Page 133 of Ruthless Kings of Obsession

"That's it," I encourage quietly, letting it investigate me at its own pace. "I'm not going to hurt you. Just trying to figure out where you came from."

The dog's whole demeanor changes once it decides I'm safe. Its tail wags with more enthusiasm as it pushes its head against my hand, clearly seeking attention. A laugh escapes me as it starts licking my face, all previous hesitation forgotten.

"Okay, okay!" I can't help smiling as I scratch behind its ears, earning more enthusiastic affection. "You're just a big sweetheart aren't you? How did you end up out here all alone?"

The vibration of my phone makes us both jump slightly. The dog backs up a step, head tilted curiously as I pull out the device.

Zander's name flashes across the screen, making my heart skip slightly. Because any call from the hospital right now could mean news about Domino...

"Hello?" I answer immediately, still petting the dog with my free hand.

"Why aren't you at the house?" Zander's voice carries that dangerous edge that always means he's worried but trying not to show it.

"I'm just in the backyard," I start, but he cuts me off.

"No, you're not. Hannah's looking at security feeds right now - you wandered into the forest chasing something about ten minutes ago." The concern in his tone becomes more evident. "What the hell were you thinking? With everything that's happening..."

The dog nudges my hand, clearly unhappy that I've stopped petting it. I resume scratching its ears as I try to formulate a response that won't make Zander more worried.

"I saw movement in the trees," I explain, watching how the dog's eyes close in contentment under my touch. "Thought it might be someone sneaking around, but it turned out to be-"

A deep growl from the dog cuts through the night air, followed by aggressive barking that makes me spin around instinctively. My gun is already raised as I turn, muscle memory taking over before conscious thought.

The gunshot cracks like thunder through the trees.

For a moment, everything freezes - the dog's barking, my breath, even my heart seems to pause. Then burning painexplodes through my left side, the sensation so intense it takes several seconds to process what's happened.

My free hand moves to the wound almost in slow motion. When I look down, dark wetness is already spreading across my shirt, warm and sticky against trembling fingers.

Shot. I've been shot.

The realization feels distant somehow, like it's happening to someone else. I lift my gaze to find my attacker - a figure in black tactical gear with what appears to be some kind of screen embedded in their chest. Through the haze of shock and growing pain, I manage to curve my lips into a smirk.

Zander's voice carries faintly from my dropped phone: "EVA! Answer me! What was that sound? EVA!"

My finger squeezes the trigger three times in rapid succession - just like Zander taught me. The bullets find their mark with devastating precision, sending my attacker crumpling to the frozen ground.

"Fuck," I gasp as my legs give out, knees hitting dirt hard enough to jar another wave of pain through my body. My hand presses harder against the wound, but blood continues seeping between my fingers with terrifying speed.

The dog whimpers, alternating between barking and howling as it paces anxiously around me. The sound seems to echo strangely in my ears as I struggle to draw proper breath through waves of burning agony.

That's when I hear it - mocking laughter carrying through the night air with unnatural clarity. My eyes find the source: the screen on my fallen attacker's chest, now displaying a face I've only heard described in whispered warnings.

The Blind One.

"Really?" I manage through gritted teeth, trying to sound casual despite how the edges of my vision are already starting to blur. "I thought we'd be on good terms."

His answering smile carries no warmth. "Oh, we were," he agrees smoothly. "But seeing as Leighton failed to follow certain rules, well... consequences must be enforced."

A laugh bubbles up despite the pain radiating through my body. "Sorry, my dear Ruthless King had to get sick because of whatever the fuck you're pulling after ascension." The words come out breathier than intended as I fight to stay conscious.

"Had to collect what was owed," he says simply, his sightless eyes somehow seeming to find mine with unnerving precision. "But now that you're going to die out here, I suppose I'll have to collect something else instead."

A mocking laugh tears from my throat despite the growing pain. Blood seeps between my fingers as I try to maintain pressure on the wound, but my strength is already beginning to fade. "And what exactly will you collect," I gasp, fighting to maintain focus through the darkening edges of my vision, "if I'm doomed to die here and Domino dies on that operating table?"

His smile grows wider, more predatory - a serpent watching its prey struggle in the final moments before striking. "Oh, I'm sure I'll think of something. Perhaps a certain experiment in my possession that would be fascinating to place in a pit with other lucid test subjects. See who survives the longest. Who breaks first when faced with their own carefully engineered demons."

Confusion fights through the haze of blood loss as I try to process his words. The dog continues its anxious pacing around me, whimpers mixing with frantic barking as if it understands the gravity of what's unfolding. Test subjects... pit... survival...

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