"How did…" Leona began but paused when her instinct screamed at her to move and go after the man staring at her, but she didn't because Lily was beside her, oblivious, already chatting with Thalia.
Leona turned sharply and grabbed Dorian's arm, pulling him back. "Go with them." She whispered urgently. "I need to check something."
Dorian frowned. "Check what?"
"I'll explain later." She replied. "Just cover for me and say I went to the restroom or I stepped out. Anything."
Reluctant, Dorian asked. "Leona, where are you going?"
"I need to go after someone." She said quietly.
"I'm coming with you."
"No." Her grip tightened. "Stay with Lily and Thalia, I can handle myself."
Dorian hesitated, jaw tightening, but she added. "Please." Reluctantly, Dorian nodded and Leona turned then took off but by the time she reached the stairs, the man was already moving.
"Hey!" She called out, pushing through people, causing him to hasten his steps.
But she ran after him and they weaved through the crowd, bodies colliding with hers, and angry voices shouting behind her as she shoved past. The music faded as they climbed higher, and he darted into a hallway lined with doors.
"Stop!" She shouted, but he didn't, instead they burst onto a veranda-like corridor and for a moment, she thought she had him cornered.
But he suddenly jumped over the balcony. "Damn it!" She uttered, rushing to the railing, swearing under her breath, then vaulted over without hesitation. Her hands scraped metal as she slid down pipes, hit the ground hard, and took off again.
As she chased after him, she realized that he was slower now, which made her know that he might have gotten injured when he jumped over the balcony. And knowing this she immediately quickened her steps and caught up with him.
They crashed into each other, and struggling violently, she clawed at his mask. "Who are you?" She demanded, breathlessly with heart pounding, as his body hit the pavement and went still.
As he struggled, silently, her hand froze on realizing that the man before her had no scent. He didn't smell like a werewolf or a human, so… "What are you?" She whispered.
The hesitation cost her as he shoved her hard, sending her sprawling backward, then turned and ran toward a junction. "Shit!"
She pushed herself up, and took a step forward preparing to go after him when a truck came out of nowhere and slammed into the man. She watched with widened eyes as the man was lifted off his feet, flung into the air like a broken doll, and slammed onto the road with a sickening thud. Yet, the truck didn't stop, it just disappeared down the street.
Leona stood frozen, while muttering a string of curses under her breath, the words tumbling out sharp and breathless as she tried to make sense of what had just happened.
"What the hell was that…?"
Her heart was still hammering against her ribs as she stood behind the club, the cold night air clinging to her skin. She stared deeply at the road the truck had used to flee, then her gaze dropped down again and fell on the blood that had pooled underneath the man and she immediately forced down the bile that was making its way up her throat.
Shaking it off she forced herself to focus and slowly she retracted her gaze back to the man's blood that was glistening faintly under the dim backlights of the club. Her stomach twisted as she remembered the sickening thud of flesh against metal when the truck hit him.
Clutching her bag tightly, fingers trembling, Leona pulled out her phone, the same one she'd nearly crushed in her grip while jumping the fence earlier, and quickly dialed 911.
"Emergency services." The operator answered.
"Yes, hi." Leona said, forcing herself to sound steady. "There's been an accident behind a club called black Velvet. A man was hit by a truck and he's badly injured. Please send the nearest ambulance you can."
She gave the location again, more precisely this time, then ended the call before her voice could betray her shaking hands. Then she swallowed hard, and stepped forward, her boots crunching softly against gravel as she approached the bloodstained pavement.
However before she could reach the man, he suddenly moved and Leorna froze. In one quick, and impossible motion, the body that had been lifeless moments ago suddenly surged upright. The man staggered once, then steadied himself, and before she could even process what she was seeing, he bolted.
But this time he wasn't limping or stumbling, like he was earlier after he jumped down from the balcony. "Hey! Hey!" She shouted, instinctively chasing after him for a few steps. "Wait!" But he was already gone, vanishing into the shadows with a speed that made her blood run cold.
She stopped, breath hitching, staring after him in disbelief. "No!" She whispered. "That's not possible."
Earlier, he'd been injured just from jumping down the railings, and he was hurt so badly enough that she'd managed to catch up to him, then he was hit by a truck and now he'd run off like nothing had happened.
No human could've survived such an impact, not even most werewolves, yet he was able to move so quickly after such a huge accident. Her mind raced, grasping for answers as she immediately remembered that he didn't smell or sound like a werewolf, from the signs she'd grown up recognizing.
'Unless…' Her jaw tightened. "A bioengineered werewolf?" she murmured bitterly. "Seriously?"
Werewolves altered with technology and illegal biological enhancements had a faster healing process, greater speed and were stronger than most natural-born wolves. But even then, he'd lost too much blood so he shouldn't have been that fast.
Hissing under her breath, Leona moved to where he had fallen and immediately a sharp and pungent smell filled her nostrils causing her to stumble back slightly. Hissing, she wrinkled her nose, then took a few steps forward before crouching slightly, to study the blood more closely.
Her eyes widened on seeing that the man's blood wasn't red. And it wasn't the usual reddish-brown tint of werewolf blood either, it was black, thick and glossy like tar.
"What the hell are you?" She whispered, as the stench burned her nostrils, forcing her to step back. Whatever he was, it wasn't something she wanted to be near for long.
Straightening, she pulled out her phone again and dialed 911 once more. "Hi." She said when the operator answered. "I'm calling back about the accident at Black Velvet. Please cancel the ambulance, I just discovered that it was a false alarm. I am genuinely sorry for the inconvenience."
With that she ended the call quickly, guilt prickling at her conscience. Then with one last uneasy glance at the dark stain on the ground, Leona turned and headed toward the front of the club.
Her thoughts tangled as she walked, mind spinning with questions she didn't have answers to. She barely noticed how far she'd gone until a familiar voice cut through the noise in her head. "Leorna."
She stopped short and turned. "Dorian?" Her brows shot up in surprise. "What are you still doing here?"
He stood a few steps away, hands in his jacket pockets, watching her carefully. "I convinced Thalia to take Lily back with her."
Leona blinked. "You did?"
"Yeah." He replied, making his way towards her. "I told them you got an urgent call and had to step away to run an errand but I insisted on waiting for you."
She stared at him. "And Lily bought that?"
He smirked. "She did."
"That's… shocking." Leona said slowly. "She's usually suspicious of everything and will probably interrogate me later." She sighed. "Besides, you didn't have to wait for me, you know. I could've gotten back on my own."
"I know you can take care of yourself." He replied, tone softening. "But you're still the Alpha's daughter and the future Alpha so it's my job to make sure you get home in one piece."
Sighing in defeat, Leona said, smiling widely. "Lead the way, Sir." Then they started walking side by side, the street quieting as they moved away from the club.
As the silence settled, Leorna's thoughts drifted back to something Thalia had said earlier about Dorian suddenly being more invested whenever women came up in conversation.
She glanced at him, noticing the faint stiffness in his posture. 'Please don't be what I think it is, she thought.' She thought inwardly.
Their friendship meant too much and losing it over unspoken feelings would hurt more than she was ready to admit.
She slowed, then stopped. "Dorian." She said, turning to him. "I have a question."
He turned, facing her as well. "Sure. Go ahead."
She hesitated. "It might be… offensive."
"Why the hell would I get offended by anything you say?" He scoffed.
On hearing his words, she smiled faintly, then took a breath. "Earlier, Thalia mentioned you might be… seeing someone, or that you liked somebody. And I just want to ask, do you like me?"