Chapter 22. The Rescue

Damon’s POV

The pain hit me immediately, sharp, burning, and making me feel so alive in that moment.

It moved through my veins like fiery liquid, each breath pulling in smoke and blood into my lungs. My wrists were gently restrained above my head, with silver gently pressing into the skin. Every inhale felt intense, and each heartbeat felt like a quiet battle between resilience and pain.

The air smelled like a mix of rot and rust, giving the place an earthy, abandoned feel. Wooden beams gently creaked above, adding a sense of quiet age, while a single lantern flickered softly in the corner of the cabin. The floorboards were damp and dark, perhaps from something I, or someone else, had spilt or touched.

I tried to shift, feeling my wolf pushing against the pain with claws digging beneath my skin, but the silver burned him back, gently caging him inside me, preventing him from breaking free.

Zac’s men had done their job well.

For a moment, I paused to let the silence fill the room, listening carefully. I sensed two heartbeats outside the door, faint murmurs ...likely guards. And beyond them… I could feel his presence. Zac.

The bastard.

The last thing I remember is the ambush. My warriors had fallen back to protect Aria, and I went for Zac myself ...then suddenly, a flash of silver, the sharp sting of wolfsbane, and the unsettling scent of betrayal filled the air.

Now here I was. Chained like a beast.

But even through the fog of pain, one thought cut clear.

Aria.

I could faintly feel her ...the bond pulsing weakly in the back of my mind. She was alive. Safe for now. The thought was the only thing stopping me from letting the darkness win.

I tugged against the chains again, harder this time. The silver hissed, smoke curling from my skin. My wolf snarled inside me.

“I swear,” I muttered under my breath, voice rough, “when I get out of this…”

The door creaked.

Boots gently scraped against the wooden floor, releasing that familiar scent ...a mix of arrogance and decay, wrapped in expensive leather and the whispers of false promises.

Zac.

He stepped into the light, his smirk already painted across his face. “Well,” he said smoothly, “the mighty Alpha of Winchester. Not so untouchable now, are you?”

I glared up at him, blood dripping from my lip. “Cut the theatrics, Zac. You didn’t drag me out here for a chat.”

He chuckled, circling me like a wolf testing his prey. “No. I didn’t.” His voice dropped to a hiss. “I came because you took something that was mine.”

The words made my wolf growl low in my chest. “She was never yours.”

He stopped behind me. “Wasn’t she?”

“Not anymore.”

Zac leaned close, his breath hot against my ear. “You think you’ve won because she looks at you now? Because she lets you touch her?” His tone turned venomous. “You don’t know her like I do. You don’t know what she’s capable of.”

I pulled at the chains, fury burning through the pain. “Say her name again, and I’ll rip your throat out.”

He laughed. “You might want to focus on your own throat, Alpha. You’re bleeding out faster than you think.”

“Then kill me and be done with it.”

“Oh, no.” His smirk widened. “You don’t get to die yet. You need to hear what I came to tell you.”

He stepped in front of me, crouching down until our eyes connected. There was a wildness in his look now ...a darkness that seemed deeper than just pride or anger.

“I don’t want Aria back,” he said.

I frowned. “What?”

He repeated, more slowly, enjoying the confusion in my eyes: “I don’t want her. She’s a liability. She knows too much…about me, the deals I made, and the rogues I sent into your borders.”

My blood turned cold.

“You planned the attacks,” I growled.

He tilted his head, amused. “Oh, come on, Damon. You truly believed those small border skirmishes were accidental? You thought that innocent little omega just happened to cross into my enemies’ territory?”

My chains rattled as I lunged, fury snapping through me. The silver tore deeper into my skin. I didn’t care.

“What did you do?”

“I did what any smart Alpha would do,” Zac said lightly. “I used her. She was my cover. My distraction. And when I was done…” He smiled cruelly. “…I sold her to you. You took her off my hands, thinking you were saving her. But you were cleaning up my mess.”

My vision blurred with rage. My wolf slammed against the silver, howling. “You used her?”

“Of course. Omegas like her are born to be used.”

That broke something in me.

The chains held tight as the smell of burning flesh lingered in the air, but I kept going. My muscles shook, and every nerve was shouting in defiance. My wolf pushed forward once more, this time even stronger. The cabin shook from his mighty roar.

Zac stepped back, eyes narrowing. “Still so loyal. Pathetic.”

“She’s mine,” I growled, voice layered with my wolf’s. “And I’ll kill you for ever touching her.”

Zac’s grin returned. “You won’t get the chance. My men will finish this before dawn. You’ll die here, and Aria…” He shrugged. “…will follow soon after. I sent word already. Once you’re gone, I’ll make sure she never sees daylight again.”

That was it. The spark that lit the fuse.

A sound escaped my throat ...a mix of snarl and scream. The chains shimmered red, cracking under pressure. Silver burned my wrists, but the pain was no longer critical. My wolf spirit surged within me, relentless.

Zac’s eyes widened. “No!”

The chains snapped.

I hit the ground hard before bouncing back at him with determination. My claws swiftly slashed across his chest, catching him off guard before he had a chance to reach for his weapon. He staggered back, calling out for his guards. Just then, the door burst open ...two wolves rushed in to help, but unfortunately, they were a bit too slow.

I tore through them, silver blades clattering to the floor. Blood splattered the walls, hot and heavy. My wolf was in complete control now, every movement fueled by rage and the bond that pulsed with Aria’s heartbeat miles away.

Zac crawled backwards, clutching his chest. “You can’t stop this!” he spat. “She’s already dead!”

I froze. My wolf snarled so loud the walls shook.

“She’s alive,” I said, voice low, lethal. “I’d feel it if she wasn’t.”

Then I lunged.

Zac’s scream echoed through the cabin as I slammed him against the wall, claws digging into his throat. His eyes bulged with terror. “You think this ends with me?” he gasped. “You think killing me saves her?”

“No,” I said coldly. “But it’s a start.”

I acted without hesitation. My claws tore into flesh, swiftly cutting off his words and the threat in one motion.

The silence that followed was overwhelming, with only my harsh, uneven breathing breaking it.

My wolf withdrew slowly, leaving behind blood, smoke, and the stench of death. I staggered, clutching the edge of the wall for balance.

Outside, dawn was breaking ...faint light spilling through cracks in the wood.

And then I felt it.

A pulse.

Faint but strong.

Her.

Aria.

The bond flared inside me, sudden and alive. I could feel her heartbeat racing, could feel her fear ...and something else.

She’d felt me too.

Miles away, her eyes opened, and I sensed it as clearly as breathing. Our bond shone brightly, eliminating every barrier between us.

She knew I was coming.

And nothing in this world would stop me.