Chapter 18

My arm throbbed, the pain sharp and constant, but it wasn’t the worst thing I’d endured. Not even close. What I couldn’t wrap my head around was the man—no, the creature—kneeling beside me. Damon, the Alpha, with his hands carefully wrapping a bandage around my broken arm.

Why was he doing this?

His silver-grey eyes, so pale they seemed almost translucent, caught the dim light in the room, giving them an otherworldly glow. His dark hair fell just slightly into his face as he worked, his expression carved from stone. No softness, no kindness—just that impossible, unreadable mask.

I tried to focus on anything other than his touch. It was steady, deliberate, and far gentler than I would have expected. My pulse quickened despite myself.

“Why are you doing this?” I blurted, my voice sharper than I intended.

He paused, his hands stilling for a fraction of a second before finishing the bandage. His eyes flicked up to meet mine, and I swallowed hard. Those eyes—cold, piercing, like they could see right through me.

“Doing what?” His voice was smooth, low, and entirely too calm.

“This,” I said, gesturing with my good hand at the careful bandage, the way he was treating me like I wasn’t just another piece of broken property. “Why are you being... kind?”

The corner of his mouth twitched, and for a moment, I thought he might laugh. But instead, he pulled a new dress from somewhere behind him, shaking it out with a snap.

“I wouldn’t call this ‘kind,’” he said, his tone laced with something like amusement. Without asking, he moved to slip the dress over my shoulders, replacing the torn one. His fingers brushed my skin, and I flinched, though it wasn’t from fear.

“Why not?” I shot back, my voice trembling slightly. “You’ve shown nothing but cruelty. Your kind has shown nothing but cruelty. Why would you—”

“Stop.”

The single word cut through the air like a blade. I froze, staring at him as his eyes locked onto mine.

“You wouldn’t understand,” he said quietly, his tone almost dismissive.

“Tell me,” I said before I could stop myself.

His lips curved into the faintest smirk, but it wasn’t warm. No, it was sharp and knowing, like he was in on a joke that I would never understand. He finished smoothing the dress over me, his hands lingering only briefly before pulling away.

“I’ve known more kindness than your kind could ever imagine,” he said, his voice low and steady, his gaze never leaving mine.

I blinked, stunned. “Kindness? From you?” I couldn’t stop the bitter laugh that escaped me. “That’s a lie. I’ve seen what you’ve done. What your kind does. You don’t know the first thing about kindness.”

His eyes narrowed, the smirk fading into something harder, colder. “Is that so?”

“Yes,” I snapped, the words spilling out before I could think better of it. My anger flared, the memory of Ellis’s broken body flashing in my mind. “You’re monsters. You take what you want, you destroy everything you touch. Don’t stand there and pretend you’re better than us.”

For a moment, he said nothing. He just stared at me, those eerie silver eyes glinting like ice. Then, to my shock, he let out a quiet laugh.

“Better?” he repeated, the word dripping with disdain. “Oh no, Elizabeth. I don’t pretend to be better. But I do know the truth.”

“What truth?” I demanded, though my voice faltered under the weight of his gaze.

“You asked for this,” he said simply, his tone cutting like a knife.

I blinked. “What?”

“Humans,” he continued, his voice calm but carrying an edge that made the hairs on my arms stand on end. “You polluted your world. You killed what you didn’t understand. Anything that dared to challenge your so-called superiority, you destroyed. You wanted brutality. You begged for it.”

I opened my mouth to argue, but he wasn’t finished.

“Do you not see the irony?” he asked, his head tilting slightly as if studying me like a puzzle. “You Christians—so many of you. Did you not believe in ‘do unto others as you would have them do unto you’? And yet, you twist that belief into an excuse for cruelty. You forget it entirely when it doesn’t suit you.”

His words hit me like a blow. My throat tightened, and for a moment, I couldn’t speak. He leaned closer, his presence overwhelming, the scent of him—earth and something darker—filling the space between us.

“I’ve only given your kind what they asked for,” he murmured, his voice softer now, almost gentle. But his eyes held none of that softness. They bored into mine, unyielding and impossibly ancient.

I shook my head, my voice a whisper. “I don’t believe you.”

“You will.”

His gaze held mine for what felt like an eternity. Then, to my shock, he leaned closer, his breath warm against my ear.

“Do you believe in karma, Elizabeth?” he whispered, the words sending a shiver down my spine."keep testing me little mate."

I froze, unable to move, unable to breathe. My heart pounded so loudly I was sure he could hear it. He lingered for a moment, his presence like a shadow I couldn’t escape, then pulled away.

Before I could gather my thoughts, he straightened and turned, his movements smooth and predatory. “Anna will take care of you,” he said over his shoulder, his voice back to its usual detached calm. Then he was gone, leaving me alone with more questions than answers.

I didn’t reply. I couldn’t. My mind raced, his words echoing in my head. Karma. What had he meant?

The door creaked open a few moments later, and Anna stepped inside, her face pale and drawn. She glanced at me, her eyes clouded with sadness.

“We need to get ready,” she said softly.

“For what?” My voice was hoarse, and I barely recognized it as my own.

Before Anna could answer, two women appeared in the doorway. Their presence was almost as unsettling as Damon’s—tall, poised, their expressions cold and unreadable.

“It’s time to leave,” one of them said, her voice smooth and commanding.

My heart skipped a beat. Leave? After everything, was it really happening? Or was this just another cruel trick?

I glanced at Anna, whose expression mirrored my confusion and fear. But there was no time to question it. The women stepped aside, motioning for us to follow.

As I rose, cradling my broken arm, Damon’s words lingered in my mind.

Do you believe in karma?

I wasn’t sure anymore. But something told me I was about to find out.