The confession

Chapter 19

Ivy’s POV

He lunged toward me with terrifying speed, his red wolf eyes blazing, his snarl echoing off the stone walls. For a moment, I thought he would rip into me. I didn’t flinch, I was ready. My own blue wolf stood her ground, furious and trembling. We were locked in a deadly stare, two storms circling each other.

But then, he stopped.

Just inches away from me, his massive paws halted mid-step. His claws slowly retracted. His breathing slowed. And without a word, Damon shifted back into his human form.

I followed, breathing heavily, letting Vivian retreat as the blue fur vanished and bones cracked back into place. I gasped, now bare and trembling on the cold castle floor. I was completely naked, my knees pressing into the hard stone, hair falling in wild curls over my shoulders.

He didn’t look at me with lust or anger. Just… quiet. Distant.

He pulled off the shredded remnants of his robe, the one I’d torn in my rage, and silently draped it around me. The fabric smelled like him. Dark, warm, woodsmoke and storm. I looked up at his face, hidden behind that ever-present mask, but there was something hollow in his stance. Something that made my throat tighten.

Without saying a word, he lifted me gently in his arms like I weighed nothing and carried me back into my room.

I didn’t resist. I couldn’t.

He placed me on the bed, carefully, like I was glass. His arms lingered for a second too long, then he turned and walked out.

Gone. Just like that.

I sat on the bed, robe clutched tightly around me, breath trembling in my throat. My hands were shaking. Something was wrong. I felt it in my chest, in my gut, like a knot I couldn’t untie.

The moment I dressed in a new outfit for school, something less defiant than the last, I overheard the maids whispering outside my door. Their voices were hushed, but the words pierced through me like knives.

“She tore it,” one said. “The black robe Aria gave him…”

“That was from his first love,” another whispered. “He’s had it for centuries. Since before the war, even. And she ripped it. Just like that.”

“If it were anyone else,” another added, “they’d be dead right now. But he’s so gentle with her…”

I froze.

My chest tightened. My fingers curled into my skirt.

Centuries? A gift from his first love?

And I tore it like it was nothing.

Something inside me cracked.

I didn’t wait. My feet moved on their own, racing down the corridor, past the guards and the eyes of the staff. I didn’t stop until I reached his chamber.

The door was ajar. Inside, the room was dimly lit by the soft flicker of the fireplace. And there he was, kneeling on the floor before the flames, the tattered black robe clenched tightly in his hands. His shoulders were rigid. His head hung low.

The image was haunting.

I stepped in quietly, heart pounding, eyes already burning with tears.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, falling to my knees beside him. “I didn’t know… I didn’t know it meant so much to you. Please, I’ll fix it. I’ll stitch every thread back together. Damon, I swear, I didn’t mean to..”

Before I could finish, he snatched the robe away from me.

“Get lost.”

His voice was sharp. Angry. Cold.

But his hands were shaking.

“I said get lost!” he shouted, rising to his feet in one fluid, furious motion. The flames behind him cast shadows over his face, making the mask look even more monstrous.

“I’m trying not to kill you right now!” he yelled, his voice breaking with rage. “I hate you, Ivy! I hate you so much it’s eating me alive! So before I do something I’ll regret… get out of here!”

The air thickened with his power.

Before I could respond, a violent force slammed into me, his energy. His fury. It knocked me back, sending me flying across the room. I crashed against the cold stone floor, gasping in pain as my shoulder hit hard.

“Ah—!” I cried, curling into myself.

My body throbbed. My eyes blurred with tears.

He didn't come to check if I was okay. He didn’t say another word.

I lay there for a moment, breathing hard, staring up at the cracked ceiling. A million thoughts raced through my head, but one kept screaming louder than the rest.

Why do I even care?

He tore my dress, humiliated me, threatened me…and now he’s angry over some ancient piece of fabric? I should hate him. I do hate him.

So why does it hurt this much?

I picked myself up slowly, wincing with every move, and staggered back to my room. My fingers moved mechanically as I packed a small bag. Heading to school.

As I stepped out of the castle, the wind whipped through my hair, and my heart sank when I saw the sleek black car already waiting out front.

Jack was leaning casually against the side, one leg crossed over the other like a runway model, arms folded, a charming smile tugging at his lips. His dark eyes locked onto me the second I stepped outside.

“Hey,” he called out, voice smooth and warm. “Looking good, Ivy.”

I blinked at him, momentarily stunned.

His smile made my heart stutter in my chest.

God, I’ve always dreamed of falling in love. But I never thought it would be like this, me, broken and lost, with baggage strapped to my soul. Was this the universe's way of telling me it was okay to feel something again? To love?

Even though I haven’t found my parents’ killer Derek?

Even though I haven’t had my revenge?

Do I even deserve love yet?

“Why are you here?” I asked, crossing my arms, trying to stay guarded.

“You called me yesterday,” he said, stepping closer. “But you didn’t come out. I figured I’d wait. Just in case.”

“You… you know whose house this is, right?” I asked, raising a brow. His audacity both annoyed and impressed me.

He chuckled. “Yeah. Of course I know. The cursed Lycan. Your presumed mate.”

My stomach flipped.

He said it so casually…so confidently. Like he wasn’t afraid at all.

Everyone feared Damon. But not Jack.

“Why are you doing this?” I asked, eyes narrowing. “Why are you… being nice to me?”

He paused, then looked me right in the eye.

“Because I care about you,” he said simply. “I don’t care about the rumors or what anyone says. From the very first day I saw you, I knew. You’re my mate, Ivy. The one I’ve been waiting for.”

My heart stopped.

“What…?” I whispered, eyes widening.

He smiled, calm and certain.

“You heard me.”