***************CHAPTER 26~Arianna’s POV~The car tore through the darkened streets, its engine growling like a restless predator. Damon’s hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles pale under the dim glow of the dashboard.I crossed my arms, my frustration boiling over. “You can’t just drag me around like I’m some kind of possession, Damon. I’m a person, not—”“You’re mine, Arianna,” he interrupted firmly. “And I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe.”I scoffed, turning my head to glare at him. “Safe? You left me on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere. What part of that screams 'safe’ to you?”His jaw clenched, his gaze fixed ahead. “You needed a reminder that actions have consequences. Wandering off wasn’t an option.”“You’re unbelievable,” I muttered, slumping back into the seat. My hands itched to grab the door handle, to throw myself out of the car if only to prove a point. But with the speed he was driving, that wasn’t an option unless I had a death wi
***************CHAPTER 27~Damon’s POV~The drive back to the estate was anything but smooth, even though the road stretched out like a ribbon under the early morning sun. My hands tightened around the steering wheel, frustration bubbling in me as Mars prowled in the back of my mind.“Two of Luca’s men,” he snarled, his anger intertwining with mine.“They won’t dare step foot on my territory again,” I muttered aloud, though no one could hear me. The report from last night still replayed in my head. My men had spotted them skulking near the estate's perimeter, and their intentions were clear—Arianna.The idea of anyone coming near her made my blood boil. Mars growled, his presence pushing against my control.“She’s ours. She doesn’t even know what she’s risking.”I didn’t need him to remind me. Arianna had been a thorn in my side since the moment we met. Her stubbornness, her defiance—it made her infuriating and irresistible all at once. Every time she pushed back, it only made me
***************CHAPTER 28~Arianna’s POV~The ride back to Damon’s estate was suffocating. Every time I opened my mouth to speak, his sharp gaze in the rearview mirror silenced me.His words replayed in my mind like a broken record. “You’re mine.”The possessiveness of it made my skin crawl, but the way my heart reacted—skipping in some unexplainable rhythm—was what unsettled me most.I glanced out the window, the dense forest surrounding the road seemed to close in on us as the trees watched our every move.Then, the car screeched to a halt.“What now?” I muttered, my nerves already frayed.Damon didn’t answer immediately. He scanned the road ahead, his posture tense. My gaze followed his, and that’s when I saw it—a black SUV parked sideways across the narrow path.“Stay in the car,” he ordered.“Like hell I will,” I snapped, adrenaline spiking.“Arianna.” His tone was sharper now, leaving no room for argument. “Stay. Here.”I shrank back into my seat as Damon stepped out. The air o
***************CHAPTER 29~Arianna’s POV~The distant howling grew louder, each mournful cry slicing through the heavy silence of the estate. Damon stood frozen for a moment, his body taut like a predator ready to strike. The tension was suffocating, and my thoughts raced as I replayed the attack on the road.“What’s happening?” My voice trembled despite my attempt to sound composed.Damon turned his piercing gaze toward me. “You need to go to your room. Now.”“I’m not a child, Damon,” I snapped, crossing my arms. “If something’s going on, I have a right to know—”“Arianna,” he interrupted in a low but cold voice. “This isn’t a debate. You need to be out of sight. Immediately.”I wanted to argue, but the intensity in his eyes made me hesitate. Whatever was coming, it wasn’t something I could fight. Reluctantly, I turned and headed upstairs, my steps heavy with frustration and fear.Once inside my room, I locked the door and leaned against it, my mind spinning. The glow in Damon’s ey
***************CHAPTER 30~Damon’s POV~Once I ensured Arianna was inside and locked away, I descended the penthouse via the elevator swiftly. My senses were razor-sharp, heightened by the adrenaline pumping through me.Mars growled in the back of my mind in a low rumble. “They shouldn’t have come this close. They’ve overstepped.”“Trust me, they’ll regret it,” I muttered aloud, my voice laced with cold fury.As I stepped into the open, the ir carried the faint scent of intruders. My eyes scanned the shadows cast by the towering estate walls. There—movement. Two figures, quickly slipping through the dense tree line bordering the property.“Xander,” I mindlinked. “Two intruders, north perimeter. Cut them off. I’ll flush them toward you.”“On it,” Xander replied.With Xander, I did not have problem with ensuring things were okay as the latter was always around me and knowing everything I wanted like a sixth sense.Without hesitation, I followed the faint trail the intruders had left—br
***************CHAPTER 31~Damon’s POV~The next day, I refused to keep Arianna cooked up at home and took her with me to work. As we drove to work, Arianna sat quietly beside me as the engine hummed. She stared out the window, her arms crossed. Her silence was a shield, but I could feel her unease, the residual tension from the events of the previous day.Mars stirred in the back of my mind. “She knows more than she lets on. It’s time, Damon.”I gripped the steering wheel tighter. “Not now.”“If not now, then when? She’s our mate, and the longer you wait, the more you risk losing her.”Mars wasn’t wrong. The glimpses of suspicion and confusion in Arianna’s eyes last night haunted me. But telling her the truth about what I was—what we were—felt like crossing a line I couldn’t uncross.For now, I focused on the day ahead. Bringing her to work as my assistant was a move aimed at keeping her close, ensuring her safety, and keeping Luca's men at bay.We arrived at the office and immedi
***************CHAPTER 32~Arianna’s POV~I had immersed myself in the tasks he gave me for the next few hours. Surprisingly, I managed to keep up with his demanding pace, my stubbornness fueling me. If he thought I’d crumble under pressure, he was sorely mistaken. Despite everything, I couldn't escape the sensation of constant observation. Every time I glanced up, Damon’s sharp eyes were on me, studying me as if I were a puzzle he couldn’t quite solve.Ever since the previous day, I couldn't shake the possibility that there was so much more with him. And just that thought made me self-conscious. With everything going on, my thoughts immediately turned to my boyfriend, whom I hadn't seen in a long time.For some reason, with every second I spent with Damon, the more distant my feelings became for my boyfriend. I shook my head. It was just Damon’s overwhelming presence and arrogant attitude. Still, why was only his thought circling my mind?And to make matters worse, each time he
***************CHAPTER 33~Arianna’s POV~The guttural growl that tore from my throat was so foreign, so primal, that for a moment, I thought it couldn’t possibly have come from me. But it had.I gasped, staring wide-eyed at the men surrounding me. Their faces twisted in shock and fear, their weapons faltering in their hands.“What the hell—” one of them stammered.Before he could finish, a sharp, searing pain tore through my body. I screamed as my bones cracked and shifted, my muscles burning like fire coursing through them.“What’s happening to me?” I managed to choke out, clutching my head as I easily broke the rope binding my hands."I’ll protect you."The voice slithered into my mind, dangerous and feminine, yet oddly comforting. It wasn’t mine, but it felt like it belonged—a part of me I hadn’t known existed until now.My vision blurred, the edges darkening as my body began to change. Sharp fangs pushed past my gums. I could feel how lethal they were. My fingers elongated into
*****************~Arianna’s POV~A strange whisper brushed against my mind, soft yet insistent, like a breeze carrying a secret only I could hear.I stiffened.I turned sharply to Iris, my heart hammering against my ribs, ignoring whether or not I’ll startle Damon. “You… you just mind-linked me.”Iris’s lips curled into that familiar smirk. “Of course I did.”My jaw tightened. I wasn’t stupid—witches didn’t just reach into someone’s mind for fun.She wanted something.I tried to hold back the urge not to fold my arms across my chest. “What do you want?” I asked in my mind.Her voice was light, almost playful, but beneath it lay something deadly serious. “Remember, you owe me a favour.”I narrowed my eyes. “You want it now?”Iris shook her head. “It is a promise.”A beat of silence stretched between us, thick and heavy. I knew Damon wondered what was going on but I just smiled and beckoned him to lead the way.Then she said it, mind-linking me.“Promise me you will find the ones that
*****************~Arianna’s POV~My breath was ragged, my pulse thundering in my ears. My entire body trembled—not from exhaustion, not from pain, but from the sheer weight of what I had just seen.My past. My parents. My real identity.I yanked my hand away from Iris, my heart slamming against my ribs as I stared at her in disbelief.“You,” I spat, the single word laced with betrayal, fury, and shock.Iris didn’t flinch. Instead, she grabbed my wrist again, tighter this time.Before I could react, the world around me shifted—sucked into nothingness.I blinked, completely disoriented. One second, we were in the dimly lit cabin, surrounded by flickering candles. The next, I stood in a vast, endless white space, floating between reality and the unknown.Iris stood before me, her black dress flowing unnaturally, her eyes glowing with ethereal power.“I know,” she said, her voice eerily calm. “I left them. But there was nothing I could do.”My hands clenched. My wolf stirred, a low growl
*****************~Arianna’s POV~A strange whisper brushed against my mind, soft yet insistent, like a breeze carrying a secret only I could hear.I stiffened.I turned sharply to Iris, my heart hammering against my ribs, ignoring whether or not I’ll startle Damon. “You… you just mind-linked me.”Iris’s lips curled into that familiar smirk. “Of course I did.”My jaw tightened. I wasn’t stupid—witches didn’t just reach into someone’s mind for fun.She wanted something.I tried to hold back the urge not to fold my arms across my chest. “What do you want?” I asked in my mind.Her voice was light, almost playful, but beneath it lay something deadly serious. “Remember, you owe me a favour.”I narrowed my eyes. “You want it now?”Iris shook her head. “It is a promise.”A beat of silence stretched between us, thick and heavy. I knew Damon wondered what was going on but I just smiled and beckoned him to lead the way.Then she said it, mind-linking me.“Promise me you will find the ones that
*****************~Damon’s POV~Of course, she moved again. Witches were paranoid by nature, and Iris was no exception. If anything, she was worse. Always running, always hiding.I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Send me the location.”“Already did,” Xander replied. “But I should warn you—she’s not exactly thrilled about visitors. The last guy who tried to force his way into her place is still missing.”I smirked. “Good thing I’m not just anyone.”Xander let out a dry chuckle. “Yeah, yeah. Just don’t get cursed or something. See you soon.”The line went dead.I tucked my phone back into my pocket and turned toward the stairs. Arianna had disappeared into her room the moment we got back. I hesitated for half a second before pulling out my own phone and dialling her number.It rang twice before she answered. “Hello?”“Get ready,” I said. “We’re leaving in ten minutes.”There was a pause, then a quiet, “Already?”“Yes. We found Iris.”The call went silent as though Arianna was contemplat
*****************~Arianna’s POV~“Give me your hand, Arianna,” Iris commanded softly, her tone laced with authority and mystery. I hesitated, a chill creeping over me, before slowly extending my hand. The cool air of the cabin seemed to pulse with energy as Iris’s touch met mine, and she closed her eyes as if to summon forces beyond mortal ken.I watched, wide-eyed, as she began chanting in a language I couldn’t comprehend. Her voice rose and fell, a rhythmic incantation that vibrated through my very soul. Before I could steady my racing thoughts, a strange sensation washed over me. Then—suddenly—her eyes snapped open, glowing white.A startled breath escaped me. Before I could react, my own vision blurred, my body stiffening as a rush of overwhelming energy coursed through me. My fingers tightened around hers involuntarily, and then—The world around us disappeared.I saw a vision of my earliest days, a memory that felt both foreign and achingly familiar. I saw myself as a tiny inf
*****************~Arianna’s POV~A crystal ball sat atop a blackened silver stand between us, swirling with faint tendrils of mist inside. The moment Iris tapped her finger against the glass, it pulsed with a bright, ethereal glow. My breath hitched.“Give me your hand, Arianna,” Iris commanded softly, her tone laced with authority and mystery. I hesitated, a chill creeping over me, before slowly extending my hand. The cool air of the cabin seemed to pulse with energy as Iris’s touch met mine, and she closed her eyes as if to summon forces beyond mortal ken.I watched, wide-eyed, as she began chanting in a language I couldn’t comprehend. Her voice rose and fell, a rhythmic incantation that vibrated through my very soul. Before I could steady my racing thoughts, a strange sensation washed over me. Then—suddenly—her eyes snapped open, glowing white.A startled breath escaped me. Before I could react, my own vision blurred, my body stiffening as a rush of overwhelming energy coursed th
*****************CHAPTER 70~Arianna’s POV~I sat down reluctantly at the round table, still skeptical of everything unfolding around me. Magic, witches, visions—it all felt like something out of a fantasy book. Yet, here I was, willingly placing my fate into the hands of a woman I barely knew.A crystal ball sat atop a blackened silver stand between us, swirling with faint tendrils of mist inside. The moment Iris tapped her finger against the glass, it pulsed with a bright, ethereal glow. My breath hitched.“Give me your hand, Arianna,” Iris commanded softly, her tone laced with authority and mystery. I hesitated, a chill creeping over me, before slowly extending my hand. The cool air of the cabin seemed to pulse with energy as Iris’s touch met mine, and she closed her eyes as if to summon forces beyond mortal ken.I watched, wide-eyed, as she began chanting in a language I couldn’t comprehend. Her voice rose and fell, a rhythmic incantation that vibrated through my very soul. Befor
*****************CHAPTER 69~Damon’s POV~The moment we got back home, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out, glancing at the screen.Xander.I exhaled sharply and answered. “Tell me you’ve got something.”“We found her,” Xander said without hesitation. “Iris moved again, but we tracked her down. Outskirts of Thania. You need to come immediately.”Of course, she moved again. Witches were paranoid by nature, and Iris was no exception. If anything, she was worse. Always running, always hiding.I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Send me the location.”“Already did,” Xander replied. “But I should warn you—she’s not exactly thrilled about visitors. The last guy who tried to force his way into her place is still missing.”I smirked. “Good thing I’m not just anyone.”Xander let out a dry chuckle. “Yeah, yeah. Just don’t get cursed or something. See you soon.”The line went dead.I tucked my phone back into my pocket and turned toward the stairs. Arianna had disappeared into her room
***************~Damon’s POV~Damon didn’t move, didn’t flinch, as I closed the distance between us. My heart pounded, each beat a whisper of hesitation, of something I didn’t fully understand.“C-Can I?” I asked softly, barely above a whisper. My hand hovered in the space between us, close but not touching.He didn’t respond right away. His dark eyes locked onto mine, searching—maybe for my intent, maybe for something else. Then, after what felt like forever, he gave a small nod.I exhaled shakily and reached out. My fingertips grazed his skin, featherlight as they brushed over the bruise on his ribs. Damon tensed under my touch but didn’t pull away.Gently, I traced the edges of each mark, my fingers gliding over the discolored patches of skin on his abdomen, the faint scars on his chest. My touch was careful, reverent, as if I could erase the pain they carried by simply being soft with him."Do they still hurt?" I murmured.Damon shook his head. “Physically, no,” he admitted. His v