STRIP OFF

Lyra's POV 

I storm to Damon's room to confront him about Sasha's pregnancy. I only knock once before I barge in. But the moment I see Damon face every anger inside me fizzle like gas. 

He is standing behind the closet putting on his wristwatch. As soon as he sees me barge in, he stops. I try to read him. The care and warmth I usually see in his eyes is not there anymore and all I see is sympathy. I swallow a lump. Somewhere inside there is my Damon. I believe it and I know it. 

“Did you really do it? Did you cheat on me while we were dating? Did you sleep with Sasha?”

He just keeps looking at me without saying anything and it's driving me crazy. The more silent he keeps the more my heart thuds and confirms the truth of everything. “Please answer me, Damon–she is lying right? She always wanted you and now she is lying right?”

“I’m sorry, Lyra.”

“Don't tell me you are sorry. Tell me it's not true! Tell me you did not make any silly announcements! Tell me you did not get her pregnant…tell me you still love me…Damon please…”

“It just happened!” he snaps. 

My eyes wide in shock. Damon never yells at me. Never. And did he just confirm he really slept with Sasha…

He notices my shock and steps forward. I expect him to hold me like he would have done but he stops halfway. It is at this point the reality starts to dawn on me. 

“I'm sorry, I don't mean to yell at you but–Sasha is my mate now. It's the final decision.”

I feel my heart wrench and I close the distance between us and take his hand. I know this is wrong. I know I'm about to become a girl obsessed with his ex boyfriend but I can't help it. “Tell me, why are you doing this? Why are you doing this to me? We have been through a lot together, Damon. Please…don't do this.”

He lets me hold him for only a second before he snatches his hand away and then he stroll out of the room. And not one time did he stop to glance behind him. 

I watch his back disappear from the room. I wanted to at least see his face. To know he regrets betraying me but I'm left alone in the silence of his room, saddled with the memories that chose to bombard me that moment, reminding me how perfect we used to be, how everything is supposed to be perfect. The familiar bed, the sheets, the scents and the walls that probably remember my echoes and moans are mocking me now. 

Damon and I started dating officially when I turned sixteen. In my years as a pre teen, he was more like a brother to me, protecting me from bullies, helping me in Pack training and treating me like his best buddy. But then he officially asked me to date him when he was 20 and I was 16. It was the most perfect love confession I have heard. 

“Are you alright?”

I hear a voice and look up. “Master Rowan?”

“Hmm. I see you know my name now. Unfair that you heard it from someone else.” He makes a sad face. 

I realise my eyes are wet and I quickly wipe it and get up. “How did you know I was in here?”

“I was coming in to see Damon. You must have heard about me and him being half brothers. Long story. By the way, are you alright?”

His eyes search my face. 

“Yes, I'm alright.” I turn away, feeling uncomfortable with how his stare tends to bore through me. As if trying to unmask me and see my broken inside and my weakness. 

“Well, as you can see, Damon isn't here and I should be on my way out.”

I walk past him towards the exit. 

“My name is Rowan.”

I stop and glance behind my shoulder with a frown. “I know.”

He walks up to me and chuckles. I sense a bit of nervousness in his voice. “I'm sorry, I'm just trying to start a conversation and I suck at it.”

He is very similar to Damon. Why does looking at him ache my heart? “Look, Master Rowan–”

“Rowan will be just fine,” he interrupts. 

“I’m sorry but actually I'm not in the mood to hold a conversation right now.”

“I know and that is why I want to make you hold one.”

I stare at him, unable to understand where this whole conversation is heading. “And why would you do that?”

“Because it's not nice to be sad.” 

Is he flirting with me?

“Sadness isn't as bad as we make it to be.”

“Tell me about you. I'm curious. How you came to live here and all.”

“What have you heard so far? Anything like weak, omega, wolfless—”

“Nothing yet. I have kept my ears shut because I want to hear everything from you.”

I dodge his question. “You and Damon are half brothers. Why did you leave?”

He releases a breath. “Long story. Do you mind if we walk a bit outside?”

He let me walk first and I can feel his figure tower over me. I could guess he is around six feet tall. Probably the same height as Damon. 

I press back a sigh. Why do I keep comparing him to Damon? 

“So tell me, how long have you been living here?” He asks me when we are outside. 

I did not get to answer as Damon appears before us. 

I am surprised and pleased but he is not looking at me. His eyes are fixed on Rowan and it is not looking pleasant. 

“Hello brother,” Rowan says. 

Damon's face is rigid as he glares at Rowan.“Let's talk,” he grits. 

“Sure—”

“Let's talk over there.” In one snap, he grips Rowan's wrist and starts to drag him behind the building. In a matter of seconds they are out of eyesight and earshot. I stand there with mixed feelings. The look in Damon's eyes is anger, hatred. In a space of days I'm discovering so many new things about Damon I never knew. How can anyone change so drastically and so much in a couple of days? Has he been hiding his true self from me all these years? And what exactly is Rowan’s deal?