Remi POV
My knees buckled, and I almost collapsed just from staring at him—or whatever that thing was.
He sniffed the air, sensing my fear, then slowly turned around. His red eyes locked on mine as he growled wildly.
I screamed, scrambling to my feet and twisting the doorknob—but the door was locked.
He lunged at me, pushing me roughly to the ground. His large paws pinned my arms behind my back, stopping me from struggling.
His nose nudged at my clothes like he was trying to take them off, but he struggled with the fabric. Then, with a wild growl, he ripped the clothes from me, his sharp claws scratching my bare skin.
I screamed as blood rushed from the cut on my side, but he didn't seem to care. His nose slid lower, moving down my thigh, lifting the skirt higher.
My eyes went wide when I felt his tongue press hard against my folds. I squirmed, panic rising, and instinctively shoved him away, kicking his nose. Immediately, I regretted it—but it was too late.
His expression darkened, and he slammed his paw down harder on my arm, pinning me back down.
"I'm sorry," I pleaded, voice shaking. Was he going to kill me this time? "I didn't mean to."
But he pressed his paw harder, closer to my elbow. The pain was so sharp I thought my bone would snap.
"Ah!" I screamed, blood blurring my tears.
Then suddenly, he began to whimper, and his gaze softened. He shifted back to human form, eyes wide with shock as he looked at me.
"Fûck, you're hurt!" he muttered. "What the hell happened to you? Are you okay?"
His question caught me off guard. What the hell did he mean by that? Did it look like I was okay? Was this some kind of test?
He pulled his hand away from my arm, trembling as he reached out and scooped me into his arms.
I was so confused that all I could do was stare as he gently lowered me onto the bed, careful not to jostle me too much. Then, with shaky hands, he grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around me, keeping a safe distance.
"Shît, what the hell did I do this time?" he muttered under his breath, his eyes darting around like he was trying to figure himself out.
I stayed still. A part of me felt like he would snap any second now, plus the pain in my arm and side was unbearable.
Minutes later, the door opened. To my surprise, it was Beta Zanye who stepped inside. His eyes flickered to me for a brief moment before settling on Damon.
"I brought in another one, didn't I?" Damon asked in a low voice as he casually sipped from a glass of alcohol he had poured.
Zanye gave a curt nod.
"Fûck!" Damon cursed, suddenly throwing the glass across the room. The crash made me flinch.
He rubbed his brow, muttering more curses under his breath as he slowly moved toward Zanye. Then he pressed his head against Zanye's shoulder like a desperate child seeking comfort.
Seconds ticked by, and even though I was trying my best not to make a sound or draw attention to myself, I couldn't help it. A groan escaped my lips as I clutched my side. His gaze slowly shifted back to me.
With a sigh, he pulled away from Zanye's shoulder and walked over to pour himself another drink.
"Get her out of here and get the healer to tend to her," he said flatly.
Without hesitation, Zanye's full attention turned to me. He began walking over, and like a wounded animal, my body trembled. But he scooped me into his arms without a word and carried me out of the room.
I was taken back to my small space, and the healer was called. I expected him to leave—since I was no longer his responsibility—but to my surprise, he stayed. He stood beside the bed, watching closely as the healer applied some thick, foul-smelling medicine to my side.
Tears burned my eyes, and I bit down on the blanket to keep from screaming. Afterward, the healer handed me a cup with some liquid. I drank it, and almost immediately, I collapsed on the bed, breathing heavily.
The healer gave a deep bow to Zanye and left, leaving just the two of us in the room.
"What did I do to deserve this?" I whispered, staring up at the ceiling as tears slid down my cheeks. "I wanted to be a nurse. I could've been in class right now… actually learning something."
Maybe it was the drink they forced down my throat, but I wasn't feeling like myself. I turned my eyes toward the man standing beside me with those sharp features and dark, unreadable eyes.
"Why aren't you saying anything, huh?"
He still said nothing, and that pissed me off even more. I forced myself to sit up despite the pain and pointed a shaky finger at him.
"You! You're always so quiet—like you're judging me. Well, you don't have the right to judge me, okay? I didn't want this. I didn't choose any of this. And when I get out of here, I'll make sure every single one of you pays. You hear me?"
I kept jabbing my finger toward his chest, dizzy and lightheaded, but I didn't stop.
Then suddenly, he grabbed my wrist, stopping me mid-motion. His other hand moved behind my neck, and in one swift motion, he slammed me back onto the bed, caging me in with one leg between mine.
My breath hitched, completely caught off guard. I blinked up at him, staring at his unreadable expression. His face was already so close, I could feel the heat of his breath on my skin.
His grip on my wrist loosened, and his rough fingers trailed slowly along my jawline, making me shiver. Then he gripped my chin, lifting it, forcing my gaze to meet his.
"Are you going to take advantage of me too?" I whispered, my voice trembling, already bracing for whatever pain was coming next. To think—for a second—I believed he might be different. "If you can wait until tomorrow… I don't think my body can…"
I choked on the last words as his grip on my jaw tightened. His eyes darkened.
But instead of hurting me, he pulled away suddenly.
He grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around me, and that's when I remembered—I was still practically naked.
Then, without a word, he turned and walked out, slamming the door behind him so hard the walls shook.
I flinched.
Had I said something wrong?
Wasn't that what he wanted?
Wasn't that what they all wanted? To have a taste of the human. To break her.
Then I remembered… I wasn't supposed to question them. I was just supposed to let them do whatever they wanted. Maybe that's why he was angry.
Maybe now… I'd have to prepare for the consequences.
I sighed, blinking up at the ceiling as the room spun around me, and everything finally faded to black.