Chapter 44 Chapter 44
ANNA’S POV
The silence after the guard’s exit felt heavier than the air itself.
My mind spun in wild, breathless circles.
There was going to be an announcement by Elijah in ten minutes, and I had no knowledge of what he was about to say.
My heart pounded like I’d swallowed thunder. I looked at Damon, desperate for some sign of what this meant, but his face was unreadable—those sharp eyes fixed somewhere beyond the walls, his jaw tight, and his body still.
I hated that he looked so composed when I felt like I was falling apart inside.
“Damon…” I began, my voice breaking slightly. “What… what do you think Elijah’s announcement is about?”
He didn’t answer right away. He just stared ahead, thinking, his chest rising and falling with a steady calmness that almost irritated me.
How could anyone be so calm?
“I don’t know,” he answered finally, turning his head toward me. “But whatever it is, I don’t think it’s good.”
My stomach dropped. “You think it’s about us?”
His gaze flickered over me—briefly, but enough to make me shiver. “It could be. He saw us together this morning.”
I flinched. The memory of that moment—Elijah’s eyes on me, the cold rage in them, the shock that twisted his face—stabbed at me all over again. I’d never seen him look at me like that before. Not even when we fought.
“I didn’t mean for that to happen,” I murmured.
Damon’s lips twitched faintly, a dark, humorless curve. “Yes, you did,” he said quietly. “You wanted me to touch you. You wanted him to see.”
I looked away, heat rushing to my face. “That’s not true.”
“Then why are you shaking?” he asked, his tone low, teasing, and infuriatingly calm.
I glared at him, even though my pulse betrayed me. “Because I’m terrified!”
His expression softened—just a little. “You have nothing to be afraid of,” he said. “Not while I’m here.”
But that didn’t help.
Not really. Because it wasn’t fear of what Elijah could do to me that had my stomach in knots—it was fear of what he could do to himself, and to us all. Elijah was never predictable when hurt. He was proud, emotional, and impulsive. His anger could fill the sky if he let it.
“Ten minutes,” I whispered, pacing the edge of the bed. “He said ten minutes. What could he possibly say that needs the whole pack to be there?”
Damon’s eyes followed me with a mix of interest and faint concern. “Maybe he’s announcing a new law or something else,” he said with a shrug, trying to sound casual.
But I could tell he was just as confused as I was.
He wasn’t rattled—but he wasn’t entirely calm either. There was tension hidden beneath his composure, like a current waiting to break the surface.
Was he hiding something from me?
Did Damon know what Elijah was going to announce?
He finally sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. “You should probably get ready. You don’t want to walk into that hall looking like you just rolled out of bed.”
I shot him a look. “I’m a maid, Damon. Who cares about me? And is that what you’re worried about right now?”
He tilted his head slightly, smirking. “Partly. You should use my bathroom. It’s faster than running back to the servants’ quarters.”
“I can manage on my own even—”
“You’ll waste time,” he interrupted. “Just use mine, Anna.”
I opened my mouth to argue, then stopped. He wasn’t wrong, but something about the idea of stepping into his bathroom—his private space—made my heart skip a beat. It wasn’t just a bathroom.
The thought alone made my skin prickle.
“Don’t step into the bathroom if I’m there…” I warned, trying to sound calm even though my voice came out softer than I wanted.
Damon’s eyes lifted to mine immediately, dark and slow, like he had been waiting for those exact words.
“What if I do?” he murmured.
My heart skipped a beat.
Damon took a step closer, his breath brushing my cheek.
“Hmm?” he continued, his voice dropping to a whisper. “What if I walk in… and you’re already naked?”
His gaze dragged down my body and back up, filled with desire and hunger for me.
“What do you think I’d do then?” Damon continued, his voice low and taunting. He leaned in, his lips brushing dangerously close to my ear. “I think you already know what I’ll do… because it rhymes with luck.”
His breath warmed my skin.
“I’ll fuck you, Anna.”
My heart stopped.
A slow, faint smile curved his lips as he pulled back just enough to look at me.
“I’m joking,” he said softly, though the heat in his eyes told a different story. “Relax, Anna. Take your time. You’ll want to wash off the nerves before you face whatever announcement Elijah’s about to make.”
His voice wrapped around me like silk, and I hated that it made my chest tighten. I turned away before he could see the flush creeping up my neck.
The bathroom door shut behind me with a quiet click, sealing me in the warmth of steam and silence.
For a moment, I just stood there, breathing it in.
The tiles were cool beneath my feet, and the shower gleamed like silver under the faint light filtering through the high window. I caught my reflection in the mirror—hair messy, cheeks flushed, and eyes uncertain. I barely recognized the girl staring back.
Slowly, I took off my clothes one by one, letting them fall carelessly to the floor. The air brushed against my skin, making me shiver. Then I stepped into the shower and turned the knob.
Warm water fell over me instantly, washing away the tension, the fear, and the chaos building up in my chest.
I closed my eyes.
And for a few moments, I just stood there, letting the steam wrap around me. The sound of the water drowned out the world, and for once, I didn’t think about Elijah or the announcement or what was coming.
I just focused on the shower.
And under the steady rush of water, I thought of Damon, and the way his eyes looked at me like he could see everything I tried to hide.
I didn’t want to want him—but I did.
My breath caught, my thoughts wandering dangerously close to the edge of where they shouldn’t go.
I grabbed the soap—his soap—and the smell of him hit me all over again. I could almost feel him standing behind me, his breath against my neck, his hand tracing my hip.
My heart quickened.
By the time I rinsed off, my legs felt weak. I turned off the water, stepping out carefully, droplets running down my skin. The mirror was fogged over completely, and his bathroom was warm and filled with his scent.
I reached for a towel—his towel.
It was thick, soft, and freshly laundered, but it still smelled faintly like him. That mix of cedar, smoke, and something darker. Something that made my chest ache.
Before I realized what I was doing, I lifted the towel to my face and took a quick breath.
Damn.
It was intoxicating.
I froze immediately afterward, mortified by my own weakness.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” I muttered under my breath, shaking my head. “Get dressed, Anna.”
I couldn’t believe I was actually sniffing his towel.
I was insane…
But then—before I wrapped the towel around myself and reached for my clothes—
The door suddenly opened.
I froze.
My breath stopped, but I didn’t move.
Damon stood there, framed in the doorway. The light from the hall caught on his jaw—sharp and dangerously attractive—and for a long, suspended second, he didn’t move either.
His eyes found me.
And then—slowly—they began to travel downward.
From my wet hair to the curve of my collarbone. Down the faint trail of water slipping between my breasts. His gaze followed the droplets like my body was something sacred, forbidden, and mesmerizing.
My heart thundered. I should have grabbed the towel. I should have screamed, covered myself, done something.
But I didn’t.
I just stood there.
Completely naked.
Watching Damon watch me with a smirk on his face.
His eyes reached my hips and lingered there, then slid lower—a dangerous kind of hunger glinting in them.
And maybe I was extremely shocked, and that’s why I didn’t move.
Or maybe—just maybe—
I didn’t move because I didn’t want to stop him from staring at my body.