Chapter Thirty Seven

Damien’s POV.

I stood at the edge of the packhouse, staring out into the vast grounds, my mind still spinning from the events of the last few days.

The sudden sound of a door opening broke my reverie. I turned my head just as Callie stepped into the room. Her eyes swept over the room with practiced ease, landing on me first. She offered a smile, which I did not return.

Callie was there. And nothing good ever came from her presence. She was trouble, always had been.

I turned to see Eve, my breath catching in my throat. She was standing at the far side of the room, her posture stiff, her hands clenched at her sides as she watched Callie. Eve’s eyes flickered between Callie and me, and then back to Damon, whose expression had shifted ever so slightly.

Damon. Always so calm, so composed on the surface. But I knew him well enough to see the slight tension in his shoulders, the way his gaze lingered on Callie. I couldn’t blame him, she was impossible to ignore, with her perfectly crafted curves, however, I wasn’t willing to let her pull us into her orbit again, not after everything that had happened with Eve. I couldn’t let her interfere with what we had built.

I needed to focus. Not on Callie. Not on Damon. But on Eve.

I took a few steps toward her, and she looked away as if I’d caught her in the middle of a private thought, but I didn’t let that stop me.

“Eve,” I said softly, my voice just loud enough to reach her over the quiet murmur of the room. She didn’t look at me right away, but I could see her fingers curling into fists, her nails digging into her palms. She was angry. And I couldn’t blame her. I wasn’t blind to the way Callie had immediately zeroed in on Damon.

“Babe?” I asked, moving closer, my hand brushing against hers.

“I’m fine,” she replied, her voice was strained, “Just… trying to keep my distance.”

I raised an eyebrow. “ Callie?”

She didn’t respond right away, but her gaze flickered over to Callie, who was now leaning a little too close to Damon, her lips curling into a teasing smile. The way Callie moved, so deliberate, so obvious, it made something inside me burn. But it wasn’t the same thing that burned in me when I thought of Eve.

I stepped in closer to her, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear, my fingers lingering on her skin. Her breath caught, and I saw her eyes flutter shut for a moment, as if my touch was the only thing keeping her grounded in that moment. I could feel her pulse under my fingertips, quickening with each passing second, and I knew, with certainty, that there was no going back now.

She tilted her head up, meeting my gaze, and I saw the fire in her eyes, the same fire that had drawn me to her from the moment I first saw her. She wanted me just as much as I wanted her. There was no denying that.

“Damon’s not going to fall for her again,” I murmured, my lips barely brushing her ear as I spoke, my voice low and soothing. “She’s nothing but a distraction. And I’ll make sure she knows that.”

Eve didn’t answer, but I felt the way her body soften, the tension easing in her shoulders. But it didn’t last long.

Callie’s laughter rang through the room again, sharp and sultry, and I watched as Damon smiled at her, that smile of his that never failed to make hearts flutter. But I wasn’t fooled. I knew better than anyone that Damon wasn’t interested in her in the same way she was interested in him. Callie was a game to him. Nothing more.

Eve didn’t seem to agree, though. Her eyes darkened again, the jealousy swirling in them like a storm. It was hard to ignore the truth of what was happening: Eve was jealous. She didn’t want to admit it, but she was.

I couldn’t hold back any longer. I reached out, taking her hand in mine, pulling her gently toward me. “Eve, I…”

But before I could finish, she cut me off with a sharp tone. “Callie doesn’t matter,” she said, “What matters is that you and Damon have your little game to play.”

I reached for her, my hands finding her face, cupping her cheeks gently, tracing her lips. “Eve,” I breathed, my voice a low whisper. “This isn’t a game.”

I didn’t wait for her to respond. I closed the distance between us, my lips crashing into hers with a ferocity, It wasn’t a soft kiss, It was hardd.

Her hands fisted in my shirt, pulling me closer, as if she couldn’t get enough of me. And I couldn’t get enough of her either. I deepened the kiss, letting myself feel everything, her curves, her softness, the way her body molded against mine. .

We pulled away, breathless. Her eyes were wide, her lips parted as if she couldn’t get enough, and wanted more, and I was going togive it all to her.

I heard the unmistakable sound of a door opening. Callie stood in the doorway, her smile fake and her gaze filled with wry amusement.

“Well,” she said with a laugh that made my blood boil, “it seems like things are getting hot in here.”

I felt Eve stiffen against me, though she didn’t pull away. Eve’s eyes flashed, She stepped away from me, her jaw set in that familiar way I knew too well. “What do you want, Callie?” Eve asked, her voice tight.

Callie’s.eyes glinted with malicious pleasure. “Oh, nothing much” she said, her gaze on me, then moving to Damon, who had been watching the entire exchange from across the room. I could see his posture shift, his jaw tightening as he observed the scene.

Eve’s voice was cool, but with an edge that made it clear she wasn’t fooled by Callie’s antics. “You never change, do you?”

Callie’s expression darkened, “I don’t need to change, Eve. I just need to get what’s mine.” each syllable dripping with venom.

“Enough, Callie.” Damon’s voice cut through, I could tell by the way his eyes hardened that Callie had crossed a line. “You’re not here to make peace. You’re not here to help. You’re just here to cause trouble.”

Callie’s eyes narrowed at Damon’s tone, but she didn’t back down. Instead, she turned her attention back to Eve, “You listen to me, Eve. I’m just trying to remind you of what you’ve always known. That you don’t belong here. Not with them.” Her gaze swept over me, then Damon.

“I think it’s time for you to leave, Callie,” I said, my voice calm but firm, “You’ve done enough damage already.”

Without another word, Callie turned on her heel and left the room.

As the door clicked shut behind her, I turned back to Eve.

I moved toward her again, my hand reaching for hers. This time, she didn’t pull away. I cupped her face gently, forcing her to meet my gaze. “Eve, don’t listen to her. She’s just trying to get under your skin.”

“It’s not that simple, Damien,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “I can’t help it. The way she looks at you… the way she looks at Damon. I know she wants to break us. I know she wants to break me.”

I pulled her close, “She won’t. I won’t let her.” I kissed her forehead, my hand gently brushing the side of her face. “You’re everything to me. Everything. Don’t you ever doubt that.”

The door creaked open behind us, and I turned just in time to see Damon

step forward, his face etched with worry “We need to talk,” he said quietly.