CHAPTER 15

CHAPTER 15
“Aine!” I gasped, my eyes snapping open as I heard my mother's panicking voice screaming my name and her hands vigorously shaking me.
My mother stood in front of me, her face pale and drawn, eyes wet with fear. She shook me once more before pulling me into her arms. “Aine! You scared me half to death. Are you okay?”
I blinked, dazed. My head felt heavy, and it was spinning, my mouth dry. I looked around, realizing I wasn’t inside the house anymore; I was standing outside, barefoot on the damp grass. The bottle of gin lay a few feet away, tipped over, its contents spilling into the dirt. I think I drank too much.
“Why… why am I outside?” I mumbled, my voice rough. “What happened?” My mother pulled back slightly, looking confused as her eyes darted to my face.
“That’s what I want to know. I found you just standing here, staring at nothing. I kept calling your number, but you weren't responding." Her words sank in slowly. My heart thudded in my chest as I tried to piece together what had happened.
The last thing I remembered was being inside, groaning in pain, and kneeling on the floor. I don't remember going outside.
“I don’t remember. Why don't I remember?” I whispered, feeling confused and panic setting in.
I noticed we weren’t alone; two men stood a few feet away. The taller one, broad-shouldered, with dark hair and storm-gray eyes, looked familiar. I cussed under my breath when I noticed it was the same guy who had rejected me, Raven. My heart clenched painfully at the sight of him.
Standing beside him was his second in command, a man with a scar that ran down his neck and a gaze that made me look away. They both looked uneasy, like they didn't want to be here.
I straightened slowly, my throat tightening. “What are you doing here?” My voice came out sharper than I meant it to, my eyes fixed on Raven. “You shouldn’t be here.” Raven's exposure didn't change; he remained unremoved.
“I’m here because your mother asked for my help.”His jaw tightened, but his tone remained calm. He doesn't want to be here. How did my mother even convince him to come here?
I glanced between them, disbelief flickering across my face. “Why would she—” He took a step closer, his eyes steady on mine. “ It doesn't matter why she did it. I can help you. I know a place you can stay and be safe, he won't be able to get to you there." I stared at him, speechless for a moment. One minute, he looks like he doesn't want to be next to me, and the next, he is determined to help.
I took a step back, shaking my head. He has hurt me enough. He left me when I needed him the most. Why should I accept his help when I have my mother?
“I don’t want your help,” I said, the tremor in my voice betraying the anger I wanted to show. “You made it clear what I am to you. Don’t act like you care now.”
He sighed, glancing briefly at my mother before replying. “I’m not helping you, Aine.” His tone hardened, each word cutting clean and sharp.
“I’m helping your mother. She asked me for help, don't make this difficult for everyone.” I looked at him, feeling annoyed by the minute, all the pain from the heartbreaking coming back like a wave of water.
My mother placed a hand on my arm, her touch gentle but firm. “Aine, please. He’s right. You need to be somewhere safe while we figure it out.” I wanted to tell both of them to leave me alone. But before I could speak, Raven’s attention snapped toward the edge of the property, his posture shifting, tense and alert.
“What is it?” his second, Eli, murmured, his eyes narrowing. I followed their gaze, and then I saw the vampire standing at a distance away but visible.
Standing at the tree line, half-hidden by the darkness, his dark coat brushing against the tall grass. His eyes were locked on me, a faint smirk curved his lips as if he knew how scared I felt with him around.
My breath caught in my throat. “No…” Raven’s body stiffened instantly, his wolf instincts kicking in. The air around us thickened, charged with danger.
“Stay behind me,” he ordered, his voice dropping into a low growl that rumbled through the stillness. But I couldn’t move. My legs felt rooted to the ground. My mind raced back to the cold touch of chains, the events of that day. My chest tightened painfully as tears stung my eyes.
“He’s going to turn me into something else,” I whispered hoarsely, trembling. “He said he would—” Raven stepped closer, his hand brushing against my arm, not soft, not gentle, but grounding.
“He’s not touching you again,” he said, his eyes didn't leave the vampire as he spoke to me. Eli moved slightly to the side, his stance protective, ready. The vampire tilted his head, as if considering something, before giving a slow, mocking bow. Then he turned and disappeared into the mist, vanishing into thin air.
I let out a shaky breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. My mother’s hand was still on my shoulder, trembling slightly. She's also scared of him, how the hell did she conceive me then?
“He won’t approach us while we’re with werewolves,” she said quietly, as if reading my thoughts. “He knows better.”
“Knows better?” I turned to her, my voice cracking. “He kidnapped me, Mother. He had me chained. What could make him stop now?” She looked at Raven, and for a brief moment, something unspoken passed between them.
Raven broke the silence first. “We need to move. Now.” His voice was low, commanding.
“I’m not going anywhere with you,” I said, my voice trembling but defiant.
He turned his eyes to me, those same gray eyes that once made my chest ache for all the wrong reasons. “You don’t have to trust me, Aine,” he said, his tone steady, almost tired. “But if you want to live, you’ll get in the car.”
The words hit me like a slap, not because of their harshness, but because of the quiet truth buried in them. I wanted to fight him, to hold on to the last bit of pride I had left, but fear was a powerful thing.
My mother squeezed my hand. “Please, sweetheart. We’ll be safe for now. I promise.”
I swallowed hard, my throat thick with tears I refused to shed. Slowly, I nodded, allowing Raven and Eli to lead the way. The car, a sleek black SUV, waited by the road, engine running, the smell of gasoline sharp in the morning air.
Raven opened the back door, but I hesitated, glancing one last time toward the treeline. For a moment, I thought I saw movement, but my mother grabbed my hand.
“Don’t look,” my mother said gently, guiding me inside. “He’s watching. That’s what he wants.”
I slid into the seat, my hands trembling as I pulled the seatbelt across my lap. The leather was cold against my skin. Raven shut the door firmly, circling to the driver’s side, and climbed in. Eli took the passenger seat, his hand resting near his weapon.
The road stretching ahead was silent and endless. My mother sat beside me, her hand resting lightly over mine. For a while, none of us spoke. The hum of the engine and the steady rhythm of tires against gravel were the only sounds.
My thoughts swirled around the events that have recently happened to me, every one of them causing a heartache. I finally turned my head, looking at Raven’s reflection in the mirror. “You don’t have to pretend to care,” I said quietly. “I know what I am now. I know what you think of me.”
His grip on the steering wheel tightened slightly, but he didn’t look away from the road. “You think I’m doing this out of pity?” I didn’t answer; we both know he is.
He let out a breath. “You were taken by a vampire, Aine. That doesn’t happen by accident. There’s a reason for it. Until we figure that out, you’re not safe in the human world.” I looked at my mother, confused. Why hasn't she told him who that man is? She just shook her head and looked away.
I turned away, staring out the window. The sun was rising, the light spilling over the horizon in pale gold. It should’ve felt warm, but it didn’t. My mother squeezed my hand again, her voice soft but filled with a quiet strength.
“You’ll be safe for now,” she said. “He won’t come near us while we’re with them.” Her words should have comforted me, but all I could feel was dread. The vampire’s smirk lingered in my mind, haunting me.