DAMIEN'S POV
The days had been long and stressful since I told Anna the truth. Nathan had left after offering his advice to give her time to process everything.
A week had passed since that conversation, and I hadn’t left the apartment once. I worked from home, keeping an eye on Anna, making sure she was okay.
She needed time, I knew that, but I also couldn’t ignore the deep, gnawing need to have her understand. I wanted to fix everything, make her see that none of this was what she expected, but there was only so much I could do.
In her world, the truth I’d given her was madness. I didn’t expect her to believe it, not immediately.
But still, the silence that surrounded us was deafening. I kept my distance, respecting her space while struggling to focus on the mountain of work piling up on my desk.
There was always something—calls to take, meetings to reschedule, emails to answer. I had always been good at compartmentalizing, but this was harder than anything I had ever dealt with.
My phone rang, pulling me from my thoughts. It was one of my clients, and I answered the call quickly, trying to mask the frustration in my voice.
We talked business for a few minutes, but then he mentioned something that caught my attention.
“You’ve been missing in action, Damien. Your presence has been noted both in the LA and NY offices,” my client said, his tone light but with a touch of concern.
“I’ve been on a business trip. Some personal matters kept me away, but I’ll be back soon. Nathan’s got everything under control in NY. I trust him,” I replied, trying to sound convincing.
We ended the call, and I was about to return to my laptop when another sound caught my attention. It was a ringing noise, persistent, almost frantic. It was coming from Anna’s purse.
I froze, my hand hovering above my keyboard. Her phone had been ringing off the hook all day, and I had ignored every single call.
But this one was different. The name that flashed across the screen made my heart lurch: "Dad."
I stared at the phone for a moment, my mind spinning.
Her dad? Why hadn’t I noticed before? Anna had been missing for over a week. Of course, her father would be worried, trying to reach her.
He probably had no idea where she was or what was going on. I shouldn’t be snooping around her things. She was already dealing with enough, and I didn’t need to add to her stress.
But then, despite my better judgment, my fingers were already pulling the phone from her purse. I let it ring a few more times, watching the name flash across the screen before the call stopped.
I debated for a moment, my mind racing with questions. What if her dad was looking for her? What if he had no idea where she was?
I silenced the phone before turning to head back to my office, but then, just as I was about to sit down, I heard a noise coming from Anna’s bedroom.
My heart skipped a beat. It wasn’t the sound of someone crying or murmuring in their sleep. No, it was something far more urgent. I rushed toward the bedroom, pushing the door open without thinking.
There she was, standing by the window, her back to me. Her hands were gripping the windowsill, and she was staring out at the city below.
My stomach dropped. I knew she was struggling. I had never seen her so quiet, so withdrawn, and I was terrified that she might do something rash.
“Anna, what are you doing?” I asked, my voice tight with concern.
She whipped around, startled by my sudden appearance. Her eyes were wide with panic. “Let me go, Damien,” she said, her voice trembling. “I can’t do this anymore. I just want to leave. Please, let me leave.”
I stepped forward, trying to reach her, but she jerked back. “Anna, don’t do this. You’re on the ninth floor. If you try to escape from here, it’s literally means death.”
Her eyes flickered to me, and for a moment, I thought she might listen. But then she kicked at me, trying to push me away.
It reminded me of the way she had fought against Kosturos when he had tried to hurt her. It was a gut-wrenching reminder of how fragile everything was between us.
“I won’t hurt you, Anna,” I said softly, my voice strained. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you. Please, just trust me.”
She hesitated for a moment, the fight draining out of her. She let out a choked sob, and suddenly, she was in my arms, pressing her face against my chest. I held her tightly, unsure of what to say.
There was so much I wanted to explain to her—about who I was, about what we were—but I didn’t want to overwhelm her more than I already had.
“Anna, I know this is all so much to take in,” I whispered, my voice rough with emotion. “But you have to understand, being a werewolf, being an Alpha—it’s not a curse. It’s who I am, and it’s who you are now, too. We’re meant to be together. I don’t want to scare you. I just need you to trust me. We can make this work.”
She pulled away from me, her tears still streaming down her face. She stood up, shaking her head. “I don’t want any of this, Damien. I don’t want your world. I just want my normal life back.”
“Anna, listen to me,” I said, stepping closer. “You don’t have to be afraid. We’re not so different. I want to be with you. But I need you to see that we can make this work. We just have to take it one step at a time.”
She stared at me, her eyes filled with doubt. Then, without a word, she turned toward the door. “Get out,” she said, her voice cold, almost detached.
My heart broke at the way she said it. “What?”
“Get out!” she shouted, her hands shaking as she pointed toward the door.
I felt a tightness in my chest, but I knew I couldn’t push her. Not when she was like this. I walked toward the door, my mind racing with thoughts of how I could make her understand.
But before I could speak, the door slammed shut in my face.