Revenge after deceit: I belong to the mafia don

Chapter five

**Damian’s POV**

I was exhausted, my legs burning as I stumbled through the dark woods, William’s heavy body slung over my shoulder. His weight was killing me, but I couldn’t stop. We were close to the Shadow Pack’s estate—too close to give up now. The early morning air was cold, biting at my skin, but I kept moving, one step at a time. William’s shallow breaths were the only thing keeping me going. He was alive, barely, and I had to get him help.

When I saw the estate gates, my knees nearly gave out. I crouched down, easing William to the ground, his blood soaking into my shirt. The guards spotted us right away. “Damian!” one shouted, rushing over with two others. They saw William’s torn-up body and didn’t ask questions. They lifted him, supporting his weight, and we hurried toward the healer’s quarters.

“Get him to the healer!” I barked as we passed through the gates, my voice rough from panting. “Now!” They nodded, carrying William off to Torin, the pack’s healer—an old guy who’d been patching us up since we were kids. I didn’t follow. I had to see my father. He needed to know what happened.

I ran to the main house, my boots hitting the stone path hard. Father’s room was on the top floor. I didn’t bother knocking, just shoved the door open. It slammed against the wall. He was in bed with his mate—our so-called mother—her arms draped over him like nothing was wrong. It made my stomach turn.

“Father!” I shouted, my voice echoing in the dark room. “Father, get up!”

He jerked upright, throwing the blankets off and stumbling out of bed. His eyes narrowed as he stormed toward me, his face all hard lines and anger. “What’s going on, Damian? What’s the problem?”

“It’s William,” I said, my chest heaving. “Something terrible happened.”

He grabbed my arm, his grip tight. “What do you mean, terrible? We just celebrated the mating ceremony. Everything was fine. What happened?”

“It’s Ava, Father. She ran away. William and I tracked her down in the woods, but when we tried to bring her back, something… something attacked us.”

“There’s no way Ava could run away from the pack,” he said, his voice sharp. “She knows the punishment would be severe. Are you sure she actually ran away?”

“Yes, Father, she did,” I said. “And when we tried to stop her, something attacked us.”

His face darkened, his eyes flashing with rage. “Don’t beat around the bush, Damian. Spit it out. What happened?”

“I don’t know exactly,” I admitted, my voice shaking. “William was watching while I grabbed Ava. She was fighting me, and then—out of nowhere—this thing came at us. It was fast, like lightning. It hit William with one blow, and he went down. Hard. There were claw marks all over him, Father. I ran to him, but the thing was gone.”

He stared at me, his jaw tight. “A thing? What thing?”

“Then another figure showed up from behind me,” I said, my heart pounding as I remembered those glowing red eyes. “Tall, just like the first one. It was terrifying. He told me to take William and run. To come back here and tell you… the Dragon did this.”

Father’s face twisted, his eyes blazing with fury. “The Dragon?” he roared. “That low-life son of a b***h dared to attack my son? Who the hell does he think he is?” He paced the room, his hands clenched into fists. “I gave Ava everything—food, shelter, a place in this pack—and this is how she repays me? Running away? Betraying us? That’s treason!”

My stepmother sat up in bed, her eyes cold as she watched us. “She’s a disgrace,” she said, her voice sharp. “A coward who thought she could escape her place.”

Father stopped pacing, his voice low and dangerous. “If Ava’s still alive—if that bastard Russell hasn’t killed her—I’ll make sure she pays. I’ll kill her myself.”

I nodded, but my stomach twisted. William was hurt, maybe dying, and Ava was out there with some monster called the Dragon. Whoever he was, he was terrifying. I had a bad feeling this wasn’t over.

“Gather the men,” Father said as I stood there, my mind racing. “We’re going to find Ava and that lowlife bastard who attacked William.”

**Ava’s POV**

My heart was racing, my eyes wide as I stared at Russell. Something was clawing at my chest, something alive and fierce. My wolf—Jia—she was back. After years of silence, of being buried so deep I thought she was gone, I felt her stirring. My breath caught, and tears stung my eyes, but I held them back. I wouldn’t cry, not in front of him.

Russell’s face changed for a split second—shock, maybe—but he hid it fast, his green eyes narrowing. “That’s our mate?” he whispered, like he was questioning himself, or maybe his wolf.

Mate? The word hit me like a punch, but before I could think, Jia’s voice growled in my head, her fur bristling as blood-red moonlight flooded my vision, sharp and urgent. *That’s our mate,* she said, confirming my thought, *but we can’t stay here any longer. Danger. A tragedy’s coming. We need to move now.*

“What do you mean, a tragedy?” I muttered under my breath, my voice shaky. Russell didn’t hear me; he was already turning, heading for the door like he was done with me. The fancy room felt like a trap, the walls too close.

The door flew open before he reached it, slamming against the wall. One of his men stumbled in, breathing hard, his face pale. “We’re under attack!” he gasped.

Russell froze. “Under attack? By who? How’d they get here?”

“I don’t know, but they’ve breached the perimeter,” the man said. “It’s only a matter of time before they get here.”

“They’re here for her,” he said, his eyes flicking to me. “That could be the only reason.”

“s**t,” Russell cursed under his breath. He turned to me, his voice sharp. “We have to leave, Ava. Now!!.”