Juniper rolled her lips as she scribbled down a note addressed to Seraphina and Warren.

Dear Sera and War,

I don't plan on apologizing once in this note so don't expect one. We all know what's at stake here and I can't sit around waiting for something to happen to you both. I'll find somewhere safe but I won't be in contact once I leave. If I make it the next three months I'll send you a letter to let you know. You're my only friends and I can't bring you down with me.

Watch over Saint please, even if he is annoying.

I don't like you but I do love you,

Juniper

Just yesterday after the market, after she'd promised Felix to she'd meet with him, she agreed with Sera and Warren to give the decision another few days of thinking.

But Juniper was a liar. Lol, she thought to herself.

She'd unplugged both of her friends alarm clocks and turned off their phones in the middle of the night.

Perks of being a shadow demon, the ultimate stealth.

The sun hasn't risen yet and Bear sat obediently at her feet.

"We're going to go somewhere fun, babydoll," Juniper made kisses at him.

"Nice and far," she muttered to herself before opening the window of her room on the first floor. The front door was too noisy and she needed get as much time from her friends discovering her departure as possible.

"Okay," she groaned as she lifted Bear up with quiet grunts. "You're the cutest fucking thing I've fucking seen," she mumbled in a completely serious tone.

Tossing bags over her shoulder, she began trekking to her car that she parked down to the road for good measure.

Opening the door for her new companion, Bear, she also threw her bags in the back. Buckling herself in and high tailing it towards the portal terminal.

~

Seraphina rubbed her eyes tiredly as she woke up, she wanted to make Juniper a special breakfast for agreeing to stay.

The nymph was groggy since she woke up naturally before her alarm, having made sure to wake up extra early for it. Juniper was an early riser, she should be waking soon.

Seraphina cracked open her friends door to let the new addition to the group, Bear, out to go to the bathroom.

She furrowed her brow when Bear didn't rush out, pushing the door open wider her eyes face fell when everything was gone.

Rushing down, tears welled in her eyes as she fumbled for her phone.

As she spam called Phoenix she yelled, "Warren get the fuck up! We have to go to the portal hub!"

"Honey?" Phoenix grunted tiredly.

"Juniper left. We need to meet her at the portals before she leaves and we have no idea where she goes! Get Saint and meet us there now!"

Phoenix barely got to respond before his girlfriend hung up the phone. He sat up abruptly and leapt from bed to wrestle shorts on and sprint to Raphael's room. He'd stayed the night before after his friend had gone into a frustrated rampage once again.

Banging on the door, he burst in after a moment.

"Get the fuck up, we've got to go."

Within ten minutes, Raphael was matching the other demons pace.

"What the hell am I supposed to say that her friends already can't? Isn't that hell hound meeting her there?" Raphael grunted as he'd barely had enough time to get dressed.

"I'm not her mate and neither is Warren, so figure it out yourself." Raphael glared at him as he started the car.

Gritting his teeth Raphael sped down the empty roads towards the portal hub. How stupid could she be to actually leave? If her friends were this serious about her being in danger then why possibly take the chance.

Coming to a screeching stop, both men exited the car promptly.

Raphael's eyes scanned the open area bustling with people, seven portals were open at the moment.

He growled lowly as they both split up. He'd caught the girls scent as soon as he stepped out, it was impossible for him to miss it.

The berserker didn't pay attention to everyone staring at him, taking advantage of the crowd parting to search for the blue haired woman.

His dark eyes zeroed in on the dark skinned beauty, watching her tighten a sun hat she had on. She would have to try harder to hide that hair of her's however.

The berserker hissed and began to storm forward, he watched her with narrowed eyes as she handed a witch coordinates.

But as if feeling his presence, she glanced back. Her gray eyes widened only a sliver, he watched her breath hitch in her chest.

Swiftly turning back, she whistled and turned towards the portal the witch opened.

A dog he had never seen quickened it's pace to keep up with Juniper.

The dog halted however and started barking at something in the distance, Juniper cursed and tried to calm him while ushering him through the portal.

She looked back at Raphael and growled, "Did Seraphina send you?" Raphael, who was still approaching, harshly snarled at the witch to close to portal before she could leave.

Juniper barked out for her to keep it open. The witch's eyes darted between the two scary people yelling at her.

"We need to talk," he yelled loud enough for her to hear from where she was.

Juniper furrowed her brow as Bear was snarling and barking at something ferociously to the left of her.

Just as she glanced up at Raphael to tell him to fuck off she felt something stab into her neck.

Raphael watched her open her mouth to probably yell at him as a dart pierced into the side of her neck. As if in slow motion he watched her eyes roll back, his hear sinking into his ass.

"Fuck!" Raphael barked and watched her begin to sway.

Her body began to go limp, the dog loomed in front of her and snarled at a retreating figure from a distance. Raphael managed to snag her body on the way down to break her fall, their chest pressed together as he panted.

His normally emotionless eyes darted around her face, pushing her hair out of her eyes and wrapping her up in his arms.

A shaky breath fell from his lips.

Phoenix there's a white man with a red hat wearing all black heading south west, don't let him leave, Raphael demanded through a mind link as he crowded over Juniper's body.

The dog was barking at him but Raphael growled louder, watching the dog simmer a bit in submission.

Hovering his hands hesitantly over her body, his heart sank as he couldn't hear a heart beat.

Gripping the dart in her neck, it burned his nose. Gyre, a poison made for berserkers, so why the fuck was it used on Juniper?

He just reached to begin compressions before she took a gasping breath. Her heart picking up as her eyes widened.

She scrambled to move away from Raphael but he held her down, bringing her into his lap. He hefted her up as she mumbled lowly.

Her eyes were dilated completely as she looked completely disoriented, "F-Fuck yoou." Her lips slurred.

"Really?" he snarled and grunted at the dog that followed after them. He lifted her up closer so her head fell into his shoulder, his body was on fire at her close proximity and his demon was on a rampage at the attempt on her life.

"How are you even alive?" he muttered to nobody as he threw himself into the car. The woman was half his size, able to be curled up onto his lap as the dog leapt in as well.

Raphael didn't wait for Phoenix, peeling out of his impromptu parking spot to his home. Already linking Phoenix to meet him after finding the assailant as well as his personal doctor to meet him at his house.

She was shivering on top of him as he sped, her skin going pale. Juniper fell in and out of consciousness, gripping his t-shirt tightly.

"Raphael," she moaned quietly in pain.

"Breathe in through your nose, out through your mouth," he instructed. He reluctantly cradled her closer to keep her warm.

Barely waiting for the car to be fully stopped, he lifted Juniper out and burst through the door. Laying her down onto the nearest table.

Juniper couldn't see straight, her mind swimming as she heard Raphael moving around her.

"I'll be fine, just give me a second," she croaked as she tried to sit up.

He shoved her back to lay down, "You should be dead." He pointed a finger in her face as he took her shoes off.

She sneered with droopy eyes, "Damn, screw you too."

"That's not what I meant. The dosage they gave you would've incapacitated a berserker. And anything that kills a berserker would definitely kill a shadow demon."

Juniper groaned as she felt nauseous, her eyes focusing. She rolled onto her side, hanging her hand over the side to pet Bear who was whining at her.

"Not me," Juniper mumbled weakly. She groaned in disgust as her stomach turned.

"What does that mean?!" Raphael slammed his hand down on the table, confusion and anxiousness eating at him.

"Some shadows are immune," she slurred.

"To the deadliest poison known to supernaturals?" the berserker scoffed in disbelief.

"To everything," she closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep despite Raphael trying to keep her awake.

"Juniper open your fucking eyes!"

Just then, everyone burst through the front door.