The warehouse? Something didn’t sit right with me. I immediately ordered the guard to lead me there, and we headed straight for the warehouse with flashlights in hand.
The warehouse doors were locked, and the entire area was pitch black. It seemed the power outage had affected this place as well.
“Rosaline? Rosaline!”
I banged on the door, calling her name, but there was no response from inside. The quick-witted guard shined the flashlight through a crack in the door.
In the beam of light, I saw someone’s feet.
I quickly signaled for him to shine the flashlight on that spot. In the dim light, I saw Rosaline curled up unconscious on the ground a few feet from the warehouse door, her face was deathly pale.
“Open the door!” I yelled urgently.
The guard scrambled to find the key, but I couldn’t wait any longer. With a loud growl, I shifted into my wolf form. Then, I smashed the lock on the warehouse door with a burst of strength.
The door swung open.
“There’s wolfsbane stored inside, be careful,” Edward warned, his senses sharper than anyone’s.
Without hesitation, Edward rushed in, clamped Rosaline in his jaws, and quickly retreated.
Once we were a safe distance away, I signaled for Edward to step back, shifting back into my human form.
“Rosaline! Rosaline!”
I cradled her in my arms and gently tapped her cheek. “Are you okay? Wake up.”
Having moved her far enough away from the dangerous wolfsbane, Rosaline began to stir.
She furrowed her brow and muttered something under her breath, though I couldn’t make out the words. “It’s so dark … don’t leave … don’t leave … “
This bold girl is afraid of the dark?
A strange feeling stirred inside me, one I couldn’t quite place. It reminded me of a time long ago, of a little girl I had once known.
That night had been just as dark. Her face had been just as pale. There were two children, huddling together, giving each other warmth and comfort.
I looked at Rosaline. “Don’t be afraid. It’s okay. I’m here to take you home.” My voice came out softer than I had ever intended.
Rosaline’s shaking subsided, but she still mumbled under her breath. I couldn’t make out the words, so I could only hurry to get her to safety.
On the way to the car, I reassured her, “It’s okay. Don’t be afraid. I’m here with you.”
Once we got to the car, I gently placed Rosaline in the passenger seat, but she held onto the corner of my jacket, clinging to me. I removed my coat and draped it over her, hoping it would bring her some comfort.
A pang of guilt hit me seeing her so fragile. She was totally different from the confident woman I had seen earlier that day.
I wondered if I had been too cold to her. After all, we were engaged.
If I had saved her phone number when Richard sent it, I could’ve come to her aid sooner.
Thankfully, I had found her in time. If I hadn’t, and if I’d left her alone in that warehouse filled with wolfsbane, the outcome could have been disastrous.
After taking her to the family doctor for a check-up, who confirmed there were no serious injuries, I carried Rosaline back to her room. Just as I was about to leave, I felt her hand tighten on my pants leg.
I turned to look at her. Her eyes were closed, but she was still restless and weak.
Wolfsbane had a damaging effect on every werewolf.
I reached out to gently remove her hand, but she gripped me tighter, pulling me into an embrace.
“Don’t leave … stay with me … please …”
Her trembling voice sounded like a child begging for comfort.
A flash of the little girl’s face came to mind again.
From the very first day I met Rosaline, I had thought she resembled that girl. Now, it felt like it wasn’t just a passing thought – it seemed undeniable.
I hesitated, but in the end, I couldn’t pull away. I sat down on the edge of her bed in silence.
Rosaline slowly drifted off to sleep.
An indescribable feeling swelled in my chest as I watched her sleep.
If only my destined mate had been that little girl from all those years ago. I would have cherished her forever and stayed with her through every dark night that frightened her.
It was a shame that Rosaline wasn’t her.
Rosaline’s POV:
The sunlight had already flooded the room when I woke up from the nightmare.
I absentmindedly looked around, trying to piece together how I had ended up here. Then my gaze met Caden’s, and the warmth of his hand in mine made me realize I had been holding onto him.
I quickly pulled my hand away and sat up. “What are you doing here?”
Caden only stared at me instead of answering me. It only took a moment before the truth hit me.
It seemed that he had been the one to save me.
Last night, I had been nearly overwhelmed by the effects of the wolfsbane, barely holding on to consciousness long enough to send him a message.
I didn’t trust anyone here, but despite all our tension, Caden was the only one from the Eclipse Pack I could turn to.
Caden looked exhausted. His eyes were bloodshot with fatigue and I could see that he hadn’t rested.
I tried to recall what had happened while I was unconscious, feeling embarrassed. I smiled awkwardly.
“Thank you for bringing me back,” I said, but then my confusion set in again. “But why are you still in my room?”
If he had brought me here, he could have left once I was settled. There was no need to stay the night.
Caden’s expression shifted back to its usual coldness. “Who was it that wouldn’t let go of my hand last night, huh?”
I was speechless.
Well, I guess I owed him a debt of gratitude now.
“But … I wasn’t conscious. You were the one awake. You could’ve let go of me while I was asleep,” I retorted in embarrassment.
“So now I’m wrong for staying and watching over you all night?” he countered.
“I … I didn’t mean it like that.”
I couldn’t argue with him, though. His actions felt so out of character, so unlike the cold, distant Caden I was used to.
Caden’s face tightened with frustration. I instinctively shrank back into a submissive position, trying to appear more like an Omega in his presence.
He probably regretted not leaving me alone sooner.
Then, he spoke again, his tone colder than before. “I’ll handle what happened last night. I owe you an explanation for your exposure to wolfsbane in the warehouse. Don’t get the wrong idea. The only reason I stayed was because I didn’t want anything else happening to you. I’m doing this for Grandpa, not for you. Don’t take it the wrong way.”
I nodded, though his words were anything but comforting.
Once he returned to his usual cold self, I did too. I shot him a look of annoyance. “You’re the one overthinking. I don’t go around making moves on people.”
Caden’s POV:
This woman was really starting to get on my nerves.
I stayed with her all night, but she wasn’t even grateful. She started arguing with me instead. Why had I even bothered saving her?
Judging by the way she was talking, it seemed like she was fine now. I turned to leave, but just as I reached the door, I bumped into Queenie.
She had seen Rosaline lying in bed through the crack in the door.
“Caden, why are you coming out of Rosaline’s room at this hour?” she asked immediately.
Queenie was always too curious for her own good. I didn’t bother explaining and just brushed past her.
Her voice followed me as I walked down the hall. “You didn’t stay the night there, did you? What did you two do?”
Rosaline’s POV:
The conversation between Caden and Queenie outside the door left me feeling exasperated.
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