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Warm lips press into my shoulder, feather-light and achingly tender. I take another deep breath, barely believing I’m about to do this. But I don’t think I have a choice. I can’t find it in me to push him away again. I turn to face him, my heart pounding so hard I swear he must be able to hear it battering against my ribcage.
But the face that greets me is not Dom’s.
A skeletal mask leers down at me from beneath a black hood. I shriek, stumbling backward and shoving at the stranger with what little strength I have left. But they're faster, stronger. Before I can blink, they tackle me to the ground, leaves and twigs stabbing into the skin of my exposed back.
A blood-curdling scream tears from my throat and I thrash wildly as the monster paws at me. They claw at the bodice of my gown, trying to force it down and expose my breasts. Panic floods my system like shards of ice ripping me apart from the inside. I buck harder, desperate to throw them off.
“Help!” I cry, my broken voice seeming to just fade into the empty trees. “Somebody help me!”
The masked assailant gives up on my boned corset, failing to tear it from my flesh. But there is no relief, no protection as their hand plunges lower, scrabbling at my skirts and trying to force their way between my legs.
Every muscle in my body seizes to cold stone. It’s all I can do to keep breathing, knowing exactly what's about to happen. I squeeze my eyes shut, bracing for the worst.
Suddenly, the weight on top of me vanishes in one fell swoop. My eyes fly open just in time to see a blur of motion as my attacker is ripped away. I scramble backward, the soles of my feet torn and bleeding while my kicked-off shoes lie several feet away.
Shuddering sobs wrack my entire body as the scene before me comes into focus.
Dom has my attacker pinned to the ground, raining blow after savage blow on their face. The skeleton mask shatters under his fists, revealing glimpses of bloody flesh beneath. As the pieces fall away, my stomach drops, recognition dawning like sharpened claws raked across my flesh.
“Dom, stop!” I yell, hoarse and breathless. But he doesn't seem to hear me. He just keeps punching, a low growl emanating from deep in his chest.
Though it’s now a mess of blood and already-swelling bruises, there's no mistaking the face of Jake Pearson, the mouthy jock from the sophomore class.
“Stop it! He’s a student,” I choke out. “You’re going to kill him!”
But Dom is lost in a haze of rage, his fists continuing their relentless assault. Jake's whimpers grow weaker, and real fear grips me. This isn't justice–it's vengeance. And if someone doesn't stop it soon, Dom could cross a line he can never come back from.
Just as I'm about to throw myself between them, a small crowd bursts through the trees. Greyson is at the front, his eyes wide as he searches through the gloom for the source of all the chaos. Without hesitation, he lunges forward and grabs Dom, yanking him off Jake's limp form.
Dom snarls again, struggling against Greyson's hold. But then his eyes lock onto mine, and the fight drains out of him instantly. He shoves away from Greyson and rushes to my side, falling to his knees beside me.
“Are you okay?" he demands, his hands hovering over me, searching for injuries and unsure where to land. “Did he hurt you? Shiloh, talk to me!”
I can't form words. The adrenaline is wearing off, leaving me shaky, nauseated, and freezing. Instead, I throw myself into Dom's arms, clinging to him as I shudder, fresh tears soaking into his jacket. He holds me tightly, murmuring soothing words into my hair.
From the corner of my blurred vision, I see a pair of men drag Jake's semi-conscious form away. The gathered crowd is buzzing with shocked whispers and half-formed questions. But all I canfocus on is the solid warmth of Dom's chest against my cheek, the steady thrum of his heartbeat lulling me into an exhausted kind of numbness.
After what feels like hours but is probably only minutes, Dom gently helps me up from the dirt. My legs are unsteady, and I hiss when I put weight on my abused feet. Without a word he sweeps me up into his arms, glaring daggers at anyone who dares step too close.
“What the hell happened?” Greyson demands, his wide eyes darting between my trembling form and Dom’s murderous expression.
I take a shaky breath, trying to form a coherent string of words despite the cloying fog of shock invading my senses. “It was J-Jake. Jake Pearson,” I croak. “I think he’s the one who has been terrorizing people around the manor in that cloak. He’s shown up twice in the past couple of weeks while I’ve been here alone, and tonight he tried to… to…”
Dom's arms tighten around me as I fail to get the words out. His jaw is clenched as he adds, “He probably sent you those flowers too. It wasn't me.”
My head snaps up to look at him, the sickening revelation almost too much to bear. But before I can even fully absorb the implications, Ruby, Jemma, and Luke push their way to the front of the crowd, their faces contorted with worry.
“Oh my God, Shiloh!” Ruby cries, reaching for my hand. “Are you alright?”
I nod weakly, even though I'm anything but alright. “I'll be fine,” I insist, curling tighter into Dom’s chest. “Can you...can you just take me home, please?”
He doesn't hesitate, already striding away from the prying eyes and whispered speculations. “Yeah, let's get you out of here.”
“You’ll probably both be wanted for statements,” Greyson pipes up.
“Shut the fuck up before I pulverize your face too,” Dom snarls, pushing past him. The rest of the gathered onlookers part, cringing back as if Dom were carrying some infectious disease instead of a trembling assault victim.
The drive home passes too slowly, my blood feeling like thick tar as it pulses weakly through my body. Dom keeps one hand on my knee, a steady, grounding presence as I stare out the window, unseeing. When we finally pull up to my house, I fumble with the seatbelt, my fingers clumsy and uncooperative.
