Chapter 9
1067 Words
Veronica
The food I’d just eaten suddenly felt like sand in my mouth. My stomach turned, bile crawled up my throat, threatening to break free.
I didn’t realize how bad it was until strong hands gripped my arm, shaking me back into the present.
“He’s not going to hurt you again.”
Damien’s tone was hard now, his jaw ticking in rhythm with my hammering pulse. “I’ll make sure of that, V. You just have to trust me.”
Trust.
I wanted to.
Goddess knows I did. But I wasn’t the kind of wolf that could afford those kinds of emotions. I’ve always been on edge, waiting for the next heartbreak. This wouldn’t be any different.
I slipped my hand free from his hold, hating the way my chest tightened as Damien’s face dropped.
“I have to go back.” I whispered.
I felt him go still beside me. “You can’t.”
I ran a rough hand through my hair. “He’s not going to just give up, Al- Damien. Fred will never let me go. I don’t- I don’t want anything to happen to you because of me.” I clenched my jaw so hard pain exploded. “It’s not just worth it.”
“It is.”
I dragged my gaze to him, ready to argue but the hard look in his eyes made the words die down. “Why?”
A second passed. Then another. Damien sighed, now pacing. “Because that’s who I am.”
My heart sank.
“I’m an alpha. My duty is to protect the weak from people who would abuse their power.” A growl rumbled from his chest. “I can’t stand it.”
When he looked at me again, that gentleness was gone, replaced by a fury that was enough to make my skin pebble.
“Your foster brother will get what’s coming for him.”
Damien said. “A hearing for the case is already set with your pack elders. I also want to know why this has been going on for as long as it has.”
I frowned. “You want to challenge my entire pack?”
“Yes.”
The swiftness in his answer didn’t sit right with me.
“You can’t do that.”
His eyes narrowed at me. “Someone has to answer for what he did to you. Fred himself. His parents for indulging his stupidity. And your entire pack for turning a blind eye to your suffering.”
“I don’t want that.”
Confusion slipped into his eyes. “They hurt you.”
“Raining down chaos isn’t going to solve anything.”
His head tilted to the side, his eyes scanning my face.
I swallowed, already feeling stupid for what I’m about to say. “The beating you gave him is enough for him to stay away. We’re already halfway through our final semester. And the minute I turn eighteen, I’m leaving the pack.”
Something flashed through his eyes but he didn’t speak.
“So please,” I whispered. “Damien, don't go around causing me more trouble.”
Damien stood still for a long moment. The silence stretched between us until it almost became painful. Then finally, he let out a slow breath, dragging a hand down his face.
“I understand why you think that.” His voice was quieter now. “But you’re looking at this through the eyes of someone who’s had to survive.”
I frowned. “And you’re looking at it through the eyes of an Alpha.”
A humorless smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Exactly.” He stepped closer, very careful not to crowd me. “You’ve spent years learning that the safest thing to do is stay quiet.” His jaw tightened. “I’ve spent years learning that silence is what lets wolves like Fred become wolves like Fred.”
My throat burned.
“You think I’m trying to start a war.”
“Aren’t you?”
“No.” His answer came immediately. “I’m trying to stop the next girl from ending up where you did.”
The words stole the air from my lungs. He wasn’t talking about revenge. He was talking about preventing it from happening again.
“My father taught me something when I was little.” His gaze drifted toward the window. “Power isn’t measured by how many wolves fear you.” He looked back at me. “It’s measured by how many feel safe because you’re there.”
Something inside my chest cracked.
“I failed you once already.”
I blinked.
“What?”
“If I hadn’t found you…” His voice faltered for the first time since I’d met him. “…I’d be standing over a very different crime scene.”
His throat bobbed.
“I won’t fail you a second time.”
My eyes stung. Nobody had ever spoken as though what happened to me mattered. Nobody. Not the pack. Not my foster parents. Not the Elders.
Not even me.
I had learned to make myself small. To endure. To survive another day. But Damien looked at me as though surviving had never been enough. As though I deserved to live.
“I don’t know how to trust you,” I admitted so quietly I barely heard myself.
His expression softened. “I know.”
“You keep saying you’ll protect me.” My fingers twisted together. “But every person who’s ever promised that…” My voice broke. “…hurt me.”
Pain flashed across his face. “I know.”
Just those two words. For some reason, they hurt more than anything else. After a moment, he reached into his pocket.
I tensed instinctively.
Instead of reaching for me, he pulled out a small black keycard. He placed it gently on the bed beside me.
“This opens every door on the top floor.”
I stared at it.
“The guest room.The kitchen. The study. The elevator.” His eyes held mine. “And the front door.”
I frowned.
“If tomorrow you decide this was a mistake…” He slid the card a little closer. “…I’ll drive you wherever you want to go.”
I stared at him.
“You’d let me leave?”
“I’ll never force you to stay.”
- Writer
