Page 85 of Claimed By the Damned

"Lila?" Luke’s voice is low, careful. "I know it’s a lot, but... it’s real. He’s real."

I shake my head, the war in my chest threatening to break me open. "But why now? After all this time?"

"I don’t know," he admits. "But I do know that if it were me, if I had to fake my death to protect someone I loved, I’d find a way back to them when I could."

My breath hitches. It makes sense. It makes too much sense.

I force myself to read the letter again, eyes lingering on my name, on the way he had called me Doll. No one else ever calledme that.His teasing grin, the way the name could soften even our stupidest arguments…

It has to be him.

"I need to tell Grim," I say firmly. "He'll take me. He'll know what to do. I should go tell the guys—"

"Grim can’t know," Luke interrupts, his voice tight. "You know they won't let you walk out alone right now, Lila. Not after the scare with Kolya. They mean well, but they'll keep you here.Ican get you there and back. Quick. No one needs to know."

Every rational thought screams trap. I am safe here, hidden. Waking in Ethan’s arms, the steady thrum of Bastian’s heart against my back when he holds me, Ryker’s laughter echoing in the kitchen, this is a warmth so profound, a sanctuary so real, and the thought of risking it, of shattering this fragile peace, is terrifying. But I’ve spent so long wondering, aching, mourning, what if I have been wrong? What if Theo has been out there, searching for me all this time?

"You’ll bring me right back?" My voice is barely a whisper.

Luke nods. "Before anyone even knows you’re gone."

Ignoring the dread coiling in my belly, I make the choice.

"Okay."

Luke moves quickly, his steps sure and steady, but a subtle tension in the way he holds himself makes my spine prickle. Still, I follow. The thought of Theo,alive, pulls me forward, silencing the tiny voice insisting this is wrong.

The house is quiet. The guys are in the war room, voices low but tense, deep in whatever plans they are making. My pulse pounds in my ears as we slip through the hall, careful to avoid their sight.It's reckless, stupid. Part of me expects a hand to clamp on my shoulder any second. But I don't stop or turn back.

Luke holds the door open, glancing around before ushering me out. The cold night air wraps around me, and for a second, doubt claws at my throat. God, am I really doing this? Leaving without a word?

Luke leads me to his motorbike, parked down the street, smart, far enough to avoid immediate notice, close enough for easy access. The sleek black body glints under the dim streetlight. He hands me a helmet, a faint smirk playing on his lips. "Safety first." His words and expression, jar against the supposed secrecy.

I stare at it for a second before taking it. That small, normal gesture makes my stomach clench. I shouldn’t be doing this. But the thought of Theo waiting, needing me, overpowers the gnawing doubt.It will be quick, I tell myself.I can't not go, not after he got me out.

Luke helps me secure the helmet, his fingers quick but gentle against my chin strap. "Alright, hop on."

I climb onto the bike behind him, gripping the sides of the seat, trying not to hold onto him more than necessary. The engine rumbles beneath us, and then we are off, slipping through the night like ghosts.

The ride is fast, smooth. My heart pounds in time with the bike's steady roar. The city blurs past, streetlights casting long shadows as we weave through quiet streets. The wind stings my cheeks, but I can’t shake the prickle of unease.

I feel the tension radiating from Luke's shoulders, see the way his eyes dart to the mirror again and again.He's just being cautious, I tell myself.Watching out for me.But the knot in my stomach tightens anyway. We soon pull up outside the flower shop—myflower shop.

Luke cuts the engine and turns back to me. "We’re here."

I pull off my helmet, my fingers stiff from the cold. Luke does the same, shaking out his hair before giving me a smile and a nod. "Come on."

We walk around the building, my boots crunching against the gravel in the back alley. I swallow hard, my throat tight. This is where Theo is supposed to be.

But an unnatural stillness hangs in the air, a charged quiet that feels wrong. A fresh wave of nausea washes over me.

Luke steps ahead, glancing back, gesturing me forward with his chin. "He’s waiting right through here."

As we creep through the narrow passageway behind the flower shop, a memory flickers—early mornings unlocking the shop’s front doors, the scent of fresh blooms filling the air. It had been a place of routine, of comfort.Now, it is just another meeting point in a life filled with uncertainty.

Luke’s shoulders are ramrod straight, his gaze sweeping the alley again, fingers twitching at his side. My stomach coils tighter, but I force the feeling down.He’s a guard. This is what they do.

“You okay?” I whisper, my breath visible in the cold air.

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