Page 31 of Claimed By Fur and Fangs

I reached into my pocket and pulled out a silver chain, letting it dangle between my fingers. "Silver."

"No way." Damon let out a low chuckle.

"As he walked past me, I moved like I was adjusting my sleeve, just enough for the chain to brush against the back of his hand."

"And?" Damon’s smirk faltered.

"It burned him," I said simply. "Not much, just a quick, faint welt. It was small, barely noticeable, but I saw it. For a split second, his skin reacted. Then, just as fast, it was gone. Completely healed like it never happened."

"Damn…" Damon let out a low whistle.

"He barely reacted," I continued. "Maybe he noticed, maybe he didn’t. Either way, he didn’t put much meaning into it. Justfrowned at his hand for a second before moving on like nothing happened."

Damon shook his head, grinning.

"I gotta say, Finn, this is some Sherlock Holmes level shit. The disguise? The trap? The silver test? If this whole thing with Amelia doesn’t work out, maybe consider a career in private investigation."

"Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up," I rolled my eyes.

"Nah, man, I mean it," Damon chuckled. "Most people would’ve brushed off their suspicions, maybe written Aidan off as a freak of nature. But you? You set up a whole damn experiment like a scientist testing a hypothesis. That’s impressive."

“Yeah right …”

I stared at my drink, feeling the weight of the truth pressing down on me.

The next morning, I stepped into the crisp air, letting myself believe the day would go smoothly.

Then I felt it.

A sharp sting at the base of my neck.

“What the…” I muttered.

My vision blurred, limbs heavy as my knees buckled and my hand fumbled for support before the world spun into darkness.

A dull throb pulsed in my skull as I woke, wrists aching from the ropes, eyes blinking at the dim, dusty warehouse filled with eerie silence.

“Where the hell am I?” I whispered.

Aidan walked in, cool and unreadable, his sharp gaze calculating as I exhaled and leaned back in the chair.

"I should have suspected that this was your doing from the beginning," I muttered, my voice laced with irritation.

"What can I say, Finn? You’ve been a pain in my ass for far too long," Aidan smirked, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"So, what now? You gonna kill me? Seems a little dramatic, even for you," I pulled at the restraints again, flexing my wrists.

"If I wanted you dead, you wouldn’t have woken up," Aidan chuckled, tilting his head slightly.

"Comforting," I deadpanned.

“Oh Finn…” Aidan sighed and reached for the knife tucked into his belt.

In one swift motion, he sliced through the ropes binding me. The moment my arms were free, I rolled my shoulders, rubbing at the raw skin where the restraints were.

I stood up slowly, eyes locked onto Aidan.

"Alright," I said cautiously. "What’s the deal? Because I doubt you brought me here just to practice your kidnapping skills."

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