Chapter 31 31

Chapter 31 31
CHAPTER 31
\[Rhea’s POV\]

I stared at Mark’s limp body on the pavement. He wasn't moving. His head was turned to the side, and a small trickle of blood was starting to pool near his ear. I was shaking so hard I couldn't even stand up. My knees were raw, the skin shredded from the tackle, and the pain was finally starting to scream at me.

I looked up at the person who had saved me.

He was a stranger. I had never seen him around campus before, and I definitely would have remembered a face like his. He was incredibly handsome, with sharp features and messy dark hair that fell over his forehead. He looked like he was in his early twenties, but there was a vibe to his presence that made him feel older.

Mark let out a low, pained groan, his fingers twitching on the concrete.

"We need to move," the stranger said.

He didn't wait for me to agree and reached down, taking my hand. His palm was warm, hot actually, and the moment our skin touched, a spark of recognition shot through me. It wasn't the intense, soul-searing pull I felt with Lucien and Damian, but it was there.

He was a wolf.

I could smell it on him now that he was close. It was a nice, clean scent, like pine needles and cold mountain air. Nyra, gave a small, curious tilt of her head in my mind, but she didn't growl. He wasn't a threat.

"Come on," he urged, pulling me gently to my feet.

I winced as my injured knees straightened, but I didn't complain. I let him lead me away from Mark’s unconscious form. We didn't run toward the main road where Mark's SUV was parked. Instead, he led me toward a public park nearby. It was bright, and filled with families, joggers, and people walking their dogs.

He didn't stop until we were in the middle of a crowded plaza, surrounded by witnesses. Only then did he let go of my hand.

I leaned against a stone bench, gasping for air. "Thank you," I rasped, clutching my chest. "You saved my life. He...he wasn't going to let me go."

The stranger watched the entrance of the park, making sure no one was following us. "It was my pleasure," he said, turning back to me. His eyes were a deep, clear brown. "Nobody should be treated like that. Especially not someone like you."

A sudden shiver raced through my body. The adrenaline was wearing off, leaving me cold and exposed in the cold afternoon air. I was still wearing Damian’s hoodie, but it wasn't enough to stop the trembling.

Without a word, the man reached up and unbuttoned his heavy wool coat. He stepped closer and wrapped it around my shoulders. It was oversized and heavy, smelling strongly of that pine-forest scent.

"I'm wearing a hoodie, I'm fine," I stammered, though I didn't push the coat away.

"You're in shock, keep it on."

I clutched the lapels of the coat, pulling it tight around me. "I'm Rhea."

"I'm Lucas," he replied. "I'm a new student. I just transferred in this week. I was just out for a walk to get some fresh air and clear my head when I saw him chasing you. He looked like he was out for blood."

"He was," I whispered, looking down at my torn pants and the blood soaking through the fabric. "He’s my...he was my fiancé. He’s lost his mind."

"He looked dangerous," Lucas noted. He glanced toward the street. "Do you have somewhere safe to go? I can walk you the rest of the way, or I can call you an Uber."

"I only live a few blocks from here," I said, though the thought of walking alone again made my stomach churn. "I think I can make it. I just need to get inside and lock the door."

"I'll walk you to your building," he offered. "I won't feel right leaving you here when that guy is still roaming around."

"No, really, there are people everywhere here. I’ll call a cab from the stand over there. I don't want to take up any more of your time."

Lucas looked like he wanted to argue, but he eventually nodded. "Alright. But do me a favor? Give me your number. Just so I can text you and make sure you made it inside safe. I'd hate to wonder if that lunatic caught up to you again."

I hesitated for a second. Giving a stranger my number felt risky, but he had just knocked my attacker out with a stick. I pulled my phone from my pocket and typed in my number. He sent me a quick "Hey" so I had his contact too.

"I'll see you around campus, Lucas," I said, handing his phone back.

"Count on it," he said with a small, mysterious smile.

I hurried to the cab stand and got into the first car I saw. I didn't look back at Lucas, and I didn't look back toward the park entrance. I just stared at the back of the driver's seat until we pulled up to my apartment.

I practically ran to the front door, fumbling with my keys. I didn't stop until I was inside with the deadbolt turned and the security chain in place. I leaned my forehead against the wood, my heart finally slowing down.

I was safe. For now.

I walked into the living room and realized I was still wearing the coat. "Lucas," I muttered, then paused. For some reason, the name 'Dante' popped into my head, but he had definitely said Lucas. I shook it off. I would have to find him at the university tomorrow and give the coat back.

But first, I had work to do.

Mark had put a tracker in my ring. He had put one in my necklace. I couldn't trust anything I was wearing. I stripped off the hoodie and the pants, standing in the middle of my living room in my underwear. I went to the bathroom and grabbed a fine-toothed comb.

I went through every inch of my hair, my heart stopping every time the comb snagged. I checked my pockets. I checked the seams of my bag.

Then, I found it.

A small, black hairpin was tucked into the very back of my hair, near the nape of my neck. I hadn't put it there. Mark must have slipped it in when he was dragging me or during one of our sessions.

I pulled it out and looked at the head of the pin. There it was, a tiny red light, blinking away.

"You monster," I hissed.

I threw the pin onto the floor and stomped on it with the heel of my boot. I didn't stop until it was nothing but black dust and a tiny, shattered circuit board.

Exhausted, I dragged myself to the couch. I didn't have the energy to go to the bedroom so I just grabbed Lucas’s heavy coat and pulled it over me like a blanket. The scent of pine was soothing, and within minutes, the darkness pulled me under.

I had a dream.

I was running, but my feet felt like they were stuck in mud. I could hear Mark’s laughter behind me, a cold, echoing sound that filled the air. I turned around and he was right there, but he wasn't human anymore. His skin was gray and stretched tight over his bones.

He caught me, his fingers digging into my shoulders like talons. I tried to beg, to scream for help, but no sound came out.

"I told you, Rhea," he whispered in my ear. "I can fix you."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a long, jagged dagger. The blade was coated in a thick, purple liquid. Wolfsbane.

He raised the knife high. I saw the glint of the moonlight on the steel before he plunged it into my chest.

I woke up with a silent scream, my heart leaping into my throat. I sat up on the couch, gasping for air, the smell of pine still in my nose. I was covered in a cold sweat, my breath hitching as I tried to calm down.

"It was just a dream. Just a dream."

I wiped my eyes and looked toward the window. The moon was high in the sky, casting long, distorted shadows across the floor.

I suddenly felt a presence and turned my head slowly toward the armchair in the corner of the room.

My heart skipped a beat, then stopped entirely.

Mark was sitting there.

He was leaning back in the chair, his legs crossed, watching me with those cold, hollow eyes. He had a small, sharp knife in his hand, and he was casually cleaning his fingernails with the tip of the blade.

"Did you have a nice nap, Rhea?" he asked softly.