Chapter 18 I Am A Bad Wolf
Lyon could hardly believe what he had just witnessed.
In mere seconds, Alpha Damian had released the drunken man, who had passed out from a lack of oxygen, and caught Alicia as she stumbled. With the same ease as he had shifted into a wolf, Damian now shifted back into his human form, his pure blue eyes slowly reverting to their natural deep blue as the black fur that had covered his skin dissipated.
"Are you alright?" Damian's voice was gentle as he held Alicia close to him. She looked up at him, and as the lavender scent of her mate flooded her senses, her heart rate began to slow.
In an act of chivalry, Damian took off his suit jacket and wrapped it around Alicia, shielding her. "It's okay now. Let's get out of here," he said soothingly.
As they walked towards the other elevator, Damian instructed Lyon，"Lyon, leave him alive. I'll deal with him tomorrow."
"Got it." Lyon took out his phone, scanned the man's face, and quickly identified him as Scott Collin, an Alpha of a pack owned by the Silver Moon Pack. The revelation only added to Lyon's growing sense of unease about the situation.
Alicia's heart still pounded heavily in her chest as she stood in the elevator with Damian. She couldn't shake off the feeling of unease that lingered after the frightening encounter with the drunk man. Her eyes darted nervously between the floor numbers and the elevator doors, worrying the worst to happen at any moment.
"What if someone else comes in?" she asked Damian, her voice shaky.
Damian sensed her anxiety and was quick to reassure her. "Don't worry. Lyon hacked the CCTV and elevator control system before we came here. No one else will be in this elevator until we leave, and no one else will see the security footage,"
"Really?" Alicia asked, still uncertain.
"Of course. And even if some fool tries to get in here, I won't let them touch a single hair on your head," Damian replied firmly.
His words were like a balm to Alicia's frayed nerves, easing her fears and making her feel protected. She breathed a small sigh of relief. "Thank you," she said, her voice hoarse.
Damian frowned and leaned down to examine her neck. "You sound like you've got a pinched throat. I'll take you to the hospital," he said, concerned.
"No, no, I'm fine. I'll be fine tomorrow," Alicia protested, panicked at the thought of going to the hospital with Damian. If she was taken there in this state by Damian, the nurse and the doctor might call the police. She didn't want to cause any more trouble for herself or for Damian.
Instead, Damian pulled out his phone and sent a quick message to his personal doctor. "I'll have my doctor meet us at the apartment," he said, determined to make sure Alicia received proper care.
Alicia nodded, grateful for his concern and attention. After a moment, she asked, "How did you know I was in danger?"
"Lyon was monitoring the CCTV and saw that asshole harassing you, so I had him take control of the elevator to the top floor," Damian explained, leaving out the fact that he had sacrificed his prized wine bid to save her.
"Thanks. I really appreciate it," Alicia said, her voice still weak.
"Shh, save your thanks until your throat recovers," Damian said, pressing his finger to her lips.
As they reached the underground parking garage, Alicia wrapped her arms tightly around Damian's suit jacket to cover her exposed upper body.
"Don't be afraid, Allie, you'll be home soon." Damian noticed her movement and knew she was upset again. He spread his arms and wrapped them around her shivering shoulders, offering comfort in his embrace.
Alicia nodded in gratitude, feeling reassured by Damian's strong arms. She didn't ask him to call her Mrs. Wilton again, as the scent of lavender emanating from him soothed her nerves and dispelled her fears. For the moment, she was grateful that the Moon God had brought Damian into her life as her mate.
As Damian pulled into the apartment parking lot, Alicia remembered that she had lost her keys and smartphone after hitting the drunk guy over the head with her evening clutch purse. She felt a sinking feeling in her stomach as she realized she had no way of getting into her apartment.
Damian opened the car door for Alicia and found her with her head hanging down, and tears streaming down her face. Concerned, he asked, "What's wrong? Is your throat sore?"
Anguish and pain engulfed her composure. Alicia covered her face and shook her head. She felt like a weak loser, incapable of protecting herself from assault and she had foolishly lost her keys and phone.
If only her husband Tobias had been there, Alicia thought. She wouldn't have gone to the party alone, wouldn't have felt so lonely, wouldn't have met a drunk, and almost been raped in helpless and vulnerable, and wouldn't have been overwhelmed by her inability to return to her lonely home.
If a member of his pack had been crying in front of him after all this, Damian would have relentlessly blamed her incompetence and kicked her out of the Moon Halo Pack.
But as Alicia cried, Damian didn't blame her or judge her. He wished he could take away her pain and make everything right. He knelt down and gently wiped the tears off her face, his voice soft and caring. "Can you tell me why you're crying? Otherwise, I might return to the hotel immediately and kill that bastard!"
"I'm weak... Damian," Alicia confided to Damian, ignoring the pain in her throat, as she shared the cause of her suffering.
"I was too weak to defend myself. I was terrible. I even lost my purse and my keys. If you hadn't shown up, I could have been raped or killed. I'm grateful that you appeared at my most helpless moment to help me and save me. But I compared you to my husband. I know full well he couldn't have shown up. I had decided to be a good wife, but I still had feelings for you. I shouldn't have, I'm a bad wolf."
Alicia held her head and ran her fingers through her long, naturally curly hair. Her disgust with herself had built up to a point where it threatened to break her spirit.
If Alicia had told him with eyes full of shyness and love that she was developing feelings for him, Damian was sure he would have been delighted that his game of double identity was halfway successful. But now the smell of red wine emanating from Alicia was like the fermented remains of rotten fruit, a sign that she was now mentally unstable. This was not the scene he was expecting!
Damian felt guilty about Alicia and even felt the urge to tell her the truth. But reason told him this was not the right time or place to reveal the truth to Alicia.
"Hey Allie, Allie, look at me." Damian cupped Alicia's head and forced her to meet his eyes. "Listen, Allie, Lyon will bring your purse back. Don't worry. You're safe now. Your 'if' won't come true. It never will. Because you have me. Understand?"
Listening to Damian's soothing words, Alicia smelled the familiar scent of lavender again as if she had regained her sense of smell. She stopped crying, and the pain in her stomach eased, her heartbeat became steady.
"Listen! You are not weak, and you are not a bad wolf. You are a kind and noble lady. It's normal for you to compare me to Tobias. I don't think you need to feel guilty about your absent husband! You just need to follow your heart," Damian said.
Alicia stared at Damian's thin lips, stroked his chin, and murmured, "Can I follow my heart?"
"Yes, you can. You have to do it now!" Damian gave her an affirmative answer.
Alicia's repressed emotions seemed to explode at that moment, and she moved closer to Damian's handsome face and kissed his lips directly. For that moment, she forgot she was married, forgot about Tobias and the Wilton Family. She just wanted to kiss her mate and wanted her mate to embrace her.
"Can I go to your place tonight? I don't want to go home. Please," Alicia pleaded following the quick kiss.
"Who said I was ready to let you go?" Damian grinned, making it clear that he had no intention of letting her out of his sight.