Chapter 137

Fiona

Stretching, I stand from my chair and pause my music. Without Ethan here, it’s too quiet boring in the office alone. I’m used to hearing him talk on the phone or even just type from within his office, but now it’s just silent. Too silent.

I message Ryan back that I’m on my way down to collect the papers he needs me to make copies of for him. Our meeting with Chris is tomorrow, and I’ve been working on the fund raiser ideas all morning. There are so many options, but I also don’t want to repeat any that have been done before.

Ethan is trusting me to come up with an idea to raise as much money as possible. If I do the same things other people have done, there will be a chance that people find it boring and won’t want to donate.

Ryan gathered the list of previous fund raisers they’ve done as well as the list of attendees, and after I asked, he created the terms and conditions contract for Chris to read when he comes tomorrow.

I press the elevator button, but nothing happens. I wait for a minute before I click the button again. When it still doesn’t light up, I make my way back to my desk phone, dialing the lobby reception.

“I’m sorry, the elevators are temporarily out of order, Ms. Bowen. The stairs are on the far end of the top floor, past the bathrooms,” the receptionist tells me. I glance over, looking at the door that I’ve never stepped through before.

“Thank you.”

Soon, I push through the door, only to run into Angela. Confused, I move around her. Why would she be here when her office is on the second floor?

“I’ve been looking for you,” she says, and I sigh. I thought maybe she was coming to see if Ethan was here or maybe using her free time to get a few extra steps in, but of course not.

“I’m very busy, Angela. Just because Ethan isn’t here doesn’t mean I don’t have work to do,” I tell her, tired of seeing her at every turn. I wish she would just leave me alone and mind her business. She would probably be happier that way.

I try to move around her, but she steps sideways, blocking my path.

“Not so fast, little human,” Angela tisks, wagging her finger in my face. I’m tempted to bite it, but that would only put me at her level, and that’s something I promised I would never stoop to.

“If you won’t stay away from Ethan, then I’ll do what he doesn’t have the strength to do,” she hisses, and quicker than I’ve seen anyone move, she lunges at me. I don’t have time to pull back before her hand is in my hair, yanking me forward.

“Angela, don’t do this. There’s nothing—”

“Shut up,” she growls, her eyes flashing yellow. “I don’t know what you did to Ethan to make him fall for you, but I won’t let you go unpunished. He’s not yours. He’s mine.”

I dig my fingernails into her arm, hoping it’ll make her release me, but she only tightens her grip. I try to kick her, scratch her, and hit her, but nothing helps. It’s like she doesn’t even feel my assaults.

Desperate, I dig my heels into the ground, but her supernatural strength is too much for me to fight. She pushes me and pushes me until I’m barely balancing on the top step.

“Angela, think this through. You won’t get away with hurting me,” I gasp, clutching at her arm. If I fall now, there’s no telling how many injuries I could sustain.

“I hope you said goodbye because you won’t be seeing anyone, especially Ethan, ever again.”

“What—”

She releases me, and my body tumbles back. My back hits the hard edge of the railing, sending me crumpling to the floor, and then I’m rolling. The hard edges of the steps dig into me, battering my body and making me cry out.

Pain sparks over my entire body as I try to reach out and stop myself from falling.

My head slams into something hard, blurring my vision while hard surfaces attack my shoulders, ribs, and legs.

Cackling laughter follows me, accompanying the darkness and the cold that slide over my body.

Ryan

The clock on the wall ticks obnoxiously loud in the silence of my office as I look at it again.

Fiona called ten minutes ago saying she was on her way, but she still hasn’t arrived. I figured it may take a few minutes on the stairs, but it shouldn’t take this long.

Sighing, I pick up my desk phone and type in her extension. The phone rings several times, but she doesn’t pick up, which is unusual. Did someone come by her desk and distract her?

My mind immediately jumps to the packages she’s been receiving, and I push out of my chair. We told Patrice to bring any new packages to me, but if she wasn’t thinking about the message or didn’t get the message, she could’ve taken it to Fiona.

Shit.

If Fiona gets another freaky stalker gift while Ethan isn’t here, and it scares her, he’s going to be angry.

With only the stalker on my mind, I’m surprised by the smell of blood that hits me as I open the door to the stairs. The coppery scent immediately sends alarm bells ringing in my head, and my wolf jumps to attention. It’s coming from upstairs where Fiona is.

Where only Fiona should be.

“Fiona? Can you hear me?”

There’s no answer as I race up the stairs. My heart thuds heavily in my chest when I notice blood dripping from above. I push myself to move faster and skid to a halt when I reach the top floor.

“Fiona!” I vault myself up the stairs and drop to my knees at her side.

Dark red blood pours from a gash on her head, spilling onto the stairs. My heart nearly stops at the sight of her pale skin. She looks dead, other than the faint, ragged breathing that makes her chest rise and fall.

No, no, no.

This can’t happen.

I whip my cellphone out and dial the police, having them direct me to emergency services.

“I need an ambulance. My friend hit her head on the stairs and now she’s passed out,” I tell the woman on the phone.

“Is she breathing?”

“Barely. It’s shallow and kind of ragged,” I answer, keeping my eyes pinned on her chest.

“Where are you located sir? I’ll send an ambulance.”

“Silverclaw Company on the stairs between the two top floors. They need to hurry,” I urge, setting a hand on Fiona’s shoulder. The touch pulls a groan from her, and I yank my hand back.

“Paramedics are on their way. Is she laying flat or across the stairs?”

“She’s splayed across several steps. Should I move her flat?”

The woman gasps, “No. If she has injuries you can’t see, moving her could aggravate the injuries. Don’t move her, and if she wakes up, try to keep her still until the paramedics arrive. Do you know CPR?”

My heart stutters in my chest at the question. Will it come to that?

“Yes. I took classes in college,” I answer, staring down at my injured Luna. She’s so much more fragile than a Lycan. One of us would’ve healed by now or at least been mostly healed, but her… Fiona can’t heal like we can.

Another groan falls from her lips, sounding pained as her head lolls to the side.

“Good, if she stops breathing, you’ll need to administer CPR.”

“How much longer until the paramedics get here?” I ask, pressing the speaker button and setting the phone on the floor.

Fiona’s head tilts more to the side, but the lady on the phone said she shouldn’t move, so I put my hands on both sides of her head to keep her still. Like the lady said, she may be more injured than I can see right now.

“Five minutes,” the woman tells me, and I grit my teeth. That’s not fast enough.

Who would’ve attacked Fiona on the stairs?

Her stalker?

Did they somehow get into he building and find her?

Ethan isn’t here, and she’s been alone upstairs this whole time. I should’ve paid closer attention.

Sniffing the air, I try to catch the scent of anyone else who was in the stairwell, but all I get is the tangy copper smell of her blood. If I dig beneath the tang of blood, I can sense the fear and anger in the air.

Ringing from my phone startles me back to reality. Sophie’s name pops up on my screen, so I flip the call to her.

“Where are you? There are paramedics in the lobby asking for you the injured woman,” she cries.

“In the stairs between my office and Ethan’s. Hurry, Luna Fiona is hurt.”

Instantly the call is disconnected, and I hear the pounding of feet several floors beneath me. My senses work overtime, and I curse myself for not hearing the scuffle between Fiona and whoever hurt her. I should’ve heard it.

“Ethan.”

The light groan makes me look down.

Fiona’s eyes flutter open, a string of mumbled words falling from her lips.

“Don’t worry, Luna. Help is on the way,” I whisper, which only brings more garbled responses.

The pounding of steps comes closer faster and soon, three paramedics are swarming Fiona, checking her vitals, her injuries, and her body before announcing they’ll get her safely to the hospital.

Not without me, though.

I’ll follow her to the end of the earth if I have to. I’m not letting her out of my sight again.