21
Dex
Weeks Later
New York City, pre-dawn.
Almost time to shed more blood.
I stand before the Apex and await the sun. A handful of humans march along the sidewalks. Some of them smell of smoke and drink. Others scent of soap and worry.
Not long before I enact my morning ritual. It’s what I’ve done every day since Grayson came to the Apex. Little by little, the first rays of dawn reflect off the building’s glass exterior.
The moment arrives.
Taking in a deep breath, I pull on the shifter magic within me and whisper.
“I have a love that time transcends,
I give my blood, magic defends.”
Supernatural power swirls inside me. I command the claws on my right hand to appear. Talons erupt from my fingertips and bite into my palm. Three drops of blood mix with my magic and fall onto the
