Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Damien’s POV

Pain exploded in my ribs, like wildfire spreading through my body. I slammed into something sharp—was it metal? Wood? Honestly, I wasn’t even sure. All that registered was Larisa’s voice, and then… silence.
She was gone.
And here I was, still breathing. Barely.
With a low growl stuck in my throat, I pushed myself off the ground, my limbs feeling like they were filled with lead. But anger fueled me. I couldn’t fall now. Not here. Not when Killian was so close. Not when Larisa had seen me.
They knew.
Killian had set the trap, and I’d walked right into it.
How stupid could I be? I should’ve been smarter, trusted my instincts. The easy patrol routes, the unguarded path in, the eerie quiet—those were all signs.
He wanted me caught.
And now? He thought I’d die here.
But no way was I giving him that satisfaction.
My wolf growled in my head—injured but still ready. “We move,” I whispered, “now.”
I scanned my surroundings. The trees loomed, twisted and gnarled. The edge of the Red Moon Pack’s territory was close. I’d memorized every inch of this border before slipping in. The escape route was three clicks west. There was an old underground tunnel the rogues had used years ago—abandoned, or so we thought. But I didn’t have any other choice.
So, I ran. Well, more like limped. It’s hard to run when half your ribs feel cracked, and your vision’s blurring at the edges.
I heard branches snapping behind me.
Crap.
They were coming.
I didn’t look back. Wolves always chase prey that glances over its shoulder.
My feet pounded against the forest floor, dodging roots and ducking under low branches. Each breath was a struggle, each movement screamed in pain. But I had to keep going. I had no other option.
Then the howls started. One to my left, two behind me, and another further off—blocking my escape. They were working together.
Killian had unleashed his hounds.
“You’re not prey,” I reminded myself, murmuring under my breath. “You’re a threat.”
I skidded left, dove down a slope, and rolled hard, landing in a muddy ditch. Pain shot through my side as I dragged myself to the tree line, pressing against the trunk, trying to listen.
Silence.
No snapping branches, no howls. They were close—too close—and smart enough to go quiet.
I pulled a small vial from my boot.
A silver mist swirled inside.
One dose. It was meant for emergencies, and I had planned to save it for Larisa. But she was gone.
Now it was my turn to survive.
I swallowed the contents of the vial, choking down the bile that followed. My veins ignited like fire, my senses sharpened. For a moment, the pain eased.
Then I ran.
This time, I didn’t slow down.
Didn’t stop.
The entrance to the underground path was just ahead—a pile of boulders half-covered with brush and vines.
I dove behind them and pried the rocks loose, ignoring the blood seeping from my fingers.
Finally, there it was—a dark opening beneath the earth.
The rogue tunnels.
“Almost there,” I whispered to myself.
Then I heard it.
A low growl.
Too close.
I spun around just as a figure tackled me from behind. We hit the ground hard, wrestling. He shifted midair—a massive black wolf. His teeth snapped at my face. I rolled, elbowed him in the throat, and slammed my fist into his jaw.
He yelped. Just enough time.
I drove my knee into his gut and scrambled toward the tunnel.
More howls now.
They knew.
They were coming.
No time to hesitate. I slipped into the darkness, pulling the rocks behind me to block the entrance. It wouldn’t hold forever, but it would buy me some time.
The tunnel was pitch black.
But I knew it better than anyone. I had mapped it out years ago when I was still a rogue.
My feet stumbled over uneven stones. I forced my breathing to stay slow, controlled. Every sound echoed—a drop of water, a crunch of bone underfoot, the distant whispers of pursuit.
Then—
A voice in my head.
My wolf.
“She’s alive.”
I came to a halt, my back pressed against the damp wall. “What?”
“I felt her. When she looked at us. She remembered.”
I shut my eyes tight, feeling my throat tighten up.
“Then we’re not too late,” I whispered.
That thought was all I needed to keep going.
About thirty minutes later, I found myself in a part of the woods that hadn’t seen a patrol in ages. The air felt different here—like it was breathing freely, untainted by Killian's influence.
The tunnel had worked. At least for now.
But I was bleeding, feeling weak, and very much hunted.
Still, a smile crept onto my face.
Because Killian had tipped his hand.
He wanted me dead—but not right away. No, he wanted me to suffer.
And that meant he was using Larisa as bait.
Which also meant...
She was still alive.
But for how long?
My fists clenched at my sides.
I had to go off the radar. Regroup. Come up with a better plan.
No more solo missions. No more taking stupid risks.
I’d been lucky tonight. But luck? It wouldn’t save Larisa.