DAMIEN’S POV
I stopped outside the door, my hand resting on the handle, and for a long moment, I couldn’t move.
The wind was cold against my skin, sharp enough to sting. My mind was a mess. I didn’t even know why I’d come back here. I’d been gone since yesterday—hiding in the human town, drowning in my own bitterness, pretending I didn’t care anymore.
But I did.
Goddess, I cared too much.
I’d told myself I was done. That Emilia could do whatever she wanted. That she’d made her choice when she let Maximus mark her. But every time I closed my eyes, I saw her face—the way she looked at me, the guilt, the pain. It tore at me until I couldn’t breathe.
I leaned my forehead against the door and sighed. My chest felt hollow. My throat burned. For the first time in a long time, I didn’t know
