109 Chapter 109 Old Demons Surface
109 Chapter 109 Old Demons Surface
Elena’s POV
The silence in the room felt suffocating as everyone stared at me with expressions ranging from shock to disbelief. My proposal to use myself as bait clearly wasn’t what they expected to hear, but I wasn’t about to back down. Not when there were children at risk. Not when I could do something to protect them.
“Elena. You have two children to think about.” Damien’s voice cut through the quiet, each word heavy with concern.
I met his gaze steadily, refusing to let doubt creep into my voice. “And you and all of the warriors will be there to capture these things before they get to me. I won’t be in any danger.”
“There’s always danger in these situations.” Damien stepped closer, his jaw tight with
tension.
Before I could respond, Julian spoke up from across the room. “We’ll help.”
Tessa’s voice immediately followed, dripping with reluctance. “Do we have to?”
Damien’s head snapped toward her, his eyes flashing with irritation. “What’s wrong? Running away again?” The bite in his tone made her shrink back, effectively shutting her up.
I placed my hand on Damien’s arm, trying to ease some of the tension radiating from him. “Damien, I will be fine. I will be safe. It’s fine. I’m not scared.”
Dante’s gruff voice cut through my reassurance. “You should be.”
Something inside me bristled at the implication that I was being naive or reckless. “I don’t believe that they want me dead.”
Tessa’s skeptical voice piped up again. “What is so special about you?”
A small smile tugged at my lips as I glanced meaningfully at Damien. “Oh, I can think of a few things.”
The weight of the day seemed to suddenly crash down on all of us. Damien ran a hand through his hair, exhaustion evident in his movements. “Alright. It’s been a long day and a long night before that. I think we should just get some rest and talk about this
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109 Chapter 109 Old Demons Surface
again tomorrow.”
I nodded, but my resolve hadn’t wavered even slightly. “Alright. We can sleep on it. But I’m not going to change my mind.”
“I don’t expect you to. But I might have a chance to get a few of my warriors here before you go off and do something stupid.” The protective edge in Damien’s voice made my heart clench.
Marcus bristled beside us. “My warriors will do just fine.”
Damien turned toward him, and I could practically feel the growl building in his chest. “No offence, but after the abuse that Elena suffered in this pack. I think I trust my warriors more than I trust you and yours.”
The accusation hung in the air like a physical blow. Marcus’s face flushed, but he had no comeback. How could he? We all knew what had happened to me here. What his pack had allowed to happen.
I was grateful that Damien was so determined to protect me, even if it meant stepping on Marcus’s pride. Truth was, I didn’t trust Marcus’s warriors either. The relief I felt that they hadn’t made me escort Julian and Dante to the border was immense.
With the tension thick enough to cut, we all agreed to rest and reconvene tomorrow. Julian, Dante, and Tessa filed out of the room, leaving Damien and me alone with the weight of tomorrow’s dangers hanging over us.
We made our way upstairs quietly, careful not to wake the children. After a quick shower, we slipped into bed, and I turned toward the window, trying to find some peace in the darkness outside. Damien rolled onto his side and pulled me back against his chest, his arms wrapping around me protectively.
His breath was warm against my neck, and I could feel the steady rhythm of his heartbeat against my back. Neither of us spoke, but the unspoken thoughts between us were almost deafening. We both knew what tomorrow might bring. We both knew
the risks.
But I forced myself to stop dwelling on it. My body ached with exhaustion, and there would be so much to handle in the coming days and weeks. I needed to conserve my
strength.
Clearing my mind took effort, but eventually, sleep found me.
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109 Chapter 109 Old Demons Surface
Morning came too soon. Briar’s soft babbling drifted through the room, and I noticed the door creak open slightly. Skye peered inside, taking in our tired faces with understanding.
“I’ll take the kids. You two look like you need some more sleep.” Her voice was gentle but firm.
“Are you sure?” I asked, though the offer was tempting.
“Yeah. You two have to be exhausted. Go back to sleep.”
I watched gratefully as she gathered both children and headed out. When I laid back down, sleep came easily, though it only lasted about an hour.
When I woke again, Damien was still deeply asleep. I slipped out of bed quietly, got dressed, and made my way downstairs. The sound of Skye’s voice drifted from the living room, mixed with another voice that made my blood run cold.
I froze on the stairs as recognition hit me like a punch to the gut. My hands began to shake, and for a moment, I felt like that scared, broken girl I used to be.
But I wasn’t her anymore. I wasn’t that pathetic victim who had suffered in silence. Taking several deep breaths, I straightened my spine and continued down the stairs.
I stopped in the doorway of the living room, watching with growing fury as Brock – one of the boys who had made my school years hell – played with my children.
“If you so much as touch my child, I will fucking rip your hands off.” The threat came out low and deadly, leaving no room for doubt about my sincerity.
Brock jumped up quickly, turning to face me with surprise written all over his face.
“Wow. You really are back.” His voice held a mix of shock and something else I couldn’t quite identify.
“Yeah. What the fuck are you doing here?” Each word dripped with venom as I prepared to protect what was mine.
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