Chapter 42

Damien

As I watched the world shift around me, taking me several hours earlier, an image of Peter skulked past, unaware of our standing in the middle of the alley. As unbelievable as this was, the more remarkable vision was Katla. The was the moon kissed and radiated from her was magnificent. How could this have been hidden from her?

Seeing this disheveled version of Peter, one who was clearly scared, desperate, and by all accounts based on the found note, remorseful, I felt genuine sorrow for this human who I had known for years. I wanted to understand what led him here, to this moment and who had killed him so brutally. It was clearly the work of wolves, so Pack Law would be invoked once they were found.

Katla started to walk forward, but they weren’t her movements. She was usually graceful and moved in a way that was effortlessly seductive and playful at the same time. I don’t think she even realized how her movements impacted others, but this was different. She was otherworldly, and had I not seen her legs moving, I would have sworn she was gliding just above the earth.

She moved toward the shadowy man. “Katla,” I whispered, but she didn’t seem to hear me. I tried through our mind link. “Katla? Wait, what if we’re seen?”

“It will be ok. I think we are just watching, not participating,” she said back much more confidently than the situation warranted.

We walked slowly and silently as the shadows and shapes shifted around us to continue the unfolding an earlier time. We stood next to Peter as he approached the man. “Brian, thank you for meeting me.”

“You’re lucky I was looking at my phone and not as angry as I should be that you’ve blown me off for months.”

“I know. It’s just, something’s happened,” Peter said as he rubbed his neck and looked behind him.

“Peter, it’s alright, whatever it is, we can fix it. I really like you and want things to work.”

Peter hugged Brian, “I want that so much. You have no idea, but I’m in trouble and I can’t put you in danger. I wasn’t always, but something happened.” Peter held out the Night Flame. “I need you to take this?”

“Peter, what is this? What happened?” Brian hissed, sensing that something was wrong and backing away.

“I don’t have time to explain. They’re coming, but this belongs to Mr. Silverburn. They want it. I was ordered to take it.”

“Who is making you do this?”

“I don’t know. Wolf people, I think. Bad ones. I woke up in the Wilds a few months ago with this,” he showed him the brand and, “This,” he pulled his collar to the side to show his mark. “It’s when I started ghosting you. I’m sorry.”

“We need to go to the police, right now,” Brian told him. I had to chuckle at how innocent humans were. Katla shushed me, and as I looked at her, I could see her brow furrowing and sweat breaking out on her forehead. Whatever she was doing required a tremendous amount of strength.

“No, they’re coming. They always know where I am. And once a month, I wake up there. I think I do really bad things,” Peter said. “Whatever happened to me, I don’t think I’m human anymore. I have these dreams, but the more they happen… I think they’re real. I have fur and claws, long legs and arms, and a snout like a monster. There are no thoughts in my head other than to kill. They tell me to do things, and I do them. Right now, betraying them,” he gasped, “It hurts so much, but Mr. Silverburn. Just get this to him. Ok?”

“Peter, you’re fucking scaring me,” Brian cried, pulling a now sobbing Peter into an embrace. The two men kissed and Peter doubled over in pain. “Bloodtie,” Sargon growled. Whoever had marked Peter had made sure he couldn’t betray them.

Bloodties were for fated mates and created when wolves marked each other. Peter’s was a kidnapping, marking, and Goddess knows what else. He was suffering. He couldn’t tell me, and I hadn’t known. Was my head so far up my own ass that I’d missed that?

Peter pushed Brian away, “Run, now. They’re coming. Forget about me, but please, I’m so sorry. And tell Mr. Silverburn for me.”

“Peter!” Brian called as Peter jogged down the alley to put distance between them. As Katla and I turned to follow Peter, time started to shift to present.

“Damien, I think we can’t follow him,” Katla panted, her mouth pressed into a line. She was exhausted. “It’s the Night Flame, we have to follow that.”