Airy

Chapter 10

Damien POV

I sank into my desk chair, the two books that I had retrieved for Airy's room lying unopened in front of me. Vivian had recommended them, and I couldn't help but think that she knew exactly what she was doing. The books chronicled the history of the early Wolfs and Werewolves. I couldn't shake off the feeling that maybe she had read them and had told me the truth.

After conducting a background check on her, I discovered that she had been dropped off at the orphanage as a newborn and left there for 18 years. Her birthday was on December 11th, and she would be turning 19 years old soon. The age difference between us was significant; I was already 28 years old.

The mere thought of Airy's presence consumed me. Her image was everywhere - in my mind, in my dreams, and in every part of my being. Even when I traveled out of town for business, she lingered in my thoughts like a shadow. The mate bond was taking over, but I refused to let it control me.

As I poured myself another glass of whiskey, I thought back to my father's descent into madness after my mother was killed in a pack attack. He had turned into a monster, determined to raise me in his image. But I had refused to become like him. I had a moral code that he lacked. I would not let the mate bond turn me into a monster like he had become.

I knew that even if I told Airy everything about the mate bond, she would still see me as someone who had locked her away. It was a battle within me, a struggle between wanting her in my arms and wanting her gone.

I let the work take over, taking a sip of whiskey every now and then to help me forget. Sleep was not going to come to me easily, so I figured that working would at least make me more productive. I had taken care of Xavier and his establishment, which was going to close down permanently today. I made a mental note to check on it myself first thing tomorrow.

As I headed to the kitchen to grab something to eat, my phone rang. Alex was on the other end, informing me that Gary had reported Airy's escape and that they were on a search for her. My blood boiled at the thought of that girl, and my mind played out various scenarios of her getting hurt. Without a second thought, I shifted and ran in the direction where Alex said they were heading. I picked up her scent, and it led me to the forest.

I stopped at the top of a hill and spotted her, shaking and shivering against a tree. She looked weak, like a fly that could easily be swatted away. I approached her slowly, not wanting to startle her. My wolf needed to know if she was okay, so I went closer to check. She was shaking and twitching uncontrollably, and slowly sinking down the tree trunk.

Realizing that she was in no condition to escape, I shifted back to my human form. I knew that she had witnessed my transformation, but I didn't care anymore. She was going to find out sooner or later anyway, living within the pack. She would encounter my warriors shifting on the training grounds and near the forest line. As I got closer to her, she lost consciousness.

I breathed a sigh of relief that she had not suffered any serious injuries. As I picked up her unconscious body, I noticed some cuts on her legs, and her ankle appeared red and swollen. I ran as steadily as I could to the packhouse, where I laid her gently on her bed and called for our pack doctor to assess her injuries.

The doctor, Edward, and the nurse quickly attended to her wounds, applying band-aids and a numbing cream, and placing a small brace on her leg. They assured me that she would be fine by tomorrow and left the room.

I remained in her room for several hours, pondering over the events of the day and trying to make sense of it all. Where was this heading? How had we ended up in this situation? My thoughts swirled around, and I couldn't help but wonder what the future held for us.