Chapter 9: The Warning
784 Words
My heart stopped.
"Why are you still alive?"
The words blurred as I stared at the paper.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
I read them over and over, hoping they would somehow make more sense.
They didn't.
"What does this mean?"
My voice sounded distant.
Damien didn't answer.
That alone terrified me.
Because Damien always had an answer.
Even if it was a frustrating one.
Even if it wasn't the truth.
But this?
This silence felt different.
Dangerous.
I looked up.
His face had gone completely blank.
The expression he wore whenever he was hiding something.
Or trying very hard not to show emotion.
Unfortunately for him, I was getting better at reading him.
And right now?
He looked scared.
"Ava."
My stomach twisted.
No explanation.
No denial.
Just my name.
"What does it mean?"
The paper crumpled slightly in my grip.
Damien took a step toward me.
I took one back.
The movement hurt more than it should have.
Something flashed across his face.
Pain.
Again.
Good.
Maybe now he knew how I felt.
"What does it mean?" I repeated.
Ethan looked uncomfortable.
Very uncomfortable.
That made everything worse.
Because Ethan was usually terrible at hiding things.
And right now he looked like he wanted to disappear.
I pointed at the paper.
"Tell me."
Damien's jaw tightened.
"Not here."
Of course.
Always not here.
Always later.
Always some excuse.
Anger flooded through me.
"You know what? Forget it."
I shoved the paper into my pocket and turned away.
"Ava."
I kept walking.
"Ava."
Faster.
His footsteps followed.
Unfortunately.
Very quickly.
Because apparently being chased by an Alpha was impossible to avoid.
Damien grabbed my wrist.
Heat shot through me.
The mate bond reacted instantly.
My wolf practically purred.
"There he is."
"Don't start."
"He caught us."
"I'm aware."
I pulled my hand free.
Damien let go immediately.
That surprised me.
"Ava."
"What?"
The word came out sharper than intended.
His gray eyes locked onto mine.
For a moment neither of us spoke.
Then he sighed.
The sound was tired.
Not angry.
Just tired.
"You're in danger."
I laughed bitterly.
"I'm starting to notice."
His eyes darkened.
"This isn't a joke."
"Neither is my life."
Silence.
Something in his expression shifted.
The frustration vanished.
Leaving only concern.
Real concern.
The kind that couldn't be faked.
My wolf noticed immediately.
"He means it."
"That doesn't mean I trust him."
"It should."
"Traitor."
"Mate."
I hated her.
Ethan suddenly cleared his throat.
"Maybe we should continue this somewhere private."
For once, I agreed.
Ten minutes later, we were sitting inside Damien's office.
I'd never been there before.
The room was surprisingly simple.
A large desk.
Bookshelves.
Maps.
Weapons mounted on the wall.
Nothing extravagant.
Nothing that screamed Alpha.
Just practical.
Like Damien.
That realization annoyed me.
He sat across from me.
Ethan stood near the door.
Neither looked comfortable.
Good.
They deserved it.
I pulled the paper from my pocket and placed it on the desk.
"What does it mean?"
Nobody answered.
I nearly screamed.
Then Damien finally spoke.
"The symbol."
I frowned.
"What about it?"
His gaze remained fixed on the paper.
"It belonged to the same group as your father's necklace."
My pulse jumped.
Finally.
An answer.
A small one.
But still.
An answer.
"What group?"
Damien hesitated.
The hesitation lasted only a second.
But I noticed.
Because I noticed everything now.
Especially when it involved my father.
"It was called the Crescent Guard."
The name meant nothing to me.
Apparently my confusion showed.
Because Ethan spoke next.
"They protected important bloodlines."
My heart skipped.
Bloodlines?
What bloodlines?
Questions exploded inside my head.
Before I could ask any of them, a sharp pain shot through my skull.
I gasped.
The room spun.
Damien was on his feet instantly.
"Ava."
The pain intensified.
My vision blurred.
For a second I couldn't see anything.
Then—
Images.
Flashes.
A forest.
Moonlight.
Blood.
A man kneeling before another.
A familiar voice.
My father's voice.
"Protect her."
The words echoed through my mind.
"No matter what happens..."
The vision shattered.
I sucked in a breath.
The room snapped back into focus.
Damien was kneeling beside me.
His hands gripping my shoulders.
Concern filled his eyes.
Raw.
Unfiltered.
"Ava."
I stared at him.
My heart hammered wildly.
I knew that voice.
I knew it.
Even though I hadn't heard it in years.
My father.
The room fell silent.
Damien searched my face.
"What happened?"
I swallowed.
My mouth suddenly felt dry.
"I saw him."
Nobody moved.
Nobody breathed.
"I saw my father."
The color drained from Ethan's face.
Damien froze.
And somehow...
That terrified me more than the vision itself.
Because it looked like he knew exactly what I'd seen.
- Writer
