Chapter 217 Vampire Luna

Chapter 217 Vampire Luna
"Yeah... long time no see," I murmured softly, taking a few small steps forward as my eyes scanned his massive frame. "How are your wounds doing?"
Damon slowly paused his writing, placing the pen down on the desk. He turned his heavy chair around to face me, a faint, weary expression crossing his sharp features. "Actually, they are getting worse," he answered, his deep voice carrying a low, gravelly rasp. "But I'm fine."
I let out a soft, dry laugh, crossing my arms over my chest. "Wow... that's wonderful news."
Damon folded his broad arms across his chest, a subtle, amused smirk pulling at the corner of his lips as his intense gaze locked onto mine. "Where have you been all this time? I’ve been expecting you to walk through that door. I honestly thought you would have come to see me much sooner."
I froze dead in my tracks, my jaw dropping slightly as I blinked at him in total confusion. "Sooner?!" I gasped, pointing a finger back toward the hallway. "You literally roared at me and chased me out of your room the last time we spoke! I naturally assumed you never wanted to set eyes on me ever again."
Damon pushed himself up from his heavy leather chair, his tall figure towering over the desk as he stepped around it with slow, deliberate strides. He stopped right in front of me, reaching out a large, warm hand to gently tuck a stray strand of hair behind my ear.
"Says who?" he purred softly, his dark eyes softening as he looked down into my face. "I always want to see you, Amanda."
I tilted my head back to meet his stare, my heart doing a faint flutter against my ribs despite my confusion. "Well... if you really wanted to see me so badly, you could have easily just called for me."
Damon let out a quiet sigh, his hand sliding down to lightly brush against my cheek. "I thought you were furious with me after what happened," he admitted, his tone dropping into a rare, gentle murmur. "I assumed you needed some space to process everything, and that is the only reason I held back from reaching out."
I rolled my eyes slightly, a small pout forming on my lips. "Then you should have just officially summoned me like you do with everyone else."
Damon’s lips twitched into a warm, genuine smile, his thumb gently tracing my jawline. "You can come here anytime you want, Amanda. You know that."
I stared up at his handsome face, all my built-up anxiety and overthinking completely evaporating into thin air. "Can you just shut up and hug me already?" I mumbled.
A rich, quiet chuckle escaped his throat as he closed the distance between us, wrapping his thick, powerful arms around my waist and pulling me tight against his broad chest. I buried my face in his neck, inhaling his familiar, comforting scent of rain and cedar. He held me securely for a long, quiet moment before leaning down, resting his forehead against mine, and pressing a tender, lingering kiss directly onto my lips.
He pulled back just an inch, his dark eyes searching my face with intense curiosity. "What happened with you, my princess?"
I blinked, tilting my head slightly. "What do you mean?"
Damon reached out, his warm fingertips gently tracing the soft skin right under my eyes, his brows furrowing into a thoughtful frown. "It's your eyes... they look like they've gotten darker."
I let out a soft, bitter breath, dropping my gaze for a split second before looking back up at him. "I guess I've just seen a lot of dark things lately."
Damon leaned in again, softly brushing his lips against mine once more as a sweet, tender expression softened his rough features. "You are truly beautiful, Amanda."
A genuine smile finally broke across my face, warmth blooming in my cheeks. "Thanks."
He kept his arm loosely wrapped around my waist, glancing down at me attentively. "Have you eaten today?"
"Yes, I have," I replied smoothly.
Damon raised an eyebrow, eyeing me suspiciously. "And what exactly did you eat?"
I shifted my weight, offering him an innocent, harmless grin. "I had a hot cup of coffee... with plenty of sugar in it."
His forehead instantly creased into a deep frown, his lips curling downward in sharp disapproval. "Coffee?" he repeated, his tone tight with disbelief. "That isn't breakfast, Amanda—that is literally just liquid!"
"I know," I admitted with a slight shrug.
Damon shook his head, already turning his attention toward the door. "I can have the estate cooks prepare a proper, heavy meal and bring it up to the room for you right now."
"No, don't worry about it," I quickly interrupted, placing a gentle hand against his arm to stop him. "I'm completely fine, really."
He narrowed his eyes, searching my expression to see if I was lying. "Are you absolutely sure?"
"Yes, of course I'm sure," I insisted, giving his arm a light squeeze. "Seriously, I'm completely fine."
I paused for a second, my pulse picking up a slight beat as a hesitant thought crossed my mind. I looked up into his dark eyes, biting my lower lip. "Can I ask you for a favor?"
Damon tilted his head, his expression shifting into one of quiet intrigue. "What is it?"
"Can I... can I please see your wounds?" I asked softly, my voice dropping into a gentle, cautious tone. "Just a look... I just want to see how bad it is."
Damon stared at me for a silent moment, assessing my request. Without saying a word, he reached down, grabbed the hem of his dark shirt, and pulled it smoothly over his head, tossing the fabric onto the desk behind him. He then slowly turned his back toward me, exposing his bare skin to the warm light of the room.
The second my eyes landed on his back, my breath hitched sharply in my throat, and a wave of pure, ov
erwhelming terror washed over me.