Chapter 53 53
Damien POV
“So this is the Luna of the Bloodnight Pack… I thought she was dead.”
Alpha Maurice pins me with a sharp, narrowing stare.
“So did I,” I admit, though the words feel heavy on my tongue.
For a second, he studies me too perceptive for my liking as if trying to peel back the layers of my expression and read what lies beneath. Now is not the damn time for him to poke at my private business. Aurélie needed help. Fast.
“She needs a hospital,” I growl, my patience already stretched thin and fraying.
“Here put her in the back. I’ll drive you to my pack’s hospital.”
“A human hospital will do.” My tone leaves no room for debate. The last thing I need is to step deeper onto his territory and hand him a political weapon wrapped in my unconscious wife.
“Brilliant idea,” he shoots back, dripping sarcasm. “And what exactly will you tell them? That she’s a werewolf who will heal herself in a few hours? How do you plan on explaining that?”
“Piss off,” I snap, the sound low and feral.
“I’ll make sure she’s taken care of. Keys?” He stretches his hand back toward me from the driver’s seat.
I shift Aurélie gently, tightening my hold around her. One wrong jolt could worsen whatever damage she’s already battling.
“Fine,” I bite out, shoving the keys into his palm. “Take it slow.”
I glare at him. “One dent, and you’re fixing it.”
I hate anyone else driving this car. It’s one of the few things in this world I actually give a damn about aside from the unconscious woman bleeding in my arms.
The drive to his territory is quick. Too quick. He must have alerted his pack ahead of time; the gates swing open before we even reach them. Maybe he’s concerned for Aurélie too.
He heads straight for the hospital. A gurney waits outside, surrounded by doctors and nurses. My wolf bristles the moment I move to hand her over every instinct screaming not to release her, not to let strangers take control of her body.
Everything has become tangled and volatile since crossing paths with her again. Even the thought of her attacker roaming free possibly harming Dominique sets my mind on fire.
“What the hell happened?” Maurice demands as the medical team wheels her away.
“She was attacked,” I grit out.
“No I mean… I thought she was dead.” His voice drops low. “You know. The Luna. That you killed her.”
My head snaps toward him. “What? Who the hell told you that?”
People believed she died. I had believed it too. But I’d never heard my name tied to her death.
“Pack gossip,” he mutters. “Rumours that drifted my way a few years back.”
“Of course not,” I growl, fury spiking hot and fast.
“Well, obviously,” he scoffs. “Since she’s alive and bleeding in my hospital.”
“She was at my pack last night,” I explain tightly. “She left to meet someone with information. He ambushed her.”
“Did you see his face?”
“No. He ran before I could get a good look.” I reach instinctively for my pocket for a cigarette only to remember I left them in my desk drawer, trying to avoid the damn things.
“Here.” Maurice pulls out a pack and offers one to me.
I take it and the lighter. The first drag hits my lungs like fire, a small reprieve from the chaos clawing through me.
“Thanks.”
He eyes me strangely, tilting his head as though he’s trying to gauge whether I’m serious. My reputation precedes me Alpha King, ruthless, temper like a blade. I enjoy the rumours.
“Come on. I’ll take you to her,” he says, jerking his head. “But no smoking inside.”
He leads me through the hospital to a private room already assigned to Aurélie. Suspicion twists in my gut. He’s giving me free rein in his hospital? Allowing me to walk deep into his inner pack? What the hell was he playing at?
Maybe he did have something to do with Dominique’s disappearance. I’ll need to stay alert and stay close to Aurélie.
Our feud goes back years. Started over some girl, I think. Two stubborn assholes refusing to back down. But what bothered me now was this: why did he think I killed Aurélie?
I don’t have time to dwell on it. The medical team wheels her in, still unconscious. I watch as they attach monitors, hook in lines, work over her with practiced efficiency.
“Alphas,” one of the doctors says, “she’s healing well. She should wake soon. Her blood levels are stabilizing rapidly. Her healing is exceptional… almost like an”
“Alpha,” I finish for him.
The doctor nods. “I’ll return once I’ve completed my rounds.” He leaves, staff following silently out the door.
I stay standing, itching to get her back to my pack hospital where I can control who touches her. Maurice moves to her bedside, eyes scanning her face, studying every detail.
When his hand lifts as if he means to touch her I let out a warning growl that shakes the air. His hand freezes mid-reach.
“Who is she?” he demands quietly, still facing her.
“She’s the Luna,” I answer.
He scoffs. “Even a Luna doesn’t heal like this. Who is she really?”
He turns then, meeting my glare with one that mirrors it perfectly.