Page 105 of The Reaper's Vow
The thought of food makes my stomach clench with unexpected hunger. I hadn't realized how famished I am until this moment. The shift and everything that came before it burned through my energy reserves completely.
“I'm not sure I can sleep,” I admit, even as I sink onto the mattress. The sheets are cool against my skin, and my body practically melts into their softness.
“Try,” he requests, pulling the covers over me. “I'll be back before you know it.”
I catch his wrist before he can move away. “Don't be long.” After everything that's happened tonight, I don't want to pretend I'm stronger than I am.
“Five minutes. I promise.”
I want to say more, but exhaustion tugs at me like an undertow. I watch Damien walk toward the door, his movements fluid despite everything we've been through tonight. Just as he reaches for the handle, it swings open without warning.
Damien freezes, his body instantly shifting into a defensive stance. I sit up straighter, adrenaline cutting through my fatigue as my eyes lock on the figure in the doorway.
His father stands there, hand frozen mid-knock, surprise flickering across his usually stoic features. His attention drifts from Damien to me, lingering on my bruised face and damp hair before settling back on his son.
“Father, I was just going to get Karina something to eat.”
Hudson's expression remains unreadable as he lowers his hand. “That can wait. We need to talk.”
Karina
The sheet slides up to my chin as Hudson enters, my fingers clutching the fabric like armor. Every bruise throbs with new awareness beneath the thin cotton of Damien's borrowed shirt. The air shifts. The intimate warmth between Damien and me evaporating as his father's alpha presence floods the room like winter air through an open door.
“This isn't a good time,” Damien replies, not moving from his protective position between me and his father.
“We need to discuss what happened tonight.”
Damien's shoulders tense, his posture shifting from protective to confrontational in an instant. “No.”
I watch the two alphas square off, father and son locked in a silent battle of wills.
“This isn't optional,” Hudson insists. “What happened tonight has consequences that?—”
“I said no.” Damien takes a step forward, his body blocking Hudson's view of me more completely. “She's been drugged, kidnapped, beaten, and nearly killed. Whatever you need to say can wait until morning.”
I should say something. Should tell them I'm fine, that I can handle this conversation. But the truth is, I can't. My body feels like it's made of glass, ready to shatter at the slightest pressure. The mere thought of reliving what happened in that clearing makes my stomach twist with nausea.
Hudson’s expression hardens, his focus sliding past Damien to land on me. I straighten as much as I can, clinging to what little dignity remains, though I know exactly what he takes in—a bruised, broken girl wrapped in his son’s shirt, curled in his son’s bed.
“This cannot wait, Damien. Decisions need to be made right here and now.”
Damien looks over his shoulder at me, his eyes asking a silent question. I nod slightly, knowing this conversation is inevitable. As much as I want to hide away from the world right now, his father isn't a man who takes no for an answer.
“Fine,” Damien says, stepping aside reluctantly.
Hudson enters the room, closing the door behind him with a soft click that somehow feels final. The air grows heavier with his presence, that unmistakable alpha energy filling the space like a physical thing.
“You have five minutes,” Damien tells him, his voice leaving no room for negotiation. “Then you leave, and she rests.”
I pull myself up straighter against the headboard. The movement sends pain shooting through my ribs, but I refuse towince. I won't appear weak in front of this man, no matter how broken I feel inside.
“What happened tonight changes everything,” Hudson begins, his attention locked on me rather than his son. “Lockhart’s death will create a power vacuum. The alphas who supported him will be looking for someone to blame.”
“They can blame me,” Damien growls, moving to stand beside the bed. His hand finds mine on top of the covers. “I killed him.”
“It's not that simple. Lockhart held a large territory and had no heirs. His pack will fracture, but the territory will be up for grabs. Other alphas will see opportunity where we see justice.”
I squeeze Damien's hand, drawing strength from his touch. “What does that mean for us?”
