Chapter 12 Unexpected Savior

Lily's POV

The figure stepped closer, baseball bat still gripped tightly in one hand. My breath caught in my throat as a shaft of moonlight illuminated his face.

Darius. The driver from Green Thumb.

I blinked rapidly, certain my terrified mind was playing tricks on me. But no—it was definitely him, his usually cheerful face now set in grim determination as he quickly scanned the alley before focusing on me.

"Lily? Jesus Christ, are you okay?" His deep voice cut through the night air as he rushed toward me, careful to step around the motionless bodies.

I couldn't answer. My throat felt raw from screaming and being choked, and my whole body trembled uncontrollably. My wolf thrashed in agony inside me—the night's trauma piling onto our already wounded bond.

"We need to get out of here." Darius knelt beside me, his eyes quickly assessing me for injuries. "Can you walk?"

I managed a shaky nod, though I wasn't actually sure. When he gently helped me to my feet, my knees nearly buckled. Without hesitation, he wrapped a supportive arm around my waist.

"The van's just around the corner. Hold on to me, okay?"

We moved quickly, his eyes constantly scanning our surroundings. I couldn't help glancing back at the two men lying in the alley.

"Are they...?" I croaked.

"They won't be getting up anytime soon," Darius answered grimly. "Come on, we should go now."

The night air felt like ice against my tear-streaked face. Every shadow seemed to hide another threat. When we finally reached the delivery van, Darius helped me into the passenger seat before hurrying around to the driver's side, sliding the bat between our seats within easy reach.

The vinyl seat felt surreal after the rough brick wall and dirty pavement. As Darius started the engine and pulled away from the curb, reality began crashing back. I'd almost been—I couldn't even complete the thought.

"Here," Darius said, reaching behind his seat. He handed me a small towel and a water bottle. "For your hair and... well, you probably need this."

I took them gratefully, uncapping the water with shaky hands. The first sip burned my raw throat, but the second felt like heaven.

"Thank you," I finally managed, my voice barely above a whisper. "If you hadn't shown up..."

"Don't think about that." His hands gripped the steering wheel tightly. "What happened in the tavern? You were in there for ages. And the alcohol smell... your hair..."

I dabbed at my sticky hair with the towel, shame and humiliation burning through me all over again. The memory of Blake throwing his drink in my face made my stomach twist.

"I... it's complicated," I mumbled, unable to meet his eyes.

Darius sighed. "I was waiting outside Dark Moon for nearly an hour. Started to worry when you didn't come out. I was about to go in when I saw our Luna Katelyn storm into the place looking absolutely furious."

My head snapped up. "You were outside that whole time?"

He nodded, keeping his eyes on the road. "Deliveries to Blake never take that long. Something felt off, so I went inside to check. That's when I saw a girl run out crying, completely soaked in alcohol."

My chest tightened. "You saw me?"

"I didn't realize it was you at first," he said carefully. "When I went in, everyone was still buzzing about what happened. Heard Alpha Blake had publicly humiliated some delivery girl."

His voice hardened on Blake's name. "Then Katelyn was bragging to her friends that she'd put some bitch in her place for trying to throw herself at her mate."

I flinched, wrapping my arms around myself. The humiliation felt fresh all over again.

"Someone mentioned the girl got slapped and ran out crying," Darius continued. "That's when I realized it must have been you I saw. I went looking, but you were already gone."

My wolf whimpered inside me, our shared pain overwhelming. How could I explain that Blake was my mate—my destined partner—who had cruelly rejected me? That his rejection was literally tearing my wolf apart?

"It wasn't like that," I whispered, but offered no further explanation.

"I know," Darius said, his voice unexpectedly gentle. "You've been at Green Thumb for what, a week? I've seen how you work, how you treat people. You're not the type to throw yourself at anyone, let alone an Alpha with a reputation like Blake's."

His words, so simple yet kind, made my throat tighten with unexpected emotion.

"You don't have to explain," he added when I remained silent. "Silver Ridge has gotten worse since Blake took over," he continued, smoothly changing the subject. "Crime's up, Pack security is down. No Omega should be walking alone at night here."

I kept my gaze fixed on the passing buildings, grateful for the change in topic. Let him think I was just a weak human who'd had too much to drink and wandered into danger. It was less humiliating than the truth.

"You should carry something for protection," he continued, glancing at the bat between us. "At least until your wolf awakens."

I nearly choked. My wolf? Not awakened? The words almost burst from my lips automatically—to tell him my wolf had awakened three years ago, that she was as real and present as the air I breathed. That she was currently writhing in agony from a mate-bond rejection that was tearing her apart from the inside.

The urge to correct him was so strong my jaw actually ached from keeping it clenched shut. What would he think if he knew the truth? That I wasn't just some werewolf girl who'd had a bad night, but a rejected mate—the most pitiful creature in wolf hierarchy?

No. Better to let him believe this comforting fiction. Better to be thought of as a late bloomer than as damaged goods.

"I'm sorry about whatever happened at Dark Moon," Darius said softly. "Blake's a cold bastard."

If only you knew, I thought bitterly. The memory of Katelyn's face as she kicked open the tavern's door flashed in my mind. "I heard there's a little bitch trying to steal my man," she'd snarled. As if I had any choice in this cruel joke the Moon Goddess had played on me.

I realized Darius was waiting for me to respond. "I'll be more careful," I promised vaguely.

He studied me at a stoplight, his expression softening when he noticed my dejected look. "Hey, you're what, eighteen? Some wolves don't awaken until their twenties." He gave a self-deprecating smile. "And being an Omega isn't so bad either."