MasukIAN I sat in my office staring at the package on my desk like it might explode at any moment. Marcus stood to my left, Annabelle to my right, both of them looking equally wary of the innocent-looking box."You said this was from Damon?" I asked Marcus for the third time, as if the answer might change."Yes. That's what the messenger told me when he delivered it to the border." Marcus shifted his weight uncomfortably. "He was very specific about it being a gift from the Lycan to you personally.""A gift." The word tasted wrong in my mouth. "Damon doesn't send gifts. Damon sends threats. We all know that here.""Well, you won't know what it is unless you open it," Annabelle pointed out, leaning forward with curiosity. "Stop being a coward and just look inside.""I am not a coward Anabelle. And watch your tongue before you get punished. Being my wife doesn't mean you can talk to me as you wish." I spat out angrily, my eyes flashing at her for a second at her."I am sorry. I didn't mea
LyraHis mouth crashed against mine, hungry and urgent. Damon’s tongue pushed past my lips, tasting me, claiming me. My arms flew up around his neck without thinking, fingers digging into his hair as I pulled him closer. His hands gripped my waist hard, yanking my body flush against his. We kissed like we were starving, both fighting for more, neither willing to give in.I could feel the heat seeping out from his chest, his hard bulge lower down pressing against my stomach, his arms holding me tight like he didn't want to let go. I didn't want him to let go of meMy own body answered before my mind could catch up, warmth began spreading fast between my legs, making me ache and tremble His palms slid up my sides, over my back, tracing every curve gently like he was memorizing me. I couldn’t breathe properly, only short, sharp gasps between kisses. I wanted his hands higher. Lower. Anywhere. My fingers ran over his shoulders, down the firm lines of his back, feeling muscle shift
DAMON POV Gasps rippled across the room like waves, each maid reacting with shock to Leah's confession. I turned to look at Lyra, needing to gauge her reaction to this betrayal.The expression on her face nearly broke me. Her eyes were wide with shock, disbelief written across every feature. Her hands had flown up to cover her mouth, as if she could somehow take back the reality of what she'd just heard.I understand how shocked use was because I was also shocked..leah had been a spy for Ian all these while. Damn, this was really unbelievable.But hearing it from her lips and seeing the signs of it with my own eyes made me believe it was possible and she washing the truth.I turned back to Leah, forcing my voice to remain level. "Have you been the one dropping those threatening letters in Lyra's room?"Leah stared at me for a long moment, tears still streaming down her face. Then she nodded slowly. "Ian commanded me to drop them. The letters were from him. He wrote them and told
LYRA POV Panic exploded in my chest, hot and consuming. I rushed to Damon's side, catching him as he swayed dangerously. Blood was pouring from his mouth, staining his shirt, dripping onto the floor."Damon! Damon, stay with me!" My hands shook as I tried to hold him upright, his weight heavy against me. "I'm going to get help. I'm going to find Eric. He'll know what to do. Just hold on."I lowered him as gently as I could to the floor and ran. My feet barely touched the ground as I raced through the corridors, screaming for Eric at the top of my lungs."Eric! Eric, please! Something's wrong with Damon! He's been poisoned!"I found him in the main hall, talking with some guards. The moment he saw my face, he was moving."What happened?""The water. I don't know. Damon drank water and now he's coughing up blood. There's so much blood. Please, you have to help him!"We ran back to the dining hall together, my heart pounding so hard I thought it might burst from my chest. This was my
DAMON POV Gasps rippled across the room like waves, each maid reacting with shock to Leah's confession. I turned to look at Lyra, needing to gauge her reaction to this betrayal.The expression on her face nearly broke me. Her eyes were wide with shock, disbelief written across every feature. Her hands had flown up to cover her mouth, as if she could somehow take back the reality of what she'd just heard.I understand how shocked use was because I was also shocked..leah had been a spy for Ian all these while. Damn, this was really unbelievable.But hearing it from her lips and seeing the signs of it with my own eyes made me believe it was possible and she washing the truth.I turned back to Leah, forcing my voice to remain level. "Have you been the one dropping those threatening letters in Lyra's room?"Leah stared at me for a long moment, tears still streaming down her face. Then she nodded slowly. "Ian commanded me to drop them. The letters were from him. He wrote them and told
LYRA POV Panic exploded in my chest, hot and consuming. I rushed to Damon's side, catching him as he swayed dangerously. Blood was pouring from his mouth, staining his shirt, dripping onto the floor."Damon! Damon, stay with me!" My hands shook as I tried to hold him upright, his weight heavy against me. "I'm going to get help. I'm going to find Eric. He'll know what to do. Just hold on."I lowered him as gently as I could to the floor and ran. My feet barely touched the ground as I raced through the corridors, screaming for Eric at the top of my lungs."Eric! Eric, please! Something's wrong with Damon! He's been poisoned!"I found him in the main hall, talking with some guards. The moment he saw my face, he was moving."What happened?""The water. I don't know. Damon drank water and now he's coughing up blood. There's so much blood. Please, you have to help him!"We ran back to the dining hall together, my heart pounding so hard I thought it might burst from my chest. This was my







