Chapter 1

Delilah's POV:

I was inhaling the chilly October breeze when it suddenly got stuck in my lungs and my feet halted instantly. It was 5 in the morning and I saw no one besides me in those deserted woods behind the campus but I, sure as hell, could hear low, painful whimpers.

Heart throbbing in my chest, I scanned the area, "Who's there?" My voice echoed around the woods but there was no response.

Instinct told me to run the hell away but all I could think of was to help the one in pain. Inhaling a huge gulp of air, I started following the sound of whimpers that took me to an ancient, gigantic tree.

Balling my fists, I walked around the tree and stopped dead in my tracks as soon as I saw a man sprawled on the ground with his back against the trunk. My eyes widened in horror as I took in his wounds. I instantly crouched down and croaked up in worry, "What happened? Are you okay?"

His eyes were closed and he didn't bother replying to me. Assessing his injuries, I found his whole face covered with dry blood and dirt. Moreover, there were two holes in his shirt, one just above his heart and the other one on the side of his abdomen. Those were the gunshots, I was sure of it, but what took me by surprise was the flesh burning around the holes. My hand flew to his chest to see how deep the bullet was but the stranger jerked it away and grunted heavily, "Don't you fucking dare to touch me."

I looked at him with vivid shock, "You need to go to the hospital," I patted my pockets and cursed inwardly for not bringing my phone with me.

I fished around his pockets and, once again, he reprimanded me, "What the fuck do you think you are doing?"

My nostrils flared, "Trying to save your ass, I guess." I blew out a breath of relief when I found his phone.

Founding it locked, I grabbed his finger to fetch his print and ended up hearing in a rough voice, "Touch me one more time and you'll be found dead in these woods."

My eyes went wide with shock, not with his deadly threat but from his audacity. My fingers worked quickly on the screen as I replied as calmly as I could, "Well, from what it seems like, it'd be you to be found dead in these woods if I refused to help you."

Ignoring his fussing, I dialed 911. My relief went down the hill when I realized that there was no network in the forest. I was still weighing out my options when a horrified gasp left my lips. His body was turning a lighter shade of blue and the veins of his arms were going purple as if the ink was coursing through them.

All I knew was that he didn't have much time left. I patted his cheek and stuttered, "I'll be right back with an ambulance."

Just as I was about to get up, a steel cold hand wrapped around my wrist. In a low, but firm voice, he ordered me, "No ambulance. No hospital."

I blew out a tremendous breath, "Even in this situation when you are literally a few minutes away from death and probably need my help to save your ass, you still dare to command me instead of making a request."

A shiver ran down my spine when he clasped a hand around the nape of my neck and brought my face closer to his, "Do not force me to slash that little throat of yours just to keep your mouth shut."

I couldn't help staring at his eyes which were now open. They were so unique with a gray interior and black outlining. This closer, I could see the black specs in that gray. Before I could drown in them, I wriggled away, "I don't know how else to help you."

He bit out through gritted teeth, "Stop being Mother Teresa. I don't need your fucking help."

Staring at him in exasperation, I mumbled annoyingly, "I don't know what your deal is but you, for sure, would be begging me to call for an ambulance only if you could see how your flesh is literally sizzling like a steak."

Shaking my head at him, I got to my feet and ran toward the dorms. While climbing the stairs to my room, I was just about to dial 911 when his phone started ringing.

Someone named Antonio was calling this stranger. Unlocking my room, I picked up the call and heard the other person asking in distress, "Alpha, where are you? Why can't I reach you?"

Before he could continue, I started hastily, "Wait, wait. It's not him. It's me. Look, whoever you are, that man is seriously injured, not to mention a psychotic maniac. I was just going to call an ambulance..."

He stopped me mid-sentence, "No, no, no. Don't do that. Just tell me where he is right now. I'll be right there with the help."

Telling him to arrive at the woods behind the campus, I ended the call. Fetching my first aid kit, I sprinted back to the woods. His friend hadn't arrived yet. The man was still where I'd left him in a pool of blood. Looking at me, he muttered under his breath, "Here we go again."

Crouching down beside him, I flew my hands to his shirt buttons when he wiggled under me, "Are you fucking insane? I told you not to touch me."

It was it. My anger snapped and I grabbed his collar and looked deep into those electric eyes, "Listen, I have had enough of this bullshit of yours. I don't care who the fuck you are, all I care about is to sleep peacefully at night and that can't be done after leaving an injured mouse in the woods, okay?"

He opened his mouth to say something but I vigorously shook my hand, "I would advise you not to open that pain in the ass mouth anymore."

His mouth clamped shut right there and he was staring at me with a slight frown. Leaving his collar, I opened his shirt buttons and poured spirit over his wounded flesh. After the blood cleared away, I could see the bullet shining in his body. It wasn't deep. The only thing that was so odd was his flesh burning around the hole.

I wasn't a doctor yet but I had taken enough first-aid training to know how to take out the bullet that wasn't so deeply buried. I slipped on doctor's gloves and opened my scalpel pouch. I could feel the heat of his gaze on me as I grabbed the right-sized forceps.

I warned him in a low voice, "This is going to be really painful." Putting pressure on the skin, I dug the forceps inside his flesh and closed them around the bullet. He didn't even hissed in pain as I extracted the bullet out of his chest. After that, I did the same to the other bullet.

After that, I bandaged the wounds and by the time I was done, I found him still staring at me with those grey eyes. On their own accord, my eyes roamed down to his chest packed with thick muscles, and all of a sudden, I was dying to touch those hard slabs. Those dips and cuts of his were so mouth-watering. Realizing how shamelessly I had been gawking at his half-naked body, I quickly looked away.

He said proudly, "No, it's okay. Take your time." There was a hint of amusement in his voice.

My cheeks flushed and I quickly got up and scrambled away. As I reached the clearing, I saw a man in his early fifties making his way towards me. Picking up his pace, he reached me, and grabbed me by the elbow, "Where is he?"

Ignoring his rude tone, I asked him, "Where is the ambulance? He needs to..."

I winced as his hold around my elbow tightened, "Just tell me where is he."

Frowning, I jerked away from him and rasped out, "Do not use that rude tone with me."

He took a step toward me and said in a threatening voice, "Cut this bullshit before I snap your neck in half."

What the hell was wrong with these men? They and their rivalry with my neck. I rolled my eyes dramatically and walked away silently. I took him to where I left the wounded stranger, only to find out, to my utter surprise, that he wasn't there.

Behind me, Anotnio demanded, "Where is he?"

I looked around in confusion, "I have no fucking clue. How could a man with such fatal injuries go away?"

The very next second, my oxygen supply was cut off as Antonio wrapped his fist around my neck and gritted out in rage, "Where. Is. He?"