NOVPUB"Damon?" Aila whispered, pulling away from the copper smell of blood and staring up into her mate’s swirling silver orbs. There she felt settled, but the warm liquid coating her hands made her jump and flick her gaze straight to the cause. She gasped at her bloodied claws and the muscular chest she’d shredded apart.
Tears streamed down her paling face as her hands trembled, and she began to pull them away. "Damon, why did you stop me?" A sob broke free from her whispers at what she’d done. "You shouldn’t have.. look at what I’ve done to you!"
Aila tried to rip free from his arms in fear of her capabilities, fearing that she would do more to her beloved mate. But Damon’s hold tightened around her, pulling her into his lap, stroking her head, calming and trying to soothe her. It was all so wrong. Why would he comfort her? She was a monster! 𝙣𝒐𝙫𝙥𝙪𝙗.𝙘𝙤𝙢
"You’re not a monster, angel," Damon spoke softly into her ear, rocking her back and forth. The motion and the gentle nature in which he treated her made her quiver, her lips wobbling and her vision blurring once more from the onslaught of tears. "Shh, it’s okay, baby."
Aila shook her head. "It’s not. It’s not okay. Look at what I did to you," she cried, her voice thickening with emotion as she looked at his healing chest, the blood drying parts of his shirt to his skin.
"Come on, it’s just a scratch. Stop being dramatic." Damon winked at her, and his lips pulled back into a devastatingly handsome smile. Her breath hitched at the sight of it, pausing her tears and the blubbering mess she was becoming. But she glanced at his chest, and her self-loathing returned.
It wasn’t a scratch, and she couldn’t control herself! She’d hurt her mate!
"You weren’t in your right mind, Aila. And HE let you get like that. Remember that," Damon replied soothingly, but she could feel the tiny vibrations of a growl from his chest. Aila looked up, catching sight of his eyes shining brightly like two full moons momentarily. Darius was close to the surface of his mind.
’He let you get like that.’
Yes, Cassius did. Aila lowered her face, ashamed of herself. "But I wanted this, Damon. Not.. not to hurt you." She raised her hand, claws retracting to stroke his smooth jaw, but paused when she felt the warmth of his skin close to hers.
How could she think about touching him after hurting him like a crazed bloodsucker set on her vengeance? Aila glanced at her hand like it was disgusting and vile.
"Never to hurt you." Aila lowered her voice, dropping her hand to her side. But Damon didn’t let it reach the ground; he clasped it in his and pressed the palm of her hand against his cheek. She looked up, her breath catching in her throat, staring at him with new tears gliding down her cheeks. He nuzzled into her hand, watching her as he left a featherlight kiss on her skin.
Even as her heart fluttered and warmed at the sight of her mate, Aila knew that she was going to ruin the moment. "Clint must pay. He must pay for all the evil deeds he’s done.." Pathetic, that’s how she sounded in a weak, trembling voice. "Cass may have let me get to this point, but I allowed myself to fall into this state. I wanted his blood. I still do.
He deserves it."
Aila watched as the muscle in Damon’s jaw began to tick at the mention of Cassius’ name, and his eyes glowed, but he didn’t speak of it. Instead, he remained quiet, listening to her intently. "I can’t stop seeing what he did that night, Dam Dam. I can’t.." Her eyes dimmed as she remembered her mother, her father.
Again, sparks of fire erupted in her chest, anger flourishing her body; it burned so dark it was terrifying as her gaze flew to Clint.
Clint’s head flopped forwards, his torso a bloody, gory mess of ripped flesh and organs almost spilling out. Still, he breathed heavily, trembling, covered in sweat, his blonde hair falling over his forehead. His eyes blinked slowly, staring into nothingness, a look of hopelessness. Satisfaction spilled into her at the sight of his discomfort, but it was quickly replaced with repulsion.
Both at herself and at the man. Seeing him feeling sorry for himself reignited that flame in her chest. The action in itself caused her to snarl in his direction, her fangs glinting.
Damon lightly held Aila’s chin with his thumb and forefinger and swerved her head back to face him. She heaved a long breath, her body relaxing once more as she stared at her mate, feeling the sensation of the bond warm her. Feeling whole in his arms and just feeling MORE than anger, resentment, spitefulness, and blood lust.
In Damon’s arms, she was home, and even if the world was crumbling around them, she’d still feel at peace with him.
With a press of his lips against hers, Aila’s mind went blank. The need for vengeance started to dwindle because here, right now, was more important than anything in her life. Here with Damon, her mate, the other half of her kissed her so gently with so much love tingling through the bond she started to tear up again.
She’d almost died, and the thought stabbed a gaping wound in her heart, or was it his?
The wall Aila had kept between their bond was knocked down when she realised her claws had been scratching his chest so viciously. Either way, it didn’t matter. Her heart felt just as heavy and found moments like these, even bloodied and fleeting as they were for a while, to give her strength. To fight, so she could return to Damon’s arms and never leave them again.
Aila’s arms wrapped around Damon’s neck, her fingers going into his hair as he deepened the kiss. A low growl, more like a purr in appreciation, rumbled through his chest and throat.
It sent a heat intense and powerful centring to her core, and she shifted to straddle Damon, turning their light kisses to passionate kisses, becoming breathless and gasping for air, yet unable to unfurl themselves from each other.
Someone on the side cleared their throat, making Aila jolt, eyes snapping open in alarm, suddenly aware that someone else stood by. Her eyes met a pair of almond shaped, deep brown eyes, and her cheeks heated slightly at the amused smile playing on Esme’s, a smile she was trying to hide.
"Erm.. Shouldn’t we do something about this guy?" The little she-wolf pointed her thumb in Clint’s direction. "Before you continue with.. well, romping on the roof.."
