Chapter 195 Second Death Attempt: The Attack

Chapter 195 Second Death Attempt: The Attack


Chapter 195

RAVENNA

I eyed her carefully, every muscle in my body tensing.

"What do you want?" My voice came out sharper than I intended. "And what are you doing here?"

Selina laughed. "The nerve of you to even question me. I can't believe you got away with everything you did. And Darius actually mated with you."

I smirked, refusing to let her see any fear. "Maybe you didn't know Darius after all."

She stepped fully into the bathroom, her heels clicking against the tile. Then she closed the door behind her and the lock clicked.

My stomach dropped.

Moonlight grunted immediately in my mind. “

I kept my expression calm, even though my heart was racing. “I don't know the reason why she's here or her agenda.” I need to stay calm.

Moonlight was furious now, her voice sharp and urgent. “Do you need to know why she's here when she's openly threatened Darius she was coming after us?”

The memory slammed into me like ice water.

Shit.

She was right.

Selina had rammed into Darius with her car, threatened to torture us both and promised she was coming for us. And I had just let her trap me in a bathroom.

How could I be so stupid?

But I didn't let it show on my face.

I stared at her. She stared back.

"It's time for you to pay back for what you did to me," Selina hissed, her voice dripping with venom.

Before I could react, she attacked.

Her fingernails—sharp, deadly claws that had extended from her fingers—came straight for my face.

I jerked my hand up at the last possible second. Her claws sliced across my forearm instead, tearing through skin and muscle.

Pain exploded through me, hot and sharp and blinding. I groaned, my teeth clenching, but I didn't hesitate.

I couldn't afford to hesitate.  I swung my fist hard, connecting with her chest.

The impact sent her stumbling backwards. Then I kicked her stomach with everything I had.

She went flying, her body slamming into the wall with a sickening thud that echoed through the small bathroom.

I stood there, breathing hard, my arm throbbing where she'd cut me.

Blood was dripping down to my fingers, staining the floor.

I chuckled breathlessly, adrenaline pumping through my veins. "Did you not train well before coming for an assassination?"

Selina pushed herself off the wall slowly, her face twisted with rage.

She grinned, but there was nothing friendly about it. "You'll find out."

She rushed toward me again, faster this time, and grabbed me by the waist and tried to throw me.

But I had been expecting that.

Combat training had drilled this into me—never let yourself be caught off guard twice.

I used her momentum against her, shifting my weight, slowing myself down mid-throw. Then I rushed back at her before she could recover her balance.

Her eyes widened in surprise. I didn't give her time to react.

I kicked her feet out from under her, and she went crashing to the floor, her head hitting the tile hard.

She cursed viciously, her voice raw with fury and pain.

I grinned down at her. "Come on, then. Get up."

She did and this time, she let her claws extend fully—long, sharp, glinting in the bathroom light.

She attacked again, swiping wildly at me.

I dodged to the side, my heart pounding.

Her claws scraped the wall where my body had been just a second before, leaving deep, jagged gouges in the tile.

If that had connected with my face, I would have been dead. Or worse.

I didn't let myself think about it.

I kicked her hard in the stomach, then spun and hit her across the face with all my strength. She spat out blood, her head snapping to the side but she didn't go down.

I was getting tired now. My arm was still bleeding. My lungs were burning. I needed to finish this.

She attacked again, her claws slashing toward my throat. I ducked underneath, grabbed her by the waist, and lifted her onto my shoulder.

She thrashed, trying to claw at my back, but I held on.

I heaved her up with everything I had left and slammed her down onto the floor as hard as I could.

Her face connected with the ground. There was a sickening crack—bone meeting tile. I staggered back, my chest heaving, my entire body shaking.

I waited, watching her carefully, waiting for her to get up.

She didn't move.

I stood there for a long moment, my breath coming in ragged gasps, my hands trembling.

Was she dead?

Had I killed her?

I didn't know and right now, I didn't care.

I straightened my gown—miraculously, it hadn't torn—and walked over to the sink.

I washed the blood off my hands quickly, the water running red, then flexed my neck to ease the tension coiled there.

I looked down at Selina's crumpled form one last time.

"Good riddance to rubbish," I muttered.

I opened the door carefully and checked the hallway.

It’s clear.

I stepped out, closed the bathroom door behind me, and began walking quickly toward the main hall. I reached for my purse to call Darius—

My hand met empty air.

Damnit! I'd left it at the table.

How could I make such a stupid mistake?

Moonlight hissed in my mind. “Just reach him through the bond.”

Right.

I reached out through the mate bond.

“Darius.” I called.

A moment later, his voice came back, slightly distracted. “I seriously need to get away from my father and his stupid meeting. What's wrong?”

I heard footsteps and saw two men walking down the hallway, staring directly at me. Their expressions were cold.

My heart skipped a beat, my stomach dropping.

This wasn't good.

Darius's voice came through immediately, sharper now, concerned. “Are you fine? Why are you agitated and anxious?”

“Selina just attacked me in the bathroom. I don't know if I killed her or knocked her out.”

The two men were gaining ground now, closing the distance between us. I quickened my pace, my heels clicking loudly against the floor.

Just a few more steps to the hall. Just a few more—

Two more men stepped out from a door directly ahead of me, blocking my path.

I stopped and turned. The first two men had paused behind me.

I was trapped.

Panic clawed at my chest, but I forced it down.

Darius's voice was sharp now, urgent. “Where are you? What's wrong?”

Some men just blocked my way in the hallway near the toilet.

I looked at the men in front of me, my hands clenching into fists at my sides. "What do you want?"

One of them smiled. "You."

I immediately dropped into a fighting stance, my feet shoulder-width apart, my weight balanced. "You'll have to kill me before you take me."

The two men behind me attacked first.

I moved.

I slipped between them at the last second, letting their momentum carry them forward. They collided with the two men coming from the front with a satisfying crash.

They yelled and cursed, their bodies tangling together. I didn't wait to see what happened next.

I turned and ran down the hallway as fast as I could in my dress and heels but another man stepped out from a door ahead, blocking my escape.

No.

I couldn't go that way.

I shoved open a door to my right and slipped inside, slamming it shut behind me and twisting the lock.

My hands were shaking.

I looked around quickly. It’s a storeroom. Shelves lined the walls, filled with cleaning supplies and equipment. One window was high up on the far wall.

I rushed to it and looked down. My stomach turned.

The drop was massive—at least three stories. If I jumped from this height, I'd break both my legs. Or worse.

A loud bang sounded on the door.

I spun around, my heart hammering in my chest. They were trying to break in.

It wouldn't take long. I turned back to the window, my mind racing.

I had no choice.

I opened it, the cold night air rushing in, and stepped onto the narrow ledge outside. I grabbed onto a pipe running down the side of the building, my fingers wrapping around the cold metal.

I started climbing down, hand over hand, my arms burning with the effort.

My dress caught on something, and I heard it rip.

I didn't care.

When I was close enough, I let go and jumped the last few feet.

I hit the ground hard, my knees buckling, pain shooting through my legs but I was alive.

I looked up.

The men were staring down at me from the window, their faces twisted with fury.

I turned and ran into the woods.

Moonlight's voice was urgent in my mind. “You won't have a chance in your human form. You need to shift. Now.”

I knew she was right.

I ducked behind a large tree, my fingers fumbling with the zipper of my dress. I pulled it off quickly, the fabric pooling at my feet, and began the shift.

My bones cracked, the sound echoing in my ears. My hands lengthened, fingers becoming claws. Fur rippled across my skin like water, golden and streaked with white. I grunted, the pain sharp and familiar now, and dropped onto all fours.

I shook myself, my wolf senses sharpening immediately.

The world exploded into focus—every sound, every scent, every movement. I looked around. The men had jumped down from the window and were running toward me, their footsteps heavy and loud.

I turned and ran deeper into the woods.

I didn't know where I was going. I just needed to run. To escape. To survive.

I reached out through the bond. “Darius. I'm in trouble. Some men are after me, but I can't reach you—”

Nothing.

Silence.

He was gone.

Fuck.

What could be wrong?

Why couldn't I reach him?

I heard wolves running behind me now—heavy paws pounding against the earth. I glanced back. Two large wolves.

They were gaining on me.

Moonlight's voice was sharp and commanding. “Attack. Take them down. Better to be on the offensive than defensive.”

I cut through the trees sharply and hid behind a thick trunk, my breathing harsh and uneven.

I waited.

The first wolf came closer, sniffing the air, searching for my scent.

I lunged.

I snapped at his neck, my jaws closing around flesh and muscle.

He whined, thrashing violently, trying to throw me off.

But I held on.

I bit down harder, my teeth sinking deeper, tasting blood.

He fought for a long moment, his body convulsing.

Then he went still.

I released him and dragged his body behind the tree, hiding it quickly.

Then I waited for the second wolf. He attacked from behind without warning.

Moonlight screamed in my mind. “Behind you!’

I ducked just in time, his jaws snapping closed where my neck had been a second before.

“Don't frighten me like that again!”

The wolf circled me now, his eyes glowing in the darkness, assessing me.

Then he attacked head-on. We collided with brutal force, teeth and claws tearing into each other. He was stronger than me but I was faster.

I twisted under him, bit down hard on his front leg, and pulled.

He yelped, his balance breaking.

I didn't give him time to recover.

I went for his throat. We fought viciously, rolling across the forest floor, blood staining the earth beneath us.

Finally, I gained the upper hand.

I bit down one last time, and he went limp.

I stood there, panting hard, my entire body trembling with exhaustion and adrenaline.

I threw the flesh from my mouth, spitting out blood. Then something connected with my body.

Electricity tearing through every nerve. I howled in pain, my legs buckling, and collapsed to the forest floor.

My vision blurred, my body convulsing uncontrollably.

A figure stepped closer.

I tried to focus, but everything was swimming.

Blonde hair and a face I recognized.

He knelt in front of me, his expression calm, almost gentle.

He reached out and petted my head like I was some kind of dog. I barked at him viciously, snapping my teeth, trying to bite his hand off.

He pulled back, smiling.

"You put up a good fight," he said softly. "But in the end, you're going to be mine."