HIDDEN (FIGHT OR FLIGHT)

Chapter 25

DAMON'S P.O.V.

I lounged on the couch, Bear nestled against me, his steady warmth a quiet reassurance. Becky was deep into one of her animated tales, recounting their shared childhood memories with wild gestures and infectious laughter. I couldn't help but notice how Bear seemed utterly captivated, his attention glued to her every word. His eyes sparkled with amusement, especially when Becky dragged up some mortifying detail from their past. It was... strange, but in a good way. I'd never seen him so engaged, so alive in the moment. It was kind of adorable if I'm being honest.

Across from us, Evan sat like a statue, his gaze fixed on Becky with such intensity that I almost wanted to laugh. The guy was smitten-heart eyes, the whole cliché. If Becky wasn't his mate, I'd probably be a little creeped out by how transfixed he was. But hey, mate bonds tend to do that to people, I can testify.

From the kitchen, I could hear Vincent clattering dishes, cursing under his breath. He was still bitter about drawing the shortest straw earlier when we played that ridiculous game to decide who'd do the dishes. Honestly, I would've done them without a fuss, but the group insisted on making a game out of it. I mean, come on-everyone here had some kind of ability. Anyone could've easily used a gust of wind or something to "accidentally" scatter the straws, but nope, we played it straight. And Vincent lost. Fair and square.

The house had settled into this peaceful rhythm over the past few days. No drama, no lingering shadows from the past. Just... calm. I felt content. But as my mind drifted to Felix, that serenity began to crumble. He'd been away for four days now, supposedly on a two-day company retreat. I hadn't heard from him since yesterday, and each attempt to reach out through the mind link had been met with silence. A gnawing unease stirred in my gut.

Just as I was about to try reaching him again, Felix's voice cut through the stillness of my mind like a cold blade.

"Dame, are you there?"

I froze, my heart thudding against my ribs. His voice-there was something off about it. Fear, confusion, and something darker I couldn't quite place.

"I'm here," I shot back, my pulse quickening. "What's going on?"

I wanted to ask why he hadn't been answering, why he'd gone silent. But the tremor in his voice made me hold back.

"I'm looking at someone who looks exactly like you... but it's not you." His voice wavered, laced with a fear that made my skin crawl. "You need to come here. Now."

Electricity jolted through my body as I shot to my feet, my heart hammering against my chest. "Felix?"

Panic clenched around my throat, thoughts spiraling. What the hell did he mean, someone who looked like me? Was Felix in danger? My mind raced with worst-case scenarios, none of them good.

I barely registered my surroundings as I focused on Felix's image, preparing to teleport straight to him when Bear's hand closed firmly around my arm.

"What's going on?" Bear demanded, his brows furrowed in concern, the sharp edge of protectiveness in his voice.

I barely had time to give him the rundown. "Felix-somewhere, danger, something about a doppelganger," I blurted out. But before the weight of my words could settle, Becky let out a sharp gasp that sliced through the air like a knife. Her reaction was immediate, but I didn't have time to process it. All I cared about was getting to Felix.

I grabbed Bear's hand, my body ready to teleport us in an instant, but suddenly, Becky's hand shot out and latched onto my arm, her eyes wide with panic.

"What the-Becky!" I snapped, frustration bubbling over. "I don't have time for this. Felix might be in serious trouble."

She just stood there, staring at me with those wide, terrified eyes, her grip like iron on my wrist. Her silence was unnerving.