We ran.
Not away. Into the dark.
Damien’s hand stayed locked with mine. His palm was warm. Mine was cold from snow and power. The blue fire in my veins didn’t fade. It settled. Like it belonged there.
Behind us, the horn blew again. Closer. My father’s boots crushed the forest. Dogs. Shouts. “Find the girl!”
“She’s not a girl,” Damien said without looking back. “She’s mine.”
The words hit harder than the cold.
We didn’t stop until the castle gates. Black stone. No torches. The Beast of the North didn’t need light to see his enemies.
He pulled me through a side door. Stone hallway. Quiet. Only our breathing.
“You used power,” he said finally. Voice low. “Before the full moon. Before mating.”
I leaned against the wall. Legs shaking. “I was tired of hiding.”
Damien stopped. Turned.
