CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
873 Words
CHAPTER 23: UNFINISHED BUSINESS
(Selene’s POV)
I slammed the cabin door behind me, the sound echoing in the silence.
Fine. He wanted to pretend like nothing happened? Like that kiss didn’t shake him to his core?
Then I’d let him.
But I wasn’t about to sit around waiting for Damian Blackwood to decide when he was ready to face the truth. We had bigger problems.
Like the curse.
Like Devereaux.
Like the fact that we were still being hunted.
I ran a hand through my hair, pacing the length of the small room. My mind was still spinning, my body still thrumming from what had almost happened between us.
But I wouldn’t be the one to break first.
Not this time.
Instead, I focused on what I could control.
The hunt.
We needed more information about Devereaux’s next move. If we waited too long, he’d disappear again, and I wasn’t willing to risk that.
I reached for my weapons, strapping my daggers back into place. My body still ached from the last fight, but I ignored the pain.
"Where are you going?"
Damian’s voice came from the doorway, rough with exhaustion.
I didn’t turn around. "Out."
He exhaled sharply. "Not alone, you’re not."
I paused, my fingers tightening around the leather strap of my belt. "You don’t get to tell me what to do, Damian."
"I’m not trying to—"
I whirled to face him. "Aren’t you? Because last time I checked, we’re in this together. Unless you’ve suddenly decided otherwise?"
His jaw tightened. "You know I haven’t."
"Then stop acting like I need permission to do my damn job."
His golden eyes flickered, frustration warring with something else—something deeper.
But I didn’t wait for him to argue.
I pushed past him, stepping into the cold night air.
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(Damian’s POV)
I watched her go, every muscle in my body screaming to stop her.
But I knew Selene.
She didn’t stop for anyone.
And she sure as hell wouldn’t stop for me.
Not when she was angry.
Not when I had pushed her away.
I scrubbed a hand down my face, cursing under my breath before following her into the woods.
I wasn’t about to let her go into danger alone.
Even if she hated me for it.
Even if I hated myself for wanting more than I could ever have.
The thought lingered, heavy and unshakable.
Selene sat in silence, the firelight casting flickering shadows along the rough stone walls of the abandoned chapel they had taken refuge in for the night. Outside, the world was steeped in darkness, the distant howl of a lone wolf echoing across the ruins like a ghost’s lament.
She shouldn’t have let herself get this close.
To him. To this.
But she couldn’t stop the ache that settled deep in her chest, the impossible contradiction of wanting something she knew could never last.
Across from her, Damian sat sharpening his blade, his golden eyes glowing faintly in the dim light. He hadn’t spoken in a while. But then again, he didn’t need to.
Selene could feel it in the air between them—the weight of everything unsaid.
She gritted her teeth, hating how vulnerable she felt. How raw.
Finally, she exhaled. "We should rest. We have to keep moving before dawn."
Damian didn’t look up. "You think I don’t notice?"
Her fingers tightened around the dagger in her lap. "Notice what?"
He set his blade down, leaning forward slightly. "You’ve been pulling away."
Selene forced a laugh, though it sounded hollow. "I think you’re imagining things."
Damian’s gaze darkened. "No. I know you."
The way he said it made something twist inside her—something dangerous.
She stood abruptly, needing space. Needing air. "It doesn’t matter."
Damian was on his feet before she could take another step. "It matters to me."
Selene froze, her pulse hammering.
She had spent years perfecting the art of keeping people at a distance. She didn’t have the luxury of attachments. Not when the life she lived could be stolen away at any moment.
But Damian—he had shattered every wall she had ever built.
And she didn’t know how to stop him.
She turned away, staring at the dying embers of the fire. "You don’t understand."
"I do," he said softly.
Selene swallowed hard, forcing herself to keep her voice steady. "Then you know this can’t last."
A muscle in Damian’s jaw tightened. "Says who?"
She turned back to him, frustration rising like a storm. "The world, Damian! The war we’re fighting! The fact that at any moment, either of us could be—"
She stopped herself, breathing hard.
Could be what?
Gone?
Dead?
Damian stepped closer, his warmth seeping into her skin even from a distance. "That’s not an excuse to run from what’s right in front of you."
Her throat tightened. "And what is that?"
He didn’t hesitate.
"Us."
The single word knocked the air from her lungs.
For the first time in a long time, Selene had no idea what to say.
Because deep down, she wanted to believe him.
But belief was dangerous. Hope was dangerous.
And if she let herself fall, she didn’t know if she’d survive the crash.
- Writer
