Dating

Chapter 102

I was numb.

Emotionally, physically, and psychologically I felt battered and bruised beyond my compatibility to withstand it. The growing uneasiness that filled me, caused my knees to finally buckle from beneath me. Suddenly, I found myself dropping to the floor as though gravity had pushed me down.

I couldn’t believe what had just happened. I didn’t want to believe it.

That sudden attack was something I had only ever witnessed when watching those old horror movies with my mom. Never did I think that something so horrific would ever find its way into my life.

An overwhelming sensation of surrealism washed over me, making everything around me feel distorted and nightmarish. The only problem was that it was real. Everything from the broken furniture right down to the bloody dagger that was still in Liam’s hand.

From what I could make out, the man wasn’t dead but heavily injured and unconscious. Beyond that, I couldn’t focus on much else. Liam tossed the used dagger to the floor, causing an awful noise to bounce off the walls. My whole body tensed and flinched at the sound.

“Ella?” Liam’s voice was hoarse and rough as he climbed over the fallen man as well as the various splintered furniture limbs to rush to my side. “Ella, can you hear me?”

I couldn’t bring myself to speak. I barely felt the warmth of his arms wrap around me as he tried to pull me close.

“Is she hurt anywhere?” Arthur asked.

It was strange that he, of all people, would ask such a question, pertaining to someone like me. Since when did he give a damn about humans?

Liam didn’t answer him but rather checked me over silently. His touch was soft and light compared to the brutish, rough hands that were wrapped around my neck moments prior.

“There are marks on her neck,” Liam snarls with disdain. “That fucking bastard left bruises.”

It was a startling revelation that I was more upset by the menacing tone in Liam’s voice than I was about the marks left on my skin. Of course, I was hoping that they weren’t too dark and would heal relatively quickly.

I felt Liam’s attention solely directed at me. His hands gently brushed over my face, pushing back my hair and checking for any other possible injuries.

Meanwhile, Arthur knelt down over the unknown man for a closer inspection. “Let’s see if we can find out who this bastard is, shall we?”

He roughly tugged at the cloak that was covering his large frame and immediately started searching through all the possible pockets. He came up with nothing which only seemed to add to overall tension in the room.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, he stood up and shook his head. “Is this guy supposed to be some sort of a phantom? No ID–nothing. And what the hell was he talking about before when he was speaking to Ella?”

Liam was continuously trying to ease my anxieties, but it wasn’t getting any better. He tried to help me move, but a sharp shiver coursed through me, causing my muscles to lock up. I began shaking uncontrollably.

“It’s going to be alright, Ella,” Liam said, promisingly.

My eyes started to fill with tears once more. Goddamnit, I felt so out of control, I couldn’t even keep my emotions in check. Then again, I wasn’t sure what I was feeling.

There were so many questions that were flying through my head. And I didn’t even have the ability to answer Liam at the moment.

Arthur moved closer and tried to out to me. “What did he mean ‘your kind‘? Ella?”

Liam snarled in anger at Arthur’s attempt to get closer. He raised a firm hand to ward him off all while tugging me closer to his chest, “Leave her alone, will you!” he huffed. “For fuck sake! Can’t you see that she’s in shock?!”

Arthur rolled his eyes. “Well, we can’t stay here.”

Without another word, Liam hooked his arms under my legs and lifted me off the ground in one solid swoop. Between the lack of air reaching my lungs and the horrific mind fog, I grew dizzy.

My vision became blurry once more, only this time I happily gave myself over to the darkness that awaited me.

[Liam’s POV]

Jesus Christ. What more could this poor girl be put through??

162

2:37 PM

Chapter 102

My chest ached with pain as I struggled to watch Ella fight off the anxiety attack that was determined to shatter her even further. Part of me was almost grateful that she passed out in the midst of me taking her back to the car.

“I’m taking Ella back home,” I said.

Arthur was hot on the trail behind me. “I’m coming with you.”

“No. You’re not.” Arthur snarled in response. “Arthur, for all I know, you could have been the one behind this goddamn attack-”

He stepped closer with a steamed look on his face. “That’s bullshit

and you know it.”

“You know I can’t believe I’m saying this, but thank you for helping

protect her. But all that aside, I still don’t trust you.”

me

Arthur raised a brow. “Honestly. The feeling is entirely mutual. But, I gotta hand it to you. I didn’t realize you had that in,” he snided while gesturing

back toward the cabin.

He was referring to when I’d grabbed the dagger and used it against the man who was set on killing Ella. The very thought made me sick and riddled with insurmountable rage. I dragged that sharp blade along that bastard’s chest without so much as a second thought.

There was no need to think. He was going to kill Ella. My Ella. My Mate!

. “If I had the time or the genuine care, I would ask what the hell you were doing out here in the first place. But, as you can see, I have more

important things to tend to right now.”

“Liam, for once, let’s not let our egos get in the way of the big picture here.”

“Oh, that’s funny coming from you. But I’ll bite,” I said with a shrug.

“There is a very likely chance that this attacker is actually of sound body and mind. attacker. I think this was all thoroughly planned out in advance.”

Do

you

get

it? I don’t think this was just some random lunatic

I nodded my head in agreement. “Unfortunately, I think you’re right. You remember what he said before he grabbed Ella? ‘All these years I’ve been waiting and watching.”

Arthur raised a brow and gave me a pointed look. “Which begs the question as to why he was

targeting Ella in the first place.”

Again, I gave a subtle nod. “He kept referring to her as though she was something other than human. ‘Your kind? What the hell does that mean?”

“That man was clearly wolf himself, so surely he would have picked up on the fact that Ella is human.”

On the contrary, I still had my doubts about that matter. But he certainly wasn’t going to share his thoughts with Arthur.

Tonight had been a cluster fuck of events. Ella is, and always will be my top priority. There was far too much of this situation that none of us fully understood. Which is why I deemed it necessary to keep this mess as private as possible.

“This stays between the three of us. Understand?”

A short pause went by before Arthur nodded his head. “Agreed.”

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