Chapter 43 42
Darius’POV
“Soraya, what happened? What’s wrong?”
I was trying so hard to keep my voice steady, but seeing her like that, her face swollen, bruises trailing down her neck, blood on her lip, it made it so difficult to keep calm.
“It was… the Patriarch,” she whispered.
For a second, everything in me just stopped. My blood turned cold. Sam froze from where he stood. The name alone was enough to send rage through my skin.
The Patriarch.
I clenched my teeth, I could feel Zeus, trying to take over as a low growl rumbled in my chest.
“What?” My voice broke out. “The Patriarch? How…how did he even find you?”
Her fingers twitched weakly. “One of his men… came to warn me,” she coughed, wincing in pain. “Said I should… stay away from you.”
Before I could ask anything else, the infirmary door swung open.
“Oh my!” The nurse gasped the moment she saw Soraya. She rushed in, setting her medical kit on the table beside the bed. “What happened to her?”
“She…she fell down,” Sam quickly said.
The nurse’s gaze darted between us before she crouched beside Soraya. “Her face is badly bruised. I’ll give her some ointment for the swelling, and something mild to calm her nerves.”
As she reached for her tools, I couldn’t take my eyes off Soraya. My hand brushed hers gently. Her skin was ice-cold. I wanted to hold her tighter, but I was scared of hurting her more.
“Darius,” Sam murmured, placing a hand on my shoulder. “You need to breathe. You’re shaking.”
He was right. My body was trembling. My claws were already starting to extend. I clenched my fists to stop them.
When the nurse finally finished with Soraya, she turned to me. “Um, she’s fine now. I’ll just give you some pain relievers and an ointment for the bruise. She should get some rest, and she’ll be okay.”
“Mm. Thank you,” I said.
The nurse gave a small nod before leaving. The moment the door closed, I moved closer to Soraya. I reached out and brushed a strand of hair away from her face.
“Are you okay?” I asked softly. “I’m so sorry this happened.”
“I’m fine,” she said, trying to sit up, but halfway through, she grabbed her stomach and winced.
“Hey, hey…don’t move. Can't you see, you're hurt?”
She chuckled softly. “The bastard kicked me in the stomach.”
“What?”
She tried to give a faint smile. “I’m fine, Darius.”
I clenched my teeth, my anger bubbling just beneath the surface. I’d been hunting that bastard for months, trying to track his men, and now, he had the guts to go after my mate.
I stood there for a second, taking a deep breath, trying to calm the storm inside me. Then I bent down and scooped her gently into my arms. “I’ll take you home so you can get some sleep. You’re not going to school tomorrow.”
She didn’t argue, she just nodded, tired. I held her closer, her warmth was the only thing keeping me sane at this point.
We walked out quietly, down the hallway and out of the infirmary.
When we reached the car, I opened the door carefully and helped her inside. Then I walked around to the driver’s side, got in, and began to drive.
After we got home, I carried Soraya straight to my room. I didn’t want her anywhere else. I wanted to see her, to make sure she was breathing, that she was really here with me.
I laid her gently on the bed and sat beside her. My hands were still shaking a little, though I tried not to show it. She looked so fragile lying there, her skin pale against the pillow.
“How did this even happen?” I asked quietly, though the anger in my voice was impossible to hide. “Why were you out of the school?”
She turned her head to look at me, guilt dancing in her eyes. “I… I received a call from a man. He said he was the driver. He told me he’d come to pick me up.”
“The driver?” I repeated, my brows furrowing. “But I told you to call me when you were done.”
“I know,” she whispered. “He said you were busy with work, and I didn’t think much of it. The only people who have my number are from the mansion, so I didn’t think… I don’t know how he got my number in the first place.”
I froze for a moment, thinking it through. She was right. I was the one who got her the phone, and she’d only been at school a short while. The only people who even knew that number was the family. So how the hell did that man get her number?
What the fuck was going on?
I glanced back at her, trying to keep my voice calm. She looked at me again. “I’m sorry,” she said softly. “I should’ve acted wiser. I only realized something was wrong when I was already outside. I wanted to call you to confirm, but then… he showed up. He grabbed me and that’s why.”
I took a deep breath, trying to suppress my rage. “You should’ve spoken to me before leaving the school, Soraya.” My voice softened after a pause. “Listen, it’s okay. You didn’t know. I’m just… I’m just glad you’re safe.”
She nodded slowly, and I continued, “Look, we have only one driver. I don’t like hiring too many staff. The man who dropped you off that day is the only driver we have. There’s no other. So next time, Soraya, pleas —call me first, no matter what, okay?”
She nodded again, her voice barely a whisper. “Okay.”
I reached up and gently cupped her face, brushing my thumb along her cheek and that’s when I saw the red mark on her cheek. It was the outline of a hand.
My entire body stiffened. I turned her face slightly to get a better look, and my blood boiled.
“Did he hit you?” I asked, my voice trembling with rage.
Soraya looked away without answering.
“He slapped you, didn’t he?” My teeth clenched.
She didn’t answer, and that was already a yes.
I swallowed hard, trying to keep myself from shifting right there. Zeus was already taking control, growling inside my head, demanding blood.
A man raised his hand to my mate. He slapped her.
And that bastard was still out there, breathing.
A growl escaped out of me, causing Soraya to flinch a little, her eyes wide, but I couldn’t help it. I couldn’t think straight. My whole body was burning with rage and trembling with fury at the same time.
I could feel the heat spreading under my skin, the wolf in me clawing to get out. My vision blurred red. My fangs grazed my lips.
No…
My breathing turned ragged as my clothes stretched slightly against the pressure of my shifting form.
“Darius…”
“Don’t—” I choked out, stepping back from her. “Don’t come close to me, Soraya. I don’t want to hurt you.”
But Zeus was already pushing seizing control. I could feel his fury and my fury consuming me from the inside. Every heartbeat screamed for blood.
“Darius!” She called again, but I was already moving.
I stormed out of the room before I lost it completely.