Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen
Damien's Pov

"this is dumb." I said to myself, an hour later, after spending all the time outside. It was dumb, because for one thing, I could go into the house and still avoid Jasmine. I mean, neither of us were in the same wing anyway.

Yet somehow the entire estate felt smaller when she was in it. Like the walls had shifted closer, like every hallway secretly led to her door.

It was Pathetic. Because I’d actually faced down rogues twice my size without blinking, and here I was hiding from one soft-spoken woman.

So I did go into the house, but I avoided her at dinner, and asked that my meal be brought to my room.

The servants gave me odd looks. I never skipped dinner with the pack. Never. But I couldn’t risk sitting across from her and staring like some lovesick idiot.

And that night, I found it so hard to fall asleep. Instead, I stayed awake, and the thoughts of Jasmine in the other wing all but consumed me.

"ah, I've had enough of this." I said in frustration sometime in the middle of the night and got up angrily, and stalked off to her wing. It's started with me knocking softly, and then I stopped when I considered the fact that she was sleeping. I turned to leave , but paused in my steps, unable to give the distance that I thought she might need in this sleepy state, then turned around once again to knock on her door.

A moment passed, before I heard her sweet angelic voice call out, "Come on in."

And then I did. I opened up the door and entered into the room, and there she sat, In a white robe, looking all sleepy and tumbled.

"Damien?" she called out in a confused , sleepy voice, and walked into the room, slowly.

"aye." I said, standing a few feet away from her bed.

"But… what's wrong? What's going on? Why are you here at this hour?" she asked, rubbing at her eyes, and I sighed. She really was the cutest thing ever.

"can I sit?" I asked and she nodded, before scooting over, so I could sit at the edge of the bed.

"tell me what's wrong." she requested and I turned to look at her. Really looked at her.

"you are." I said pointedly and she looked thoroughly confused.

"I am?" she asked, and I nodded

"And how am I the problem?" she asked, an edge to her voice, with some of the sleepiness gone.

"well, for one thing, you fill up my mind without trying."

"I do that?" she asked, looking at me intently.

"Aye, you do. Otherwise, why would I be here at this hour, unable to sleep, disturbing your sleep." I said, and she blew out a breath.

"Everyone has their bouts of insomnia once in a while. And in any case, you're a very busy Alpha. You're bound to have a lot in your head from time to time."

"Agreed. But at least I can at least try to solve whatever keeps me up at night as an Alpha. Not with you. " I said, and reached out to touch her cheek. Ran my thumb over it.

"with you, I reach a dead end, every single time. I can make decrees as the alpha, and expect that people will follow them. That solves issues for sure. I can train my body, to become the strongest version of myself, and attack my enemies. But not with you, Jasmine. If there ever comes a time, that there is something I desperately need to know about you, I have to ask you, because for all my power, I can't really get in your head." I said, and reached out to take her hand in mine.

"I'm going to need you to tell me."

She squeezed the hand that held hers, and sighed.

"I don't have a single problem, with telling you what's in my head, Damien."

"would you like to tell me what's going on inside of your head now?" I asked, and she made a face.

"sincerely?" she asked, and I nodded.

"I'd like to know how much longer still conversation will go on." she replied, and I couldn't help the chuckle that escaped my lips.

"you're incredibly sleepy ?" I asked, and she shook her head.

"not incredibly. But you did drag me out of sleep, and in as much as I'm happy for this soft moment we just shared, I'm doing my best not to let go of this desire to sleep."

I brought the hand I held to my lips, and sighed,

"go to sleep then. We can talk in the morning."

"okay. Do you think you'll be able to go back to sleep?"

I thought for a moment. Some of the restlessness I felt from earlier had gone, so I nodded.

"yes. I think I'll be able to get some sleep now."

"good." she said and began to stretch like a cat. That did wild things to me on the inside, so I decided it was time for me to take my leave.

"good night, Jasmine." I said, and she smiled a sleepy smile.

"Good night, Damien. This was nice."