Chapter forty Five

Eve’s POV

"Damon," I whispered, my voice barely audible. He was already alert, his eyes glowing faintly in the dim light. "Do you feel that?"

He nodded, his expression grim. "Stay close to me."

Before I could respond, the front door burst open with a deafening crack. The force of it sent a gust of cold air rushing through the house. Damon pushed me behind him, his body tense as he prepared to shift.

A figure stepped into the room, cloaked in shadow. His presence was suffocating, his aura like a void that swallowed all light.

I couldn’t see his face, but his eyes... they were endless pits of darkness, and they were locked on me.

"You must be Eve," he said, his voice a snarl. "The one who doesn’t belong."

"Who the hell are you?" Damon growled, his claws extending.

The man tilted his head, a sinister smile playing on his lips. "I’m someone who’s come to correct a mistake."

Before Damon could react, the man raised a hand. Dark tendrils of energy shot out from his palm, striking Damon square in the chest. He let out a pained grunt and collapsed to the floor, his body convulsing.

"Damon!" I screamed, dropping to my knees beside him.

The man took a step closer, his gaze never leaving mine. "You’re stronger than you look," he mused, his tone mocking. "But strength alone won’t save you."

I felt my wolf surge to the surface, but the dark energy in the room was oppressive, stifling. My legs trembled as I stood, placing myself between the man and Damon.

"Stay away from us," I said, my voice trembling but firm.

He chuckled, the sound devoid of warmth. "How brave, but bravery won’t be enough this time."

With a flick of his wrist, the symbols from the clearing appeared on the floor, glowing with that same malevolent light. My head swam, my vision blurring as the energy seeped into the room.

But then something unexpected happened. A warmth spread through my chest, and I heard her voice, a soft, commanding whisper. "You are not powerless, child, remember who you are."

The Moon Goddess.

Her words ignited something within me, and a surge of power rushed through my veins. The symbols glow dimmed as I stepped forward.

"You’ve underestimated me," I said, my voice steady now.

The man’s smile faltered, but before he could react, I raised my hands. A burst of light erupted from my palms, slamming into him. He let out a startled roar as the energy forced him back.

"I’ll be seeing you, little goddess," he spat before vanishing into the shadows, his presence dissipating like smoke.

I fell to my knees, my body trembling from the effort. Behind me, Damon stirred, groaning as he tried to sit up.

"Are you okay?" I asked, crawling to his side.

He nodded weakly. "What the hell just happened?"

"I don’t know," I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper.

“Damon,” I called softly, my hand brushing against his cheek as he struggled to sit up, with a grimace of pain.

“I’m fine,” he rasped, though the wince that followed his words told me otherwise. “What the hell happened?” Then he fainted.

I pulled him up to a settee, got him to lie down, then covered him to sleep out the stress.

I went to the window, looking through but not seeing, thinking about the events of today.

A few hours later, the front door creaked open again, my heart leapt, fear flooding my chest, but relief swept over me when Damien stepped inside, his presence filling the room like a breath of fresh air.

“Eve,” he said, his gaze locking onto mine as he took in the scene, Damon asleep on the settee, the faint scorch marks on the walls, the lingering smell of dark magic. In two strides, he was at my side, his hands gripping my arms as he searched my face. “Are you hurt?”

“No,” I whispered, though my voice was shaky. “But he... he was here.”

Damien’s jaw tightened, his nostrils flaring as he turned his attention to Damon. “What happened?”

Damon coughed, pushing himself upright with a grunt. “Yeah Eve, what happened?” Then all of a sudden, abulb went up in his head when he remembered, “I remember now, some creep with a God complex decided to drop by. Threw some kind of magic at me, next thing I know, I’m out cold.”

Damien’s eyes darkened, his wolf brimming just beneath the surface. “Where is he now?”

“Gone,” I said, my voice trembling. “I… I managed to push him back somehow. But Damien, he said...” I hesitated, the memory of those void-like eyes sending a shiver down my spine.

“What?” Damien prompted, his tone softer now.

“He said he was here to ‘correct a mistake.’ And that... I don’t belong.”

Damien’s grip on my arms tightened, his expression darkening further. “That’s bullshit. You belong here, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”

“I felt her,” I said suddenly, the words spilling out before I could stop them. “The Moon Goddess. She... she spoke to me, gave me the strength to fight back. Without her, I don’t think I could’ve stopped him.”

Both twins went still, their eyes locking over my shoulder. “The Moon Goddess?” Damien repeated, his voice laced with disbelief.

“She said I wasn’t powerless,” I said, meeting his gaze. “But Damien, this man... he’s dangerous. More dangerous than anything I’ve ever felt before.”

Damien stood, pacing the length of the room, his fists clenching and unclenching. “We can’t let this go unanswered. He’s testing us, probing our weaknesses.”

Damon groaned as he leaned against the couch, his usual cocky demeanor faltering. “Yeah, how was the hunt by the way? Were you able to get anything?”

Damien then told of us finding the dead body of young Grant, and the rogue that had come before them, the ominous message he had left.

“We need to start by figuring out who or what he is, what their intents are,” Damien said, his voice firm. “And we strengthen our defenses. Eve, I don’t want you out of the pack house unless one of us is with you. Understood?”

I bristled at the command but nodded, knowing he was right. “What about you two? He knows you’re my mates, what if he comes after you?”

Damon snorted, though it lacked his usual humor. “Let him try. I’d love to return the favor.”

But his words did little to ease the knot in my stomach. The man’s parting words echoed in my mind like a ghost: “I’ll be seeing you, little goddess.”

Later that night, I couldn’t sleep. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw his shadowy figure, felt the oppressive weight of his presence. I stood at the window again, staring out into the dark forest.

A soft knock on the door pulled me from my thoughts. “Come in,” I said, expecting Damien or Damon.

But instead, a young woman stepped inside, her silver hair catching the faint light of the moon. I froze, recognizing her immediately.

“You,” I breathed.

The Moon Goddess smiled softly, her presence radiating warmth and calm. “Eve, my child. We need to talk.”

“Why now?” I asked, my voice sharper than intended. “Why didn’t you warn me about him?”

Her expression softened, a hint of sorrow in her eyes. “Because some things, my dear, you must face to grow stronger. But know this, he is not what he seems. And his interest in you... it is not mere coincidence.”

“What do you mean?” I demanded, stepping closer. “Who is he? Why is he after me?”

She hesitated, her gaze dropping to the floor. “He is a shadow of something long buried, a remnant of a past that seeks to unravel the future. And you, Eve, are at the center of it all.”

Her words sent a chill down my spine. “How do I stop him?”

“You will not face him alone,” she said, her gaze steady. “Your mates, your pack, they will stand with you. But to truly defeat him, you must unlock the full extent of your power.”

“And how do I do that?”

The Moon Goddess smiled faintly, stepping closer to place a hand on my shoulder. “Trust in yourself. Trust in them. And when the time comes, you will know.”

With that, she vanished, leaving me alone with more questions than answers.