“STOP.”
Damian’s voice cuts through the night. Everyone freezes.
The guards holding me hesitate, their hands tightening around my arms, but they don’t move.
And then—I see him.
Damian Calloway stands at the top of the stone steps, his wedding ring still on his finger, his tuxedo jacket unbuttoned, his chest heaving as if he ran straight from the ceremony.
His blue eyes lock onto mine.
And for a moment—everything else disappears. “Let her go.”
His voice is calm, controlled. But I see the rage simmering beneath the surface.
Elias— his father, his master, the man who controls everything—doesn’t even flinch.
He doesn’t turn to look at Damian. He simply lifts a hand, signaling the guards. And just like that—one of them shoves me forward.
I stumble, falling to my knees. My breath catches as my palms scrape against the rough stone.
Damian lunges. He moves so fast the guards barely have time to react. In a blur of motion, he slams into the man closest to me, knocking him to the ground.
The others attack at once.
A fight erupts.
It’s chaos—fists flying, the crunch of bone, the sharp ring of metal against metal as blades are drawn.
And then, I see it. Elias watches—completely unfazed. Like this is all part of the plan. Like he expected this.
I scramble back, my heart pounding as I watch Damian move like a predator, like a warrior—like the man I fell in love with.
He is fighting for me. For us. And I know—this isn’t just about saving my life. This is about defying his father.
This is about choosing me. I press a hand to my chest, trying to steady my breathing. But before I can move—strong hands grab me again.
Ivy.
She yanks me back, her grip like iron. “You just don’t know when to quit, do you?” she hisses.
I struggle against her hold, but she’s surprisingly strong. “Let me go, Ivy!” I snap.
She leans in, her voice dripping with amusement. “Why would I? You’re ruining everything. Again.”
I thrash against her grip, but before I can break free—Elias speaks.
“Enough.”
The word silences everything.
Even Damian stops, his chest rising and falling, blood smeared across his knuckles. Elias steps forward slowly, deliberately.
His cold blue eyes sweep across the wreckage—the fallen guards, the ruined wedding, the son who has betrayed him. And then, he looks at me.
“You should have died years ago, Selene,” he says simply.
I stare at him, refusing to look away. “Then do it.”
Damian growls low in his throat. “No one is touching her.”
Elias doesn’t even glance at him. “You don’t make the rules, Damian. I do.”
Ivy smirks, still holding me in place. “This is tradition, darling.”
Her nails dig into my skin. “A blood ritual requires a sacrifice.”
My pulse skips. A ritual. They weren’t just going to kill me. They were going to use my blood to seal something. To complete something.
My stomach twists. I glance at Damian—and the horror in his eyes confirms it. He knew. Maybe not everything, maybe not how deep this went.
But he knew there was something dark behind all of this.
And yet—he’s here. Fighting for me. I let out a slow breath.
If this is the end…
I don’t want to waste another second.
“Damian,” I whisper. His gaze snaps to mine. And just like that—he moves.
He shoves past the remaining guards, ignoring the gasps, ignoring the chaos.
And in an instant—he’s in front of me. His hands cup my face, pulling me close. And then—he kisses me. A deep, desperate, earth-shattering kiss. Gasps echo through the night.
Ivy stiffens beside me. Elias steps forward sharply. But none of it matters.
Because all I can feel—is him.
His hands, his warmth, his breath—like a fire consuming me.
It’s a kiss filled with everything. Every emotion we never said aloud. Every promise we never got to keep. Every moment we lost.
Damian pulls away, his forehead pressing against mine.
His breath is shaky, his hands trembling.
“I should have chosen you.”
Tears blur my vision. “Then do it now.”
A muscle ticks in his jaw.“I am.”
And then, before I can process what’s happening—
He grips my hand. And whispers—
“Run.”