Chapter Thirty Four - Safer Here - Damian's POV

The fire crackles in the hearth of my office, casting flickering shadows along the walls. The amber glow barely reaches the edges of the room. It suits me. The silence and solitude should be calming, but it grates against my nerves. I rub my temple, staring down at the papers that are now stacked in a messy pile on my desk. Normally, I'd be focused by now, but I can't be. Not when she tried to escape earlier today. The defiance in her eyes, the way she refused to submit, and even the way every logical part of her seemed to understand she was trapped drew my attention. The scent of frustration and fear still linger in my mind like a wildfire I can't put out. I should be angry at her for trying to escape. She doesn't understand the danger she's in and how many enemies would rip her apart as soon as she got far away enough from the manor. A sharp knock at the door pulls me from my thoughts and I half expect to see Evelyn standing there, ready to scold me. But it's Simon. My beta. My right hand. The only person I trust implicitly. But even now, tension coils in my muscles at his mere presence, which is unusual. Simon steps inside, calm as usual. His dark hair is neatly slicked back. He looks every bit the polished second in command, but I know him better than anyone. I see wariness and something else. Maybe it's worry. 'You've been in here for hours and the pack is talking about her daring attempted escape?" Simon asks, before closing the door behind him. 'I assume since you are here, she is settling into her new room next to yours." 'Well, you could say that. She wasn't happy when I escorted her back to her room and made sure people were there, collecting her things. She was even unhappier when I took her to the room next to mine and put a guard at her door." Simon smirks, but there's no amusement to be found. He takes a step forward as he shoves his hands in his pocket. 'Who is guarding her if not me? You don't trust anyone else as much as you do me." 'Ethan is watching her." 'Ethan?" Simon asks, arching a brow. 'That is a different choice." 'He is the next strongest to you, so he has to do. I'll need you for more important matters." Simon's eyes dart around the room, noticing how I've cleaned it up into stacks. 'So, how is she taking it besides being unhappy?" 'I'm protecting her, if that's what you are asking." He throws his hands up in the air in defeat. 'We both know why you are doing it, but have you explained to her why you are doing it? I don't know if you are carrying this out the right way, respectively, alpha." 'She and the rest of you will come to understand in time. Right now, we have bigger issues to worry about, such as who broke into my office? I can't announce she is the key to the prophecy if there is someone in the pack watching our every move." He groans and looks up at the ceiling. 'They are all talking about it, alpha. Most are certain she is it, so you might as well come clean. At this point, by the time you do tell her, she isn't going to understand anything." 'She will," I argue. Silence scratches between us. I know what he's thinking, and he's voiced his opinion. He's questioning the entire thing. Doubting me as well. 'You don't think I should have taken her out of her home, do you?" He lets out a heavy exhale, tilting his head slightly to the right. 'I think you have made your choice. But choices have consequences, alpha. You just claimed a woman who wants nothing to do with you and has even tried running. It's going to cause problems. Maybe we should have left her until you were certain and then you could have tried a different approach." 'You don't think that hasn't crossed my mind?" I ask as my jaws tighten. 'It probably would have been better, but if they figured it out first, they would have killed her." 'Then what is our plan?" Simon challenges. 'You can't keep her locked away in the luna's suite. She's not some docile omega wolf who will just roll over and accept her face. She's human and furious at the entire situation. And the rest of the pack is watching with bated breath, waiting to see how this all plays out. They rely on you and this blasted prophecy to break the curse over your family. Without you all, we're all dead." 'I don't need the reminder of what is at stake, Simon. It's not like I'm not aware of my family's curse and what happens if this isn't broken. We all die. Our entire species is going to be wiped off the map." His lips press into a thin, tight line. 'And everyone outside of our territory wishes for our doom. You're deeper into this than you are willing to admit. It's better to hit this head on. Announce it so the pack will protect her." My muscles coil with irritation, but I force myself to take a breath. 'She's mine. Fate made sure of it and she belongs here." Simon studies me for a long moment, and I can see the uncertainty forming in his gaze. 'Does this mean you aren't telling the pack?" 'I will when we find the traitor," I say in one quick breath. 'You may think you are in control, but something tells me she's going to make you question everything you knew." With that, he turns and leaves. I stay in the dim firelight, my fists clenched at my sides as I mull over his words. As I let out another slow breath, I turn toward the window. Night has fallen, the forest stretching out endlessly. Somewhere out there, threats lurk. Waiting. Watching.