Doubt

Sofia's POV

The air in the room felt charged, thick with tension, and my heart pounded against my ribcage. I stood frozen as Jake stepped further into the room, his gaze never leaving mine. Damien, standing between us, exuded a quiet but fierce intensity. His posture was defensive, his muscles rippling beneath the robe as though he was ready to leap at any moment.

"Jake," I managed to say, my voice trembling but firm. "What do you want?"

Jake’s grin widened, but something cold lingered in his smile, something that made my skin crawl. "I think you know why I’m here," he said, his tone smooth, but venom seeped through every word. "It’s not just about checking up on you. It’s about understanding your choices. Especially the one you’re making now."

Damien’s low growl vibrated in the air, the primal sound sending a chill down my spine. The heat radiating off of him was almost palpable, like a force of nature ready to consume me. My gaze flickered between Jake and Damien, the stark contrast between them impossible to ignore. Jake’s calculated charm, dark and enticing, and Damien’s raw, untamed energy. But what I couldn’t deny was the softness I saw in Damien’s eyes whenever they met mine—the trust he’d placed in me, the secret he’d shared.

"Don’t listen to him, I," Damien’s voice broke through my thoughts, low and steady. There was a weight in his words, a warning. "He’s here to manipulate you. To make you doubt everything."

My breath hitched, but I held my ground. Jake’s words stung more than I expected, hitting at a vulnerable place I hadn’t realized was still raw. But I couldn’t let him control me. Not anymore.

"What are you really here for, Jake?" I asked, my voice quiet but edged with steel. "You don’t care about me,You never did, you are just angry that I am living the live you couldn't give me."

Jake’s smile faltered, just for a second, before a more sinister expression took its place. "You think that’s true?"

His voice dropped, turning dark and menacing.

"I cared for you, I. In my own way. But you left me. For him."

He glanced at Damien, eyes flashing with something primal.

"I’m just here to make sure you don’t make a mistake. I’ve seen what happens to people who get involved with monsters like him. You think he’s different? He’s just biding his time, using you to satisfy his sexual desires. When the full moon rises—"

"Enough!" Damien’s voice cut through the air like a thunderclap. He stepped forward, towering over Jake, and the room seemed to vibrate with the raw power he radiated.

"You don’t know anything about me, about what I am. Or what I can do."

My breath caught, the tension thickening, the electricity in the air almost unbearable. Damien’s golden eyes glowed faintly, and for a moment, I saw the wildness within him—the danger that clung to him like a second skin.

Jake, however, seemed unfazed. He held up his hands in mock surrender, a cruel smirk curling on his lips.

"Alright, big bad werewolf," he sneered. "But you need to understand that you’re in over your head. This isn’t just about him,it’s everything he represents. The danger, the lies, the secrecy. All of it. And it’s only a matter of time before it catches up with you."

His words pressed down on my chest, suffocating me. But as much as they stung, they didn’t hold the same power they once had. I wasn’t a helpless victim anymore. I wouldn’t let him control me.

"You’re wrong," I said, my voice rising with defiance. "Damien isn’t a monster. He’s more human than you’ll ever be, Jake."

Jake’s eyes narrowed, surprise flashing across his face. "You really believe that?" he hissed. "You’re falling for him. That’s your mistake, I. You think you can handle this, but you can’t. You’ll get hurt. And when you do, I won’t be there to pick up the pieces."

My pulse raced, but this time, it wasn’t fear. It was clarity. "You don’t get to control me anymore, and it's not as if you were ever there, to pick me up you asshole" I declared, stepping forward. My eyes blazed with newfound strength. "You lost that right a long time ago."

Before Jake could respond, Damien moved, stepping between us. His presence was overwhelming, solid and protective.

"I think it’s time for you to leave," Damien said, his voice cold and final.

Jake’s smirk faltered, but he didn’t back down. "This isn’t over, I," he warned. "You’ll come to your senses eventually. Everyone does." With one last venomous glare, he turned and stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

My heart raced in my chest, but I didn’t look away from the door. The silence that followed was deafening.

Damien’s POV

Damien stood, motionless, his body taut with the lingering intensity of the confrontation. The air was thick, heavy with the aftermath of Jake’s words and the volatile emotions between them. He could feel the tension radiating from her—she was shaken, but he could sense the resolve starting to build within her. The way she held herself now, after everything Jake had thrown at her, was different. she wasn’t the same vulnerable woman who’d first stepped into his world.

Damien turned slowly, the weight of the moment settling over him. her voice, soft but unsure, broke the stillness between us. "He’s right, Damien. I don’t know if I can handle this. This... us."

His heart tightened at her words, but he didn’t let it show. He stepped toward her, his golden eyes softening as he reached for her, his voice steady, full of quiet conviction. "I’m not asking you to handle it alone," he said, the weight of his promise hanging in the air. "But I need you to trust me, I. I need you to trust us."

sofia swallowed hard, her gaze became distant as she wrestled with her inner turmoil. Damien could see the battle in her eyes—the fear, the uncertainty—but also the flickers of something more. The same thing that had drawn him to her from the beginning. her strength. her heart.

"I’ll try," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Damien’s chest ached with the intensity of what he felt for her, but there was no time for doubt. He reached out, his hand warm against her cheek, gently cupping her face. His thumb brushed against her skin, a simple gesture, but one that held so much meaning. "That’s all I’m asking," he murmured, his voice low and full of hope.