Chapter Eighty Five - Nervous - Damian's POV

After she returns from putting on the clothes, I can't help but admire the way she looks in them. I love the way the shirt hangs off her, making her feel even more like mine. It claims her in every way, especially by scent. It ends in the middle of her thighs, drawing me toward her lean legs. My thoughts take another turn as she approaches the bed. Can I, just this once, let myself go? Once she slips under the covers, I follow her and clap my hands to turn off the light. She lays there, still on her side, but her breathing is rapid. It's almost as if she is nervous. Has she seen the way I look at her? Does it bother her that I find her this attractive and want her now? Slowly, I slide my hand across the middle of the bed, my hand seeking hers. Her fingers tremble as mine find hers, lacing our hands together. I breathe out a sigh of relief from the contact, but she is still nervous. 'Is something wrong?" I ask, my voice hesitant. 'No," she murmurs, her voice sounding shaky. 'Then why are you panting and sounding afraid? We're just laying here." Silence stretches between us for several seconds. I don't know what to say or do to make this better. I'm afraid if I talk too much, it may push her away. And we just made some progress. 'Everything is sinking in and I feel like I'm on the verge of something huge. I know what you've told me, but I can't help thinking that it may all go wrong. What if neither of you are right about the prophecy? What if it's something else and then everything falls apart?" I laugh to myself as I hear her words. It's not that there is anything that is funny, but I know how she feels because I've thought the same exact thing at times. There are too many unknowns and right when you think you're doing the right thing, something can shift beneath you, jerking the rug right out. But I know I can't be wrong about this. 'The elders were certain this was the way for much longer than what my father believes. I listened to them more so than him," I say, breathing out a deep breath. 'I think having twin alpha sons born to him just triggered something in him that made it all real, so he went back and overanalyzed everything. Honestly, you'd think he'd want both of his sons to live, not repeat the past." 'It doesn't make sense in a way, but I don't know much," she whispers. 'You're new and that is to be expected, but I promise it won't be like this forever. One day, you're going to understand everything perfectly. You'll look back and wonder what all the fear was about because you won't feel it anymore," I say, rolling onto my side. 'That's how it works." 'I don't know if that is how it will be. Everything I know is just gone. My whole human life feels like a lie. We were told creatures like you don't exist anywhere, but in books, yet here you are." That earns another chuckle out of me. 'When are you going to get a grip on your new reality?" 'Never," she murmurs. 'Even if I live to be seventy, I don't think I'll ever get over the shock. That reminds me, when I'm old and gray, will you still want me as your mate?" I bite my lower lip, unsure of how to answer her. She must not think my lifespan will be hers or realize that yet. 'Maya, you won't be old and gray anytime soon." She rolls her head to the side, her dark locks falling into her face. 'What? I mean, I have maybe thirty years." 'Maya, that's not how this works," I say, chuckling. 'When you become mine in all ways, my lifespan and aging becomes yours." She blinks. And blinks. I almost think she might burst out laughing or crying at any moment. With how blank her expression is, I'm not really sure which way this will go. 'What?" 'You heard me. Now think about it." 'You mean I'm going to be like you?" Her eyes widen in alarm, but only briefly. 'Will I shift into a wolf, too?" I groan. This is not how I imagined this conversation going, but when has anything gone according to how I imagined it? 'Once I bite you, claim you, and have you, yes. It's not as scary as it sounds," I say, keeping my tone even. 'It sure sounds scary. I'm only human." And there are those words that keep coming back. Why is it that everything that is happening ‘I'm only human' makes its way back to me? I know she is human. There is no way of getting around it and I'm tired of it feeling like an excuse. Yet that isn't what it is. It's my reality. My mate is human and I have to learn to take things slower, even if the prophecy is riding on my tail. 'It will all be okay in the end. Everything works out just how it's supposed to. Now, get some rest," I whisper, hoping she'll listen for once. She grows quiet and in a few minutes, her breathing evens out. I feel relieved and worried all at once. It shouldn't make sense, but in times like this, it's easy to be both. Right now, it's calm, but at any moment, our entire world can change. We never know when the ground will shift, bringing with it something that might kill us both. One thing is for certain, though. This woman is mine, and she is finally accepting our fate. It makes me proud to see how far she's coming in such a little time. With that thought, my eyes drift closed and I fall asleep peacefully. The next time I open my eyes, sunlight filters through the curtains, chasing away the shadows of last night. Sleep had been peaceful for the first time in ages. I don't know that I woke up at all, which is unusual. But then my eyes trail across the room and find Evelyn at the door with a very perturbed Simon.