Chapter 88
Chapter 88
He was still inside me when he suddenly stilled.
His forehead pressed to mine, breathing hard. “Fuck. I just got a mind link from the pack.”
I blinked, still trying to catch my breath. “What? Right now?”
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He nodded and slowly pulled out. I winced a little. He kissed me quick and helped me down from the tree. My legs felt shaky. Leaves stuck to my skin. He picked up my clothes from the ground and handed them to me. I leaned against the bark for a second, cheeks hot, fingers shaking as I tried to pull myself back together. One minute everything had felt unreal and soft, and now his face had gone serious again.
“We have to head back,” he said, pulling his own pants up.
I yanked my panties and jeans on fast. My fingers fumbled with the button, and I glanced around the trees like the pack could somehow see us from there. “Is it bad?”
He was already dressing. “I don’t know yet. But we can’t stay here.”
I nodded and grabbed my hoodie. He finished dressing and then bent down, scooping me up bridal style. I wrapped my arms around his neck. His arms were warm around me, but his jaw stayed tight, and that made my stomach twist.
“You don’t have to carry me the whole way,” I said, smiling a little.
He started walking. “I want to.”
I rested my head on his shoulder. The woods were quiet except for his footsteps. “This was nice. Running around like kids and then… that.”
He kissed the side of my head. “Yeah. You needed it.”
I played with the hair at the back of his neck. “I don’t want to go back. Not yet.”
“I know.” He held me tighter. “But I have to check on things. And I’m not leaving you here alone.”
I swallowed and looked over his shoulder at the trees we were leaving behind. My fingers curled into his shirt because I already missed the quiet. Out here, nobody was calling me a curse. Nobody was staring at me like I had ruined their lives.
We got back to the cabin. He carried me all the way inside and set me on the bed. I stayed there for a second, watching him move around the room with that tense Alpha focus. We packed our stuff quick and got in the car. The drive back was quiet. I kept my hand on his thigh the whole time. His hand covered mine once, thumb brushing my knuckles, but he barely spoke. The closer we got to the packhouse, the tighter my chest
felt.
When we got to the packhouse he parked and turned to me. “I’m assigning guards to you.”
I furrowed my eyebrows. “What? Like all the time?”
11:47 Thu, May 21 ♫
Chapter 88
He nodded. “Just until things calm down. I’m not taking any chances.”
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I hated it already. My hand slipped off his thigh and dropped into my lap. “So I’m a prisoner again?”
“No,” he said, taking my hand. “It’s for your safety.”
I looked away fast, blinking hard. Safety sounded like a pretty word for being watched. My fingers twisted in my hoodie sleeve, and I tried to breathe without looking like I was about to cry.
“I don’t want everyone seeing me with guards,” I said quietly. “They already think I’m dangerous.”
Damien leaned closer and touched my chin, turning my face back to him. “Listen to me. They are not here because you did something wrong. They are here because people are acting crazy, and I can’t trust anyone right now.”
I pressed my lips together. “That makes me feel worse.”
His face softened, and for a second, he looked more hurt than angry. “I know. I hate it too.”
Two guards were waiting when we walked inside. One was a tall guy named Marcus who smiled at me kindly. The other was a woman named Tara who barely looked at me and kept her face blank.
Damien gave them instructions and left for a meeting. Before he went, he stopped in front of them, shoulders squared, voice low enough that only we could hear.
“She goes nowhere alone,” he said. “You give her space, but you do not take your eyes off her. If anyone threatens her, you remove them. If anyone touches her, you answer to me.”
Marcus nodded quickly. “Yes, Alpha.”
Tara gave one stiff nod, her mouth flat.
Damien turned to me and cupped the back of my head. He kissed my forehead, lingering there like he didn’t want to let go. “I’ll be back soon.”
I nodded, forcing my face to stay normal. “Okay.”
He walked away, and I stood there between Marcus and Tara feeling ridiculous and exposed. People in the hallway stared harder now. My skin prickled under their eyes.
I tried to move around the packhouse normally. I went to the kitchen to get water. People stared. Some servants looked away fast. Others whispered behind my back. Marcus stayed a few steps behind me, quiet and careful, while Tara walked beside me like she had been forced to babysit someone she hated.
I reached for a glass, but my hand shook and knocked it lightly against the counter. A servant looked over, then quickly looked away. My face burned. I wanted to disappear.
I overheard two elders talking in the hallway as I walked past a half-open door.
“…a ritual that can sever a false Luna bond,” one of them said.
11:47 Thu, May 21
Chapter 88
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I froze. I pressed myself against the wall next to the door and listened. My glass trembled in my hand, and cold water spilled over my fingers.
The other elder spoke. “If we do it right, the bond breaks and the pack stabilizes.”
I held my breath.
Then one of them said, “We do it tonight.”
My knees nearly gave out, but I forced myself to stay silent, one hand pressed over my mouth, because screaming would expose me.
AD
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11:47 Thu, May 21 ♫
