ANNA'S POV
I opened the door slowly, peeking into the living room like a prisoner cautiously stepping out of a cell.
My stomach growled loudly, betraying me. I winced. Great. I wasn’t just trapped with a man claiming to be a werewolf— I was hungry too.
As soon as I stepped into the hallway, there he was. Damien. Standing like he had been waiting for me, arms crossed, face unreadable.
For a moment, we simply stared at each other. The tension between us could be sliced with a butter knife.
Without greeting him or even acknowledging the awkward air, I stretched out my hand toward him stiffly.
“My phone," I said, my voice surprisingly steady. "Where is it?"
He blinked, almost like he hadn’t expected me to say anything. Then he nodded silently, turning toward the living room. I followed him, my bare feet padding softly against the cold floor.
He bent down, grabbed my purse from the coffee table, and fished out my phone. Without a word, he handed it to me.
I snatched it from his hand and immediately powered it on. My heart thumped wildly in my chest, half-expecting it to be dead or broken.
But no, as soon as it switched on, it vibrated in my hand, a call coming through.
My throat tightened when I saw the caller ID: Dad.
I pressed answer without thinking, bringing the phone to my ear.
“Dad?” My voice cracked.
"Anna! God, where have you been?" His voice was filled with relief and frustration all at once. "I’ve been worried sick. I even went to your apartment! Your neighbors said they hadn’t seen you for over a week. What the hell is going on?"
I closed my eyes, my heart aching with guilt. I hadn’t even thought about how my disappearance must have looked.
"I’m sorry," I whispered. "I went on a business trip...with my new boss. It was...it was really sudden."
There was a brief pause. Then his voice softened, though the worry remained. "Are you okay? You’re not in any trouble, are you?"
I glanced at Damien out of the corner of my eye. He was standing a few feet away, his hands stuffed into his pockets, watching me with an unreadable expression.
"I’m fine, Dad. I swear," I said quickly. "I’ll be back today."
"Thank God," he muttered. "Just...be careful, pumpkin. I don’t like how all this sounds. You know you can always come home."
"I know, Dad. I love you."
"I love you too. See you soon."
I ended the call with a heavy sigh, clutching my phone tightly to my chest. I could feel Damien’s gaze burning into the side of my face. Slowly, I looked up, and met his eyes.
The intensity there made my breath hitch. I quickly looked away, feeling my cheeks warm. Trying to distract myself, I opened my browser and typed a single word:
Werewolf.
I didn’t know what I was expecting—urban legends, myths, fairy tales? But as I scrolled through pages and pages of results, some ancient, some modern, my mind began spinning.
The stories varied, but the core was the same. Shapeshifters. Pack mentality. Mates. Alphas.
So it wasn’t just some sick prank. It wasn’t just Damien going crazy.
This was real.
I felt the couch shift and realized Damien had sat down beside me. I stiffened instinctively, ready to bolt.
But then I didn’t move. I stayed there. Right next to him. And for the first time since the elevator incident, I really felt it—the pull between us. It was electric, magnetic. My whole body ached to lean into him.
He shifted closer, his voice low and careful. "Anna."
Just the way he said my name sent shivers down my spine. I swallowed hard. God, what was wrong with me?
I turned slightly, my heart pounding, my lips parting like I was about to kiss him.
I jerked back at the last second, shaking my head violently to clear it. Focus, Anna. Focus.
There were too many questions racing through my mind. Too many things I didn’t understand.
He leaned closer.
"Say something," he murmured.
I blinked at him. Then, surprising even myself, I stood up and faced him head-on.
"Let's go," I said firmly.
He blinked. "What?"
I crossed my arms over my chest, trying to seem tougher than I felt. "Let’s go to work. Starting today."