Chapter Thirty Five - Who Will Break First - Damian's POV

Simon's words haunt me long after he's gone. I continue to stare out into the night sky beyond my window, my mind trying to figure out if I should tell the pack, like he said. No, I shouldn't. If I do, then they will all know what she is and more will come here in search of her. A ragged sigh escapes me as I think about her. She is a challenge I have never prepared for. Not fully, at least. I knew there would be trails because of what she is, but I never expected things to be so difficult. Simon's voice echoes in my mind again. 'She's going to make me question everything I know. Well, that is quite the sentiment. I already question some things, including the blasted prophecy that put us in this predicament in the first place." I push away from the window and exhale sharply as I walk toward the door. The hallways are quiet as I stroll through them and head straight to her room. It's a compulsion I can't ignore. It's like my instincts are pulling me that way without me thinking about it. Part of me knows she's stubborn and somewhat reckless. She'll probably try escaping again, if she thinks she can. But the idea of losing her, even to her own defiance, twists something deep inside my chest that I can't ignore. When I reach her door, I pause outside. The guard I placed here gives me a respectful nod and steps aside without me asking. I reach forward, my hand landing on the handle and tightening on it. I push it open. Inside, the room is dimly lit by a couple of candles and the glow of the fireplace. My gaze sweeps across the room until I find her. The only problem is, she isn't in the room. The air shifts, and my pulse kicks up into a frantic rhythm. 'Where is she?" A snarl rips through my throat as I head back for the door and reach for the guard's throat. 'Where is she Ethan?" His face pales instantly. 'I don't know. She never made a sound. I thought she went to bed." I don't wait for him to finish explaining. Instead, I let him go and storm down the hallway as my wolf rises to the surface in search of her. Every muscle in my body tenses as I push my senses to the brink of insanity to find her. Then I catch the faintest trail of her scent. Rage fuels me as I follow her trail, moving like the predator I am. She thinks she can escape her guard and me. She thinks she can run. But she doesn't understand the growing bond between us. My wolf will hunt her down, no matter how far she tries to go. I prowl through the estate, wandering the hallways through her twisted trail she's left behind. Eventually, it brings me right back to her room. Ethan has wide eyes and looks like he might faint at any moment, which is an odd look for him. 'She came back, didn't she?" He swallows hard, his eyes growing even wider than I thought possible. 'She is in her room, alpha." I exhale sharply as some of the tension leaves my body. But it's only a little because I want to know where she has been. At least she is safely back in her room. I don't know whether to be relieved or furious. As I push past Ethan, he tries to explain, but fails. Inside, Maya sits on the bed in the center with her arms crossed. Her expression is mostly neutral, though when she looks at me, it becomes deadly. Then there is a slight tremor of her fingers and the way her chest rises and falls just a little too fast. She may want to look mad at me, but she can't. She knows she has been caught red-handed. I take another step inside and she lifts her chin defiantly. 'You ran. Weren't you supposed to stay here?" 'It's not like I didn't come back. You really should get a better guard," she says, keeping her tone low. It's probably because the door is still open and I haven't bothered closing it. Ethan is going to hear anything, no matter if it's open or closed. 'That's not the point. You were given an order to stay in the room I put you in. So where have you been? Why did you do it?" She huffs as she drops her arms to her lap. 'So, I can't go roam around my own home? Is that it? What else am I supposed to do? The only other thing left is to sit here and play prisoner while you make decisions for me." I come closer to the bed and she stiffens. My wolf wants her to submit, but she isn't. 'I don't want to control you," I say, my voice low and dangerous as I crawl up the bed, starting at the foot. 'You think I want to keep you locked away in here like a caged animal? That is far from what I want. Until you understand what is at stake, then this is how things will be. You may hate being like this or may even hate me, but I will not let you throw yourself to the enemies." Her breath catches in her throat and for the first time, I see her hesitate in answering me. It takes her a few seconds to think it through. 'I don't hate you, necessarily. But I don't know how to just be here. I'm not used to being trapped in one room and unable to do anything. This is hard for me." I stop crawling up the bed and stay on all fours, watching her. 'How to be here?" 'You all are something I thought were only in books. This is all new to me and you won't tell me anything. How else do you expect me to feel?" My fingers twitch with the urge to reach out and touch her face. 'You don't have to know how everything works just yet. You just have to stay here and let me protect you until it's time to tell you everything." Her defiance starts to slip as her gaze lifts to mine. Uncertainty is all I can see there, along with a challenge and possibly a plea. For the first time, I don't know which one of us is going to break first.