LOGINDAMIEN.I moved deeper into the forest.Whatever had entered my territory was close now. Too close. I could feel its presence between the trees, moving with enough confidence to tell me this wasn't some frightened rogue that had accidentally crossed my borders.It was looking for me.I stopped. Five figures stepped out from between the trees, emerging slowly, deliberately.I stared at them. Five.My eyes narrowed. "That's a lot of company."None of them answered. They simply attacked. The first came at me from the left, fast enough that a moment's hesitation would have cost me my throat. I caught his wrist before his claws could reach me and twisted hard. He snarled in pain. I drove my elbow into his ribs and threw him into a tree, the trunk cracking with the impact.Another came from behind. I turned just in time, ducking beneath his claws before grabbing the back of his neck and slamming him into the ground. The others rushed me all at once.I smiled. Finally. Something worth killing
DEREKI had been waiting for nearly an hour.The meeting place was an abandoned hunting lodge deep within the forest, far enough from the main roads that no one would stumble across us by accident. I stood beside the window, staring into the darkness. My patience was wearing thin.I hated waiting. Especially when I knew Stella was somewhere out there. With him.Damien. My jaw clenched at the thought. Of course she had gone to him. She had always been stubborn, always convinced she could make her own decisions, as though she understood what was best for her.The door opened behind me. I didn't turn around."Well?"Silence. I slowly turned to face it. Three men stood in the doorway, their clothes covered in dirt, two of them looking exhausted. My eyes narrowed."You were supposed to be watching them.""We were.""And?"The tallest man stepped forward. "They left the mansion."My expression didn't change. "When?""Earlier today.""And where did they go?""The forest."I waited until he s
DAMIENThe rain had finally begun to ease. It no longer fell heavily enough to blur the forest around us, but droplets still clung to the branches overhead, striking the leaves with soft, rhythmic taps. Brimstone carried us steadily through the forest. I barely paid attention to where we were going, I was all focused on Stella. Stella had fallen asleep somewhere along the trail. I hadn't even noticed the exact moment it happened. One minute she'd been sitting behind me, her arms loosely wrapped around my waist. The next, her full weight had settled against my back.I glanced over my shoulder. She was asleep. Actually asleep. Her cheek rested against my shoulder, her breathing slow and even.For a moment, I simply stared. She looked different when she slept. Softer. The usual tension in her face had disappeared, that constant awareness, that tiny crease between her brows whenever she was thinking too much.Just peace. I had watched her sleep before, more times than I should probably a
DAMIENDamien's eyes dropped to where my fingers hovered, so close to the thick, obvious strain in his soaked trousers. For a second his expression went completely unguarded, hunger and restraint and something almost desperate all mixed together at once, like he was fighting himself just to stay still."Fuck, Stella…" His voice came out rough, low, scraped raw at the edges. He caught my wrist gently before I could touch him, his grip firm but careful, like he didn't fully trust himself to let go. "As much as I would love that, we can't right now. You're already shivering. We have to get somewhere warm." The waterfall still crashed around us, cold water streaming down our bodies in endless sheets. Only then did I notice how hard I was trembling, and it wasn't just from the aftershocks of what his fingers had done to me. The chill had finally started sinking into my bones, turning my trembling into something closer to shivering.I swallowed, disappointment and relief tangled together in
STELLA“I want you.” My voice shook. “Please. Touch me.”Damien’s eyes darkened until the blue was almost gone. Water thundered down around us, a constant silver curtain that soaked everything it touched. It streamed over his hair, plastering the strands to his forehead and the sharp cut of his cheekbones. His white shirt clung to him like a second skin—translucent now, outlining every hard plane of his chest, the ridges of his abdomen, the broad strength of his shoulders. The fabric stuck to the defined lines of his arms. He looked devastating. Beautiful in a way that made my stomach tighten and my pulse race harder. I didn’t understand why I loved this so much. Why the idea of his hands on me felt like something I had been starving for without realizing it. Why the careful way he looked at me, like my pleasure was the only thing that mattered—made my chest ache even as heat pooled low in my belly.He wasn’t just trying to use my body to get off.He was watching me. Learning me.
STELLAFor a moment I forgot how to breathe. The mountain opened before us, revealing something I could hardly believe was real, a scene so vivid it looked like it belonged in a painting rather than in front of me. Water thundered down from the cliffs above, spilling into a crystal-clear pool below. Mist floated through the air, catching the sunlight filtering between the trees. Wildflowers grew along the edges, their colors scattered across the green like someone had painted them there. It was extraordinary.It was beautiful. No. Beautiful wasn't enough. It was breathtaking. I had read about places like this in books. I had heard people describe hidden valleys and waterfalls so beautiful they seemed untouched by the world. But I had never imagined I would actually stand in one.I slowly climbed down from the horse. "Damien"He dismounted behind me. I barely noticed. I couldn't take my eyes off the waterfall."You like it?"I nodded. "I've never seen anything like this.""I thought yo







