Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Larisa’s POV

I couldn’t breathe.
Not because of the smoke still swirling through the trees, or the burn in my lungs from running like my life depended on it.
But because of him.
Damien.
I caught a glimpse of him—just a flash—before everything fell apart. He was there, alive and real. Not some figment of my imagination, not a ghost from my past, and definitely not a fantasy I’d conjured to escape the confines of this gilded cage I called home.
And then, just like that... he was gone again.
It felt like the ground had vanished beneath my feet.
I didn’t catch the commands Killian was barking. I hardly even noticed the guards closing in around us as we made our way back to the estate. My body moved on autopilot, but my mind—my heart—was still back there, where his eyes had met mine through the smoke.
There was something in his gaze. A flicker of... was it pain? Relief?
Hope?
Honestly, I felt it too.
As we reached the gates, Killian strode ahead like nothing was amiss, but I could feel his anger radiating off him in waves. He hadn’t uttered a single word since we left the clearing, but I knew the storm was coming. The explosion.
The moment we stepped inside the estate and the doors slammed shut behind us, it hit.
He whipped around to face me.
“What the hell was that back there?” he snapped, his eyes wild, like a cornered animal.
I blinked. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t lie to me, Larisa. You froze. You looked at him like—like he meant something.”
Crossing my arms, I shot back, “He just appeared out of nowhere! You’ve been going on about a rogue for weeks, and I had no clue it was him. How was I supposed to handle that?”
He stepped closer, jaw clenched tight. “So he does mean something.”
I opened my mouth to respond, but then closed it again.
I couldn’t lie.
Not this time.
Not after what I’d seen.
“Once,” I said quietly. “A long time ago. Before any of this. Before you dragged me into this nightmare.”
His expression darkened. “You’re carrying my pups. You belong to me now.”
The words made my stomach churn.
I forced myself to stay still, to keep my expression blank.
But inside? I was screaming.
Those pups don’t belong to you.
They’re Damien’s.
From that one, reckless night that changed everything.
Killian didn’t know. Not for certain. And I planned to keep it that way for as long as I could. He was keeping me here like a trophy he hadn’t won, playing the loving mate in public and the cold strategist behind closed doors. I’d noticed the cracks in his mask lately, but tonight, he’d finally shown his true colors.
He knew.
He knew who Damien was to me.
And he hated it.
Killian didn’t say another word. He stormed out, slamming the door so hard the walls shook.
I stood there for what felt like ages after he left, arms wrapped around myself, staring at the spot where Damien had stood just hours before.
He was alive.
That meant everything.
But it also meant... danger. For him. For me. For the little ones growing inside me.
I sat on the edge of the bed, running my fingers over my stomach. There was barely a bump, but I could feel them. Their heartbeats syncing with mine in those quiet moments.
They were a part of Damien.
And I would do anything to keep them safe.
I got up and moved to the window. The guards outside had doubled. They stood stiffly, pretending not to glance up at me, but I caught their eyes flickering every now and then.
They weren’t just keeping watch over me anymore.
They were watching me.
I was a prisoner, and I knew it.
The walls were closing in faster than I’d anticipated, and if Damien was plotting something—anything—I had to figure out a way to help him. To reach him. Or at least escape Killian’s trap before it snapped shut completely.
My hand slipped under the loose floorboard beneath the bed. I’d hidden it weeks ago—just in case.
A piece of paper, rough and creased from being folded too many times.
Damien’s note.
“Soon.”
That’s all it said.
I clutched it tightly, pressing it to my chest.
Please let soon be now.
I was just tucking the paper back into its hiding spot when there was a knock at the door.
Three sharp raps.
Not Killian. He never knocked.
“Larisa,” a soft whisper slipped through the crack. “It’s me. Please, open up. We don’t have much time.”
Definitely a woman’s voice—urgent, maybe even a bit frantic. It sent my heart racing.
I tiptoed toward the door, moving slowly and quietly. Honestly, I had no clue who it could be. Nobody ever came to see me—not without Killian’s approval, anyway.
I pressed my palm against the cool wood, feeling this weird mix of hope and fear bubbling up inside me.
“Who are you?” I finally managed to ask, just loud enough for her to hear.
“I’m here on Damien’s behalf. We need to get you out. Tonight.”
Before I could wrap my head around what she said, I heard footsteps pounding down the hall—heavy and fast. My blood ran cold.
“Shit. Someone’s coming,” the woman outside muttered. “Be ready when the time comes, Larisa. You’re not alone.”
And just like that, she was gone.
The hallway fell silent again.
But something inside me had changed.
I wasn’t just han
ging on anymore. No, I was waiting.
And this time, I wouldn’t freeze up.