Chapter 31

Chapter 31

Larisa’s POV

The forest was eerily silent, except for the crunch of damp leaves beneath my boots and the pounding of my own heartbeat. The cold tore through my stolen cloak, chilling me to my core. But I kept pushing on, staying in the shadows, each step taking me further away from Killian’s estate and closer to Damien.
My mind was a whirlpool of everything that had gone down in the past few days. The fake smiles. Killian’s sudden softness. How he started bringing me food himself, sitting at my bedside, telling me how “important” I was. He’d only ever touched me with a guiding hand or a grip on my arm, but his gaze always lingered too long. Watching. Calculating. Waiting for the moment I’d finally give in.
I didn’t.
I never would.
Even though I tried to forget that night at the bar—the one time I let myself feel human again—it was impossible now. That night had given me the pups growing inside me. And Damien.
I could still picture his eyes in the dim light of the bar. Wild. Magnetic. Dangerous. Back then, I thought he was just another mistake waiting to happen. But now?
He was the only thing that made sense.
The wind picked up, rustling the treetops and making the shadows dance across the moonlit path. I ducked behind a thick tree trunk, crouched low, listening. I couldn’t get caught now. Not when freedom was so close.
And not after getting his message.
A small piece of parchment had been slipped into the lining of my cloak by one of the maids. The same woman who’d been avoiding eye contact for weeks had whispered one word as she handed me my folded laundry:
“Tonight.”
The note was written in Damien’s handwriting. A location, a time, and two words I hadn’t heard in months:
“Trust me.”
I wanted to. Goddess, I wanted to believe him. But Killian had eyes everywhere. If he found out I was even considering escape…
I pressed a hand to my stomach.
No.
I couldn’t let fear take over.
I wasn’t just running for myself anymore.
The small lake ahead shimmered like glass in the moonlight. This was the meeting point. I crouched behind a jagged boulder, waiting. Watching.
Then I heard him.
A whisper of movement. Soft footsteps on wet soil. And then—
“Larisa.”
My head snapped up. I’d recognize that voice anywhere.
“Damien?” I rose slowly, my heart racing. There he was, stepping out from the trees like a shadow. His eyes locked on mine, filled with an intensity that shook me. His dark hair was tousled, his shirt torn and drenched, but he was here.
He was real.
“I thought you were caught,” I breathed.
“I let them think I was,” he said, his voice low but with an edge. “I needed them to lead me… to him. To you.”
In just two strides, he crossed the space between us. Before I could process anything, he wrapped me in his arms.
And for the first time in weeks, I exhaled.
“I thought I’d never see you again,” I whispered against his chest.
“You think I’d let Killian have you?” His voice was rough. “After everything?”
He pulled back just enough to look at me. “Are you alright?”
I nodded. “The pups are okay too. Just tired… hungry.”
“I have something for that,” he said, reaching into a small satchel and handing me a wrapped bundle. Warm bread and dried meat. I bit into it without thinking, the taste almost making me cry.
“I’ve missed real food,” I murmured.
He smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes.
“I had to act fast,” he said. “I knew Killian was up to something. The way he pretended to care? That was never about you. He wants revenge. And he thinks using you—my mate—is the way to get it.”
I froze. “Mate?”
He paused, just for a heartbeat.
I stared at him, stunned. “What did you just say?”
He cursed under his breath. “That’s not how I wanted to tell you.”
“I’m your… mate?” My voice cracked on the last word.
His jaw tightened. “Yes. You didn’t feel it that night because you’d shut yourself off… but my wolf knew. The second I touched you. That night was never just a one-time thing for me, Larisa. I felt the bond. I still feel it.”
I was trembling. “Why didn’t you say anything before?”
“Because I was scared,” he confessed. “Scared you’d turn me away. Scared that if I told you, it would just bring more trouble your way. And honestly… I didn’t want to put any more pressure on you. You’ve already been through so much.”
I was at a loss for words. The whole idea of having a mate had felt like a curse to me. It was like a badge of punishment or something. Everyone the Moon Goddess had paired me with? They either died or betrayed me.
But Damien? He was different.
And as those little pups danced inside me, I felt something else—like they recognized him, too.
“You brought something with you,” he said out of the blue, snapping me back to reality.
I frowned, puzzled. “What do you mean?”
He reached into his cloak and pulled out this silver pendant wrapped in a bit of black cloth. I instinctively took a step back.
My wolf was practically jumping at the sight of it.
“What is that?” I gasped, hand flying to my chest.
“I found it in the ruins of an old Lycan temple,” he said softly. “It belonged to your mother’s bloodline. Your father was an Alpha, sure… but your mom? She was something much older. This symbol? It’s like a protection magic. It reacts to your bloodline. When Killian saw this, he changed his plans.”
I just stared at the spiral carved into the pendant. Something inside me was tugging at it.
“He knows,” Damien said, continuing. “He knows you’re not just carrying my pups. You’ve got power in you.”
I gasped, my heart racing. “What kind of power?”
“I can’t say for sure yet. But he wants it. And he won’t stop until he gets it.”
Just then, a howling in the distance made us both freeze.
Wolves.
Three of them.
No, wait—four.
Closing in fast.
“They found us,” I breathed.
“No,” Damien growled. “They found me.”
He grabbed my hand. “We need to get out of here.”
We took off through the trees, our feet hammering on the soft earth. Damien navigated with such skill, leading us deeper into the woods, through paths only rogues and shadows would know. The trees closed in around us, the moonlight barely making it through the branches.
I heard twigs snapping behind us. A low growl.
They were getting closer.
“Almost there,” Damien panted. “We’re heading toward the border—”
Suddenly, a sharp whistle sliced through the air.
And then—
Pain.
A searing, blinding pain shot through my side.
I went down with a cry, and Damien caught me just before I hit the ground.
“Larisa!”
An arrow was sticking out of my side, blood spreading fast.
He ripped off his cloak and pressed it hard against the wound.
“Stay with me,” he urged, his voice low and intense. “Just hold on—”
Everything started to blur.
Shapes moved in the trees.
And then—
A figure stepped out.
Cloaked in darkness.
Killian.
A slow, wicked smile crept across his face.
“Going somewhere?”