A soft, breathy chuckle escaped my lips, though the sudden movement sent a sharp, agonizing twinge straight down my flank. "That is a complete lie and you know it. Stop trying to deceive yourself, Damon. Who am I to you, really? How am I any different from all those endless enemies you cut down without a second thought?"
He tilted his head back, staring up at the plain ceiling, his eyes unblinking for a long, heavy silence. "The choice was never ours to make," he rumbled softly, his voice echoing in the quiet chamber. "The universe orchestrated this path for us. Like it or not, you are bound to my side for the foreseeable future. There is no escaping it."
"Now, shift closer," he commanded gently. He reached out to adjust my position on the mattress, but a ragged gasp tore from my throat
