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I’ll find my way back to you, I silently promise as I stare at the place she was just moments before. The dark presence sinks its talons into my shoulder and I cry out as the sudden sharp pain fills my senses, wiping everything else away into a void of midnight.
Chapter Nineteen
Aria
Consciousnesscrashesbackintome like a ton of bricks, my ears ringing with a scream that vibrates through my room. I try to suck in a deep breath, while frantically searching for the source when I choke on the air rushing into my lungs. I’d been screaming. My chest eases slightly at that realization, my heartbeat slowing gradually as I rack my brain for what the cause could have been.
I push back the crisp white sheets, and use my weary arms to help sit up as the thick weight of exhaustion still clings to me. Why had I been screaming? The memories sit just at the edge of my mind, and I desperately claw for them as pain stabs through my heart like someone had just cut me in half.
Damon.
Adrenaline rushes through me as the panic spikes with a renewed vengeance. My fingers shake as I throw the covers off of me and spring up from my bed.
I have to do something. I have to find whatever took him.
I frantically search around my room, my mind fighting to catch up with the nervous energy coursing through me. I need to do something, but what?
My closet! I rush towards it, relief flooding me at the beginning of a plan. Getting dressed is step number one, and hopefully that will help me come up with the next one. But before I make it there a sharp rap sounds at my door. My head snaps in that direction as a spike of fear freezes me.
“Aria,” the man on the other side of the door calls. “Aria,” he says again, his tone nearly frantic as he knocks again.
The fear in his voice finally seems to snap me out of the frenetic energy buzzing through me as his voice finally registers.
I rush to the door on instinct and fling it open without a second thought to find a half-naked Denver on the other side.
“Aria,” he breathes with a sigh of relief as he scans me over. It takes me a second to realize what he’s doing. There isn’t any heat in his gaze as he checks every inch of skin, there’s only concern.
I hurriedly check down the hallway to ensure no one’s there before I grasp his wrist and tug him into the room. Denver stumbles slightly at the abrupt motion but catches himself and thankfully walks the rest of the way so I don’t have to drag him. With one final look outside, I close the door, making sure it’s firmly shut before murmuring the silencing spell.
“What are you doing here?” I hiss, turning back to Denver. His bare chest is bare, and I’m distracted momentarily by his abs on full display. I reach the waistband of his flannel pajama pants but snap my head up to meet his, not wanting to follow that train of thought right now.
I have to get him out of here and find Damon. A rush of panic slams into me, renewing my drive to move. I stride past Denver and pace in front of the couch, needing to release some of the pent-up energy before I explode.
“What am I doing here?” Denver repeats incredulously, crossing his arms over his chest which only draws my attention there again. Damn him. “What are you doing? That’s the better question here.”
He gives me a pointed look, cocking his brow as he watches me smugly, as if I’m proving his point. I grit my teeth but don’t bother to respond as I continue my pacing. I honestly have no idea what I’m doing right now, but it seems to be helping ease the buzz of energy that radiates through me.
“You were screaming like you were being attacked, and now I come here and you’re doing this,” he huffs out in frustration, gesturing to me emphatically. “You clearly aren’t okay, so what the hell is going on, Aria?”
I swallow thickly at his use of my first name, and my steps slow until I stand in front of him. I try to clasp my hands to hide my still shaking fingers but that only seems to draw his attention there.
Denver reaches out tentatively and lightly grasps my hands in his. His brows furrow as he looks at them. “What happened?”
I search his cobalt-blue eyes as indecision muddles my thoughts. I need to tell someone what happened, to get this off my chest and hopefully get some sort of clarity. Can I really trust Denver with this? We’ve been at each other’s throats for years, and despite our recent hookups and his insinuation that he wants more, would he use this information against me?
But he hasn’t so far. He’s had more than a few opportunities to screw me over but instead he warned me. He wanted to help me rather than tear me down. We haven’t had a chance to actually have our conversation today. After everything that happened with Landon, Denver and I barely got in some practice time before class ended and Harper rushed over to complain about being stuck with both Denver and Jakob.
I unfortunately had to make up some line about really wanting pineapple for dessert to make her realize something had happened. Explaining everything to Carter and Harper hadn’t been fun and I’d left out a lot of details, including what exactly went on with Kai and me—my brother and I are close, but not that close. They know about him though, and about my discussion with Landon after and the conclusion that both Damon and Kai are my mates, but I couldn’t tell them about Landon also being my mate, not when that would expose his monster side. I trust Carter and Harper with my life but this isn’t my secret to tell, even if it kills me to keep it from them. Denver is another subject I steered clear of. Just thinking about the confusing man makes my head throb. I even skipped dinner to process everything and have some time to myself.
I take a deep breath and steel myself for this—the ultimate test. There’s still a level of deniability since there isn’t any evidence, and if there’s any sort of future with us he’ll need to know anyway. At least if I tell him now and he bolts I won’t be too attached.
“You should sit down,” I sigh, tugging him towards the couch. He follows, carefully perching on one side of the couch while I do the same. I let my hands drop from his gently and pull them back to rest in my lap, realizing just his touch helped to calm me down.
Denver is seated stiffly, as though he doesn’t want to move a muscle out of fear I’ll change my mind and kick him out. That would be the easiest thing to do honestly, but my heart is telling me not to push him away now. My mind flashes back to the conversation I had with Landon and how it feels like Denver is a goddess-blessed match. There must be a reason for that, and I have to trust that she knows what she’s doing.
I start with that first day, explaining what I had to Carter and Harper about the first encounter with Damon and that’s why I’d been acting strange in class when Landon showed the shadow monster. Then what I’d found out about monsters and mates, and what happened tonight.
“I know it’s a lot to take in,” I say, holding my breath as I scan his face for a reaction. He hasn’t given me anything to go off of so far, his expression a controlled mask of calm as he listened to every word. I was grateful for that at the time, but now it’s unnerving. “But I wanted you to know what mess you’re getting into with me. So if this is too much, you can run away now.”
