DAMIEN

 “I should not have kissed her,”

That was the first thought that crossed my mind. The second thought was far worse: I didn’t regret it,

Nyssa stood in front of me, and she was close enough for me to feel the warmth of her breath. And even though seconds had passed after our kiss, the softness of her lips still lingered in my thoughts in a way that shouldn’t be possible.

I watched her carefully, not her face, because even though she was clearly shocked by her own actions, she had already schooled her expressions. No, I watched her eyes. That was where I could clearly see the truth.

And what I saw made me furrow my brows. Even though she hadn’t planned or accounted for it, she did not regret the kiss. There was no guilt, panic or recoil in her gaze. But there was something far deeper, something that told me she was regretting her own thoughts.

A faint shift in her posture gave it away, the way her spine subtly straightened and the quiet withdrawal I could sense. These were all signs that she was setting up walls. Walls that were only being set up because she was feeling emotions she didn’t want to be feeling.

I exhaled slowly, then forced my hands to remain by my side instead of reaching for her again.

Pushing her now would be a mistake. Nyssa Vale was not a woman who would allow herself to be easily cornered. She was a woman who chose, and right now, she was choosing distance.

So, I followed my instincts and gave it to her.

“Come,” I said quietly. I knew she didn’t want to talk about what just happened, so I moved on, “It’s late.”

She did not argue, and that fact alone told me more than enough about her thoughts. We walked back in silence, and the same path we had just taken now felt different.

The air was obviously heavier, and it was charged with something neither of us wanted to acknowledge.

When we got back to the dining area, I reached for my phone and sent out a quick message. By the time we stepped outside, her car was already waiting.

Nyssa paused for a brief second, her brows furrowing as her eyes darted from me towards her car.

“I will be driving you home,” I said as I took her hand and led her towards her car.

She tilted her head and stared at me with a confused gaze, “Huh! Why?” she asked,

“You have had a few drinks,” I answered, “I believe it should be my duty as a gentleman to make sure you are home safe.”

Her eyes narrowed slightly at those words, and for a moment, I thought she was about to argue. We both knew alcohol hardly lingered in a werewolf's system. But this was not about alcohol, and she knew it.

After a brief pause, she nodded. “Fine, you can drive me home.”

I nodded, pushed back a smile and then opened the passenger’s door for her. She hesitated for a fraction of a second before stepping in.

I walked around to the driver's seat, slid in and started the engine. One of my wolves started another car behind us, he was to be our escort.

Silence filled the car as I began to drive out of my estate.

I did not try to break it or to fill something in. Instead, I let the silence sit, because right now, silence was probably the best thing any of us could say to each other.

I could feel her breathing heavily beside me, and it told me she was alert, aware and lost in thought.

My grip on the steering wheel tightened slightly as I watched her. I had met powerful, intelligent and dangerous women in the past. Nyssa was something else entirely.

She lived like someone who didn’t just think ahead, they also lived ahead. I was pretty sure the kiss was the only thing about this night that she had not calculated.

Everything she did was measured, except tonight. Tonight, she had slipped, and so had I.

That thought almost made me chuckle. We moved through quiet streets, and it didn’t take long until we pulled into an area that I was only familiar with through photos.

Her new home.

I felt her piercing gaze before she even spoke up.

“How do you know where I live?” she asked in a curious tone,

I glanced at her briefly before returning my attention to the road.

“I know a lot of things, Nyssa.”

Her eyes narrowed slightly,

“That does not answer my question,”

A faint smile tugged at the corner of my lips.

“It does though,” I said as I turned to face her, “You just don’t like the answer I gave.”

She did not reply, but I could feel the tension shift in the car. Her curiosity was now layered with caution.

The car came to a sudden stop in front of her house. I stepped out first, moved around to her side before she could reach for the door, and opened it for her.

She looked up at me for a second before stepping out, “Thank you,” she said quietly,

Those words were layered, I could tell it wasn’t for the door, not really.

I nodded and gestured towards her house.

“I’ll walk you.”

She did not refuse.

We walked up the short path together, the night was quieter and the tension was slowly lifting.

When we reached her door, she paused, and for a second, I could tell she was going to say something.

But she stopped, took a deep breath and reached for the door.

It was only when she unlocked it and stepped inside that she looked up and, for the first time since we kissed, she met my gaze.

“Thank you for tonight.”

There was a slight pause before she added, “It was nice.”

I nodded, and flashed her a smile.

“Good night, Nyssa.”

“Good night, Damien,” she replied and then, closed the door.

I stood there for a moment longer than I should have and stared at the space where she had been. Then, I let out a sharp exhale and ran a hand through my hair.

“Damm it.” I cursed under my breath.

I could feel it already, a pull in my chest.

One that I hadn’t felt before but could recognize.

I had watched men be destroyed because of a pull like this, and I had always told myself I wouldn’t be one of them.

Yet, even as I was falling for her, I knew one thing for certain: I didn’t want this to stop.