Chapter 39 Chapter 39
ELIJAH’S POV
I didn’t plan to walk into Damon's room that night.
I only wanted to thank him.
I just wanted to thank him for what he did—saving the girl I couldn’t save myself. Damon didn’t need gratitude, and I didn’t want to give it, but it felt like the only decent thing left to do.
I had no idea she’d be there.
No idea that stepping into his quarters would tear open every wound I’d spent years trying to forget.
The door creaked open easily.
And then—
I froze.
She was there.
For a long heartbeat, no one spoke. No one even breathed.
Anna.
The girl I loved.
The one I’d betrayed.
And she wasn’t alone.
She was on top of him—my brother.
The light from the fire traced every line of her face. Her hair fell loose around her shoulders, her chest rising too fast. Damon stood close behind her, his hand firm on her ass, his face buried in the curve of her neck. Their closeness left no doubt about what I had interrupted.
For a second, I thought I was dreaming—that my mind had finally broken, but the sound of her quickened breath, the slight tremor in her hands, and the low, dark hum of his voice near her ear… it was all real.
The world seemed to tilt.
My pulse pounded so hard I could barely hear anything else.
Damon looked up first. That smirk—slow, cutting, and deliberate—was meant for me. He didn’t move away from her. He didn’t even pretend to. He just held her closer, like she belonged there with him, like he was daring me to do something about it.
He wanted me to see.
And I did.
“Elijah,” she breathed, barely above a whisper as she turned to find me there.
I should have replied. I should have said something, but my throat felt locked, my voice suddenly felt gone.
I felt my fists clench at my sides, my nails digging into skin. I forced my expression to stay calm—forced my face to look as if it didn’t matter.
Because I couldn’t show it.
I couldn't show the jealousy clawing at my ribs.
I couldn't let her see or feel the pain of watching her wrapped in the arms of the man I had begged to save her, the man who knew exactly what she meant to me.
She stepped back quickly, her face pale, her eyes moving anywhere but mine. Shame filled the silence between us like smoke.
And for the first time in years, I wished I’d never come, because watching her with him hurt more than losing her ever did.
Damon didn’t move. His hand stayed where it was. He was even grabbing her ass more, his smirk barely visible in the low light.
“You’re early, Elijah.” he said casually, as if nothing about this moment was wrong.
Anna’s face flushed in embarrassment. She stepped back, her hands trembling as she reached for her shirt, her voice breaking. “I—I should go.”
I wanted to stop her. I wanted to tell her she didn’t have to run, but I couldn’t even trust my voice to say just that.
She didn’t wait for either of us. She turned quickly, brushing past me with her head bowed, disappearing into Damon's bathroom before I could find the words.
The sound of the door clicking shut was soft—
But it was the loudest sound I’d ever heard.
Silence fell again.
Damon finally looked at me, amusement showing across his face. “You don’t knock now?”
“Don’t play with me!” I shot back quietly. My voice was steady, but it didn’t feel like mine.
He raised a brow, unbothered. “Play with you? Or her?”
I glared at him. “Anna's not a game.”
He smirked, leaning lazily against the table. “No, but you sure treat her like one.”
My claws itched beneath my skin. “You saved her, Damon. That doesn’t give you the right to—”
“To what?” He stepped forward, his tone colder now. “To fuck her? To make her feel something real for once?”
“Don’t you dare—”
“She looked at you just now,” he cut in sharply, his eyes narrowing at me. “And you froze. You didn’t even move to comfort her. You think I didn’t see that?”
My jaw locked. “You don’t know anything about me!”
“Oh, I know enough...” He took another step closer, his voice dropping to a quiet threat. “You can lie to everyone else, Elijah, but not to me. You want her—and you hate that she came to me instead.”
I met his eyes, anger burning in my chest. “You think you’re better than me?”
He chuckled softly as he stared at me. “I don’t just think it, brother.” He leaned in, his gleaming red at the edges.
“I know I'm better than you!”
My control snapped, and I grabbed his collar, shoving him back hard against the wall. The furniture rattled, and his grin only widened.
“Careful,” he murmured. “You wouldn’t want Anna to hear you acting like a jealous bastard, would you?”
I didn’t care anymore. “Stay away from her!”
“Make me!”
His words hit like a spark to dry wood.
I swung first, but he caught my arm midair, twisting it effortlessly. Pain shot up my shoulder, but I didn’t stop—I slammed my knee into his side. He barely flinched.
“You forget what I am,” he said, voice sharp with dark amusement. “You can’t win a fight with me, brother. I'm a fucking hybrid, a mix of vampire and werewolf. You can't defeat me, Elijah. No one can defeat me, brother. You're not even close!”
I growled, pushing harder, slamming him into the table. “I don’t care if you're an hybrid...”
He moved faster than I could blink. One second I had him pinned—the next, I was the one crashing into the wall, his hand around my throat.
The strength in his grip wasn’t human. It wasn’t even wolf. It was something far more dangerous.
“Don’t test me... I'll kill you right here if you push me, little brother.” he hissed.
My vision blurred, and I could see the veins darkening around his eyes—that hybrid fury that always sat just beneath his skin.
For a second, I thought he’d actually kill me.
But then, as quick as it started, he released me, and I stumbled forward, gasping for air, my chest heaving.
He looked down at me, his expression unreadable. “You should thank me again,” he said quietly. “Because next time, I won’t stop. Next time, I'll kill you.”
The bathroom door suddenly opened softly behind us, and Anna stepped out, her eyes turning wide, confused.
Neither of us spoke.
She glanced between us—at the overturned chair, the broken table edge, the marks on my neck—then back at Damon, who only gave her that same dark, dangerous smirk.
“I was just leaving...” I quickly add in embarrassment.
Before she could say anything, I turned and walked out.
Her voice followed faintly—“Elijah, wait—”
But I didn’t stop.
I couldn’t.
Not when every step away from that room felt like I was walking barefoot through fire.