~IVY~
Damon smiled at me, like it was the most natural thing to do in this world.
Natural? That was certainly not the word for him in this situation.
Not after what happened between us.
I tried to pull away from his hold, but his hold on me only tightened.
I sucked in a breath. "What are you doing? Get your hands off me."
I whispered through gritted teeth.
But he ignored me completely, his eyes fixed ahead.
I followed his gaze, only to find that the Alpha Prince, Karl, was staring at us, mostly at Damon's arm around mine.
But there was something about the look in his eyes. It was murderous, like he was planning just how to tear Damon apart.
Or am I seeing things?
Karl's storm-gray eyes burned darker. Too dark for me not to notice, the faintest growl reverberating in his chest.
It felt as though the air grew heavier, colder even, like a storm was about to break.
"Take your hands off her." Karl's voice was low, catching me off guard. "Now."
I blinked. Somehow, that made goosebumps appear on my skin.
But Damon only tightened his grip around me, tilting his head in lazy defiance.
I caught sight of his fangs flashing when he smiled.
"Why would I do that? She's my girlfriend, not yours."
It took me a moment to snap out of my daze. Using all my strength, I stepped out of Damon's hold.
The two guys turned to stare at me then, their expressions unreadable.
I frowned. "I think we are done here." With that, I walked away, holding the strap of my school bag as though holding onto a lifeline.
I had barely made it up the stairs when someone suddenly grabbed my bag, pulling it out of my hold.
I wasn't fast enough, or maybe he was too fast, but I found myself facing Damon, who now had my bag in his hand.
"Hey, we need to talk."
He wasn't smiling. If anything, he looked sad.
I glared at him. "Get away from me."
He ignored me, moving ahead of me. "Where are you headed? I will walk you."
"You think I'd tell you that?"
He grinned. "You have to, I mean, wouldn't it be rude of me to let my girlfriend stumble around, trying to find her way?
Is this guy being real right now?
I stopped walking. "Why are you doing this? Why are you here?"
The questions tore out of my throat before I could stop it.
"What do you mean? This is my school, and I couldn't stay and watch you get bullied."
I scoffed, lowering my gaze. So that's what this is?
I forced a cold smile onto my face. "Thank you, Damon. But I don't need you saving me. I can handle myself just well enough."
The smile disappeared from his face. Then, he walked towards me, only to stop a few steps in front of me, the stairs adding to his height.
"How? The last time I checked, you have no powers. Why are you even in this school? Do you want to get killed?"
My heart pounded with every word he said.
He was still the same. Still infuriatingly selfish.
How dare he act like he cares? He knows nothing about me.
'I like you, Damon,' my younger self had said, handing a flower to the person I had once called a friend.
Only that this friend threw the flower to the ground in front of everyone.
'I don't like you. Don't get ahead of yourself,' he replied angrily.
He brought another girl to visit my parents after that, as though he was trying to prove a point.
After that, he and his family disappeared from our village.
We had been kids then, but that humiliation became the beginning of every change in my life.
I forced my eyes to stare into his blood-red ones.
"I do not need you and your help. Stay away from me."
Something flashed across his eyes, something dark and menacing.
"Don't…" he whispered, his voice breaking slightly as he closed his eyes. "Don't do that."
I pushed him aside, and walked away, grateful my legs weren't shaking.
I had barely walked a few steps before I stopped. I turned to find him still in that spot, staring after me like someone who had just lost his favorite toy.
"You should tell everyone that there's nothing between us. I won't appreciate a rumor about me."
He smiled. "No."
"What?"
"I can't let you be in danger. After that trick you pulled with Karl, I am sure they won't let you off the hook."
I narrowed my eyes at him.
"What…"
"I am trying to keep you safe here. Once they think you belong to me, no one will hurt you. I am sure your parents would want that."
My whole body froze at the mention of my parents. I dug my nails into my palm, trying to numb the pain in my heart.
"Speaking of which, how are your parents, do they know you are here?"
My heart twisted at that.
My parents… I can still remember how the scar-faced man had stabbed dad consistently in his neck with our kitchen knife, and how the other had lifted mom off the ground, only to snap her neck in the air.
Whatever they had used on my parents then had worked, enough for them to suppress their powers when they attacked.
Powers we had kept hidden for a long time, until I…
My legs trembled under me, as though unable to carry my weight.
Everything felt real once more, the horrifying murder, the fire after, the chase through the dark forest.
I grabbed tightly onto the banister, trying to steady my breathing.
"They are fine." I finally managed to respond, blinking back the tears.
Shit, don't cry. We have to focus and find the Ebon Testament.
He grabbed me before I could leave. "You understand why I'm doing this. It is for your parents. Please, let me pay them back for what they did for me."
I scoffed, hating myself for easily feeling this pain.
"You want to pay them back?" I muttered under my breath.
He nodded. "Yes."
I looked at him. "Then help me find a book. The Ebon Testament."
Just like that, all friendliness disappeared from his eyes, and his eyes became darker, like he had suddenly become another person.
"What?" he whispered.
But the fear in his eyes told me one thing: he knew exactly what the Ebon Testament was.