Chapter 6 Damien #2
“Stop lying to yourself.” I step back, giving her room, though every instinct pulls at me to close the gap again. “You shifted tonight. That’s how you escaped the club so quickly. I can still smell the forest on you, the earth clinging to your skin.”
Her face goes pale. She glances down at her hands, and I see dirt caked beneath her fingernails—evidence of running wild through the redwoods.
“I don't understand what's happening,” she admits, a hint of vulnerability cracking through her defiance. “I've spent my whole life hiding what I am.”
I draw in a slow breath, holding my wolf at bay even as he snarls for her. Understanding cuts deep—she’s lived among humans, smothering the creature inside her, taught to see her own blood as something dangerous.
“Look, I don't know your story,” I say, softening my tone slightly. “But we have time for all that. Time for me to teach you what it means to be a wolf. A real one. Not one pretending to be human.”
Her eyes flash with indignation. “I'm not pretending—”
“Yes, you are,” I cut her off. “These air fresheners. The way you've scrubbed this place of any natural scent. The way you're fighting against what your body clearly wants right now.” I gesture between us. “This isn't living, Karina. It's hiding.”
She crosses her arms protectively over her chest. “You don't know anything about me.”
“I know enough,” I counter. “Living alone without pack protection in a territory crawling with predators who'd tear you apart if they knew of your existence.”
“I've been fine so far,” she says, but there's a hint uncertainty in her voice now.
“By pure fucking luck,” I growl. “Luck that ran out tonight.”
“You don't get to just barge in here and—”
My phone vibrates in my pocket, cutting her off mid-sentence. I pull it out, ready to silence whoever's interrupting, but Elias's name flashes on the screen. I answer with a snarl.
“What?”
“Where the fuck are you?” Elias's voice is tight with urgency.
“I found the female. It’s being handled.”
“Well, handle it faster,” he hisses. “I tracked your phone. Don't give me that look. Lockhart left the club not long after you did. I managed to put a tracker on his vehicle. He’s headed straight for you.”
“Fuck.” The word rips from my throat as I move to the window, peering through the blinds. Sure enough, a black SUV idles at the intersection, its tinted windows revealing nothing of who's inside, but I know.
“How the hell did he find her so quickly?” I demand, already scanning the apartment for anything Karina might need.
“Same way we did, I'm guessing. He must have people at the club who recognized her with Britney.”
Karina's face drains of color as she picks up snippets of the conversation. “What's happening?”
I cover the phone. “Lockhart is on his way here. I need to get you out of here.”
“What? No. I’m not going anywhere with you.” Karina backs away, her hands raise defensively.
I pocket my phone and close the distance between us in two strides. “This isn't a fucking debate. Lockhart will tear you apart when he realizes what you are to me.”
“I'm not—”
“Stop.” I grip her shoulders, forcing her to look at me. “You can deny this all you want later, but right now, you need to trust me. He's here for you, and he won't be as gentle as I've been.”
She glances towards the window, then back to me. The fear rolling off her in waves makes my wolf howl with protective rage. She may not accept me yet, but her safety is non-negotiable.
“Pack a bag,” I order, releasing her. “Five minutes. Clothes, toiletries, anything you can't live without. You won’t be coming back here.”
To my surprise, she doesn't argue further. Something in my tone must have gotten through to her. She disappears into her bedroom, and I hear drawers opening and closing in rapid succession.
I use the time to check my weapon and scan the apartment for escape routes. The building's old—probably built in the sixties—with thin walls and creaky floors. Not ideal for a firefight, but the fire escape outside her bedroom window could work if we move fast enough.
My phone buzzes again. I pull it out to read Elias's text.
Almost there.
“Fuck!” I shove the phone back in my pocket and stalk toward her bedroom. No more time for niceties.
She crams clothes into a small duffel, every motion sharp with desperation. The change in her scent hits me, sharp, frantic, cutting through the haze of her cycle that’s had my wolf on edge since I walked in.
“Time's up,” I growl, grabbing her arm.
“Wait!” She yanks free, lunging for her laptop on the desk. “I need this. And my purse.”
I'm about to argue when I hear car doors slamming outside. My wolf's hearing picks up footsteps—multiple sets—entering the building downstairs.
“Move,” I snarl, seizing her wrist and pulling her toward the door. She clutches her laptop and purse to her chest with her free hand, stumbling as I drag her from the bedroom.
We burst into the hallway just as heavy footfalls echo up the stairwell. Three, maybe four men. Lockhart isn't taking chances.
“Fire escape,” I mutter, changing direction and hauling her back toward the bedroom window. My claws extend with a painful prick as adrenaline floods my system.
She doesn't fight me now. I slam the bedroom door behind us, twisting the lock. She drops her laptop on the bed and rushes to the window while I drag her dresser in front of the door. It won't stop them, but it'll buy us precious seconds.
“It's stuck,” she hisses, straining against the window frame.
I shoulder her aside and drive my fist through the glass. Shards rain down on the fire escape as I clear the jagged edges with my jacket sleeve.
“Go,” I order, boosting her through the opening. She lands hard on the metal grating outside, her bag tumbling from her shoulder.
Heavy footsteps thunder down the hallway outside her door. They've found us.
I grab her laptop and shove it into her arms before following her through the window. The fire escape groans under our combined weight as we start our descent, but the old metal holds.
“Faster,” I growl, taking the stairs three at a time.
Above us, something crashes against her apartment door—probably a shoulder or boot. Wood splinters, and I hear the dresser scraping across the floor.
Shouts echo from inside her apartment, followed by the distinctive sound of furniture being overturned.
“Where are they?” Lockhart's voice carries through the shattered window.
“Not here,” one of his men responds. “Looks like they went out the window.”
I press Karina against the brick wall of the adjacent building, my hand covering her mouth as footsteps thunder above us. My heart pounds against my ribs like a caged animal, but I force my breathing to remain steady.
“Stay quiet,” I whisper against her ear, my lips brushing the shell of it. She shivers, and I catch the subtle shift in her scent. Even now, even terrified and running for her life, her body responds to mine.
The fire escape above us groans as Lockhart's men climb out onto it. I can hear them moving, their heavy boots clanging against the metal grating.
“Check the alley,” Lockhart's voice drifts down to us. “I can smell her. She hasn’t gone far. “
I wait until the sounds fade before releasing Karina. She sags against the wall, clutching her laptop like a lifeline. Her scent lingers in the air, sharp and impossible to miss. Lockhart will smell her if he’s close, and we’re running out of time. I need to move her before he gets the chance.
“My car is two blocks over. Can you run?”
She nods, her voice unsteady. “I think so.”
“Think isn’t good enough.” I grip her chin, tilting her face up to mine. “I need to know you can keep up. If you fall behind—”
“I won't fall behind,” she insists, straightening her spine. “I know these streets better than they do.”
My mate isn't just beautiful, she's fierce too, even if she doesn't know it yet.
“Follow me. Stay close.” I release her chin and grab her hand instead, threading our fingers together. The contact sends a jolt of electricity up my arm, my wolf howling with satisfaction at the simple touch.
We run through the alley, our footsteps swallowed by the night.
Lockhart has already ordered his men to check this route, and their lights slash through the darkness behind us, sweeping closer.
There’s no time to hide. The air burns in my lungs as I push Karina ahead, faster, keeping her within reach but out of sightlines.
We have seconds before they spot us, and I’m not letting him have her.
Karina matches my stride, breathing measured though I can feel the unease coming off her in waves. Her fingers clutch mine hard enough to sting when footsteps sound up the road.
I pull her into a narrow space between two dumpsters that smell like roadkill and rotten eggs, pressing her against the brick wall with my body, hoping the smell from the dumpster will mask her scent long enough for them to move on.
My arm braces above her head as I lean down, my lips nearly touching her ear. “Don't move.”
She freezes, her chest rising and falling rapidly against mine. Her heartbeat pulses, her breath coming in short, panicked gasps that brush my neck. The closeness is torture. I want nothing more than to bury my face in her neck, to taste her skin, to mark her as mine where everyone can see it.
But now is not the time.
Heavy footsteps approach, boots scraping against asphalt.
I press Karina deeper into the shadows, shielding her with my body.
One of Lockhart's men passes within feet of us, whistling like he’s at a fucking summer camp sing-a-long and not hunting a female.
My fucking female. My lip curls in a silent snarl. He's enjoying this.
I'll kill him for that alone.
The footsteps pause. He's scenting the air, trying to catch our trail. My muscles coil, ready to spring if he gets any closer. Karina must sense the change in me because her fingers tighten around mine, a silent plea to stay hidden.
Smart girl.
After what feels like an eternity, the footsteps move on. Thank fuck for smelly dumpsters. That was too goddamn close. I wait until they fade completely before pulling back slightly, just enough to look down at her.
“My car is just around the corner.”
She nods. Despite everything, there’s a quiet steel in her expression that catches me off guard. This isn’t some fragile human in need of coddling. There’s a strong wolf in her, buried deep but unmistakably there.
“Let's go.” I take her hand in mine as we slip from our hiding spot, moving like ghosts through the maze of back alleys. My car sits where I left it. I unlock it remotely, the soft beep making Karina flinch.
“Get in,” I order, scanning the street one last time. “Stay low.”
She slips into the passenger seat, pulling the door shut as I round the hood and slide into the driver’s side. The engine hums to life with a low growl, but I keep the headlights off, easing out of the parking space under the cover of darkness.
“Where are we going?” she asks quietly.
I don’t answer.
Not yet.
My eyes are locked on the rearview mirror, scanning for signs of pursuit. No headlights. No movement. But that doesn’t mean we’re safe.
Not by a long shot.
I make a sharp turn onto a back road and press the gas a little harder.
“It’s the last place I want to take you,” I mutter. “But it’s the closest—and the only place I know you’ll be safe until I figure this out.”
She’s quiet, but I can feel her staring, waiting for more. I don’t offer it.
I grip the wheel tighter, jaw clenched, every muscle wound tight. My wolf is restless beneath my skin, prowling. Angry. Possessive.
The thought of walking her into that compound makes something violent rise in me. My wolf doesn’t want her there. He wants her away from all of them. Hidden. Guarded. Claimed.
I should keep driving. Past the compound. Out of the city. Into the woods. Somewhere no one can find her but me. Somewhere I can keep her locked away until I figure out what the hell the universe is playing at, throwing a mate into my path in the middle of a blood-soaked night.
But there’s no time. No plan. No safe house.
Her apartment is compromised.
And I can’t exactly book us a room at the goddamn Holiday Inn while Lockhart’s wolves are combing the city for her scent.
So I drive.
Toward the last place I should be taking her. The last place she belongs.
Better the devil you know, I tell myself, knowing how much a fucking lie it is.