DAMIEN'S POV
The weight of everything was too much. I could feel it, the constant pressure pressing down on my chest like a thousand-pound boulder.
Every decision I made, every move I made, felt like it was leading me further into a pit I couldn’t climb out of. And there was only one thing that kept me trapped in this hell I’d created for myself: Anna.
I couldn’t get her out of my head. I should’ve been focusing on the enemies I was fighting.
My company was at the edge of a cliff, and my enemies were circling, waiting for me to fall.
But all I could think about was her. I cursed myself for not protecting her better. I blamed myself for not being vigilant enough, for not doing more when she was threatened.
She had become a target because of me, and I couldn’t bear it.
When I thought about how I had pushed her away to protect her, it made my insides churn with disgust. I had thought distancing myself from her would keep her safe.
I had thought that if my enemies believed I no longer cared about her, they would stop using her as a weapon against me. But I was wrong. It didn’t work. Not one bit. And now, she was lost to me.
The worst part? I felt our mate bond fraying. It was like a rope slowly unraveling, the connection between us growing weaker and weaker as the days passed.
Every moment I spent away from her felt like a knife twisting deeper into my heart. Every time I thought about how I had hurt her, how I had made her feel abandoned, it made my soul ache.
I sat down at my desk, running a hand over my face as I stared at the pile of paperwork in front of me.
The office felt suffocating. I needed something to distract me, something to get my mind off the agony of knowing that she was out there somewhere, alone, hurt by my actions.
I grabbed my phone, my fingers trembling as I unlocked it.
My heart clenched as I dialed her number, my thumb hovering over the screen. It rang once. Twice. Three times. Then, straight to voicemail.
Shit. I cursed under my breath and disconnected the call, feeling a wave of frustration crash over me. I couldn’t bear this anymore.
I needed to know how she was doing. I needed to hear her voice, even if it was just for a moment.
Without thinking, I dialed Nathan’s number. He had been the one driving her to and from the hospital, and I knew he had been the one to look after her when I couldn’t.
Maybe he had more information. Maybe he knew where she was, what she was doing.
The phone rang a few times before Nathan picked up. “Damien,” he said, his voice guarded. “What’s up?”
“Hey, Nathan. It’s me,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “I’ve been trying to get in touch with Anna. Do you know how she’s doing? Did you take her home after she was discharged from the hospital?”
There was a pause on the other end of the line, a beat of silence that felt like an eternity. “I… I didn’t take her home,” Nathan replied, his voice a little quieter than usual. “She told me off for one month now. She told me over the phone that she didn’t want me around, that she didn’t want me to show my face.”
I froze, my heart skipping a beat. “What?”
“Yes.”
“What do you mean?” I demanded, my voice rising with frustration. “She told you that?”
“Yeah,” Nathan answered, his tone apologetic. “She said she didn’t want anything to do with me. She told me never to see her again.”
I felt a sickening twist in my gut. How could she say that?
I stood up, pacing the room as anger surged through me. “What the hell, Nathan? You didn’t even try to—” My voice faltered, and I stopped, taking a deep breath to try to steady myself.
I couldn’t let my emotions get the best of me, not now. Not with everything at stake.
“Damien,” Nathan said, his voice carrying a note of caution. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know what else to do.”
“You should have told me!” I barked. “I didn't call because I knew if there was a problem you'd let me know. I was assured you'd help me take care of her!”
“I'm sorry, man! I didn't say anything because of the Mafia scandal and everything you've been going through recently. The Pack is on your neck too and…”
I gritted my teeth, the words biting as they left my mouth. “I don’t give a damn if she told you that, Nathan. You should’ve driven her home. You should’ve tried to talk to her, to find out what the hell is going on.”
“I didn’t know what to say,” Nathan replied, his voice strained. “She was upset. I couldn’t force her. I thought you’d handle it. She… she didn’t want me to get involved anymore since you refused to show up”
God, I was losing her.
The thought hit me like a punch to the stomach. I closed my eyes, trying to calm the storm inside me, but it was impossible.
Every word Nathan said made it clear that Anna was slipping further away from me. And I had no one to blame but myself.
This was supposed to be my mate. My other half. And I had pushed her away for her own safety.
But what was the point of keeping her safe if I couldn’t even protect her from myself?
I ran a hand through my hair, trying to make sense of everything. I couldn’t let this happen.
I couldn’t let her disappear from my life like this.
“Nathan,” I said, my voice low and steady despite the storm raging inside me. “I need you to find her. I need you to track her down, wherever she is. Get her address, and I’ll take it from there.”
“I... I…”
“I don’t care what she told you, Nathan,” I cut him off, my frustration boiling over.
There was a long pause on the other end of the line, and I could tell Nathan was weighing his options.
Finally, Nathan spoke, his voice reluctant. “Alright. I’ll see what I can do. But you need to understand, Damien, that you’ve got to fix things with her. It’s not just about finding her. It’s about making things right between you two.”
“I know,” I said, my voice tight. “I’ll fix it. I’ll make things right. Just… find her for me, Nathan. Please.”
“Yeah, yeah. I’ll do what I can,” Nathan said, and then the call ended.