Daisy didn't collapse—she vanished from consciousness. One heartbeat, her fingers dug crescents into his flesh; the next, she melted against him like spilled midnight.
Christian caught her with preternatural reflexes, her body weightless in his arms. The scent of fear still clung to her skin as he carried her away from Rachel Martinez's ruined form. Blood-tinged earth and torn foliage trailed behind them—a path he would erase later.
After placing Daisy on soft grass yards away, he returned to the fallen leopard. Ancient words spilled from his lips as he cast protection around her, sealing the scene in mystical amber. Evidence preserved. Time suspended. The metaphysical equivalent of crime scene tape shimmered into place—temporary magic that would fade within hours.
He returned to Daisy
