Chapter 15
Samantha’s POV
The first thing I felt was the sharp sting in my arm. My eyes fluttered open and met with the dim glow of the tent’s lanterns, the fabric walls swaying faintly in the cool night breeze. Everything smelled of herbs and antiseptic, which was far different from the chaos that reeked with blood and stench of rogues.
I blinked, trying to sit up, but a voice stopped me.
“Easy there,” the doctor said softly, placing a hand on my shoulder. Her face was lined with worry, though her tone was calm. “You have been through quite a lot.”
“Killian?” I croaked, my throat dry.
The doctor smiled reassuringly. “He is fine. A few scratches, but nothing serious. He has been pacing outside, demanding updates every few minutes.”
Relief washed over me like a wave, loosening the knot of tension in my chest, Killian was safe. That was all that mattered.
“What happened?” I asked, my voice steadier now as I tried to recall the night.
The doctor’s expression darkened as she set a bottle of medicine aside. “You were attacked by a rogue. But there is something strange about it…” She hesitated, as if debating whether to continue.
“Strange how?” I pressed.
She sighed, pulling up a small vial of crimson liquid. “We tested the rogue’s blood. It was poisoned. It was laced with something that should not be in a werewolf’s system. The poison is designed to destroy us from the inside out, to weaken us, to make us…” She trailed off, her brow furrowing. “Rabid.”
Rabid. The word sent a shiver down my spine. “And the claw,” she added, gesturing toward my bandaged arm. “A piece of it was lodged in your wound. That is why it would not heal properly earlier.”
I looked at the neatly wrapped bandage, the faint sting of pain reminded me of how close things had been. I thought it was going to be my end. But I was alive. My wolf stirred inside me, restless but alert.
“Is the poison…” I began, but the doctor cut me off.
“That’s what’s strange,” she said, leaning closer. “You should be bedridden. Barely able to move. This poison it’s strong. It’s meant to shut down a werewolf’s entire system for days, if not kill them outright. And yet, here you are, already awake and doing well except for the wounds.”
Her eyes searched mine, curious and a little unnerved as if there was something… wrong, or unusual.
“I’m fine,” I said, brushing her off. My wolf rumbled in agreement, both of us impatient with the scrutiny.
The doctor did not look convinced. “You should not be fine, she murmured, almost to herself and she seemed to be having conflicting thoughts in her head. “The poison should be affecting your system, and yet…” she could not find the right words as though she was also wondering how I was doing this.
I swung my legs off the cot, wincing slightly as my body protested. “Well, I am,” I said firmly. “And I have things to do.”
And before she could protest, the tent flap opened, and Killian walked in, his face tight with concern. Dominic followed close behind him with a dark and unreadable expression.
Killian was at my side in an instant. “Samantha,” he called, surprised that I was already awake and he reached out
Chapter 15.
to touch my forehead.
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But before he could, Dominic grabbed his wrist mid air with an ironclad grip. “Don’t touch her,” Dominic growled.
Killian’s head snapped toward him, his jaw tightening. “What’s your problem?”
“My problem,” Dominic spoke sharply, “is that you think you have any right to lay a hand on her.”
Killian yanked his arm free, his gaze locking with Dominic in a silent challenge. “Unlike you, I actually care about her,” he shot back.
“Oh, really? You care so much you let her get attacked?” Dominic retorted, stepping closer, asserting dominance. Two Alphas, it’s really not a good idea to have them both one place at a time. They’d always clash when they did not like each other.
“I wasn’t the one distracted tonight,” Killian fired back, his eyes flicking pointedly to the marks on Dominic’s neck, and my heart twisted at the sight. His neck was painted with love bites, and it would not take a genius to guess who had done those on him. Olivia.
I groaned, pinching the bridge of my nose as they began hurling insults at each other.
“Distracted? Do not put this on me. You were with her, and bet, she ended up in that situation,” Dominic growled.
“You’re unbelievable. Maybe if you were not too busy chasing ghosts of a past you ruined-”
“That’s enough!” I snapped, cutting through their bickering. Both men turned to look at me, startled.
“I don’t have time for this,” I said, glaring at both of them. You want to fight about who’s more incompetent?
Do it somewhere else.”
They
both looked like chastened pups, though neither backed down entirely.
I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “This attack might not have been planned,” I continued, forcing calm into my voice. “The rogues were poisoned. Whatever did this to them made them lose control. It is the same as that rogue we found earlier in the meeting.”
They exchanged a glance as the gravity of my words sank in their heads.
“Poison?” Killian asked, frowning
“Yes,” I said. “The doctor said it was designed to make werewolves weak, to destroy us from the inside. But it also … changes them. Makes them rabid.”
Dominic’s expression darkened. “We need to find out who’s behind this,” he said with a low threatening voice.” And why they are doing it.”
“We will,” Killian seconded, his fist curling at his side.
The tension between them was still evident despite their silence under my order, but I did not have the energy to deal with it anymore. “I’m tired,” I said, rubbing my temples. “You both need to leave.”
Killian hesitated, but Dominic did not. He gave Killian a smog look as he turned to go.
“Now,” I added, glaring at Dominic, making him understand that he was included in my order for them both to leave.
To my surprise, he left without argument, though his pace was slower than necessary. Killian followed reluctantly, throwing one last concerned glance over his shoulder before disappearing through the tent flap.
Finally, silence. I sank back onto the cot, exhaling deeply while my head swam with everything that had
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Chapter Th
happened, but for now, I just wanted to rest, the thinking would come on later.
But, of course, Dominic was not done.
The sound of the tent flap on the other side sliding open was my first clue.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I muttered, sitting up as Dominic stepped in quietly and unhurried as if he had not just been kicked out.
“Couldn’t stay away,” he uttered, a rumble in his chest as he spoke and stepped closer to my side.
I glared at him, but he did not stop. His eyes roamed over ine, taking in every detail, and the intensity of his gaze sent a shiver down my spine.
“You’re supposed to be gone,” I warned, reminding him that I just asked him to leave not even a minute ago.
“I couldn’t wait,” he said, his tone softer now. “Not after seeing you like that.”
My heart raced as his hand reached out, brushing a strand of hair from my face while he gazed at me with longing and desire dancing in his eyes.
“Dominic,” I began, but he cut me off, his voice a whisper
“I need to feel you again.”
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Chapter 16
