As I made my way through the darkness, the smell of damp dirt and pine permeated the dense night air. I'm not supposed to be here. My gut urged me to keep my distance and let her go before I exacerbated the situation. However, I was unable to. After what I witnessed at dinner, no. She stared at me as if she were stuck, barely able to keep herself together, and I didn't want that.
Ryan covered her with his hands.
My jaw tightened at the thought. He wasn't allowed to touch her. It was never intended that she would be his.
In one smooth motion, I came to the estate wall and vaulted over it. With its windows lighting faintly against the dark sky, the home loomed ahead. All of my nerves were on high alert as my wolf instincts surged. There was a strange feeling. There was a scent of terror in the air. Hers.
My boots were silent against the railing as I climbed the balcony outside her room, moving swiftly. Eva was sitting on the side of her bed with the drapes slightly open. Her fingers gripped something in her lap, and her spine was rigid. A little piece of crumpled paper. I could see her hands trembling even from this distance.
Before I even knocked, she was aware of my presence. Her eyes widened and her breath caught in her throat as her head snapped up. She didn't scream, though. With me, she never did.
"Lucas?" She spoke in a scarcely audible whisper, her disbelief mixed with relief.
I closed the doors behind me and slipped inside. "You need to leave this house."
She instantly shook her head. "I can't."
I lowered my voice and moved closer. "This isn't a game, Eva. Someone is messing with you. Do you believe that I am unaware of what has been going on? The messages, the blood, the threats—"
She clutched the sheet under her. "How do you know about that?"
"Because I pay attention." More than I should. More than I had any right to.
She inhaled sharply, standing. "Lucas, I—" As though her words had failed her, she halted and shook her head. "It makes no difference. There is nothing I can do. I don't want to run, do you think? Do you not want me to vanish from this nightmare? However, my family—"
I was aware.
I was aware from the beginning.
The Carter family used terror, manipulation, and control. What about Ryan? He was the ideal puppet for them. Willing to comply, to take her as if she were a trophy he had earned. The want to shatter anything was overwhelming.
I stated in a forceful yet hushed voice, "I won't let them hurt you." "I swear to you, Eva."
Something unfathomable was swirling in her eyes as she gazed up at me. She just looked for a long time. Then she suddenly stepped closer and put a hand to my chest.
"Lucas, you can't save me. Not now.
Her warmth seeped into my flesh as her touch pierced the thin material of my shirt. Every nerve in my body ached to draw her nearer and claim her in a way that would make it clear who she really belonged to. However, I was unable to. Not just yet.
Silently, "Watch me," I said.
Her fingers curled gently against me as her breath caught. In her eyes, there was a battle going on between fear and a state of near-capacity.
Then the silence was broken abruptly by a scream.
Both of us froze.
It was coming from the corridor. A shriek so unadulterated and so full of fear that it made my arms stand on end. Eva's face lost colour and she gasped, jerking back.
In a whisper, she asked, "What was that?"
I didn't respond. I was on the go already.
I pulled the door open and entered the dark hallway. My wolf was on the verge of escaping, and my senses became more acute. The odour of fear was more powerful today. Sharper. Eva wasn't the only one.
There was a problem.
Dead wrong.
Another cry sounded out, this one cut short—like it had been silenced.
Eva took hold of my arm. "Lucas, don't—"
I quickly touched her cheek as I turned to face her. "After I leave, lock the door. Please only open it for me. Recognize?"
She opened her mouth to argue, but then she simply nodded. As I moved away, her fingertips touched me for a very little moment, but it gave me a shock.
Then I was gone, running in the direction of the roar.
Who was yelling? What had taken place?
I suspected I wouldn't like the response.