Chapter 209 Damian's POV

Chapter 209 Damian's POV


The medical summit was exactly as boring as I had expected.

Doctors from various packs gathered in a neutral territory to discuss treatment protocols, share research findings, and network, necessary, but tedious.

What I hadn't expected was for Kira to come with me.

"I'm your assistant for the day," She had announced that morning. "You need someone to take notes, carry your papers and make you look important."

"I don't need an assistant."

"Everyone needs an assistant, especially someone as disorganized as you."

I couldn't argue with that. My office was still a disaster despite her attempts to clean it.

So now we were walking through the conference hall, surrounded by medical professionals from a dozen different packs.

And apparently, I was getting attention.

"Dr. Cross?" A woman approached. Mid-thirties, attractive, confident. 

"I'm Dr. Lisa Martinez from Silver Creek Pack. I've read your research on dark magic contamination fascinating work."

"Thank you, It is still ongoing-"

"I would love to discuss it further, perhaps over dinner tonight?" She smiled, definitely flirting.

Before I could respond, Kira stepped forward. "Dr. Cross already has dinner plans with his girlfriend."

Dr. Martinez's smile faltered. "Oh. I didn't realize-"

"Now you do." Kira's tone was pleasant but her eyes were steel. "Enjoy the summit."

Dr. Martinez walked away quickly.

"Girlfriend?" I asked quietly.

"Do you have a better explanation for why I'm here?"

"Fair point."

It happened three more times throughout the day. Women approaching, flirting offering various invitations.

And each time, Kira appeared like a protective guardian, politely but firmly sending them away.

"You don't have to do that," I said after the fourth interruption. "I'm capable of declining invitations myself."

"I know. But I'm not capable of watching women throw themselves at you without doing something about it."

"Why does it bother you?"

She was quiet for a moment. "Because I care about you. More than I probably should. And seeing other women interested in you makes me want to stake my claim even though I have no right to."

"Kira-"

"I know. I know you don't feel the same way. Not really. You are still processing your feelings for Elara. Still figuring out if what you feel for me is real or just transference." 

She looked at me directly. "But here's the thing, Damian. I don't care even if you don't reciprocate my feelings. Even if I have to step back eventually.”

“When you do move on, when you do find someone, I want it to be someone qualified. Someone worthy of you, not just anyone who shows interest."

"You think you get to decide who is worthy of me?"

"No. But I can have opinions and my opinion is that you deserve someone who sees you.”

“Really sees you not just your credentials or your status or your connection to the Blue Moon Pack."

She walked away before I could respond, leaving me standing there processing her words.

The summit ended around six. We drove to the nearest town to find dinner and lodging for the night. The drive back to Blue Moon territory was too long to attempt this late.

We found a small inn with a restaurant attached. Checked into separate rooms met downstairs for food.

Dinner was quiet. Both of us are processing the day. The conversations we had left unsaid.

My phone rang as we were finishing dessert. Unknown number.

"Dr. Cross speaking."

"Doctor, please. I need help. I'm injured. Bleeding can't make it to the hospital." A rough male voice pained desperately.

"Where are you?"

He gave an address to an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of town.

"I will be there in twenty minutes. Try to apply pressure to the wound."

I hung up and stood. "Emergency call. Someone is hurt."

"I'm coming with you."

"It could be dangerous-"

"Which is exactly why I'm coming, you are not going alone to an abandoned warehouse at night."

We drove to the location and found it was an old industrial building, windows broken, clearly unused for years.

Inside, a man lay on the floor. Rogue, from his scent. Mid-twenties. Covered in claw marks and bite wounds.

"Who did this to you?" I asked, kneeling to examine him.

He pulled out his phone while shaking hands and showed me a photo.

Elara. 

Same face, same hair but her eyes were wrong. Cold empty and she was covered in blood.

"When was this taken?"

"Three nights ago. I was tracking her trying to figure out what she was doing. She caught me doing this." He gestured to his wounds.

"Why were you tracking her?"

"The king, the king of rogues. He wanted to know what she was doing in the forest. Why does she keep appearing at night when everyone thinks she is asleep."

"Who is this king-”

The rogue's eyes went wide. He grabbed my arm with surprising strength. "He knows. He knows I talked. He's coming-"

Black veins suddenly appeared across his chest. Spreading rapidly. The same dark magic I had seen killed Ethan.

"No! Not now!" I tried to treat him. To stop the spread. But it was too fast and too powerful.

The rogue convulsed once twice then went still, his eyes blank.

Dead. Killed by dark magic the moment he was about to reveal more information.

"Someone's watching," Kira said, scanning the warehouse. "Someone who didn't want him talking."

"We need to leave. Now."

We ran to the car, drove back to the inn with my heart racing.

Someone or something had killed that rogue to keep him silent. Which meant we were being watched and monitored.

And Elara what the hell was happening to Elara? Why was she appearing in the forest at night? Why didn't she remember?

Back at the inn, Kira paced my room. "We need to tell Kaden, show him the photo."

"And say what? That his mate is apparently sneaking out at night and attacking rogues? He will think we have lost our minds."

"But we have proof, the photo, the rogue's testimony before he died."

"A dead rogue's testimony killed by magic that can't be traced. With a photo that could be doctored."

"You don't think it is real?"

"I don't know what to think but accusing Elara of secret nighttime violence requires more evidence than one suspicious photo."

Kira stopped pacing. Looked at me with an expression I couldn't read. "Damian, I need to tell you something about Elara, something I have been keeping secret."