

He was my rock, and I could weather any storm with him anchoring me.

I headed straight out, wanting to get back to Jeonghan as fast as possible. Myungho was busy behind the bar when I arrived. I noted the various injuries Toby had detailed with a scowl. Not wanting to cause a scene in front of the customers, I headed back for Toby's office. Hopefully, he'd be there, and we could devise a plan of action together.

I'd just opened the door and was about to greet Toby when the hairs on my arms stood on end. I frowned down at them, confused. What was going on? Then my instincts roared to the surface. For a second, it was like I was taken out of the room as my powers searched frantically for something. There was nothing though. Just a sense that something was wrong.

Very wrong.

Nausea rolled through me as my muscles bunched, preparing to fight off a threat. But where was it coming from?

I took a breath, trying to calm myself. Jeonghan was okay. The bond told me he was still sleeping peacefully. There was no doubt that danger was coming—but from where?"

A heartbeat later, my phone rang. I put it to my ear without checking the screen or offering a greeting.

"Something has tripped the wards at Jeonghan's." Joshua's voice was grim, the sound of his wings booming through the phone. "I'm on my way."

Dread sat like ice in my stomach. I fell against the wall in a daze, the phone crushed to my ear. Toby crossed the room and grabbed my arm, trying to read the panic on my face. "Who can cross your wards without breaking them?"

Silence filled the line. I knew the answer as well as Joshua did. Ghasts. They could cross mage's wards, so it made sense they could cross ours too. "I'll meet you there."

          

"I'm twenty seconds out," Joshua said. He continued, but I was no longer listening.

I couldn't hear anything beyond the ringing in my ears. It got louder and louder, drowning out all thought. Fire roiled over my skin, my demon panicking. I tried to take a step towards the door, but I couldn't see anything. It was like I was moving through syrup.

That's when it hit.

Pain and terror screamed through the bond. I fell to my knees, my fingers clawing at my chest. Pulse after pulse pulled on my power, ripping it from my core.

Jeonghan's pain echoed mine. He was out of reach but suffering beside me.

He was being taken.

I couldn't get to him. I needed to get to him.

Then, everything went black.

I woke with a gasp. My hands scrabbled at my chest, clawing at the space where I could feel the bond.

It was still there. I could still feel Jeonghan. Tears sprang to my eyes. He was alive.

Relief kicked in, which was daft, really. If he was dead, I would be too. That's how the bond worked.

Now I had to get him back before that became a very real possibility.

I wasn't losing someone I loved. Not again. I didn't care that my life would also be forfeit. There'd be no point to my existence without Jeonghan.

But no one was taking him from this plane. No one.

Toby shook my shoulders, his eyes wide. "Boss, wake up."

I sat up, brushing him off and staggering to my feet, trying to ignore the swaying room. "Jeonghan's been taken by ghasts. I need to get to him."

A wave of dizziness hit me, sending me careening into the wall. My legs refused to cooperate, wobbling like jelly.

"Sit," Toby said, steering me firmly to a chair. "Whatever just happened has clearly fucked you up. If you try and fly now, you'll crash back into the ground and put yourself out of action for even longer. You need your strength to get Jeonghan back."

I pulled at my hair, letting out a roar of frustration. "How could this happen? Sal said they couldn't use him like that."

Toby slapped me before yanking my head backwards with a harsh handful of hair. It stung, my nerve endings firing rapidly. It was just the sensation I needed to ground me. "Pull yourself together. Clearly, that little fucker lied. It's happened. Worry about the how later. Right now, we need a plan."

"You're right." My shoulders sagged forwards, and I inhaled shakily. Toby released his grip. "Thank you, I can't..."

Shouts from the hallway cut off my words. Toby frowned, stepping towards the door, but it burst open before he could touch the handle. Blaise entered, eyes wild and covered in sweat. Like me, he was swaying on his feet, barely able to keep himself upright. "He's gone! They've taken Jeonghan."

Myungho entered right behind him. "I'm so sorry. I tried to tell him he couldn't come back here, but..."

Blaise snarled, turning on Myungho. He had him up against the wall by his throat in a flash. "Listen here, you little shit..."

There was a blur of movement, and then Blaise was on the floor, leaving Myungho gasping and shaking against the wall.

Toby was straddling Blaise, his stake at the mage's throat. When he spoke, there was no malice in his voice. If anything, he sounded....amused. "Hello, young one. We haven't been introduced. My name's Toby."

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