The night had grown quiet again, but nothing inside me was still.
Damon's kiss still clung to my lips, searing and unrelenting, like it had branded me. His hands had gripped my waist with a possessiveness that should've terrified me but it didn't.
It thrilled me.
It scared me in a different way… because I knew I'd let him do more.
He'd pulled back only when my breathing had turned shaky asking him to stop when his control hung by a thread. His eyes, burning silver under the moonlight, had promised one thing: this wasn't over.
Not even close.
I didn't sleep that night. Neither did my friends.
Zara & Aiden
The dorm balcony was cold, but Zara stood there anyway, leaning against the railing like the darkness was her shield.
Aiden stepped out quietly, his presence a warm pressure at her back. "Still can't stand to be in the same room as me?"
"Still think I owe you a conversation?" she shot back without looking at him.
He smirked, but there was no humor in it. "You've been avoiding me for three years, Zara. Thought maybe saving your life tonight would at least earn me a sentence or two."
Her jaw clenched. "I didn't ask you to protect me."
"No," he said, voice dropping lower, "but I still would have taken that hit for you a thousand times over."
She turned then, finally meeting his eyes. There was heat there—anger, longing, regret—too much for her to process without feeling like the floor was falling out from under her.
"You don't get to act like the past didn't happen," she whispered. "You left. You broke everything, Aiden. And I'm not… I can't do that again."
His lips quirked in that infuriating almost-smile. "You can try to forget me, Zara. You've done a good job convincing yourself you have. But tell me—does your pulse race like this for anyone else?"
Her breath caught. Damn him. He'd always known how to slip past her walls without even touching her.
She shoved past him, disappearing into the room, but not before he caught the faint flush on her cheeks.
He didn't chase her.
He'd already decided—she wasn't getting away this time.
Mira & Damon
Later that night, I found myself pacing outside Damon's quarters. I had no reason to be there. No excuse. But my body had carried me anyway, like the bond had taken control of my steps.
The door opened before I could knock.
Damon leaned against the frame, shirt hanging open, hair tousled like he hadn't even tried to tame it. "You planning to stand there all night, little wolf?"
"I'm not—" I started, but his hand shot out, curling around my wrist. One tug and I was inside. The door slammed shut behind me.
The air between us was molten. I could feel his restraint—it was razor-thin, trembling. He cupped my jaw, thumb stroking the corner of my mouth like he was memorizing the feel.
"You drive me insane," he murmured, voice hoarse. "Every second you're near me, I want to ruin you and worship you in the same breath."
I swallowed hard. "Then why don't you?"
His eyes darkened, the Alpha in him straining to answer that challenge. "Because if I start, I won't stop. And you're not ready for that… yet."
But his self-control snapped when I reached for him first.
The kiss was urgent, hungry. My hands fisted in his shirt, his fingers dug into my hips, pulling me flush against him. I could feel the hard line of his body, the way his chest rose and fell faster with each heartbeat.
When his mouth trailed down my neck, I tilted my head back, letting out a moan that made his grip tighten. His teeth grazed my skin—one more second and I knew he'd mark me.
The door banged open.
I jumped back just as Damon turned with a slow, dangerous glare. Selena leaned casually against the doorway, her beauty almost unreal in the moonlight.
"Sorry," she drawled, not sounding sorry at all. "Didn't mean to interrupt… whatever this is."
Her eyes cut to me, full of challenge, before sliding back to Damon with a sultry smile. "I was hoping you'd give me a tour of the territory, Alpha. But I see you're… busy."
Damon didn't speak. He just stared at her, face unreadable.
And somehow, that silence was worse than shouting.
Selena's smirk faltered. "You're really ignoring me? After I came all this way?"
"I don't recall inviting you," Damon said finally, his voice a cold blade. "And I certainly didn't ask for your presence here tonight."
Her jaw tightened, but she laughed lightly. "You'll change your mind."
He stepped closer, his energy shifting—predatory, suffocating. "Do you think your looks will distract me? That your father's name will shield you? You are nothing to me, Selena. And you'd do well to remember it."
The temperature in the room seemed to drop. Selena's confident posture faltered for just a heartbeat before she caught herself, tilting her chin up.
"Careful, Alpha," she whispered. "One day, someone might challenge your throne."
Damon's smile didn't reach his eyes. "They'd have to survive the first five seconds. You wouldn't."
Selena's eyes flashed, but this time she backed out of the room, her movements sharp.
When the door shut, Damon turned back to me. His gaze softened slightly—but the tension between us hadn't gone anywhere.
In fact, it felt sharper. More dangerous.
He reached for me again, his thumb brushing over my lower lip.
"You should go," he murmured. "Before I forget why I've been holding back."
But I didn't move.
And neither did he....