Chapter 36

Unfortunately, Chloe and Vanessa didn't take Philosophy. They found it boring or draining as Vanessa would say.So currently I was by myself, but the words on the board blurred together, my mind refusing to focus as Mr. Lanister droned on about existentialism. Normally, I loved philosophy—it made me think, made me question things—but today, it was impossible to concentrate. My fingers tapped anxiously against my notebook as my thoughts spiraled back to the murder, to the lies everyone was so eager to believe.

An animal attack? That was bullshit. The cops knew it, Vanessa, Chloe, and I knew it. And yet, no one was asking questions. No one seemed to care that a student was drained of blood right outside campus. I gritted my teeth, gripping my pen tighter. How could they all just pretend like nothing happened?

The door creaked open. I barely registered it at first, but then, something made me look up—an odd feeling, a shift in the air, a presence.

And my heart stopped.

“Damon?” The name escaped my lips before I could stop it, a whisper of disbelief.

He walked in like he owned the room, like he’d been attending this class all semester instead of just showing up unannounced. The same cocky smirk tugged at his lips, the same dark eyes that always seemed to be hiding something. He scanned the room briefly before his gaze landed on me. And just like that, my stomach twisted.

Damon strolled up to Henry, the poor guy who sat in front of me, and leaned down. He didn’t say much—just a few words in a low voice—but whatever he said made Henry nod hastily, grab his stuff, and move without protest.

I almost groaned. What the hell?

Damon dropped into Henry’s now-empty seat and leaned back, completely at ease. His eyes flickered to me, amused.

“What are you doing here?” I hissed under my breath.

He smirked, completely unfazed. “I like philosophy.”

I narrowed my eyes. “You don’t go to this school.”

“Details, details.”

I barely held back an eye-roll. Damon had a way of making me instantly irritated. It wasn’t just his arrogance—it was the way he always seemed to know something I didn’t, the way he acted like everything was a game he was playing alone. And yet, beneath all that frustration, there was something else. An energy, a pull. I hated it.

“Miss Elizabeth,” Mr. Lanister’s sharp voice snapped my attention forward. “Are we interrupting your personal conversation?”

“No, sir,” I muttered quickly, forcing myself to look at the board.

Damon just smirked wider and stretched lazily. “Not at all. Please, continue. I’m dying to learn about the absurdity of existence.”

Somehow, Mr. Lanister just sighed and went back to teaching, but I wasn’t fooled. Damon had that effect on people. They either overlooked him, underestimated him, or let him get away with everything.

I didn’t have that luxury.

When class ended, I shot out of my seat before Damon could start up whatever game he was playing. I didn’t have time for him, not when there was real danger lurking around campus.

But, of course, he was already next to me by the time I made it out the door.

“Running away? I thought we were bonding.”

I exhaled sharply. “We weren’t.”

Damon chuckled, shoving his hands in his pockets as he fell into step beside me. “Harsh. And here I thought we had something special.”

I rolled my eyes but didn’t slow down. I needed to get back to where the body had been found. No one else was asking questions, so I had to. Maybe I’d find something—anything—that could tell me what was really going on.

The campus felt colder than usual as I approached the spot. Even though the crime scene had been cleaned up, I still felt the unease, the lingering presence of something dark.

And then, I saw him.

My breath hitched.

The man who had attacked me before. The same red eyes, the same unnatural presence. He was standing at the edge of the trees, half in shadow, watching me.

Every instinct screamed at me to run, but I didn’t. I stepped forward instead.

“What do you want?” I called, my voice steadier than I felt.

The man tilted his head slightly, as if amused by my bravery—or stupidity.

I was about to take another step when something wrapped around my wrist.

I gasped, my heart nearly stopping before I realized who it was.

Damon.

He had grabbed me so fast I hadn’t even seen him move. His grip was firm but not painful, his fingers cool against my skin. I looked up at him, ready to snap, but the intensity in his expression stopped me.

“Stay out of trouble,” he murmured, his voice softer than before. It wasn’t teasing. It wasn’t sarcastic. It almost sounded like…a warning.

I swallowed hard, suddenly hyper-aware of how close we were. “Let go of me.”

He didn’t. Not immediately. His dark eyes studied mine, searching for something, before he finally released me.

I turned back toward the trees—

But the man was gone.

I inhaled sharply, frustration bubbling up. I turned back to Damon, scowling. “You just let him get away!”

Damon’s expression remained unreadable. “Trust me, you weren’t going to get any answers.”

I folded my arms. “Oh, and you would know?”

He smirked again, but it was different this time. Less arrogant, more…curious. “You ask too many questions.”

“Because I actually want to know what’s going on. Unlike you, who just—lurks mysteriously and makes cryptic comments.”

He chuckled. “It’s a gift.”

I huffed, shaking my head. “Why are you here, Damon? Really?”

His smirk faltered just slightly, just enough for me to catch it. And then he shrugged. “Same reason you are.”

I stared at him, my pulse still unsteady from the encounter. “Which is?”

His gaze darkened. "Looking for answers,"

I swallowed, his words pressing heavy against my chest. I should have been angry, should have told him to leave me alone. But instead, all I could think about was the way he had grabbed my wrist, the way he had looked at me like he knew something I didn’t.