CHAPTER 11: Heat Round 2*_∼
922 Words
*CLAIMED BY THE ALPHA*
*CHAPTER 11: Heat Round 2*
_∼
*Day 38*
It came early.
2 weeks early.
I woke up burning.
Sweat.
Shaking.
The bond screaming.
_DAMON._
My phone: *Unknown: Don’t come out. Stay in your room. Lock the door.*
Too late.
I was already in the hallway.
Bare feet.
His hoodie.
And nothing else.
The house was dark.
Power was out.
Again.
“ABI!”
Damon.
From downstairs.
Voice rough. Pained.
He was leaning on the banister.
Shirtless.
Bandage still on his side.
Hair wet.
Eyes gold.
“Go back,” he growled. “Now.”
“I can’t.”
“Yes you can.”
But the bond was pulling.
Hard.
His pain.
My heat.
Mixed.
I stumbled.
He caught me before I hit the stairs.
“f**k,” he whispered.
His arms around me.
Body hot.
Shaking.
“Your heat,” he said. “It’s early.”
“I know.”
“Abi, I’m hurt. I can’t—”
“I don’t care.”
Liar.
I did care.
But I cared about him more.
---
*His room.*
We didn’t make it to mine.
Candles.
Because power was still out.
Cold air.
Hot bodies.
Damon sat me on the bed.
Kept distance.
Hands fisted.
“I’m not doing this, Abi. Not like this. Not when I’m hurt.”
“Damon.”
“No.”
“Then help me.”
He broke.
He pulled me into his lap.
Careful of his stitches.
Forehead to mine.
Breathing hard.
“I’m going to hurt you,” he said.
“You won’t.”
“I might.”
“Then hurt me.”
He kissed me.
Not soft.
Not careful.
Desperate.
Like he’d been holding back for 38 days.
Hands in my hair.
Mine on his chest.
Over the bandage.
“Does it hurt?” I whispered.
“Everything hurts. Except you.”
The bond flared.
His worry.
His need.
His _mine_.
And mine.
_His._
---
*Hours later.*
Dark.
Candles burned out.
Just moonlight.
Damon was awake.
Staring at the ceiling.
Me curled against his good side.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“Are you?”
“I’m okay.”
Silence.
Then:
“I didn’t plan this.”
“I know.”
“I didn’t want to do this to you.”
“You didn’t. I chose this.”
He turned.
Looked at me.
Golden eyes in the dark.
“Abi, this doesn’t change anything.”
“I know.”
“The contract is still one year.”
“I know.”
“I’m still 20 years older. Still your step—”
“Don’t.”
“Don’t what?”
“Don’t ruin it.”
He exhaled.
Pulled me closer.
Kissed my forehead.
“My brave girl.”
First time he called me that.
---
*Morning. Day 39.*
Power was back.
Clara was at the door.
With tea.
And no questions.
Damon was in the shower.
I could hear it.
I was in his t-shirt.
And his mark.
Bright.
When he came out, towel around his waist,
he stopped.
Saw me.
“Morning,” I said.
“Morning.”
Awkward.
So awkward.
He got dressed.
Fast.
Suit.
Even with stitches.
“Abi, about last night—”
“Don’t.”
“I have to.”
“Then don’t.”
He sighed.
“Can we talk later? Board meeting.”
“Yeah.”
He left.
Didn’t kiss me.
Didn’t touch me.
And I hated it.
---
*2pm. My room.*
Knock.
Damon.
With food.
Pasta.
Not burnt.
“Can I come in?”
“Yeah.”
He sat on the floor.
I sat on the bed.
3 feet between us.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“For what?”
“For this morning. For acting like it didn’t happen.”
“It did happen.”
“I know.”
“Do you regret it?”
“No.” He looked up. “Do you?”
“No.”
The room went quiet.
“Abi, I’m 39. You’re 19. This is messy.”
“I know.”
“And Elena will use it.”
“Let her.”
“And the pack will talk.”
“Let them.”
He stood.
Came to me.
Kneeled.
Like in the courtroom.
“I don’t want to hurt you,” he said.
“You won’t.”
“How do you know?”
“Because you’re Damon. And you’d rather bleed than hurt me.”
He closed his eyes.
“God, you’re going to be the death of me.”
He kissed me.
Soft this time.
No desperation.
Just... real.
When he pulled back:
“One year,” he said.
“One year,” I said.
“But after that?”
“After that we decide. Together.”
He nodded.
Stood.
“Come on. Dinner. Real dinner. No candles.”
---
*8pm. Dinner table.*
Us.
Clara.
No Elena.
No cameras.
Damon reached under the table.
Took my hand.
Didn’t let go the whole meal.
The board unfroze everything.
Elena stopped texting.
The comments online:
_‘Maybe he really does care’_
_‘She chose him’_
And me?
I was sitting next to an Alpha.
With his hand in mine.
And his bite on my neck.
And no regrets.
---
*11:59pm. Text.*
*Unknown: You felt that through the bond, didn’t you? When I was hurt.*
*Me: Yes. Every second.*
*Unknown: Good. Means it’s real. Sleep, Abi. I’ll be right down the hall.*
Bound by his name.
For 50+ chapters.
And heat round 2 changed everything.
---
*END CHAPTER 11*
- Writer
