Page 107 of Aine

I shake my head. I don’t want him wasting his energy, and now that I have his blood, I’m more than capable of walking.

Damien hums when I try to pull away, his grip tightening as he reiterates that he’ll carry me. Why’s he doing this? He’s supposed to be angry, his hatred for what I’ve let Owen do filling him with contempt.

“I’m so sorry,” Damien says to me as he stomps past his men.

Some turn to look as we pass, but thankfully, most mind their own business and avert their gazes. I’m sure they don’t want to embarrass their Alpha by laying their eyes on me.

“You’ll never be hurt again,” he promises.

I shrug, avoiding eye contact as I drop my head onto his shoulder. The constant agony I was in made my sleep pitiful, but now that it’s gone, my body remembers its exhaustion. Owen would punish me for falling asleep in the middle of a conversation, and I hope Damien won’t as I let my eyes slip shut for just a quick moment.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

AINE

Damien clears histhroat.

It’s the first noise I’ve heard from him today.

My eyes feel heavy as I pull my face from his chest and look around, eager to see if I recognize the woods that surround us. Other than to stop and shove barely cooked meat down my throat every few hours, Damien’s been carrying me non-stop the entire two days it’s taken him to walk home.

Even when his beasts stopped to sleep throughout the night, Damien kept moving. A few times, they attempted to stand in front of us and physically halt him, but it only took a singular look for them to back away and let him be.

Guilt consumed me at their pleading, the feeling only worsened by his refusal to set me down and let me walk by myself. At this point, everybody’s given up and are leaving him alone, spending nights in small clearings before shifting into their fur forms and catching up with us in the morning.

I’ve even made attempts to slow Damien down, wanting him to rest, but he pretends he can’t understand what I’m trying to say every time. His actions once would have annoyed me, but instead, I feel complimented that he chooses to stay by my side instead of pawning me off to another.

He’s got to be exhausted.

My throat runs dry as I spot his house through the trees, the building larger than I remember. Damien’s beasts scatter as he walks around the side and pushes open the back door. I search for the blood I’m sure was spilled during my capture, but it seems everything has been cleaned up.

Even the area where Olivia lay is spotless.

My jaw clenches as I turn in search of her, my heart thumping loudly when I’m met with the sight of an empty house. Did Owen kill her? I remember feeling blood on her skin, but I never got to see if she was breathing before I was dragged from the house.

“Let’s get you cleaned up, then I’ll cook you some real food,” Damien suggests, running his hand down the base of my spine.

I don’t respond, watching over his shoulder as Alex follows us inside and storms upstairs. Damien lets out an annoyed huff as he carries me behind his hurried brother, his steps much more cautious.

Alex looks nervous as he pivots at the top of the landing and turns toward Olivia’s room. So she’s alive? I perk up as he pushes open her bedroom door and steps inside, my hands using Damien’s shoulders for leverage as I try to catch a glimpse of her. There’s a flash of a thin arm and the brief sound of her excited shout before the door slams shut behind him.

She’s alive.

My fingertips dig into Damien’s skin as we enter his room. It’s the same as when I left it, the sheets ripped off the bed and the objects on his dresser pushed around from when I tried to navigate my way out in the dark.

His chest vibrates as he carries me into the bathroom and finally sets me on my feet. It’s the first time I’ve been on them for days, minus the few short breaks to pee we’ve both taken, and I shift my weight back and forth as I get used to it.

Damien frowns, looking upset as he notices the bundle of sheets in the corner of the room. His throat bobs as he gulps, and with a quiet apology, he’s scooping them up into his arms.

“I’ll be right back.”

I nod, turning just slightly so I can watch him leave out of the corner of my eye. He haphazardly throws the sheets on his bed before pivoting and leaving the room altogether. I remain still, listening to the quiet creak of Olivia’s door being opened.

Not wanting to get caught eavesdropping, I force my attention away and move to the sink. My eyes are cast downward as I approach the large mirror that sits above it, and I suck in a shaky breath before lifting my head and looking at myself.

My jaw clenches.

It’s worse than I thought. I have no bruises or open wounds thanks to Damien’s blood, but it’s clear I’ve been through hell even without them. Dark bags sit underneath my eyes, the skin pulled downward like a child’s drawing of the undead.

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