Damien.I often prided myself in my ability not to lose my control.That all burned to ashes when I met Elliot and discovered he was my mate.The house loomed in front of me, silent and dark. Too silent. Too dark.I shifted back into my human form just outside the front door, the transformation leaving my skin pricking with leftover adrenaline. If anyone saw me, that would be a case I would handle some other time.My breaths came in sharp bursts, clouding the cold night air, but my chest still felt tight.This was wrong.This quietness was unusual.The scream... no matter how far I had been from the house... it belonged to Elliot. I was sure of it.I didn't waste time.I slammed my shoulder into the door, forcing it open with a loud crack. The frame splintered, but I barely noticed."Elliot!" I shouted, my voice echoing through the empty hallways.Nothing.No footsteps. No shuffling. No hurried explanations from his parents or questions about why the house was so dark or why I had de
Damien.The bond between us burned, not with the faint flickers I'd felt earlier but with a consuming, relentless fire.It roared in my chest, growing sharper with every breath I took, every frantic beat of my heart.I didn't get all chummy with Elliot most of the time. Not because I didn't want to... if I was opportuned, I would kiss, touch, and fuck him every single day... but because he was still coming to terms with the fact that he was attracted to a male.Elliot was trembling in my arms, his nails digging into my skin as if he was trying to anchor himself. Or maybe trying to hurt me.I couldn't tell, and honestly, I didn't care.All that mattered was him."Elliot, look at me," I whispered, cupping his face, my thumbs brushing against his cheeks. "You're safe. You're with me now. Just tell what happened, and I'll fix it."His brown eyes, darkened with lust, locked onto mine. His lips parted, but no words came out... just a shaky exhale that sent a pang of helplessness straight t
Elliot.Pleasure clouded my mind, hungry and dangerous, as hazel eyes lined my vision.That was seriously the best blow job I had ever gotten in all my years of living. It was satisfying enough to make me forget the reason I was out here.In the woods.Alone.Damien stood up so he could slide his pants and briefs down and kick them to the side until he was wearing nothing.Damn.I had felt it. Touched it. But seeing it? That was different.I tried to look away, but I realised later on that it was practically impossible to ignore the handsome man in front of me.During most of our time together, I had kept myself from asking why he didn't have any tattoos like most of his peers. Even the werewolves at the pack close to the woods had something inked onto their skin.The moon. Eyes. Anything.Damien didn't.I attempted to get my fill of the way he looked fully naked and under the moonlight. All the muscles that are proportionally placed over his tall frame and slightly broad built.But t
Elliot.The memory crashed over me like a tidal wave, a force I couldn't control or stop.I had no idea if it was because that was the memory I was actively searching for or if there was another reason.Her face. Her wide, terrified eyes framed by dark curls, pleading silently as blood stained her pale skin. My vision shifted, disorienting me, and I wasn't standing in the woods anymore.No.I was in his body.Damien's hands reached out, fingers trembling as they brushed against her cheek. Her lips moved, forming words I couldn't hear, drowned out by the maniacal laughter that echoed around us.The witch stood nearby, her hands weaving intricate patterns in the air, her lips curling into a wicked grin. A spell radiated from her, distorting the space around us, enclosing us in a bubble that hid the horrors from anyone who might stumble upon the scene.And then, to the left... Ryan.He wasn't smirking or simply annoyed like he had been when he barged into my parent's house. His eyes were
Damien.I watched him run.With that one single thought running through his mind just like the first time he learnt I was a werewolf.Monster.The air was thick with tension as Ryan's taunting voice cut through the forest like a serrated blade, each word deliberately chosen to wound. My body trembled, not from the chill of the night but from the storm raging within me.Frozen.I stood frozen a few feet away from him, blood drained from my face, and I was pretty sure anyone who saw me saw the mixture of anguish and fury written all over my face."You're such a fool," Ryan continued, his smirk sharpening into something as sinister as his heart. "Did you honestly think you could keep running from your past? That you could bury it deep enough that no one... least of all, me... could dig it back up?"Fuck.My growl rumbled low in my throat, a warning Ryan ignored entirely. "You knew," I snarled, my voice rough like grave scraping against steel. "You knew what it would do to me. Why? Why d
Elliot.The weight of my betrayal hit me harder than I anticipated, but not enough to make me turn back.Damien was a danger to himself, to me, and to society at large.That was the truth I clung to as I paced the living room of my family’s house in New York. My parents had returned from the impromptu "vacation" I'd sent them on, looking suspicious and weary, as if they suspected something had shifted in their absence.I had no idea how I convinced them to leave in the middle of the night.But they were right about something shifting in their absence.So, I guessed it was time to fulfil the purpose of why I came back to New York. To uncover the truth about my family and the secrets they'd buried so deep or perhaps didn't even know about."Elliot, sit down," my mother said sharply, her voice slicing through the tension. She was perched on the edge of the couch, her perfectly manicured nails tapping against her coffee mug. "You're making me nervous.""Then give me straight answers," I s
Elliot.The pounding beat of the music rattled the walls of Hera's Delight as I stepped inside, the dim lighting casting shifting shadows across the crowded room.Urghhh.The air was thick with the smell of alcohol, sweat, and something I couldn't quite place... something primal that made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end.Like someone was watching me. But when I turned, there was no one overtly focused on me.Must be nerves.The place was chaotic and loud, a world away from the silence of the family home. But in the middle of the chaos, seated like a kind on a throne, was Ethan.I spotted my brother immediately, sprawled out on a plush couch in the VIP section, a drink in hand, and a woman draped over his shoulder. He hadn't changed within the few days which I had last seen him. The charming Ethan, the one who knew how to command a room without trying.Here went nothing.As I approached, Ethan’s sharp eyes flicked to me, and a slow smirk spread across his face.“Well, well
Damien.I watched from the cover of the dense shadows cast by the tall oaks lining the driveway as Elliot stepped out of the house. His movements were hurried but deliberate, his shoulders stiff, his head tilted slightly as if weighed down by something heavy.Even in the dim light, I could see his jaw clenched, his lips pressed into a thin line.What had happened between him and his parents? "Where are you going, Elliot?" I murmured to myself, or rather, to my wolf. "He's running from something." My wolf growled.It was always the same with him. Always running. Didn't you do the same thing a day ago? And months back when you first met?"Not now," I said to myself, fighting to keep my focus on the task at hand. Fighting with myself or my wolf was an unwelcome distraction I couldn't afford. If anything happened to the man the moon goddess had blessed me with, it might just kill me.Even if he didn't want my protection, I would protect him. Elliot descended the steps, his boots crun
Damien.I stood at the kitchen counter, staring blankly at the small potted plant Elliot had placed there months ago.Not that any of us was a plant person.Its leaves were wilting.Just like me.Elliot's kiss still lingered on my lips, the warmth of it doing little to soothe the storm raging within me.I apologized. I'd swallowed my pride, my anger, my frustration... and apologized. But the asshole had brushed me off with that damnable smile and a soft kiss before murmuring "Later tonight, okay?"Then he’d walked out the door without another word. Physical stuff. We were so fucking good at that. Going at it like rabbits. A fully fuck fest.But talking?I growled under my breath, my claws digging into the edge of the counter."When will he understand?"My wolf snarled at me, restless and frustrated. I felt it too–the ache, the constant gnawing in my chest that told me Elliot wasn't fully mine.He was holding back. And it was driving me insane.Deep breaths.I forced myself to take a
Damien.I sat at the edge of the bed, my hands gripping the mattress as if it were the only thing holding me to the presence.The echoes of Elliot’s voice kept ringing in my mind."Go to hell."The words burned more than I cared to admit, especially since this was the first time in a long time I wasn't sleeping close to him.I didn't need to go to hell. I was already there.My jaw clenched, my wolf pacing just beneath the surface. It growled, urging me to storm into Elliot's room, pin him down, and make the damn bastard understand.Claim him. To force him to see the truth."But did I say the truth? Had I ever told him the whole story?"So I stayed where I was, my breaths now coming out fast and shallow. I couldn't think straight, couldn't find the calm I so desperately needed.Elliot didn’t understand. He couldn’t. How could I explain the weight of the crystal, the way its power surged through me when we used it to save Elliot? How it felt like it left a mark, a beacon for anyone st
Elliot."Uh, no worries," I mumbled, stepping back and forcing a polite smile.Her grip was firm and confident, nothing out of the ordinary. If anything, it was her scent that set my nerves on edge.That wild and earthy, unmistakably werewolf scent.What was she doing in a town like this?Frank... I had forgotten he was there for a moment... standing beside me, leaned in with a grin. "Well, look at that. The new girl’s already making an impression." I heard the words he didn't say.Better than the last new person in town.The redhead... Fiona... laughed lightly as she released my hand. "New girl, huh? I guess we can still call me that since I just moved to town.""You know me," Frank said, holding out his hand. "This here's Elliot. Don't mind him. He's still getting used to the town folks after hiding out in New York for weeks."Why did he have to say that now?I shot him a look, but Fiona just laughed again, those green eyes flicking back at me. They looked like the forest itself...
Elliot."Elliot, you sly bastard, how dare you spend more than two weeks outside work?" Frank's voice carried across the bustling newsroom, turning more than a few heads my way.A week ago, I thought I wouldn't resume anymore.I could have gotten a new career as an anonymous journalist.I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling the heat rise to my face as I approached my office. "Yeah, sorry about that," I replied, offering him what I could only think was my best smile. "And about the truck... I know I kept it longer than I should have. I'll make it up to you, I promise."Frank leaned against the edge of my desk, crossing his arms, with his lips turned downwards in a frown. "Damn right, you will. You owe me like five coffee runs, two lunch shifts, and maybe an afternoon of listening to my new conspiracy theories."I couldn't help the chuckle that escaped my lips. "Add a bottle of whiskey to that, and we've got a deal."That seemed to turn the frown upside down because now Frank was grinni
Damien.I wiped the sweat off my brow as I brought the truck to a stop in front of the cabin. I shifted in the driver’s seat, rolling my shoulders as I glanced out the window.The cabin looked the same as it had since we left three weeks ago, but the air smelled fresher than the one in New York, so that was a relief.Elliot stepped out of the passenger seat without a word, slamming the door shut behind him. I couldn't help but wince at the sound, watching as he strode toward the truck bed to retrieve our bags.Stiff movements, his face set in that familiar expression of quiet frustration that had become the norm for the past week.He hated me now. Without even me telling him the truth."You're welcome for the ride," I muttered under my breath, shaking my head. I climbed out of the truck and walked around to the back, grabbing one of the larger duffel bags. "I mean, it's not like I drove us all the way here or anything. Nope, just call me your unpaid chauffeur."No response. Elliot
Elliot.A week later. The trucked sat at the curb, its engine humming a low, steady rhythm that vibrated through the air.I stood a few feet away, hands buried deep in the pockets of my jacket. My breath escaped in faint puffs of white, evaporating into the cold. I kept my eyes on the truck’s worn tires, the rubber slick with mud.Anything to keep me from looking at Damien... or the shop behind me.Celeste had stopped back inside, leaving us alone for the moment. The sign above the store’s floor swung slightly in the breeze, its faint creek matching the ache in my chest.Not like the ache was new.It had been there all week. A dull, relentless reminder of everything that had happened. Ethan hadn't come. He hadn't even called to say goodbye. That was his style, though... never one for messy endings, always leaving gaps where something final should have been. But he had agreed to drop a vague excuse to our parents and sister, a flimsy excuse for my departure. He acted like a jerk, t
Elliot.The first thing I became aware of was pain.Not the sharp, searing kind I was used to from cuts or wounds to my person, but a dull bone deep ache that throbbed with every breath. It was like I was torn apart and stitched back together with a blunt needle and thread.Fucking hell.The second thing was warmth. A steady, grounding presence wrapped around me, holding me tightly but gently, like the world might shatter if it let go."Elliot," a voice murmured. It was low and raw with worry. "Come on, baby. Open your eyes. Please." Damien. That was Damien.He had come into the room the moment I woke up before everything went hazy.I tried to focus, to fight against the cloud covering my mind. My eyelids felt heavy, like they'd been glued shut, but with effort, I managed to pry them open. The faint glow of the room greeted me... okay, I was still in the same room, just with a muted light that still felt sharp against my pounding head."Damien?" My voice cracked, barely more than
Damien."Would using the crystal help neutralize the effect of whatever happened to him?"Celeste’s sharp intake of breath brought me back to the moment. Her hands froze mid-motion, a jar of dried lavender she held slipping from her grasp and shattering against the counter. The sharp scent filled the room instantly, but her wild eyes were locked on mine.The same crystal I had been against using a day ago."You can't be serious." Her voice was barely a whisper, like saying it too loudly might summon something worse.“I am,” I said, my tone firm. “Answer the question.”Her hesitation spoke volumes. The crystal was powerful. It held enough properties to kill a town filled with humans. It would have been enough to dispel a storm killing supernaturals. It wasn't a power used lightly. "You don't fully understand the power from the crystal, Damien," Celeste said with a trembling voice. "It's not meant for this kind of magic. If anything goes wrong...""Things are already wrong!" I barked
Damien.I laid still, Elliot’s warm body pressing against mine in the faint light of the room we shared now.The weight of his arm across my chest was grounding, a reminder of the bond we shared despite the chaos that had unfolded. His fur–covered arm, the claws that had replaced his human nails, and the faint twitch of werewolf instincts betrayed the very thing Elliot had fought against for so long.Monster."You're a monster, Damien."And now, he was one too.How messed up was that?I tilted my head to look at Elliot's face, now softened in slumber. The fur stretched up to his jawline, the transformation incomplete yet painfully evident.The sharp claws occasionally flexed even in sleep, as though his body still wasn't sure if it belonged to a man or beast.But all that didn't matter to me.Whether Elliot... my saviour was human, wolf, or something in between, he was still mine. What ate at me wasn't the fur or claws but the ache in his eyes, the weight of my mate's unspoken fears.