DAMIEN'S POV
It’s been a week since that night. A week since everything changed. A week since I bit her.
And since then, she hasn’t said a single word.
Anna has been in my apartment ever since. I canceled the damn business trip, my mind unable to focus on anything other than her.
I couldn’t leave her. Not when she was in this state. Not when I had no idea what the hell was going on with her.
The first few days, she was in a bad shape. She couldn’t stay conscious for long, and when she did, it was only for a few minutes before she fell back into a deep sleep.
Every time she woke, her body seemed to be in pain. Her face twisted, her brows furrowed, and I had to fight the urge to do something or anything to take that pain away. I couldn’t stand it. But all I could do was watch.
So I watched. I sat by her bedside, always at arm’s reach, feeling her every shift in the bed, every subtle intake of breath.
The guilt gnawed at me, gnawed at me like I had done something unforgivable. And maybe I had. Maybe I’d gone too far. Maybe I’d ruined everything.
But the truth was that I couldn’t fight this. I couldn’t fight the fact that she was my mate. I couldn’t deny the pull that tugged at me every time she was near. It was primal, instinctual, and it terrified me.
And now, as I watch her, I realize something. She doesn’t even know what I am. What we are.
The sound of her soft breath pulling me back into the moment, I glance at her. She’s still unconscious.
Her face is pale, a sheen of sweat on her forehead from the fever that I can’t seem to break. I want to blame myself, but I can’t. I couldn’t stop it.
The moment I saw her, the moment I breathed her in, I knew I was in trouble.
Suddenly, her eyelids flutter. My heart stops for a second. Then they open.
Anna’s eyes are wide, scanning the room as if trying to make sense of where she is. She doesn’t say anything, doesn’t make a sound.
I don’t know whether to be relieved or worried. The silence between us is thick, like a wall that’s too high to climb.
I jump up, instantly moving to the small table I had set up with food earlier. The chicken broth still warm, the bread soft. She needs to eat, she needs to drink. She needs to be strong again.
"Anna?" I murmur, my voice rough. "You need to eat. Please."
I sit beside her, slowly lifting the bowl to her lips. She doesn’t protest. She doesn’t even blink. Her eyes follow my hand, but she says nothing. She barely reacts at all.
I bring the spoon to her mouth, and after a moment of hesitation, she takes a small sip.
Her eyes don’t meet mine, though. They stay focused on the spoon as I feed her. It’s like she’s a ghost. A shell of the woman I knew.
“Anna…” My voice cracks, a mix of guilt and frustration bleeding into my tone. “Why aren’t you saying anything?”
She doesn’t answer. Doesn’t even give a hint of recognition.
It’s like I’m invisible to her.
My throat tightens, and I force myself to calm down. She’s not ignoring me on purpose. She’s in pain. I don’t know how much of that pain is because of me, but I know she’s suffering.
When she’s done eating, she winces. Her hand reaches toward her neck, and I can’t stop the sudden surge of guilt that floods my chest.
The bite I left on her, the mark I branded her with... it’s hurting her. And I don’t know how to fix it.
I gently nudge her hand away, bringing her some water, watching her sip it slowly. Her eyes still don’t meet mine.
“Anna, I’m sorry,” I whisper. “I never meant to hurt you.”
But I did. I can feel it in the way her body trembles slightly beneath my touch. In the way she avoids looking at me.
Once she finishes the water, I pull her against me. I can’t help it. She’s all I want right now, and I need to hold her. To keep her close. To protect her.
She doesn’t fight me. Doesn’t say a word. She just leans against me, her head resting against my chest. I feel the soft rise and fall of her breathing, the faintest hint of her warmth against my skin.
"Please," I say softly, my voice pleading now.
She doesn’t respond. She just lays there, lifeless in my arms.
I close my eyes, pressing my cheek against her hair. I can’t stay strong. I can’t be this perfect, composed Alpha. Not when it comes to her. I don’t know what to do.
“Please,” I repeat, my voice trembling slightly. “Please, don’t hate me.”
But what if she does? What if she hates me for what I’ve done?
I pull her tighter against me, hoping she’ll fall asleep again.
Slowly, her body relaxes, her breathing slowing, becoming deeper. I keep her in my arms, rocking her gently as if I can comfort her this way. I stay like that, listening to the steady rhythm of her breath.
And then, just when I think I might break, when I think I can’t bear the silence any longer, I feel her body shift slightly.
Her breathing evens out completely. She’s asleep.
Eventually, I carefully extricate myself from her embrace. She stirs but doesn’t wake. I watch her for a moment longer, my heart tightening in my chest.
Regret fills me. Maybe I should have been more patient. Maybe I should have told her everything before all of this happened. Before I bit her. Before I branded her as my mate.
I should’ve been honest. I should’ve controlled myself better.
The sound of my phone ringing cuts through the silence like a blade. I jerk away from her, not wanting to disturb her. I glance at the screen.
Nathan’s name flashed there. I hesitated for a moment, the dread building in the pit of my stomach.
I move quickly, swiping the phone up to my ear, stepping away from the bed to avoid waking Anna.
“Hello?” I answer, my voice rough, still thick with emotion from everything I’ve been feeling.
“What the hell happened, Alpha?” Nathan’s voice cuts through the phone, sharp and demanding.
I close my eyes, running a hand through my hair. My chest tightens. This is it. This is the moment. Nathan’s going to find out everything. I can’t keep hiding it. I can’t keep pretending I haven’t lost control.
“I bit her, Nathan. I marked Anna.”
“What?!”