Chapter Ninety One - The Fight is Over - Maya's POV

The silence that follows his departure is too deafening. I sit on the edge of Damian's bed, while Evelyn sits in the chair near the fireplace. The room feels cold, though she stoked a fire. I tuck my legs beneath me, hands wringing in my lap. The tray of snacks Evelyn picked up in the dining hall sits beside me, untouched. It doesn't look like either of us has an appetite right now. The door is locked, but she eyes it occasionally when someone passes. My heart thuds in my chest at the thought of what might happen to him. It's a rival pack and who knows what danger waits for him? And now they're out there, but Damian is the one I'm worried about most of all. He's out there fighting for me. Or maybe it's because of me. I don't even know anymore. I wrap my arms tighter around myself, trying to stop the shaking. My thoughts spiral out of control. What if he gets hurt? What if Luce is still here in the estate and tries something because he's gone? The door is locked and Evelyn is here, but that doesn't mean someone can't get in. Then my thoughts go straight to the curse. What if this prophecy ends up destroying everyone because I can't jump into this fully willingly? Yes, I have feelings for him, but I'm still not there. A creak in the hallway makes me jump, but it's just one of the guards on patrol again. I'm glad he left a few people behind to guard, yet at the same time, I wish he took more protection with him. I walk over to the window, heart in my throat as I press my forehead against the glass and peer out over the gardens. The woods are just beyond them. They look so peaceful, yet I know what dangers lurk within them now. My fingers curl against the windowpane as the dull ache in my chest blooms. He promised to protect me. Told me I wouldn't have to face this alone. And oh, how I believed him, but it doesn't stop the fear from taking over. Then, through the tree line, I see something. It's only movement, like a dark blur. Then more shapes behind the first. 'Evelyn, is this them? I can't tell." Before she can even get close to the window, Damian steps out to where I can see him. His clothes he left with are gone. Blood streaks down his naked body from a couple of wounds. My jaw opens and I stop thinking. The next thing I know, I'm at the front doors, slinging it open and running out to him. The wind hits my face, biting into my skin, but I don't care. I crash into his arms without hesitation. He holds me like he needs this embrace as much as I do. His hand cradles the back of my head while the other arm locks around my waist. 'You're okay," I whisper. He grins down at me, his face covered in dirt and a bit of blood. 'I told you I would be fine. No one was lost on our side, but we took a few of theirs out. There weren't many." I nod against his chest as I look up at him, refusing to let go. 'I was terrified," I admit as a sob steals my voice. 'This is getting to be too much and scary." Right as I think things can't get worse, Simon walks by limping. He looks over at me, a look of something I can't describe crossing his face. 'They said that she's a vulnerability," he whispers as he walks beside us. Damian just looks at him as he passes, shaking his head. 'She's not." He breathes out a heavy breath and I'm left wondering how much more they can take. Each one of his pack members that went with him, make their way inside. They're all bloody and bruised. Some with more injuries than others. I feel horrible. 'Did they really say that?" Damian sighs. 'Yes, but not in so many words. He may have heard something I didn't." 'I hate this…" Damian's voice is quiet, like it's taking effort to keep it steady. 'They think if they rattle you, then it will rattle me and they'll win. That's what this was about. Sure, they might have wanted some territory or something. It was just a message. There were too few there for it to be anything major. My stomach sinks fast, making me feel sick. It was a message. One that none of us can ignore. I step back slightly to look up at him. His eyes are tired, with shadows underneath them. But he holds my gaze. 'They'll keep coming until the prophecy comes true, won't they?" He hesitates for a fraction of a second, then nods. 'Yes. When the prophecy is fulfilled and the curse is lifted, they should stop because you will be a savior to them. And not just some human." 'What if they're right and I'm not it?" 'No," he snaps before I can say anything else. 'You're it. You're the reason there is still hope in this dark world." Silence stretches between us. Not because I believe it yet, but because he does. He is so sure that I'm it, yet I can't even get my head around things. Just as I almost do, something like this happens and makes me want to run away from it all. Damian wraps his arms around me tighter. 'You're not alone." Simon clears his throat from behind us on the steps. I turn, looking over my shoulder at him. He winces as he takes another step down toward us. 'Most are in the infirmary getting checked." 'And why aren't you?" Damian asks, his tone more direct. 'I will be going, but you need to come in as well. There was one mark on your back that looked bad." Before he takes off, I whisper, 'I need to be stronger." 'And you will be," Damian says softly. 'We will keep training and when you're ready to accept this between us, we'll make it official." Though his words sound reassuring, some of them make me worry more than I should. This should be getting easier. I should be falling for him and accepting it all, yet that one small part of me still doesn't want this at all. What if I save them and then I'm thrown away just like my father sold me off when I wouldn't be useful? I grimace at the thought, which doesn't go unnoticed. 'Are you okay?" He asks, his voice laced with concern. 'Yes, I'm fine," I whisper. 'The smell of blood is strong, I guess." 'Let's go inside." I walk side by side with him up the steps, never daring to look lower than eye level or up into his gaze. We make it inside before I feel like my entire world is caving in again. As we walk through the estate, I don't notice where he takes me. I only see the bedroom door when we stop. I look up at him, wondering why he didn't take me with him to the infirmary. 'Am I staying here while you get checked out?" He nods. 'Yes, and I won't be gone long. I'm already healing. After that, I need to shower and get the blood off. Rest here, okay?" I nod and head inside when he pushes the door open for me. It feels weird going in here with all these thoughts in my head. The door clicks shut behind me and only then do I let out a deep sigh. 'Why do these thoughts haunt me like this?"