Chapter 23 – Promise–1
–LIA’S POV–
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I squeezed my eyes shut, burying my face in my hands. But another growl came from behind me, and I felt something jump
over me.
When I opened my eyes, a gasp left my lips.
It wasn’t something that had jumped over me, but someone.
It was Zane.
He had lunged at the gigantic wolf and tackled it away, and was currently fighting against it with his bare hands. His eyes were completely black, demonic just like the wolf’s, and the strength he displayed was superhuman.
Flashbacks of the night of my birthday played in my mind—of the huge wolf that had shown up in my room, with its big blue eyes and hungry gaze. It hadn’t harmed me, only sniffed my neck and left. Much like Zane had smelled me the next day.
But no… this wasn’t possible. Zane was human. He couldn’t be… that thing.
“Lia, you alright?” Blake rushed up to me and helped me to my feet, pulling me back, away from the fight.
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I glanced back to see if anyone else was seeing what I was, but the only ones left inside the cafeteria were The Hounds, Blake and I. And none of them looked even slightly shocked or surprised.
Was I imagining or hallucinating this?
“Watch out, Zane!” Sheila yelled, pulling me from my thoughts. “Watch out for your neck!”
I glanced at him again, to find Zane grabbing the wolf’s teeth, keeping its mouth open. A growl left Zane’s lips, downright animalistic, and he threw the wolf aside with impossible force.
My ears started to ring, vision blurring for a short second.
“Lia?” Blake shook me by the shoulders, snapping me back into my senses. “Are you alright?” he asked, enunciating.
I nodded at him, gaping like a fish out of water.
“Are you hurt anywhere?” he asked.
“Are you seeing that?” I whispered, a tear leaving my eye. A shiver crawled through me as I thought about all the moments I’d spent with Zane in the last few days. The way he’d been so dangerously close to me. Was he planning to eat me the whole time?
“We need to get out of here,” Blake said, grabbing my wrist and
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Chapter 23 – Promise–1
dragging me towards the exit.
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But before we could get to it, Warner and Ajax blocked our way.
I sucked in a breath, stepping back.
“Get out of my way,” Blake snapped.
I grabbed his arm, my eyes wide. “Don’t fight with them,” I cried. “They’re probably werewolves too. That’s why they call him Alpha, Blake.”
Blake ignored me completely. “That is a rogue wolf and a danger to Lia. Let me get her to safety. Zane would want the same thing.”
Ajax and Warner looked toward Zane.
“Let her go!” Zane yelled, the sound of his voice almost making the room shake.
I flinched, my heart hammering in my chest.
Ajax and Warner reluctantly moved aside, and Blake led me out of the cafeteria, and then the school. I didn’t know what was happening, or where he was taking me after. My mind couldn’t form any coherent thoughts except for a string of curses, and the realisation of the kind of danger I’d been in the last few days. Actually, the kind of danger I’d been in the last ten years.
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Zane and his friends weren’t human. They were monsters. And they all hated me. They could have killed me, eaten me up and no one would know.
I remembered the way I’d punched Ajax, the million instances. where I’d insulted or yelled at them. And most of all, my rejection of Zane the previous night. What did he even want with a human like me?
“Lia,” Blake said again, shaking me by the shoulders. “Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?”
I stared up at him, a few tears leaving my eyes. “No… no, I—I
don’t think so.”
He placed the back of his hand against my forehead. “Your skin is cold, Lia. Come here.” He pulled me to his chest, and began. rubbing my back. I closed my eyes, allowing myself to be held.
Zane was a monster.
He’d said he would kiss me.
I was almost kissed by a monster.
Why did he want me? What did he interest mean for me?
This was worse than a cult. This was some supernatural shit.
“You’re okay, Lia. No one’s gonna hurt you, alright? I’m right
Chapter 23 – Promise–1
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here,” Blake said soothingly, the sparks dancing within my skin
at his touch helping to steady my heart beat.
But the sparks reminded me of something else too.
I felt those same tingles every time Zane touched me.
Did that mean…
I quickly pushed Blake away, taking a few steps away from him, my eyes wide.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, coming closer.
“No!” I screamed, backing away further. “Stay away from me!” I
cried.
“Lia, it’s me, Blake.”
“Are you a monster too?” I asked, my hands trembling uncontrollably.
Blake’s face fell slightly. “No.”
“Don’t lie to me!” I sobbed, brushing away my tears. “I feel tingles when you touch me, and I felt the same when Zane did too. You’re also a werewolf, aren’t you?”
“Look, I can explain–”
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“No.” I shook my head. “Please. Please stay away from me,” I begged, as my back hit a car. I realised we were some distance away from the school, on a street nearby. “Please, just let me go. I beg you, Blake. Please.”
“Alright, alright,” he said, a deep frown on his face. “You can go, Lia. I am not stopping you. I won’t hurt you, I promise. Don’t be afraid. I have always protected you, Lia. And I always will. I won’t harm you.”
“I just wanna go home,” I pleaded with him. “Just let me leave. Please.”
“Okay,” he nodded, taking a few steps away from me. “You can go, alright? But please, Lia. Don’t tell anyone about what you saw today. It will only cause problems.”
“I won’t,” I nodded, “I promise. I won’t say a word to anyone. Please don’t kill me.” My voice cracked towards the end.
Blake looked pained. “I would never harm you, Lia. And I won’t let anyone else harm you either. Please go home and get some rest. Don’t worry, everything’s fine.”
I stared at him for a short moment to make sure he wasn’t attacking me, and then bolted. I ran as fast as I could, not looking back, tears rolling down my cheeks uncontrollably. I did not stop even once, not until I was back home. I closed and locked the door, then rushed up the stairs, slamming the door of my room shut and also locking it. I backed away from it slowly,
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my heart beat so loud I was afraid I was going to collapse.
But then I heard a sound behind me, making it pound even
louder.
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