Juniper was silent as Warren patted the wound splitting her hairline.

She stared at the wall directly in front of her, unmoving.

"Are you sure you're alright?"

She held up a finger to silence him. She needed to think. Warren sighed and placed a bandage onto her wound.

"Come downstairs when you want. We need to decided what to do when we go there."

Juniper laid back down on the bed as he left. Her head pounded with her thoughts.

This was the worst possible scenario. She knew she was mated to the berserker, it was the entire reason she had to avoid meeting one.

Of course, this would be a little difficult being on a island full of demons. An island ran by berkserkers.

But berkserkers were a dying species. The berkserkers were only able to reproduce with another berkserker and female berkserkers had been wiped out. So they were a dying race, Juniper had heard there were fewer than a couple thousand left.

Even so, they were the most feared out of all species. Berserkers and lycans took the throne in this hierarchy of supernaturals yet berserkers still predated the lycan society.

They weren't feared necessarily because they had a grand display of powers like hell hounds or witches- no. Berserkers were just... indestructible. They don't die, they don't burn, they don't bleed. They were the original apocalypse released onto the world.

Rarely, does anyone see a shifted berserker anymore. No matter the natural color of the berserker before shifting, once they went demon it drained to a dull gray color.

They grew to an insane size, their bodies became an armor as horns grew on their heads to become extra weapons.

They're eyes either went white or black depending on how strong they were. If they were stronger than the average berserker, they're eyes would go black.

Basically they were fucking terrifying.

But she took the chance because the island was a safe haven from anyone posing a threat to her. It was a risk she was willing to take, of course

She didn't think the first day here she'd be stuck in a room full of them, one of them being her mate.

Berserkers were the only type of demons that didn't have predetermined soul mates naturally. Unless another species with soul mates was bonded to them.

Like Juniper being a shadow demon hybrid, mated to Raphael.

She hoped that meant Raphael had no confirmation of their bond, if she could resist the urges that came with the bond she may be able to avoid creating a clusterfuck.

If a witch caught wind of her being on the island, let alone being mated to the Saint himself she would be done for.

Raphael Saint was known for his viscous and harsh nature. The oldest berserker left and the one who started this island as a sanctuary for his kind. He was legendary in scary stories told to children, he had a lot of enemies as well.

just what she needed, Juniper scoffed.

Blinking up at the ceiling, she stood up sluggishly. Stripping from her ruined dress, she shrugged on sweats before meandering downstairs where her two friends were.

"I'm sick, can't go to the dinner tomorrow," Juniper announced. Staring at them while fake coughing very obnoxiously.

Warren and Seraphina deadpanned as Juniper shot them a smirk.

"Don't think it's a good idea for me to go," the demoness shrugged. "We've talked about this before. I'm not supposed to be around berkserks."

"I understand you're worried, Juniper. But if you don't go to this dinner after Raphael requested you, it'll create a whole new problem. It'll bring more attention then going to the dinner."

Juniper grunted, gripping the pot of coffee out.

Seraphina frowned, standing to lean next to Juniper on the counter.

"Why do I feel like there's something to this you're not telling me about?"

Juniper hopped onto the counter, raising her mug to her lips while meeting her friends eyes over it.

Choosing to ignore her question, Juniper looked at Warren. She bit her tongue in thought before asking the question she needed to know.

"In theory, if a berserker was mated to someone, would they know about it?" Juniper's usually strong voice was marred with anxiety as she gripped her mug tightly.

Warren's face contorted in thought before it fell in shock.

"No..." he whispered with an open mouth.

"No way!" He stood up abruptly.

"Juni are you saying-?" Seraphina cut herself off.

Inhaling deeply, once again she chose not to answer while taking a long drink of coffee.

Warren paced in front of the girls as Seraphina was processing.

"It depends how powerful the berkserker is... they're pretty in tune with other demons considering they're the original demon race," Warren met her eyes warily. "Especially if they're another berserker. Even a shadow demon and berserker hybrid."

Juniper swallowed, "What if- maybe possibly- he was the most powerful berserker on the island... or- or um like ever?"

Warren looked as if he could faint and Sera slapped a hand over her mouth.

"The Saint?!" She screeched as she gripped Juniper's arms. "Raphael Saint is your mate? Say you swear to the gods right now!"

Juniper rolled her eyes and crossed her heart, "Swear."

"We're fucked."

Precisely, Juniper thought to herself as she agreed with Warren.

"We still have to go," Seraphina mumbled. "If he knows and you don't show up, he could take drastic measures."

Warren grabbed a beer, opening it urgently. "We have to assume he has a hunch, his demon is going to be drawn to you no matter what. That'll set him off at the very least. He may not know it's the matebond however, he's been alive for... shit a couple hundred years now. A mate is the last thing on his mind, I know he's been isolating himself the last few decades."

Juniper absorbed the information, she wasn't surprised by his age. Berserkers, lycans, and vampires were the original supernatural species. That was thousands of years ago, but Raphael was supposedly the oldest one left. After his father, the last official demon king had been killed.

Raphael's mother was actually the last living female berkserker. Well, full blooded berserk. Now there was only Juniper apparently.

"So... I'm screwed," Juniper grunted.

The two others nodded.

"Great. I'm going to sleep, don't bother me until we have to leave tomorrow," she sighed before Warren and Seraphina watched her stomp up to her room.

Seraphina looked up at Warren, "We tell no one of this."

Warren nodded in agreement.

~

Brushing her hands through her curly, navy blue hair Juniper looked in the mirror. Warren came to give her the run down that the dress for a dinner at the manor was supposed to be formal.

Warren leaned against her door frame, watching her style her curly hair.

Getting frustrated, she smothered more product into her hair before styling it into a bun.

Her makeup was already done, she stood up and began loosening her robe.

Warren rolled his eyes and turned away, "Shouldn't you look... like less attractive? To avoid his attention?"

Juniper narrowed her gaze, dropping her robe and picking up her dress. She eyed Warren with a scoff, "If he can't control himself then whatever this situation is- it'll be over before it starts."

"Touche," Warren hummed and turned to close the door behind him.

Thirty minutes later, the trio was walking out of the door.

Seraphina whistled as she slapped June's ass with loud giggles.

"Lookin' mighty fine, my friend."

Juniper smirked and linked arms with the nymph. "Are you excited to see Pheonix?"

Seraphina's eyes lit up, "To be honest, I've been worrying about making sure your safe more than I was thinking about him."

Juniper hummed and opened the car door for Sera, before getting into the passenger side.

"Your boyfriend will eat you up in that dress Sera," the demoness smirked at her friend.

Seraphina giggled bashfully, dressed in a silk white dress. She was looking forward to seeing Phoenix even if she was more worried about her friend.

The friends went back and forth for a moment before quieting down, Seraphina noticed Juni quieting down.

"How're you Juni?" Seraphina and Warren both looked at her.

The bluenette sighed, "I don't know. I can't tell if he's aware of the bond. I don't know if I want him to be or not. I've put my entire life on the line because of this fucking witch, I don't know if I want to anymore. And even if I do want to... pursue things with him- how do I even do that?"

"He has a right to know, June Bug," Warren admitted. She rubbed her face before furrowing her brow, groaning in frustration.

"Something could happen to him Warren," she grit her teeth at the thought.

"You're worried about the strongest demon on this planet right now, do you hear yourself?" the hell hound argued.

"Aren't I supposed to be worried about him?"Juniper hissed stubbornly while crossing her arms tightly and glancing out the window.

"These witches- this coven will find me at some point. They will hurt me, they will hurt you, and they will hurt him if I screw up. Okay? I-I can't do this shit right now."

Sera wrung her hands together, "You never told me what the witch said to make you run here."

Juniper sighed and side eyed Warren who shrugged at her.

Reluctantly, she began recounting what happened just four months ago.