*Damon's POV*
The second the gates closed behind her, something in me shattered.
The silence in the packhouse was unbearable. Her scent still lingered, soft and defiant. I couldn't breathe without her
That night, I made my decision.
I left it all.
The title. The council. The expectations.
I shifted and ran—through woods, across the border—the forest was quite, but my heart thundered with every step. I could smell her faint lavender and storm soaked earth. Then I saw her
Nyla.
Curled beneath the gnarled tree roots by the riverbank, arms wrapped tightly around her knees, staring into nothing. She looked…broken. And it was my fault.
"Nyla," I breathed.
She froze.
When she looked up, tears welled in her eyes. "You came?"
"I should've never let them take you," I whispered, stepping closer. "I should've burned down the council the moment they opened their mouths."
She didn't speak. She just ran into me.
I caught her, crushed her into my chest, and for a long time, we just stood like that—no words, just hearts thudding wildly.
The stars above us flickered, but the fire in my veins burned hotter.
*Time slowed.*
We made it to the old hunter's cottage, half-abandoned but dry. The door creaked, the room smelled of ash and pine, but her presence eclipsed everything.
She stood there—wild, wounded, breathtaking.
I stepped in, backed her against the wooden wall. "You're mine, Nyla. No council, no pack… nothing else matters."
Her fingers threaded into my hair. "Then prove it."
I kissed her like a man starved. Desperate. Possessive. Our lips clashed, tongues tangled, and clothes were pulled with frantic hands—her sweater first, then mine.
Her skin glowed in the moonlight, soft and warm beneath my fingertips. I kissed every inch—her neck, the curve of her breast, the fluttering pulse at her collarbone.
She gasped when I lifted her, legs wrapping around my waist, her back pressed to the wall.
Every touch was worship. Every thrust, a vow.
The cottage filled with ragged breaths, hushed moans, the creak of old wood matching our rhythm. Her nails dug into my back as I drove deeper, losing myself in the sound of her whispering my name—over and over.
We didn't stop until the stars had shifted, until sweat and satisfaction cloaked us like a second skin.
*Afterward,*
We lay tangled together beneath a blanket on the floor, hearts steadying. I brushed a strand of hair from her face.
"I'm not going back without you," I said. "They can keep the title. I just want this."
She smiled softly. "Then we fight. Together."
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