CHAPTER TWENTY OÑE
853 Words
CHAPTER 21: THE MONSTER IN ME
(Selene’s POV)
The fire had burned low, casting flickering shadows across the cabin walls. I lay on the cot, staring at the ceiling, listening to the quiet sounds of the forest outside.
Sleep wouldn’t come.
Not with everything hanging between us.
Not with the weight of what we didn’t say.
Damian had walked away tonight, but I had felt it—the pull between us, stronger than ever. The way his fingers had lingered against mine, the way his golden eyes darkened when he looked at me.
He wanted me.
Just as much as I wanted him.
But something was holding him back.
I turned onto my side, frustration simmering beneath my skin. I should have been focusing on the real problem—the curse, the looming war in Ravenshade, the fact that every vampire in the city would be hunting us soon.
But all I could think about was him.
The way he had looked at me in the firelight.
The way he had almost—almost—closed the space between us.
A noise outside broke my thoughts.
Low. Rumbling.
A growl.
I sat up instantly, reaching for my dagger. My muscles protested the movement, but I ignored the pain, pushing to my feet.
I moved toward the window, pressing my back against the wall before peeking out.
Damian stood in the clearing, barefoot, shirtless, his body tense.
His hands were curled into fists, his head bowed as if he was struggling against something.
The beast.
I exhaled, gripping my blade tighter.
Something was wrong.
I slipped outside, my steps silent against the cold ground. "Damian?"
He didn’t answer.
His breathing was ragged, his muscles locked as though he were holding something back.
Then he turned to me.
And I froze.
His golden eyes were glowing—brighter than before. His fangs had lengthened, his claws extended. His entire body was taut, every muscle coiled like he was seconds away from losing control.
"Get back." His voice was low, guttural.
I took a slow step forward instead. "Damian, what’s happening?"
He gritted his teeth. "I don’t—I can’t hold it back."
My heart pounded, but I didn’t move away.
I knew that look. I had seen it before, years ago, when we had fought side by side. When his control had slipped, and he had almost lost himself to the beast.
But this was worse.
Deeper.
Like something inside him was breaking.
I sheathed my dagger and reached for him. "Let me help you—"
"No!" He staggered back, his hands shaking. "I can’t—Selene, I don’t want to hurt you."
I clenched my jaw. "Then don’t."
He let out a ragged breath, his claws digging into his palms. "You don’t understand," he rasped. "It’s getting stronger. I can feel it taking over. And if I lose control—"
His voice broke.
He had faced death without flinching. Had fought monsters, bled, endured.
But this? This terrified him.
I took another step closer, my heart hammering. "You won’t hurt me, Damian."
His breath hitched.
And then—he moved.
Too fast for me to react, too fast for me to do anything but feel the heat of his body against mine as he pinned me against a tree.
His hands braced on either side of my head, his chest heaving.
I should have been afraid.
But I wasn’t.
Because even now, even with his beast clawing at the surface, his touch was careful.
He was still holding back.
His head dropped forward, his forehead almost touching mine. "You need to leave," he rasped. "Before I—"
I reached up, cupping his face. "Before you what?"
His jaw clenched beneath my fingers. His breath was warm, his body so close I could feel the heat radiating from him.
"Selene," he whispered, my name half a warning, half a plea.
I had spent years pretending I didn’t want this.
Didn’t want him.
But standing here, with his breath unsteady, his body trembling from the weight of everything he was fighting—I knew the truth.
I wanted him.
Even if it was dangerous.
Even if he was breaking.
So I made a choice.
I closed the distance between us.
Our lips brushed, barely a whisper of contact, but it was enough to send a sharp shockwave through me.
Damian went still.
For one agonizing second, he didn’t move.
Then he shattered.
His mouth crashed against mine, a low growl escaping him as he finally gave in.
Heat coiled in my spine, my fingers tangling in his hair as he deepened the kiss, his grip tightening on the tree as if he were holding himself back from taking more.
But then—he broke away.
His breathing was ragged, his forehead dropping against mine again.
"I can’t." His voice was raw, wrecked.
Pain lanced through my chest. "Damian—"
"I won’t risk hurting you."
His hands trembled as he pulled away, stepping back, putting distance between us.
And I knew—
The curse wasn’t just taking his body.
It was taking us.
- Writer
