CHAPTER SIX: Damned

ALLISON.

The rustling grew louder, and I could barely breathe, my senses on high alert. I glanced up at Daniel, whose expression was focused, his forehead creased in deep concentration.

“Stay still,” he instructed softly, his eyes never leaving the source of the noise.

Cold sweats boiled on my forehead as the tension thickened in the air. Whatever was approaching, it was close—and we had no idea what it was.

The rustling in the bushes grew more frantic, and just when I braced myself for something terrifying to leap out, a small white rabbit dashed out. It paused momentarily, looking back at me with curious eyes before hopping away, leaving me both stunned and a little sheepish.

A rabbit?

I couldn’t help but chuckle, the fear I was feeling melting away. “Goodness, it was just a rabbit, after all!” I exclaimed and pulled away from Daniel’s grasp. I felt silly for getting scared over a cute animal that almost resembled my childhood stuffed toy.

I chuckled and stood up to approach the cute little rabbit. Its fluffy white tail bobbed as it hopped away, and I couldn’t help but smile at how innocent it seemed.

“See? No big deal,” I said, glancing back at Daniel with a teasing grin. “You really didn’t have to cover my mouth like that. I mean, it’s just a rabbit!”

Maybe I should catch the rabbit and keep it as my pet.

As I took a step closer to the rabbit, Daniel’s expression shifted. He raised his hand and pointed at something. “Wait, No!”

I barely registered his warning before the air split with a whoosh. My heart plummeted as I caught sight of a silver arrow slicing through the air, aimed straight for me.

Oh, shit…

Daniel lunged forward, pushing me aside and taking the hit himself. I gasped in horror when I saw the arrow piercing through his arm. “Daniel!” I cried, my voice shaky as I rushed to his side. “Shit. Shit!” I exclaimed at the sight of his bleeding arm.

He staggered back slightly, clutching his bleeding arm before dropping to the ground as if his strength was slowly failing him.

Silver Arrow. The very sight of it made my stomach churn. Silver arrows and bullets were lethal to werewolves like us. One shot and we’re done. Any ordinary werewolf would have already fainted from this. But Daniel, being an Alpha, managed to remain conscious, though the effort clearly drained him. I could see the evident pain etched on his face.

“Are you okay?” I asked, panic clawing at my throat. “Damn. That was a stupid question. You’re clearly not okay.”

“I’m fine,” he said, trying to offer a weak smile but I could see that he it was taking all his energy to even stay conscious right now.

I frantically scanned the area, searching for the shooter. “Who did this? Where are they?” My heart raced. There had to be a clue, a sign of where the threat came from. I wanted to hunt and kill the shooter with my own hands. This place was near our territory and having a shooter at loose around this area was bad news for our pack.

Daniel's breath was labored as he shook his head. “It’s too late. The shooter has probably fled.”

Daniel was right. Nature has suddenly turned to its natural tune as if the person who has disturbed its peace a while ago has escaped. This isn’t good!

“I’m so sorry,” I murmured as I hold Daniel in my arms. “This is all my fault! I was too cocky and completely disregarded the possibility of danger.”

“Well, I’m glad you didn’t get hurt.”

“You could have died saving me. You should have let me handle it.”

“Not at all. I’ve been through worse. Getting shot by a silver arrow? It’s hardly my first rodeo,” he joked.

“Hey, this isn’t not something to take lightly! You know that a silver weapon is deadly to our kind. You shouldn’t be so casual about it.” I bit my lip, feeling the guilt bubbling in my chest. “Let’s get you to my cottage and get you patched up. The longer that arrow stays in your arm, the worse it’s going to be for you.”

He nodded, and I led him toward the abandoned cottage I often visited when I needed to escape. It was a small, rustic place, the kind of hideaway where I could think or nap in peace. Since I’ve been hanging out in this place for years, I had some of my things here. I grabbed the first aid kit I had stashed away and turned to face him. “I have to pull the arrow out first. It’s the only way to stop the silver from spreading through your system. But you gotta endure it because it’s about to get bloody. But well, losing blood is better than slowly dying from this fatal shot.”

“Okay. Bring it on.”

“On the count of three, okay? One… two… three!” I pulled the arrow free, and he winced but didn’t make a sound. Wow. I commend him for that!

Blood oozed from the wound, and I quickly grabbed a clean cloth, applying pressure to staunch the bleeding. “Ugh. This doesn’t look good,” I whimpered.

“Don’t worry about it. I’ve had worse injuries in battle,” he said, smiling.

“Doesn’t make it any better. You need to take care of yourself. Silver injuries heal slowly for all werewolves. It’s a miracle you’re still conscious after getting shot!”

“Are you concerned about me?” he teased.

“Of course! You just took an arrow for me!” I shot back. I sighed as I grabbed a bandage and began wrapping his arm with it. “By the way, I’m Allison. I guess I should’ve introduced myself earlier.”

“Hmm. That felt like the price for saving your life. I finally get to know your name,” he chuckled.

“Yeah, well, I owe you a lot more than just that. You jumped in front of me, and now look at you.”

“Look at me? I’m perfectly fine,” he chimed.

I rolled my eyes but couldn’t help but smile back. “You’re losing blood and covered in a silver arrow wound. That’s not exactly ‘perfectly fine. But oh, I’d be lying if I say that I wasn’t thankful. That was one hell of a leap.”

“And I’d do it again with no hesitation,” he replied with a firm conviction.

I bit my lips to hide my smile. “You’re crazy,” I said softly.

Daniel laughed as he quietly watched me bandage his arm. I’m not a nurse but I’m the best that he’s got right now. Although, he wasn’t exactly complaining. If anything, he seemed awfully calm for a person who just got shot by a lethal arrow.

Just when I was wrapping up the bandage, a rustling sound came from the bushes outside. My heart jumped into my throat. “What now?” I gasped, standing up abruptly.

“Relax,” Daniel said softly, but I could see the tension in his posture. “It could be nothing.”

“Yeah, right. I’m not gonna get fooled by rabbit anymore,” I shot back, glancing toward the door. My instincts were on high alert. I couldn’t afford to make another mistake that would cause our lives.

Just then, a figure emerged from the underbrush.

“Who are you?!” I roared.