Adele and I got out.
The building looked like an old warehouse from the outside, but the interior was something else entirely—clean, modern, clearly recently renovated. Dimitri led us inside, where two people in white coats were waiting.
Doctors, I presumed.
“Check them out,” Dimitri ordered, gesturing to me and Adele. “Full examination. I want to make sure they weren’t hurt.”
“I’m fine, Dimitri,” I said, not needing to be checked out.
“You’re getting checked out.” His tone left no room for argument.
One of the doctors—a kind-faced woman in her fifties—approached us with a gentle smile. “Hi there, sweetheart. My name is Dr. Lucy. Can you tell me your name?”
Adele pressed closer to me, her earlier sobs having quieted to occasional hiccups. “Adele,” she whispered.
“That’s a beautiful name. How about we make sure you’re all okay? Would that be all right?”
Adele looked at me, and I reassured her with a smile, letting the doctor lead her to one of the sofas in the living room.
The examination was thorough but quick. Adele was checked for bumps, bruises, or any other sign of injury. They checked her vitals, her reflexes, and asked her questions to assess for shock or trauma. She was physically fine—shaken, terrified, but fine.
I was cleared just as quickly. A few scrapes on my palms from the pavement, nothing serious.
Dimitri stared at us the entire time without sayinga word. His eyes were filled with anger and something else—determination. Like he was calculating in his head what he would do to the person responsible for what had happened earlier.
“Mr. Ravencrest, we need to look at that shoulder,” the other doctor said, pulling him out of his thoughts.
I noticed the blood trickling down his arm. But it wasn’t the usual red color. It was black. Panic flared in my chest, and I moved toward him immediately. “Dimitri, please, you need to check that out. You’re bleeding badly.”
He glanced at his shoulder. “It’s nothing. Just a graze. I’ll heal.”
“But you haven’t, which means it’s no ordinary bullet. That’s why it’s taking longer to heal. And from the color of the blood. Wolfsbane, perhaps?” the doctor said.
Wolfsbane? The bullet had been laced with wolfsbane?
The implications of that made my stomach turn.
This hadn’t been random. This had been targeted. Deliberate. Someone had come after us with weapons specifically designed to kill shifters.
Dimitri shifted, clearly ready to leave, but I stepped into his path, blocking him before he could even pretend to walk away.
“No. You’re not going anywhere until they examine you,” I said, my voice trembling but firm. “I’m not losing you over pride.”
Instead of showing concern about the wolfsbane coursing through his veins, his lips curled into a slow smile. “You’re cute when you’re feisty, you know?” He leaned forward and caressed my chin—a gesture meant to reassure, but it did anything but. Something flipped in my stomach at his touch, an electric sensation running down my spine. “Don’t worry about me, sweetheart,” he said, his words slow and intent. “It’s just a graze to me. I’ll be fine.”
Before I could respond, his phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID, then back at me. “I’m sorry. I need to take this call. It’s the security team calling with updates from the incident.”
He turned to leave, but Adele’s voice had him glancing over his shoulder. “Uncle Dimitri, are you going to be okay?” she asked, her gaze lingering on his bloodied arm.
He passed her a reassuring smile. “I’ll be fine, dear. I promise.”
He hit the answer button, mumbling words that resembled threats as he disappeared upstairs.
By the time they’d finished examining us, exhaustion had crashed over Adele like a wave. The adrenaline had worn off, leaving her limp and drowsy in my arms.
Dr. Lucy showed us to a bedroom and helped me get Adele settled. Within minutes, my daughter was asleep, curled up under a soft blanket, her face still tear-streaked but peaceful.
I sat on the edge of the bed, just watching her breathe. Making sure she was really okay. But the questions wouldn’t stop circling in my mind. What had happened? Who had attacked us? How had Dimitri gotten there so fast? And why the hell had someone used wolfsbane bullets?
