Chapter 4
Damian's amber eyes snapped open, burning like twin fires in the darkness. In a flash, he knocked me to the ground, his sharp claws pressed against my throat. His hot breath washed over my face, thick with a feral musk.
"It's me. Ashley," I said and held my breath.
His expression shifted from wild fury to confusion, then finally to regret. He quickly scrambled off me, shrinking into the corner like a scolded child.
"I'm sorry," he rasped. "I shouldn't have... I almost..."
"It's fine," I said, sitting up and rubbing my neck. "You just had a nightmare."
He looked at me with those bright eyes that seemed to glow in the dark, asking, "Do you... often watch me sleep like this?"
My heart skipped a beat. He knew what I'd been doing.
"Only when you're having nightmares," I said. "You said some pretty interesting stuff."
His fur instantly stood on end, and he asked, "What did you hear?"
"Sanctuary. Lab table. Subject K-907," I said, locking eyes with him. "And increase the dosage."
A long silence stretched between us. His tail wrapped tightly around himself, his breathing heavy. I thought he'd lash out or deny everything, but instead, he just buried his head in his paws and let out a long, shaky sigh.
"I don't remember," he finally said, his voice muffled. "When I wake up, I only remember bits and pieces. But those dreams feel so real."
I edged closer, and this time, he didn't pull away. I asked, "What does it feel like?"
"Pain," he said, lifting his head, his eyes flickering with emotions I couldn't name. "And fear. A kind of fear that's even worse than death."
Before I could ask, a sharp snap sounded outside the window—like a branch breaking, but crisper. Damian's ears instantly swiveled toward the noise, his whole body going rigid.
"Someone's out there," he whispered, suddenly shoving me behind the wall. "Don't move. Don't make a sound."
Before I could even process what was happening, he glided to the window, melting into the shadows. He moved so smoothly, as if he were invisible.
A few seconds later, a shadowy figure vaulted through the window, moving with practiced agility. This wasn't some ordinary thief—whoever it was well-trained.
As soon as the shadow landed, Damian pounced.
It wasn't even a fight—it was total domination. Damian moved so fast that I could barely keep up. I saw a flash of gray, and he slammed the intruder on the floor, his claws digging into their throat. The whole thing was dead silent.
"Who sent you?" Damian's voice was low and dangerous, totally different from how he usually sounds.
The intruder kept silent. Damian dug his claws in deeper, and a bead of blood slid down the intruder's throat.
"Sanctuary, right?" Damian growled. A chill ran down my spine—he'd never said that name out loud before.
The intruder's eyes went wide, but they still didn't say a word. Damian suddenly sniffed their collar, then let out a guttural snarl.
"Rachel," he said, the name sending a chill down my spine. "You smell like her perfume."
The intruder finally spoke, "I don't know what you're talking about. I was just—"
Damian cut him off with a swift chop to his neck, knocking him out cold. Damian then turned to me, his eyes blazing with a wild intensity. "We need to talk, but not here."
Ten minutes later, we had the intruder tied up and shoved into the closet. Damian swore he wouldn't wake up for at least eight hours. Then we slipped out of the house and into the little patch of woods out back.
Damian was surprisingly alert. He insisted on sweeping the area for bugs or anyone watching us.