Damian's POV
The night air was cool, but I was burning.
I stayed in the shadows, watching her.
She stood there, arms rubbing against each other for warmth, oblivious to the fact that the fire raging inside me had nothing to do with the weather. I wanted to feel those arms. Grip them. Hold them against me and make her shiver from something else entirely. The thought alone made my fingers twitch.
Then I saw her shift, legs squeezing together, and something deep, primal snapped inside me.
She felt it too. The bond. The pull. The undeniable need.
I clenched my jaw, watching as she fidgeted, gaze darting around as she tried to find me. She couldn't find me. I'm a hitman, an assassin, the darkness was my fort. Poor thing didn't even realize who she was looking for. But I knew. And fuck, I wanted to make sure she never searched for anyone else again.
Then she did something that shattered the last piece of my restraint.
Her delicate hand slipped under her thigh before sliding out again, just barely brushing against the fabric of her dress. My nostrils flared as the scent hit me—faint, but unmistakable. Heat.
She was in heat.
My cock hardened and throbbed, pressing against the fabric of my trousers. My wolf snarled inside me, thrashing against the walls of my mind. Take her. Claim her. Mark her.
I swallowed hard, eyes fixed on her trembling body. Her breathing was uneven. She was struggling. Her chest rose and fell with every breath, her nipples pressing against the fabric of her gown, hard and needy.
Fuck.
I could almost taste her on my tongue. Could already imagine how she'd arch into my touch, how her skin would feel under my hands, soft, warm, mine.
She needed me. Desperately.
And I needed her more than I'd ever needed anything.
Every muscle in my body tensed as I prepared to step forward. To close the distance between us. To finally,
A hand gripped my shoulder, yanking me back.
I spun, eyes flashing, a deep growl vibrating through my chest. My fangs stretched on instinct, ready to tear into whoever dared interrupt me.
Axel.
I barely registered his face before he spoke.
"Where are you going?"
My fists clenched, rage pulsing through me. "Move." I growled.
"That girl's a nobody," he muttered, voice low. "Unwanted daughter of a Gamma. You can't go lower than that."
I saw red.
Don't you fucking dare.
I growled under my breath, my control hanging by a thread. "I need her, Axel."
"It's obvious," he said, his expression unreadable. "But rethink this. Your father already treats you like trash. You go and claim a mate with no real rank, and he'll throw you further. You know it."
I was supposed not to care. My body and brain wanted different things. I couldn't afford to leave her there…
My chest tightened as I glanced at her again. She was still struggling, still shifting uncomfortably, fighting a losing battle against the heat clawing through her.
She needed me.
And I was going to walk away.
The pain in my chest was instant.
Axel's voice was firm. "Your father still has some, no matter how tiny, respect for you. He knows your worth. He's waiting for you to prove yourself. Having a strong, significant mate would change everything."
I barely heard him. The war inside me was deafening.
I needed her. But I couldn't have her.
I shut my eyes, my entire body trembling with the effort to stay still.
"So what do you suggest I do?" My voice was rough, raw.
I should've known he had a plan.
Before I could react, cold steel slashed through my arm.
Pain. A sharp sting, deep and searing.
I snarled, stepping back as the burn of wolfsbane spread through my arm. My head snapped to Axel, my vision blurring with fury.
"What the fuck was that for?!"
Axel tossed me a small bottle of alcohol. "For clarity."
The sting worked. My thoughts sharpened. But so did the pain.
I turned back to the girl, my heart clenching at the sight of her still standing there, still struggling.
"Come inside, Damian," Axel said, his voice softer and hurt. "Lyra... Lyra also got a... a mate she didn't want. She... she rejected him. You can pair with her instead." I saw Axel clench his jaw. I could tell he pitied me.
I couldn't breathe.
My hands clenched at my sides as I watched her, my real mate, still oblivious to what was happening inside me.
I didn't even know her. But she was mine.
And I was leaving her.
I swallowed hard, my heart breaking with every step I took away from her.
"What's her name?" I murmured, barely recognizing my own voice.
"Selene," Axel replied.
Selene.
I mouthed it quietly, the name burning into my soul.
Then, with every ounce of willpower I could muster, I turned and walked away.
Just like that.