Chapter Fifty Five - Final - Maya's POV

As I lie in bed, my heart pounds furiously in my chest as I process his visit. I can still feel the warmth of his body lingering above mine, even though he's gone. His voice draws me in, sending shivers down my spine. 'What am I thinking?" It happens every time I'm close to him or kiss him. My brain just short circuits and the same question as before always comes to mind. How much longer can this go on? I scold myself, reminding myself that I'm not supposed to fall for the one who bought me. I'm supposed to resist this and find a way back home. The door to my room opens and Evelyn steps inside, her hand reaching for the switch. She turns it off without asking if I'm awake. It should be obvious I am, but I guess she didn't look at the bed. I lay there for a few minutes more, though it feels like hours pass. My body grows more restless with each passing second. Sighing, I get up and pace the room. My bare feet make a light thudding sound with each step, somewhat soothing me with its dull rhythm. It doesn't last long, though. I hear someone outside. Their voices are muffled, but just by the tone I can tell one of them is Damian. I rush to the door and lean against it, trying to overhear what they are saying. 'The attacks will only get worse," another man says, who I quickly determine is Simon. 'They want me," Damian says, his voice sounding cold. 'We have to stay here." My stomach drops. What does he mean they want him? 'You need to mark her and ensure you are at your strongest. If the packs don't kill you, the vampires will. They're all closing in and there may be more than just them after us," Simon pleads with him. 'The prophecy is going to be the end of us all." 'I can't rush her. She has to be willing and she's not. Do you not understand how hard this is for me? My wolf wants her. I want her. But I can't just bite her and hope for the best," Damian snaps. 'If they don't come for me, they'll come for her. She is the next target." My mind spirals hearing those words. Am I really in danger? Then I think about the two times he slipped about a prophecy, which means he's either protecting me because of that or because he actually cares. I breathe out a harsh breath, wondering which it is. I pull away from the door, still unsure what to think. Once again, I pace the room from wall to wall as my heart races. They want him. They want me. And it's not just one person. It's multiple groups from what I could hear. I clench my fists at my sides. Vampires? Other packs? What else is there out in the world that I don't know about? Then my mind goes back to the prophecy, which Simon mentioned. So, it has to be real, but he won't tell me about it. My eyes dart toward the door. Maybe this is my chance to ask him more and find out what exactly is going on. But not tonight. If I peer out now, he'll know I'm listening. I'll have to be sneaky in how I ask so I can see what he says. But as I make one more lap around my room, I can't it, so I storm toward the door and yank it open. Damian is on the other side, dressed in a pair of deep navy blue pajama bottoms. And no shirt. He turns to look over his shoulder, his eyes glowing dim golden color. His body is tense as if he has been expecting me. 'You have questions," he says in one breath. 'No?" I say, my voice making it sound like a question. This isn't how I expected this to go. 'I know you heard." He turns fully around to face me. 'You can't lie to me, so go ahead and ask." 'They're coming for me and you both." 'Yes," he admits. 'Why?" He hesitates, but finally exhales, rubbing a hand over the scruff of his chin. 'It's complicated." 'I don't care anymore. Tell me." He breathes out a long breath as if he doesn't really want to tell me. 'You said they're coming for me, so who is?" 'Vampires and the other packs. They think that they can fix things or tear them apart. It's a different world than what you are used to," he whispers. 'But why me? Is it because of my father's debts?" I ask, my voice getting squeaky. 'Wait. I bet my father owed someone other than you and this is just some game." 'Not quite. The reason they want you is because they will use you as leverage. But they also know I won't let anything happen to you. It's more complicated than your father owing money and me giving him a way out." His words send a shiver through me. He says he won't let anything happen to me. There's something he's not saying though. I can feel it. 'So, they might use me to get to you." He nods once. 'Among other things." His tone makes me uneasy, like there's a piece of this he is deliberately keeping from me. 'You're not going to tell me about the prophecy, are you?" 'No," he says sternly. 'Fine," I say loudly. 'Look, the pack isn't going to like me if I'm just an ignorant human. Not only that, but you also ignore all of my questions when I ask. You have to tell me something, anything, or I'll never make it here." His body tenses even more. 'You don't understand the danger in doing so." 'Then make me understand, Damian. We can't go on like we are. Eventually, I'm going to get hurt because I know nothing about wolves besides what I read in some books. I can't keep doing this and being left in the unknown." His golden eyes darken. 'You won't be able to handle it." 'Oh, really?" I ask. 'I'm here, aren't I? This is a lot to handle as it is, so you might as well tell me the rest of it. I'd also like to be able to go outside of this room to roam the estate." The tension between us thickens, and his gaze flickers to my lips for half of a second before he looks away. 'You're staying in your room and that is final."