The lakeside was empty.
There was no Damian, no Jasper, no blood, no frantic pack mbers, no sign of injury or chaos. Just the still waters of the lake, glittering under the moonlight.
She scanned the area again, her eyes searching for any clue, any indication that she hadn’t gone crazy.
But there was nothing.
The lakeside was deserted, save for the gentle breeze and the soft lapping of the waves against the shore.
Evelina’s mind struggled to make sense of it. Had she co to the wrong place? She hadn’t asked for directions, just ran on instinct, following his scent.
Or is he drowning?
Her heart skipped a beat at that thought.
She spun around once more, her eyes darting left and right, searching for any clue, any sign that she wasn’t too late.
Panic filled her chest as the shadows around her deepened, obscuring the familiar landmarks of the pack grounds and turning everything into a blur.
And then, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a soft, warm glow coming from the end of the lakeside, close to a large oak tree.
The light was weak, but it stood out in the darkening surroundings like a beacon. Eve felt a strong attraction to it as if it were inviting her to co closer.
Maybe that’s where they are, she thought, her heart leaping with renewed hope. She broke into a run once again, her feet pounding against the ground as she rushed towards the light.
As she drew closer, her pace slowed, and confusion replaced her panic. The glow wasn’t the harsh light of ergency lanterns or the frantic activity of a rescue effort.
It was sothing entirely different—softer, warr, more intimate.
She slowed down to a walk, taking careful steps as she got closer to the light. What she saw made her freeze, causing her to catch her breath in surprise.
Before her was a picturesque scene—a romantic picnic setup, bathed in the soft glow of lanterns strung up in the branches of the oak tree.
A blanket was spread out on the grass, dotted with plush cushions, and beside it, a low table was laden with an array of food and wine.
The lanterns cast a warm, golden light over everything, reflecting off the calm surface of the lake, creating a magical, almost surreal atmosphere.
Eve stood frozen, her mind struggling to process what she was seeing.
"Definitely not the sight I was expecting," Relia said.
The fear and panic that had gripped her only monts before lted away, replaced by confusion and a growing sense of disbelief.
She looked around, half-expecting soone to jump out and explain what was going on, but there was only silence, broken by the gentle rustling of the wind through the trees.
Her eyes fell on a small bouquet of flowers lying on one of the cushions—roses, her favourite.
It felt like her breath was knocked out as she realized what this was.
She had been tricked.
The whole thing—the injured Damian, the panic, the desperate race to his side—it had been a set up.
Eve felt anger building in her chest, her cheeks flushing with heat as she wondered what was going on.
"Damian?" she called out, her voice trembling with a mix of emotions she couldn’t quite na.
There was a soft rustling behind her, and Eve spun around to find Damian standing there, a small smile playing on his lips.
He looked perfectly fine, no signs of injury or distress, just the sa Damian she had co to know—strong, confident, and utterly infuriating.
"Damian?" she repeated, her voice more steady this ti but filled with confusion and lingering fear. "What’s the aning of this?"
Damian took a step toward her, his expression softening as he took in the tear stains on her cheeks, the frantic worry still lingering in her eyes. "I’m sorry, Evelina," he said gently. "I didn’t an to scare you."
Evelina stared at him, her heart still racing, though for entirely different reasons now. "You... you weren’t hurt?"
Damian shook his head, taking another step closer, closing the distance between them. "No, I’m fine. But I needed to get you out here, and I wasn’t sure you’d co otherwise."
"You—" Evelina began, but her voice faltered, her mind still struggling to catch up with what was happening.
"I know I’ve been too much about this trying to keep you safe thing. Overprotective, if you’ll call it," Damian continued in a soft voice as he reached out to gently take her hand. "Almost like I doubt that you can take care of yourself. Which I don’t."
"I just can’t help the fact that you are in harm’s way, and I can’t do anything to protect you. I can’t bear the fact that you’re in constant danger and won’t be able to live with myself if sothing should happen to you."
Evelina looked down at their joined hands, her heart torn between frustration and sothing much deeper. "So you staged an ergency to get to co out here?"
Damian winced slightly. "It wasn’t my best idea, I’ll admit. But I wanted to do sothing special for you, to show you that I’m serious about us. About this."
Evelina’s mind was still reeling from the whirlwind of emotions—fear, relief, confusion, and now, sothing that felt dangerously close to affection.
She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, whether to be angry or touched.
Aside from relief that Damian was unhard, she felt frustration at being deceived.
The romantic setup before her, which was supposed to be a grand gesture, only heightened the confusion and anger building within her.
She pulled her hand from Damian’s grasp, taking a step back as her eyes narrowed. "This...this isn’t funny, Damian. You had worried sick. You can’t just play with soone’s emotions like that!" Her voice trembled, betraying the turmoil she felt.
Damian’s smile faltered, replaced by a look of regret. "I know, Evelina. I’m sorry. I didn’t an to. I just...I didn’t know how else to get you to talk to ."
But Evelina shook her head, unwilling to let him off the hook so easily.
She turned on her heel, intent on walking away, but Damian wasn’t about to let her go. He quickly reached out, grabbing her wrist with a gentle but firm hold.
"Evelina, wait," he pleaded in an almost desperate manner. "Please, don’t walk away."
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