Chapter 35 Chapter 35
ANNA'S POV
The doors slammed behind us, and silence filled the hallway. Damon still held me in his arms like I weighed nothing. His grip was firm, but not rough. I could feel the steady rhythm of his heartbeat against my side.
He didn’t say a word as he walked, his boots echoing softly against the stone floor. His scent—clean, dark, and a little dangerous—wrapped around me. I didn’t know where he was taking me, but somehow, I didn’t care.
Everyone had just stood there, watching him walk away with me like no one dared to stop him. And maybe no one could.
He pushed open a heavy wooden door and stepped inside.
It was his room.
He set me down gently on a couch near the fire. For a second, I didn’t move. My heart was still racing.
He looked down at me, one eyebrow lifting. “You’re shaking,” he noticed, a smirk on his face. “What’s wrong, little wolf? Did I scare you?”
“I’m not scared!” I answered too quickly.
He turned away before I could add to my reply, pulling off his black coat and tossing it onto a chair. The muscles under his shirt moved easily as he did. I hated that my eyes followed.
When he looked back, his expression had changed. The playfulness faded a little, and his gaze dropped to my arm. “You’re bleeding...”
I glanced down and saw the dark stain spreading on my sleeve. I hadn’t even felt it. My stomach twisted.
“It’s nothing!” I replied, trying to pull my hand back.
He caught it before I could, and his fingers closed gently around my wrist. “It’s not nothing,” he murmured. “Stay still!”
He walked over to a drawer and came back with a small wooden box. Inside were bandages, a clean cloth, and a small bottle. He knelt in front of me, opening the bottle and soaking the cloth with water that smelled faintly like herbs.
“Who keeps a first aid box in their room?” I asked softly.
“Men who don’t trust doctors,” he answered. His voice had that same teasing edge, but it was softer now.
He cleaned the cut with slow, careful movements. His touch was warm but gentle, like he was afraid I was fragile and might break. Every time his fingers brushed my skin, something strange fluttered inside me.
“You’re very quiet,” he noticed, not looking up.
“I don’t know what to say...” I whispered.
“Try saying thank you...” he teased.
I frowned at him. “I already did.”
He grinned, that crooked, dangerous grin that made my heart jump. “Say it again. I like hearing it.”
“Thank you,” I murmured, trying not to blush.
“Good girl!”
The words hit me like a spark. I looked at him quickly, and he was still focused on my arm, wrapping the bandage carefully.
“There...” he said finally. “All fixed!”
He stood up, tossing the used cloth aside, and looked down at me. “You did good back there.”
My breath caught. “Good?”
He nodded slowly, his gaze never leaving mine. “You didn’t break in front of the Alpha Kings. I like when a girl isn't weak.”
His words sent a shiver through me. I didn’t know what to say, so I looked away, but his hand came up, his fingers brushing my chin gently, turning my face back toward him.
“Don’t look away from me, Anna.” he said softly.
I froze.
His eyes held mine, dark and steady, but I didn’t see danger there. I saw something deeper—something that scared me more than his strength ever could.
“Why did you save me?” I asked quietly.
He tilted his head. “Do you really want to know?”
“Yes.”
He smiled slowly. “Maybe I like saving pretty girls from bad situations.”
I frowned. “You don’t look like the type.”
He leaned closer, his breath warm against my cheek. “Well, maybe I’m full of surprises.”
My heart was pounding too fast now. I wanted to step back, but I couldn’t move. His hand brushed against my arm, tracing the edge of the bandage he’d tied.
“You should rest,” he said softly. “You’re safe here in my room. No one will harm you again, Anna.”
I should have been afraid.
Everything about him screamed danger, but when he looked at me like that, I felt warm instead of scared. I felt protected by him instead of trapped, but I didn't know if it bothered me or not.
He took a step back, his eyes still on me. “You can sleep here tonight.”
“I don’t want to be a burden—”
“Trust me,” he said. “You couldn’t burden me if you tried.”
My throat felt tight.
I didn’t know what to say to that.
He sighed quietly and sat beside me, his arm brushing mine. The heat of his skin made my breath stop. He leaned back lazily, his gaze moving toward me.
“You keep looking at me like that,” he murmured, “and I might start to think you like me.”
“I don’t!” I said too fast.
“Hmm.” He smiled again, leaning in just a little. “Then stop blushing.”
I turned my face away in embarrassment, but he chuckled under his breath. His laugh was low, rich, and a little rough.
It made my stomach twist.
“You’re impossible,” I muttered.
“And you’re fun to tease.”
He was too close now.
I could feel his breath, smell the faint scent of smoke and something sharp, like danger mixed with rain. The light from the fire made his eyes look even darker, his jaw even sharper.
For a long moment, neither of us said anything. The fire cracked softly behind us. His hand moved, almost hesitating, before brushing a loose strand of hair from my face. His fingers lingered near my cheek, barely touching.
I knew he was dangerous, but the way he was looking at me made it impossible to think.
Before I knew it, my hand was on his chest, feeling the slow rise and fall of his breath. He didn’t move.
He just stared at me.
“Anna...” he warned softly.
But I didn’t stop.
My heart was beating too fast, my mind spinning. I didn’t know if it was the safety I felt around him or the danger I couldn’t stay away from.
Maybe both.
He leaned closer, his voice barely above a whisper. “You don’t know what you’re doing.”
“Then stop me, Damon.” I said quietly.
For a second, it felt like the world stopped. His eyes searched mine, like he was trying to find a reason not to.
But he didn’t.
When his lips finally touched mine, the room seemed to fall away. The fire burned brighter, my heart louder. His kiss was slow, deep, and full of the danger he carried. My hands gripped his shirt without meaning to, and he pulled me closer, the warmth between us burning hotter than the flames in the fireplace.
He was careful, almost too careful, like he didn’t want to break something fragile, but I could feel it—the storm under his skin, and the power he was trying to hold back.
And for a moment, I didn’t care. I wanted to be close to him, to feel that danger, that strength, that heat that made me forget everything else.
When he finally pulled away, his breath was unsteady. His hand stayed on my cheek, thumb brushing my skin.
“You really shouldn’t have done that...” he whispered.
My chest rose and fell fast. “Why?”
His lips curved in a faint, dangerous smirk. “Because now, I might not be able to stop.”
The fire cracked again, and the world outside went silent.
And even though a voice in my head told me to run away from him, I didn’t move.
Not yet.