Page 21 of Aine

At least I’m alive.

I set the remainder of my clothing on the window ledge and put Olivia’s dress near the door so I don’t forget to return it to her. I wonder how she lived here with no dressers or closet. She probably doesn’t have much clothing, either.

Another minute or two is passed in awkward lingering. Should I go to the gardens now? I’m not quite sure what expectations are of me, and Olivia didn’t clarify. I glance around the small cabin, taking in the cramped space before figuring I might as well head out and meet this Alex I’m to be working with.

Pretty much everybody, minus Damien, has been kind to me so far, and I hope Alex will be the same.

“I think this way,” I mumble to myself, turning to the right and heading into the woods.

The training field and gardens seemed to span the entire length of the village, so I imagine they’ll be hard to miss. I just need to go straight and eventually, I’ll run into them.

My steps feel loud as I walk through the woods, small twigs and leaves cracking beneath me. Usually, a walk this long would make me winded, but I feel great.

It must be a result of having Damien’s blood in my system.

Jenna said its effects will last a couple of days, and I wonder if I’ll be able to convince him to give me more when it wears off. I haven’t felt this good in years; my nerve endings thrumming.

I keep my eyes peeled as I march through the trees, hoping to spot somebody, but either they’re not out or they’re hiding from me. If it weren’t for the occasional houses I pass, I wouldn’t even be able to tell I was walking through the middle of a village. Everything blends in so well with the natural landscape.

I get confirmation I’m heading in the right direction as the sound of snapping jaws makes its way to my ears. The noise amplifies the closer I get, reaching its peak as I push my way through the final treeline.

Massive beasts sprint around the open field, their heavy paws crashing into the ground as they slam their bodies into one another with painful-sounding thuds. It looks incredibly violent, the sight sending shivers down my spine.

I spot Damien near the far edge of the field, the sight of him stopping me in my tracks. He looks to be fighting another man, both of them in their human forms as they circle one another. The other man looks fresh and clean, a drastic difference from Damien’s sweat-soaked skin. It’s clear he’s been fighting for a while, and I wonder how well he’ll hold up against the other man.

Damien’s larger than his opponent in both height and width, but the other man is faster and smoothly dodges his attacks. They dance around one another before the smaller one jumps forward, his fist flying toward Damien’s face faster than my eyes can follow.

The man lands a sickening punch to Damien’s jaw, the impact forcing his head to swivel to the side. I expect Damien to fall to the ground, or at least stumble, but instead, he laughs and straightens right back up.

His gaze lands on me as he raises his fists once more, and I watch his smile vanish just as quickly as it appeared. He lets his eyes trail the length of my body, his face impossible to read.

I wish again that my shorts were longer.

The other man takes Damien’s distraction as an opportunity to strike again, and I try not to be impressed with the way Damien easily dodges the blow. He refuses to look away from me as he fights, not once wavering even as the man attempts another hit.

My mouth gapes as the smaller man suddenly falls to the floor, his body going limp before I have time to process Damien’s fist connecting with his temple. A few beasts run into the area to check on him, but Damien doesn’t so much as spare his opponent a glance as he stalks toward me, his body tense and chest heaving in what appears to be anger.

The chatter among the field quiets as he approaches, the beasts no longer bothering to pretend they aren’t paying attention. I step back as he nears and nervously clasp my fingers together. They pick absentmindedly at the skin around my cuticles, but I stop when Damien’s attention briefly flashes to my hands.

“What are you doing here?”

His voice sends shivers down my spine. The cold, calculated tone reminds me I’m not a welcome guest of his.

“Olivia told me I’m to be helping Alex in the gardens,” I respond, glancing around for the garden in question.

Damien clears his throat.

“I didn’t anticipate you starting today.” He gestures to the field to the right of us.

It’s full of plants and looks to be almost the same size as the training area. There are a few people bent over working in it, and each one drops their head the second I look over. It’s a poor attempt to pretend they weren’t watching, but I don’t take offense. I’d likely do the same thing if I were in their shoes.

I shrug. “There’s nothing else for me to do.”

“Does all the clothing fit?” Damien asks, changing the subject.

I nod. “Yes, thank you.”

Damien only grunts before returning to the training field. I watch his back, exhaling in relief as he meets once more with his fellow beasts. Being around him is confusing, and I still can’t tell whether or not he hates me.

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