Chapter 103
Elowen's POV
I stared at the three figures in front of me. Drake pressed against the wall. His shoulder bled through his shirt. My mother stood next to a stranger in dark clothes. The stranger's gray eyes locked onto me.
"What the hell is this?" My voice cracked. "Mother, you're Beta. You should be organizing rescue teams. Why are you hiding in a storage room?"
"She's a joke," Juno snarled in my head. "A coward."
I wanted to disagree. I couldn't.
Jessica's amber eyes avoided mine. Drake's face twisted with pain and fear. The stranger tilted his head. His mouth curved into something that wasn't quite a smile.
"Leave," I said to the stranger. My hands clenched into fists. "Get out. Now."
The stranger didn't move. A piercing gaze studied me like I was some interesting specimen. His eyes traveled slowly down my body. Lingered. Made my skin crawl.
"Feisty," he murmured. "I like that."
I took a deep breath. "Whoever you are, whatever you are—you need to leave. I need to talk to my mother alone."
"Why the rush, beautiful?" The stranger stepped closer. His voice dropped lower. Intimate. "We just met."
Drake suddenly grabbed my elbow. His fingers dug into my skin. "Baby, you don't understand—"
I jerked away from him. My skin crawled where he touched me. I looked at the stranger again. Those gray eyes held something dark. Something wrong. Something hungry.
Could he be the assassin? The thought shot through my mind. But it didn't make sense. The assassin wore a black robe. Moved like a ghost. This man looked ordinary. Plain brown hair. Average build. Cheap jeans and a bloodstained hoodie.
Had he changed his clothes? Was this a disguise to blend in after the chaos?
But that look in his eyes... And the way he stared at me. Like he wanted to own me. Possess me. Devour me. The feeling made me want to vomit.
"Don't touch me," I hissed at Drake. "Ever again."
Drake's hand reached for me again. "Baby, please—"
"Stop calling me that!" I grabbed his wrist. Twisted hard. He gasped. "We're done, Drake. You have no right to touch me. No right to call me anything."
The stranger chuckled. The sound was dark. Appreciative. "That's right, sweetheart. Tell him."
"Elowen, you need to listen—"
"No." I shoved Drake's hand away. "You listen. If you don't let go right now, I'll tell everyone here exactly what you are. A manipulative bastard. A control freak. A pathetic—"
"Elowen!" Jessica stepped forward. Her voice cracked like a whip. "How dare you speak to Drake that way!"
I turned to face her. Cold rage flooded through me. "Don't even start, Mother. You have no right to lecture me about anything."
Jessica's face flushed red. Drake finally dropped his hand. His eyes looked wet. Pathetic.
The stranger laughed. The sound was low. Rough. "Damn, I like her." His eyes never left me. Traced every curve. Every line. "Such fire. Such spirit."
He moved closer. Too close. I could smell something wrong on him. Like metal and blood..
"Back off," I warned.
"Or what?" He reached out. Touched my hair. Twirled a strand between his fingers. "You'll scratch me with those pretty little claws?"
Drake suddenly lunged forward. "Don't you dare touch her—"
The stranger's hand shot out. Lightning fast. Pressed hard against Drake's bleeding shoulder. Drake screamed. His face went white. His knees buckled.
"Shut up if you don't want to die," the stranger said softly.
His voice suddenly turned ice-cold. Lifeless.
"Don't interrupt me while I'm talking to the beauty."
He kept his hand pressed against the wound. Blood seeped through his fingers. Drake whimpered. Tried to pull away. The stranger held him effortlessly.
"Let him go!" I shouted.
"Why?" The stranger looked at me. Smiled. "He's nothing. Weak. Pathetic." He leaned closer to me. His breath brushed my cheek. "You deserve better, beautiful. Someone stronger. Someone who won't bleed out from a little scratch."
His free hand reached up. Traced my jawline. I froze. Every instinct screamed at me to run. To fight. But Drake's agonized breathing kept me rooted.
"Such pretty skin," the stranger whispered. His thumb brushed my lower lip. "I wonder how it tastes."
"Get your hands off me." My voice shook. With rage. With fear. With disgust.
"Make me." His smile widened. He released Drake. The man crumpled against the wall. The stranger's now-free hand slid to my waist. Pulled me closer. "Come on, sweetheart. Show me that fire."
I tried to push him away. He was like stone. Immovable.
"You know what they call you now? Luna." His lips brushed my ear. I wanted to vomit. "I was there when your Alpha died. Watched the light leave his eyes. It was beautiful."
"You bastard—"
"And now you're the new Luna." His hand tightened on my waist. Possessive. "Your mates become Alphas. Wonder how long that'll last."
His other hand slid down. Lower. Groped my ass. Squeezed hard.
I froze. Every muscle locked. Rage and fear crashed through me in equal measure.
"Don't you fucking—"
But when I spun around, he was gone. Vanished like smoke. Only his voice lingered. Floated from the doorway.
"See you soon, beautiful. Very soon."
I ran to the door. Looked down the hallway. Caught a glimpse of his cold smile. A dangerous glint appeared in his eyes—they flashed red for just a second.
Then red smoke erupted around him. Thick. The color of fresh blood. It swirled and twisted. When it cleared, he was gone.
"What the hell?" I stared at the empty hallway. My heart pounded. My skin still crawled where he touched me. "What was that?"
Drake groaned behind me. Slid further down the wall. His shoulder bled worse now. Much worse.
"Elowen." Jessica's voice came from behind me. Tight. Controlled. "Come back inside."
I turned slowly. Looked at my mother. Really looked at her. Her perfect hair. Her pressed clothes. Not a drop of blood on her. While I stood here covered in Ethan's blood. While people were dying upstairs. While that monster touched me and she did nothing.
"Who was he?" I demanded. "And what the hell is going on?"