Chapter 84
Wake grabs me by the arm and pulls me behind a stack of wooden crates near the end of the pier. "Stay here," he growls, his eyes flashing with a mixture of frustration and determination. I open my mouth to protest, but he cuts me off with a hard look. "Stay hidden. Let me handle this."
I swallow my words, biting my lip, and nod. I hate this—I hate being sidelined, but I know that, right now, I’m not ready to face what’s coming head-on. Not like he is. Wake, with his raw power, his lethal grace. He’s built for this, while I… I’m still figuring out what the hell is going on inside me.
Wake steps away from me, his movements fluid, barely making a sound as he positions himself to face the alley. I crouch lower behind the crates, my heart hammering in my chest as the first Enigma goon steps into view. There’s no hesitation, no time to even think before Wake surges forward, tackling the man to the ground with a speed that’s inhuman. The sound of their bodies hitting the ground echoes through the pier.
The man grunts in pain, trying to scramble away, but Wake pins him effortlessly, a hand on the back of his neck. “Don’t make this harder than it has to be,” he growls low, the threat clear.
Another man charges from the shadows, armed with a knife, but Wake’s already moving, sidestepping with deadly precision. He grabs the guy’s wrist, twisting it just enough to make the knife clatter to the ground, then slams the man into the wall.
I suck in a breath, watching in awe as Wake dispatches them, his strength contained but still terrifying. I asked him not to hurt them too badly, and somehow, even in the middle of all this, he’s listening. He’s holding back—for me.
But it’s not enough. Out of the corner of my eye, I see another one of them sneaking up behind him. My heart leaps into my throat as the man pulls something from his pocket—another knife. Wake is busy grappling with the man in front of him, and he doesn’t see it.
"Wake!" I shout, but it’s too late. The assailant is close, too close. Without thinking, I leap from my hiding spot and grab the guy by the arm.
A shock runs through my body, electricity sparking to life in my palms, racing up my arms and into his. The man convulses, eyes rolling back in his head as he crumples to the ground, unconscious.
I stand there, staring at my hands in disbelief. My fingers are still crackling with residual energy. I… I did that. How did I do that?
Wake’s eyes snap to me, his expression unreadable as he takes in what just happened. “Phoebe…” he says slowly, his voice tight with concern. “You did that on land. In your human form.”
“I didn’t mean to,” I stammer, shaking my hands as if that will stop the buzzing under my skin. “I didn’t… I just reacted.”
“That’s the problem,” Wake mutters, his brows furrowing. “You’re not supposed to be able to—” He doesn’t finish, but I know what he’s thinking. Something is wrong. I shouldn’t be able to do this here, like this.
Before either of us can process what just happened, one of the remaining assailants takes off running down the pier. Without a second thought, Wake bolts after him, his legs pumping with brutal force. The guy doesn’t stand a chance. Wake’s on him in seconds, grabbing him by the collar and hurling him off the edge of the pier like he weighs nothing.
But then—no. I feel it before I see it. The agent grabs hold of me midair, dragging me over the edge with him.
The cold shock of water hits me like a freight train. My vision blurs, my limbs flail, but I can’t find my bearings. Human panic floods my senses—I'm going to drown.
And then, something changes. A familiar pain tears through me, my body shifting as if responding to the water. I can feel the gossamer webbing returning between my fingers, my lungs burning before they morph into something else. I’m not drowning. I’m…breathing.
The agent sees it, too. His eyes widen in sheer terror as I shift in front of him, my tail taking form where my legs were moments ago. His panic takes over, and he starts swimming away, thrashing toward the surface as fast as he can.
I spot Wake diving into the water, his focus immediately locking onto the fleeing agent. There’s a deadly intent in his eyes that makes my stomach drop. He’s going to kill him. I can see it. And if that happens, Enigma will come down on us like an avalanche. We'll have lost any chance at leverage. We’ll never get from under them, and they’ll never stop hunting us.
“No!” I shout, my voice muffled by the water but carrying all the same. I swim as fast as I can to intercept Wake, my hands reaching for him, grabbing onto his arm. “Let him go.”
He jerks his arm away, his eyes dark with fury. “He saw you shift. He has confirmation.”
“It doesn’t matter,” I argue, but my voice cracks with fear. “If you kill him, we’re done. They’ll come after us harder than ever.”
Wake’s eyes narrow, his muscles tensing as if ready to ignore me, to continue the chase. But I hold onto him, pleading. “Please, Wake. Let him go.”
For a long moment, he just stares at me, and I can see the battle raging behind his eyes. The need to protect me, to end this threat once and for all. But finally, finally, his shoulders slump, and he lets out a low growl of frustration. The agent disappears into the distance, swimming for his life.
But there’s no relief. No reprieve. A terrible, sharp pain stabs through my stomach, doubling me over in the water. I clutch my side, gasping, trying to steady my breathing, but the pain intensifies. It feels like my insides are being torn apart.
“Phoebe!” Wake’s hands are on me in an instant, holding me steady.
The pain is blinding, and I know—I know what’s wrong. My hands scramble desperately for the bottle of pills Hiro gave me, but they’re gone. They must have fallen out during the struggle.
Panic rises in my throat, and I choke on it. “The pills,” I gasp, clutching at Wake’s chest. “They’re gone. I— I don’t know what’s going to happen.”
Wake’s expression hardens. He doesn’t hesitate, grabbing me around the waist and pulling me close. “Hold on,” he growls, his voice fierce. “I’m getting you out of here.”
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