Chapter Ten: A New Kind of Danger
The scent of antiseptic lingered in the air, sterile and cold, mixing with the distant echo of a beeping heart monitor. The white walls of the hospital felt like a cage—too bright, too quiet, too exposed. Elias Vale lay in a stark hospital bed, his wrists wrapped in gauze, bruises blooming along his throat and temple. His body ached like it had been through hell. Because it had.
The last thing he remembered was the barrel of a gun pressed to his skull and the chilling whisper of betrayal from the officer who once offered him coffee. Then—chaos. Sirens. Screams. And Damien's voice—furious, unhinged, tearing through the night like a blade.
Now, there was silence.
Except for him.
A tall man in a white coat sat quietly beside the bed, reviewing Elias's chart. Early 30s, deep russet hair swept to the side, sharp jawline softened by gentle eyes the color of storm-touched skies.
"You're awake," he said, offering Elias a calm, almost melodic smile. "I'm Dr. Cassian Rowe but call me Cassian. I've been overseeing your case. You've been through a lot, Elias. But you're safe now."
Safe.
The word caught in Elias's throat. He wasn't sure he even remembered what that felt like.
He flinched slightly when Cassian reached for his wrist to check his pulse, but the doctor paused, his touch feather-light, waiting for Elias's permission.
"It's alright," Cassian murmured, his voice steady. "I won't hurt you. Just checking your vitals."
Elias nodded numbly, and Cassian's fingers closed around his wrist—a pulse racing far too fast beneath his skin.
"You've got a fighter's heart," he said with a smirk. "Let's hope you don't give me too much trouble."
The door slammed open.
Damien Cross stormed in like a thunderclap, trench coat billowing behind him, eyes wild and frantic. His gaze landed on Elias—and then, Cassian's hand on him.
"Get your hands off him," Damien growled.
Cassian didn't flinch. "I'm his attending physician. You need to calm down."
"I'm not going to tell you twice."
Damien crossed the room in two long strides. The air thickened with tension, so heavy Elias could barely breathe. Cassian rose slowly to his feet, standing toe to toe with the infamous detective.
"He's my patient. I'm not going anywhere."
"He's not your anything," Damien snarled, his voice trembling with fury. "You don't know a thing about him."
"Maybe not yet," Cassian replied, cool as ice. "But I will."
Damien's hand shot out, grabbing Cassian's collar. Elias gasped, trying to rise from the bed.
"Stop!" he cried, voice cracking. "Damien, please!"
Cassian pushed Damien's hand away, calm even in the storm. "You're scaring him. You're supposed to protect him, not make him flinch."
Damien turned sharply to Elias, his eyes locking with his—wild, desperate, betrayed.
"You let him touch you?" he whispered.
Elias didn't answer. Couldn't.
Damien stalked to the bed, looming over him. His hand brushed Elias's cheek gently—too gently—and then suddenly closed around his throat, pinning him softly but firmly to the mattress.
"You're mine," Damien hissed. "No one touches what's mine."
Elias's breath hitched, eyes wide with fear and something else he couldn't name.
"Let him go," Cassian said behind him, voice sharp.
Damien exhaled, trembling, and released Elias, stepping back as if burned. He ran a hand through his hair, pacing.
Cassian walked to Elias's side, protective now, placing a reassuring hand on the boy's trembling shoulder.
"Elias," he said gently, "I want to ask you something. Honestly. No pressure, no manipulation. Just truth."
Elias looked up at him, eyes shining with confusion and unshed tears.
"Do you want him to protect you…"
Cassian's voice softened.
"...or do you want him to own you?"
The silence between the three of them was shattering.
And then Elias looked away, unable to answer.
The hospital room felt too bright. Too sterile. Too safe for the whirlwind that had just threatened to rip Elias apart.
He lay back against the raised hospital bed, heart still a wild drum in his chest. Cassian had stepped out, finally giving him a moment to breathe.
A soft knock at the door.
He didn't need to look to know it was Damien.
The air changed as soon as he walked in. Thicker. Charged. Dangerous in a way that made Elias's skin hum.
Damien didn't say anything at first. He just stared, eyes scanning Elias's face, the IV in his arm, the bruises. His jaw clenched so tight it looked painful.
"Why didn't you protect me?" Elias whispered.
Damien's throat bobbed. "I tried. But you ran from me, Elias."
"Because you scare me." His voice cracked.
Damien stepped forward, slow and measured. "And yet, I'm always the one who saves you."
"Then tell me the truth," Elias snapped. "No more games. No more cryptic bullshit. Tell me what Noah was to you. Why you broke when you saw that necklace."
Damien stopped at the foot of the bed, silent for a long beat.
Then, in a voice so quiet it was almost lost to the beep of the monitor, he said, "Because Noah… wasn't just your brother."
Elias blinked. "What do you mean?"
Damien's eyes burned into him. "He was your father, Elias."
Silence.
The world tipped sideways. The lights overhead dimmed and blurred as Elias's breathing became shallow. "That's not—no. He was only a few years older than me."
"He was sixteen when you were born," Damien said, voice pained. "Your grandparents raised you as his little brother to hide the scandal. He never forgave himself for leaving you behind."
"No…" Elias shook his head. "You're lying."
"I wish I was."
Elias stared at him, face pale. The betrayal. The weight of it. The sudden reframing of his entire life.
And then—
The lights in the hospital room flickered. A scream rang out down the hall.
Damien's body went tense instantly, moving closer to Elias.
"Stay here," he ordered.
But before he could move—
The window behind Elias shattered inward with a thunderous crash.
A masked figure dove through the opening, black-clad and fast, tackling Damien before he could react.
Elias screamed as Damien and the intruder wrestled violently to the floor. Glass scattered. A knife gleamed. Blood sprayed.
A second figure appeared behind the curtain—
Reaching for Elias.