Chapter 256: A Dozen
I blinked in confusion, staring up at the plain white infirmary ceiling.
"Harper! You’re awake!" I turned my head, and Damon’s face filled my entire vision. I squinted, trying to keep all of him in view. "How are you feeling?"
"Tired," I said honestly, my voice weaker than I ever heard it. I tried to sit up, but there was a peculiar soreness in one of my arms. I stumbled, and Damon quickly shoved me back down with surprising gentleness. My head hit the pillow with a soft thud, causing me to wince.
"Sorry. Instinct," Damon said, with the slightest hint of embarrassment in his voice. I wanted to raise my eyebrow, but I realized I couldn’t quite manage such a simple feat.
"What... what happened?" I asked, trying to recall what had happened earlier that landed me in this state. The sudden fire... the food in the kitchens, the poisoned apple! The intruder! I grabbed Damon’s arm in panic, my fingernails digging into the tough skin. Thankfully, my fingers still had some strength, even though they felt like jelly at the moment.
"Kyle! What happened to Kyle?"
"He’s fine," Damon said with a frown on his face. "Worry more about yourself."
"But... he was poisoned, wasn’t he?" I asked. I was certain that I hadn’t dreamt up that part. "I saw... he was dying!"
"I came just in time to save him," Nicole said. I blinked, finally registering her from the corner of my eyes. "It was very fortunate that you were there with him, Harper. If he was alone, he would have died."
"He should have, for all the good he did," Damon grumbled under his breath. "His nose was clearly just for decoration. What kind of self-respecting werewolf fails to detect a vampire right under his nose?"
I looked questioningly at Nicole, wanting her to explain. However, Nicole merely rolled her eyes, giving me a wry smile.
Ah. Guess it was nothing more than Damon being dramatic.
"A vampire snuck into the kitchens," I said, my palms sweating from anxiety. "Damon, have you checked the food―"
"Harper, relax. Blaise is on it right now," Damon said, and I realized I had not seen the head or tail of my other mate. "He’ll visit when he has the time. I have already informed him that you’re now awake."
As if to punctuate his words, I felt a wellspring of relief course through me, relaxing my body. It could have only come from Blaise, who purposely made sure to telegraph the feeling of comfort through the bond to make up for the fact that he wasn’t present in person. I felt as though I was wrapped in a warm cocoon, kept safe from harm.
"Sorry for scaring the both of you. You must have gotten a big shock when you returned," I said, "What happened though? Was there really a fire?"
Damon nodded grimly. "By the time we got there, half the northern border was ablaze. And the werewolves I put in charge of border patrol were..." Damon sucked in a deep breath, and I knew what he was going to say even before he spoke.
"All of them?"
"Enough of them," Damon said softly, running a hand through his hair.
Now that I could focus better, I could see streaks of soot lining his face. More striking was the weariness in his eyes. His shoulders were slumping from exhaustion.
"At least, Blaise and I managed to find most of their bodies. There are a few missing― we think the fire must have burnt them to a crisp. We didn’t have enough time to check, between putting out the fires and rushing back to the packhouse."
"It’s because of me, isn’t it?" I asked, my voice small. "You had to come back when Nicole told you I got hurt."
"I had to come back because Nicole told me a vampire had managed to sneak straight into our kitchen," Damon corrected, but his tone was gentle. "It’s not your fault. The blame must be laid at the feet of those bloodsuckers and those fucking hunters."
"They did this on purpose..." He continued, "Setting our borders aflame to draw our attention to strike when we were occupied. When I get my hands on them, they’ll be sorry that they ever crossed Fangborne."
Damon gritted his teeth, and his fingers flexed, as though he was picturing wrapping them around a vampire’s neck and twisting it free.
"How many casualties?" I asked, half-afraid to know the answer.
"From the northern patrols, at least five. If we’re including the wolves posted to the south, the number comes closer to twelve," Damon said quietly, staring downwards, as though picturing their blood on his hands.
Twelve. My mouth ran dry. A dozen pack members, dead and gone, because of me. My hands began to shake. I didn’t even know that many people in Fangborne, and now I never would. Their lives were heartlessly snuffed out because I didn’t relay the oracles’ warning to Damon and Blaise.
My eyes began to well with tears.
"It’s still one less though," Nicole chimed in quietly, easily handing me a tissue. "Kyle was saved, thanks to you, Harper."
I could tell that Nicole was trying to comfort me, but she wasn’t right. She didn’t know the whole truth.
"It’s all my fault," I said.
"Harper, we’ve been over this. This was done by the vampires and the hunters. This has nothing to do with you," Damon said with a frown. "Don’t be so hard on yourself. This isn’t your cross to bear."
I shook my head. "No, Damon, you don’t understand. From the very beginning, all this happened because of me." I sucked in a deep breath, trying to steel myself. Damon was going to be furious once I told him everything, and rightfully so.
"Harper, what are you talking about?" Damon asked, his eyebrows furrowing together in confusion. "Explain."
"I already knew...The oracles told me that the hunters and vampires were out to find me," I confessed in a breathless whisper.
