11. Chapter Eleven
Chapter Eleven
Finn
I stumbled into my apartment, whiskey bottle in hand, vision blurry the pain sharp. The bottle hit the counter with a clink as I collapsed onto the couch, head in my hands.
“Finn? What the hell happened to you?” Damon’s voice cut through the haze.
I didn’t look up.
“She knows, Damon. Amelia knows.”
“Knows what?” he asked, his tone sharp.
“What I am,” I said, my voice cracking. “She saw me. She saw the wolf.”
“How?” Damon cursed under his breath.
“Aidan,” I spat, my hands clenching into fists. “He set a trap. He made me shift in front of her. And I fell for it like an idiot.”
“That’s messed up, Finn. But it’s not over,” Damon sat down beside me, his voice low and steady.
“It’s over,” I said, my voice breaking. “She looked at me like I was a monster. Maybe I am. Maybe she’s better off without me.”
“Don’t talk like that,” Damon snapped. “You’re not a monster. You’re a good man who got screwed over. And Amelia? She’s not going to just write you off because of this.”
I shook my head, tears burning my eyes.
“You didn’t see her face, Damon. She was terrified of me. She’s probably with him right now, telling him how much she hates me.”
“You don’t know that” Damon said firmly. “Amelia’s not like that. She cares about you. I’ve seen it.”
“Not anymore,” I muttered, staring at the floor. “Not after what she saw.”
Damon leaned forward, his voice intense.
“Listen, Finn. You’re hurt. You’re angry. I get it. But sitting here feeling sorry for yourself isn’t going to fix this. If you care about her, you need to fight for her.”
“Fight for her? How? She’s never going to want to see me again,” I looked up at him, my voice barely a whisper.
“Then make her see you,” Damon said, his eyes locked on mine. “Show her that you’re not just some beast. The man who’s willing to do whatever it takes to protect her, to make her happy.”
I stared at him, his words sinking in. For the first time since I’d left that warehouse, I felt a flicker of hope. “You really think I still have a chance?”
Damon smirked, clapping a hand on my shoulder.
“I know you do. But you’re not going to win her back by sitting here and drowning in whiskey. You need to get your shit together, Finn. And then you need to go after her.”
I took a deep breath, the weight on my chest lifting just a little.
“Alright,” I said, nodding slowly. “I’ll try.”
“That’s the spirit,” Damon said, standing up. “Now, let’s get you cleaned up. You look like hell.”
I managed a weak laugh, wiping the tears from my face.
“Thanks, Damon.”
“Anytime,” he said, pulling me to my feet. “Now, let’s go. We’ve got work to do.”
As Damon helped me to the bathroom, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. My eyes were red, my face pale and drawn, but there was a spark of determination in my gaze that hadn’t been there before.
The morning sun felt cruel. I stood across from Amelia’s house, ready to apologize, but when Aidan’s car arrived, my words turned to ash. I froze as Amelia stepped out.
“Amelia, you look so beautiful,” I muttered as I watched them from a distance.
The way she smiled at Aidan made my chest ache. He kissed her briefly but enough to crush my hope. I turned away, fists clenched, nails biting into my palms. I couldn’t watch. I couldn’t pretend it didn’t hurt.
“Who are those men in hoodies?” I whispered as I looked across Amelia’s Street.
They were staring at Amelia and Aidan, their expressions dark and calculating. My wolf instincts kicked in, a low growl rumbling in my chest.
“Something doesn’t seem right…”
I stayed hidden, watching as Aidan drove off and the two men lingered.
They didn’t follow him. Instead, their eyes stayed locked on Amelia’s house.
“Seems like they are watching Amelia… but why?” I whispered.
Amelia stepped out in scrubs, looking tired, and hailed a taxi. The two men exchanged a glance, got into a silver car, and followed her. My heart raced.
“Damn it,” I muttered, sprinting to my car. I didn’t know what they were planning, but I wasn’t going to let them near her.
Amelia stepped out, head down, rushing toward the hospital. Suddenly, one man leaped from the car, moving too fast. He grabbed her arm, yanking her toward the car.
“Let go of me!” Amelia screamed.
My wolf roared inside me, and I was out of my car before I even realized I’d moved.
“Get your hands off her!” I snarled, slamming into the man with enough force to send him sprawling.
“Finn!” Amelia screamed as she stumbled back, her eyes wide with fear.
The second man lunged at me, but I dodged, my instincts took over. I swung, my fist connecting with his jaw. He staggered, his hood falling back just enough for me to see the glint of fangs.
Vampires… Did Aidan send you? But why would he? I thought.
They recovered fast but weren’t ready for a werewolf. I moved quicker, hit harder, and anger driving every strike. Outmatched, they fled to their car and sped off.
I turned to Amelia, my chest heaving. She was shaking, her face pale as she stared at me.
“Finn…” she whispered, her voice trembling.
“Are you okay?” I asked, rushing to her side. I cupped her face in my hands, my thumbs brushing away the tears that had started to fall.
“Did they hurt you?”
She shook her head, her breath coming in short gasps.
“I’m okay… I’m okay…”
I pulled her into my arms, holding her tight.
“You’re safe now,” I murmured, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “I’ve got you.”
The hospital security rushed over, their voices loud and urgent. They ushered us inside, taking us to a private room for safety. Amelia sat on the edge of a chair, her hands still shaking as I knelt in front of her.
“Finn,” she said softly, her eyes searching mine. “Why were they after me?”
“I don’t know,” I admitted, my jaw tightening. “But I’m going to find out.”
My mind raced, replaying the fight.
The fangs. The speed. They were vampires, and they’d targeted Amelia. Why? What did they want with her?
I stood abruptly; my fists clenched.
“Stay here,” I told her, my voice firm. “Don’t leave this room. I’ll be back.”
“Finn where are you going?” she asked, her voice rising in panic.
“To get answers,” I said, already heading for the door. I turned to the security guard. “Don’t let her leave this room. No one comes in or out until I get back.”
The guard nodded, and I stormed out of the hospital, my blood boiling. I knew exactly where to go.
Aidan’s glass office building gleamed in the sun. I bypassed the front desk, shoved past the protesting receptionist, and made for the elevator.
“Sir, you can’t go up there!” one of the security guards shouted, grabbing my arm.
I turned, my eyes flashing gold.
“Try and stop me,” I growled, shoving him off with enough force to send him stumbling back. The other guards hesitated; their eyes wide as they took in my expression. They didn’t follow me.
The elevator opened, and I stormed down the hall, footsteps echoing. His secretary tried to stop me, but I pushed past and threw open his office door. Aidan looked up, surprised and annoyed.
“Finn,” he said, leaning back in his chair. “Didn’t get enough of a beating yesterday? Or are you here to apologize?”
I slammed my hands on his desk, leaning in close.
“Some vampires just tried to kidnap Amelia.”
“What?” Aidan’s smirk vanished, his eyes narrowing.
“You heard me,” I snarled. “Two of them. They followed her to the hospital. If I hadn’t been there, they would’ve taken her. Now, tell me why the hell vampires are after her.”
“I don’t know,” Aidan stood, his expression darkening.
“Is Amelia, okay?” he added.
“Bullshit,” I snapped. “You’re a vampire. You know how your kind operates. Why would they want her?”
Aidan’s jaw tightened, and for a moment, he looked almost… guilty.
“I don’t know, Finn. But I’ll find out.”
“You’d better,” I said, my voice low and dangerous. “Because if anything happens to her, I’m holding you responsible.”
Aidan met my gaze, his eyes cold. “I’ll handle it.”
“You’d better,” I repeated, turning on my heel and storming out of his office. My mind was racing, my wolf pacing restlessly inside me. Whoever those vampires were, they’d made a mistake. They’d come after Amelia, and now they’d have to deal with me.
“I need to see Amelia, I need to make sure that she’s alright,” Aidan said as he picked up his jacket.
I turned back to Aidan, my eyes narrowing.
“You’re not going anywhere near her,” I growled, stepping closer. “Not until I know what the hell is going on.”
“You don’t get to decide that, Finn. She’s not yours to protect,” Aidan’s expression hardened, his usual calm demeanor cracking.
“She’s not yours either,” I shot back, my fists clenching at my sides. “And after what just happened, I’m not letting you anywhere near her.”
Aidan’s eyes flickered with something, anger, guilt, I couldn’t tell. He opened his mouth, but his phone buzzed. He glanced at it, face paling.
“What is it?” I demanded, my instincts screaming that something was wrong.
Aidan didn’t answer. Instead, he grabbed his jacket and bolted for the door. I caught his arm, yanking him back.
“What the hell are you hiding?”
He shook me off, his voice low and urgent.
“I don’t have time for this, Finn. If you care about Amelia at all, you’ll let me go.”
I hesitated, my gut twisting. Something in his tone made me step aside, but I wasn’t about to let him out of my sight.
“Fine but you are going to explain to me, what’s going on? If Amelia is in danger, you need to let me know.”
“I promise, once I have something concrete, I will let you know. I know how much you care for her.”
“I don’t just care for her, I love her,” I said as I looked deep into his eyes.
Aidan didn’t argue. He just nodded and took off down the hall, me hot on his heels. We burst out of the building, and he headed straight for his car, and I entered mine.
The hospital was chaos: flashing lights, police, and crowds. I pushed through, Aidan behind me.
I burst into the waiting room. Amelia was pale but safe. Relief vanished as Aidan pulled her into a hug.
“Are you okay?” He kissed her forehead.
I froze. My fists clenched. He was touching her, holding her.
“I’m okay,” Amelia nodded.
“Are you hurt?” I forced my voice to stay steady.
“No,” she said, meeting my eyes. “Thanks to you.”
A few minutes later, Julian arrived at the hospital and met us where we were.
“Sir, I have been able to speak with the police, they are tracing the license plate,” Julian said.
Aidan’s hand stayed on her back like he had every right. My wolf snarled, but I pushed it down.
“We need to see the security footage. Now.”
“Sir, we can’t give you access to it, it’s our policy.” the security officer said.
“Don’t get me started with your policy! Open the footage now or I promise you, I’ll unleash hell here!” Aidan snapped.
Julian immediately went outside and spoke to an officer who ordered the security officer to open the camera footage.
The screen showed Amelia stepping out of the taxi.
The camera zoomed in. One of the attackers’ hoods slipped back, revealing his face.
“Pause it,” Aidan stiffened.
“Okay sir,” he said as he froze the frame.
Aidan leaned closer, eyes narrowing.
“I can’t believe this, it’s Orson…” Aidan said as clenched his fist.
“Who the hell is Orson?” I asked.