Chapter 34 34

Chapter 34 34
CHAPTER 34
\[Damian’s POV\]

I could feel Rhea’s heart hammering against her ribs from across the room. She was standing by the window, her body locked in a state of pure terror. I hated that look on her face. I hated that someone, Mark, or whoever was out there, could make her feel so small and exposed in her own home.

Lucien moved faster than a human could track, sliding his arms around her waist and pulling her back into the center of the room. He didn’t say anything, but the way he tucked her head under his chin told me everything I needed to know. He was grounding her, using his scent to override the panic.

"Relax, Rhea," I said, my voice low. I wasn't feeling relaxed, though. My wolf was pacing at the front of my mind, its fur bristling, its teeth bared. "I'm going to check the perimeter. Nothing is getting past me tonight."

I didn't wait for her to protest and grabbed a jacket from the chair and stepped out into the hallway. By the time I reached the back exit of the building, the cool night air hit my face, bringing with it a thousand different scents.

I stepped out into the parking lot. I moved like a ghost, keeping to the dark patches where the flickering streetlamps couldn't reach me. I expanded my senses, letting my hearing stretch out to the rustle of the leaves and the distant sound of traffic.

I circled the building twice. Nothing. No scent of Mark, no lingering smell of another wolf. Just the damp pavement and the smell of impending rain.

I was about to head back inside, thinking maybe Rhea’s nerves were just shot from the trauma of the day, when I saw a dark figure moved near the line of trees at the edge of the building.

It was a blur of black against the dark green leaves, moving with a speed that was far too fluid to be a normal person. It didn't look like someone just walking by.

"Got you."

I broke into a sprint. I didn't care about being quiet anymore. I pushed my muscles to their limit, my boots pounding against the grass as I dived into the tree line. The branches slapped at my face, but I didn't slow down. I could see the figure ahead, a flash of black darting through the trees.

"Stop!" I roared.

The figure didn't stop. If anything, it seemed to pick up speed, weaving through the trees with an ease that frustrated me. I followed for several minutes, the chase leading me deeper into the small wooded area behind the apartment complex.

Then, the figure simply vanished.

One second I was ten yards behind it, and the next, it was gone. I skidded to a halt in a small clearing, my chest heaving, my eyes darting in every direction. I checked the ground for tracks, but the pine needles were undisturbed. I checked the branches, but nothing was swaying.

"Damn it!"

I was furious. I let out a frustrated growl and slammed my fist into a nearby pine tree. The bark shattered under the force of my punch, the wood splintering. I was tired of being hunted. I was tired of these games.

I stood there for a moment, trying to catch my breath and recalibrate my senses. The silence in the woods haunting. No crickets, no rustling of small animals.

Suddenly, the hair on the back of my neck stood up.

I didn't hear a sound, but I felt the air shift. Someone was right behind me.

I spun around, my instincts taking over. I didn't think and just reacted. I threw my arm up to guard my face just as a silver blade flashed in the moonlight.

The person was dressed entirely in black, wearing a mask that covered everything but their eyes. I didn't need to see his face to know who it was. The build, the height, the sheer arrogance in the way he moved, I was convinced it was Mark.

I lunged forward, trying to grab his throat, but the person was fast. He side-stepped me with a grace that shouldn't have been possible for a human. He swung the knife again, and this time, I wasn't fast enough.

The blade sliced deep into my forearm.

I didn't feel the cut at first, but then, the pain hit me like a punch.

"Argh!"

I crashed to the ground, clutching my arm. It didn't feel like a normal knife wound. It felt like someone had poured lava into my veins. The skin around the cut started to blister and turn a sickly grey.

Wolfsbane.

The blade was coated in it. The poison was already beginning to seep into my bloodstream, dulling my wolf and making my head spin. I tried to push myself up, my vision blurring, but the masked figure didn't stay to finish the job.

By the time I managed to look up, the clearing was empty again. He had disappeared into the night like a ghost.

I struggled to my feet, my arm throbbing with a burning agony. I had to get back to Rhea. I had to get back to Lucien.

I stumbled out of the woods and back toward the apartment, my breath coming in ragged gasps. I made it to the door and shoved it open, almost falling into the living room.

Lucien was already there, his hand on the doorknob, clearly about to come out and look for me. When he saw me, pale, sweating, and clutching a bleeding, grey-edged wound, his face went pale.

"Damian!"

Rhea let out a small scream, rushing over to me. "Oh my god! What happened?"

They helped me over to the couch. Rhea didn't hesitate and ran to the kitchen, grabbing a clean towel and a bowl of warm water. Her hands were shaking, but she was focused, her eyes filled with a desperate need to help.

"There was someone out there," I managed to say, my teeth clenching against the pain. "A masked man. Dressed in black. He was waiting for me."

"Was it Mark?" Lucien asked. He was looking at the wound on my arm, his nostrils flaring as he smelled the bitter tang of the wolfsbane.

"It had to be," I said. "He moved like him. He had the same build. He had a knife coated in that purple shit."

Rhea started to clean the wound, her touch gentle. She paused, looking at me with a frown. "A mask? Why would Mark wear a mask? He already knows you know who he is. He’s already shown his face at the school. Why would he bother hiding it now?"

I looked at her, my mind hazy from the poison. "I don't know. Maybe he’s playing some kind of sick game."

"I don't think it was Mark," she said softly, dipping the towel back into the water. "Mark is obsessive and crazy, but he’s arrogant. He likes the power of looking you in the eye. He wouldn't need to hide his face from you."

Lucien nodded slowly, his eyes meeting mine. "She might be right. If it was Mark, he would have wanted you to see him. He would have wanted to gloat."

"Then who was it?" I asked, hissing as the water touched the cut.

"I don't know, but whoever they are, they’re a professional. They knew exactly how to bait you and exactly what to put on that blade."

Lucien helped Rhea bandage the wound. She wrapped the gauze tight, her eyes wet with tears. "You shouldn't have gone out there alone," she whispered, her voice breaking. "You shouldn't have gone at all. It’s my fault. You were trying to protect me and now you’re hurt."

I reached out with my good hand and caught her chin, forcing her to look at me. "Stop that. It’s not your fault. And besides," I added, trying to force a smirk through the pain, "don't you know? Scars make me even hotter. It’s part of the Alpha charm."

Rhea let out a small laugh despite her sadness. She leaned forward and pressed her lips to mine. It wasn't a long kiss, but it was filled with a tenderness that made the burning in my arm fade for a split second. She had never kissed me first before.

"Hey!" Lucien called, though there was a hint of a smile on his face. "Where’s mine? I’ve been standing here being helpful. Maybe I should go outside and get my own scar so I can get a kiss like that."

Rhea laughed again. "You're both ridiculous."

I tried to laugh with her, but the sound died in my throat. A strange, cold sensation was beginning to spread from the wound, moving up my arm toward my shoulder. It felt like ice was being pumped through my heart.

"Damian?" Rhea’s smile vanished. "What’s wrong?"

I looked at my arm. Beneath the white bandages, I could see the dark, purple veins starting to spider-web across my skin. The wolfsbane was spreading.

"I... I feel a bit cold."