Chapter 27 Damien #2
Her movements falter as she leans into my touch, a shiver running through her body. I can feel her tightening around me, each pulse dragging me closer to the edge. My wolf howls with satisfaction.
I growl, sliding my hand to the back of her neck and hauling her down into a kiss. She moans against my mouth, still riding me, chasing the oblivion only I can give her. I taste her desperation, her need to scrub away the ghosts of last night.
But I want more than her body. I want her soul.
“I love you,” I rasp into her kiss, the words ripping out of me before I can stop them. Raw, undeniable. “I fucking love you, Karina.”
The taste of her fuses with the force of the words, searing them into truth. It’s not instinct, not compulsion—it’s me, stripped bare, offering everything.
She freezes above me, lips parted, breath caught. Shock flashes across her features, halting the rhythm of her body.
“Say it again,” she requests.
“I love you,” I repeat, my hands framing her face as she continues to move above me, slower now but with more purpose. “I love your strength, your stubbornness, the way you challenge me. I love that you chose me even when every instinct told you to run.”
Tears gather in her eyes, but her smile is radiant. “I love you too.”
She loves me. My fierce, stubborn, perfect mate loves me back.
I flip us again, needing to be deeper inside her, needing to show her with my body what words can't express. She wraps her legs around my waist as I drive into her, setting a rhythm that has us both gasping.
“Damien,” she gasps, her nails digging into my shoulders as I move inside her.
The sound of my name on her lips drives me wild, making me thrust deeper, harder.
I need to be as close to her as physically possible, need to merge our bodies until there's no space left between us.
Her body tightens around me, pulling me deeper with each stroke.
“Give in to me, kitten,” I murmur against her ear, rough with need. “Give your greedy fucking cunt what it needs.”
She comes with a cry that echoes off the walls, her body arching beneath me as waves of pleasure crash through our connection. I follow her with a growl that sounds more wolf than man.
I drop beside her, breath coming hard as I pull her close. Her pulse pounds against my ribs, echoing the rhythm still racing through me. The bond hums with her calm, her release. My wolf growls low in approval, knowing I’ve driven out every trace of another’s scent.
Karina shifts against me. “I can feel your smugness,” she says with a sleepy laugh.
“Good. You should know how satisfied I am.” I press a kiss to the top of her head, tasting the salt of her skin. “How completely you've ruined me for anyone else.”
“Damien, I swear to the Gods that if you are seriously thinking about anyone else, but me right now—”
I press my finger to her lips. “Shh, kitten. The only female I am thinking about is you, and only you.”
“Good,” she murmurs, nestling deeper into my arms. “Because I'm not interested in sharing.”
I stroke her hair, letting the silky curls slip through my fingers. The wolf in me is utterly content, sated in a way that goes beyond physical pleasure. She's here. She's safe. She's mine.
“How are you feeling?”
“Like I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be.” She tilts her head to look up at me. “I meant what I said, Damien. I love you. It terrifies me how quickly it happened, but I can't deny it.”
“Why does it terrify you?”
She's quiet for a moment, her fingers drawing idle patterns on my chest. “Because loving someone means having something to lose. All my life, I've kept people at a distance. Even my ex...” She pauses. “I never let him see all of me. Never told him about my wolf. It was easier that way.”
“And now?”
“Now I've handed you every part of me—human and wolf. You know me in ways no one else ever has. That kind of vulnerability is scary.”
I tighten my arms around her. “I'll never use it against you. I'd rather die than betray the trust you've placed in me.”
She shifts, propping herself up on one elbow to look at me more directly.
“Do you really think we can do this?” she asks. “Run our own territory?”
This isn't just about us anymore. It's about the responsibility we've taken on, the lives that will depend on our decisions.
“I think we can,” I say, though I understand her concern. “But I won't lie to you, it won't be easy.”
She bites her lower lip, wincing slightly as she aggravates the healing cut there. “It's just...so much, so fast. You're already heir to your father's lands, and now we have Lockhart's territory. And if we try to reclaim my family's lands too...” She shakes her head. “Three territories, Damien.”
I sit up, pulling her with me until we're facing each other, the sheets pooled around our waists. My hands find hers, squeezing gently.
“It is daunting,” I admit. “But we don't have to do everything at once. Lockhart's territory first. We establish control, and then we can look towards the Rosewood lands.”
“What about your own pack?”
I barely contain a chuckle. “My father is too stubborn to die young. We won’t need to worry about my pack for many, many years to come. Even then, he’ll figure out a way to keep his position as a ghost.”
Karina laughs despite herself, the sound light and musical in the afternoon stillness. “A ghostly alpha. That's a terrifying thought.”
“He'd probably enjoy it. All the power, none of the responsibility.” I trace the curve of her shoulder with my fingertips, marveling at how much of the bruising has already faded. “But that's decades away. Right now, we focus on what's in front of us.”
Her expression grows serious again. “What exactly are we walking into with Lockhart's pack? Do we know anything about them?”
I consider how much to tell her, how much truth she can handle right now.
“They're not going to welcome us with open arms,” I admit. “Lockhart ruled through fear and intimidation. His inner circle profited from that system. They're going to see us as threats to their power. and their bottom line.”
“And the others? The ones who weren't part of his inner circle?”
“Some will be relieved he's gone. Others will be suspicious of any change.” I brush a strand of hair from her face. “Pack loyalty runs deep, kitten. Even when the alpha is a monster, some wolves will defend him out of habit.”
“So, we'll have to prove ourselves.”
“We will. But not today.” I lean forward, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead.
“Today, all we need to do is tell my father of our decision and come back to bed. If we only have a week until we takeover those lands, that’s seven days that I get you to myself, and I, for damn sure, am going to make sure to soak up every fucking second of that time. ”
Her smile transforms her entire face, erasing the last shadows of worry. “Seven days of just us?”
“Seven days of me worshipping every inch of your body,” I promise, my voice dropping to that rough register that makes her shiver. “Seven days of showing you exactly how much I love you.”
She laughs, the sound pure and joyful in a way that makes my chest tight with emotion. “That's quite an ambitious schedule, Mr. Marek.”
“I'm very motivated.” I capture her lips in a slow, thorough kiss that tastes like promises and forever. Her smile lingers against my mouth, soft and sure, and for the first time in days, there’s no trace of fear hiding beneath it. Just her. Just us.
“I never pictured my life ending up here,” she admits softly, a smile curving her lips. “But I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
“You won’t ever have to,” I promise, threading my fingers tighter through hers. “It’s you and me, kitten. Always. Whatever future we build, we build it together. And in the meantime…” I let my mouth brush hers, teasing, “I fully intend to make good on those plans.”
Seven days. Seven lifetimes. It makes no difference. However, much time we’re given, I’ll spend every second proving my love for her.
And this time, nothing—and no one—will ever come between us.