The first thing I feel is warmth. Not the comforting kind—the stifling kind.
My eyes flutter open, and I realize why.
A blanket, thick and heavy, is draped over me. I don't remember covering myself last night.
I sit up slowly, my muscles protesting, and push my hair back. Sunlight filters through the small cabin window, casting a golden hue over the room. For a second, I almost believe I'm safe. Almost.
Then I remember everything.
The blood. The screams. Him.
My body tenses, and I glance toward the door as if expecting Damien to be standing there again, watching me. But it's empty.
I exhale, peeling the blanket off me, and swing my legs over the edge of the bed. The wooden floor is cool against my feet as I stand, stretching my sore limbs. Every muscle in my body aches from last night's chaos.
A faint sound reaches me—low voices coming from outside.
Damien.
And someone else.
Curiosity tugs at me, but so does something else. Hunger.
I step toward the door, but just as my fingers graze the handle, it swings open.
Damien.
He fills the doorway, his tall frame blocking the light. His sharp, piercing gaze sweeps over me—assessing, unreadable.
"You're up," he states simply.
I cross my arms. "You sound surprised."
His lips twitch as if amused. "Not surprised. Just wondering if you'd actually sleep through half the day."
My eyes widened. "What?"
He steps closer, invading my space without a second thought. "It's noon."
Noon?!
I slept that long?
I scowl at him, but before I can snap back, he holds something out.
A plate. With food.
My stomach betrays me with an embarrassing growl. He scoffs, shaking his head.
"Eat."
I snatch the plate from his hands, ignoring the way his fingers graze mine.
"Where did this even come from?" I ask, eyeing the eggs and toast.
He signaled behind him and I saw a man around his age. He waved at me and I waved back.
"Vuk. He takes care of this cabin." I nod my head and then no one speaks.
Silence.
I glance at Damien. He's still watching me, his expression unreadable.
"What?" I ask, narrowing my eyes.
His gaze dips briefly—just enough to make heat creep up my neck—before he steps back with a low chuckle.
"Nothing," he murmurs. "Just thinking about how much fun today is going to be."
A slow, knowing smirk pulls at his lips.
And just like that, I know—
Whatever happens next, it's going to push every single one of my limits.
–––⸻✧⸻–––
After breakfast, I barely have time to process anything before Damien tosses me a set of clothes.
"Change. We have things to do," he says, leaning against the doorway, arms crossed.
I narrow my eyes. "Things?"
He doesn't answer. Typical.
Sighing, I take the clothes and disappear into the bathroom. The fitted black shirt and leggings cling to me like a second skin, and for a fleeting second, I wonder how he knew my exact size. But I push the thought away.
When I step back into the dimly lit cabin, Damien is already waiting, his sharp gaze dragging over me.
"Let's go," he orders, turning on his heel.
"Go where?"
I don't like this. Not knowing where I'm being led, not understanding his intentions. But I don't have much of a choice.
I followed him down a narrow hallway I hadn't noticed before. The cabin might seem small from the outside, but inside, it stretches like a maze. He stops before a thick wooden door and pushes it open.
Inside, a training space. The floor is covered in reinforced wood, worn from use. All types of weapons. My heart stutters.
"Pick one," Damien says, nodding toward the array of weapons.
I swallow hard. "What?"
He steps closer, his heat pressing into my back. "You're not just going to sit around and wait for someone to kill you, are you?" His breath is warm against my ear. "You'll train. With me."
A shiver runs down my spine, but I mask it with an eye roll. "I know how to fight."
"Not well enough," he counters smoothly. "You wouldn't have needed me last night if you did."
My jaw clenches. I want to argue, to throw back some sharp remarks, but he's right. I was helpless. And I hate that more than anything.
I step forward and reach for a dagger. The weight feels familiar in my grip. I spin it between my fingers before settling into a stance.
Damien smirks. "Good."
Then, without warning, he lunges.
I dodge his first attack, barely. His speed is unnatural, almost inhumanly fluid, and before I can fully react, his hand wraps around my wrist, twisting me off balance. My back slams into his chest, the dagger slipping from my fingers.
A low chuckle rumbles against my ear. "Too slow, little wolf."
I growl, twisting to break free, but he's already moving. With effortless strength, he sweeps my legs out from under me. I crash onto the wooden floor, gasping as his weight follows, pinning me down.
His body cages me in, one hand gripping my wrist above my head, the other pressing against my hip to keep me still. My breath hitches. His face is so close—too close. His dark eyes flicker with something unreadable as they drop to my lips for the briefest second.
I hate that my heart stammers. I hate that my skin burns where he touches me.
"This," he murmurs, his voice deep and smooth, "is what I mean when I say you need training."
I try to kick at him, but he blocks it effortlessly, smirking. "Tsk. That won't work either."
Frustration simmers in my chest, mixing with something else. Something dangerous. I glare up at him. "Then teach me."
His grip tightens for a beat, his eyes darkening. Then, slowly, he leans in, his lips a breath away from my ear.
"Trust me. I will."
My throat goes dry as his fingers trace just above my hip bone, teasing, never quite committing.
"You fight me like you want to win," he muses, eyes locked onto mine, "but your body tells a different story."
I bite my lip to keep from making a sound. From reacting.
A mistake.
His eyes darken, that flicker of control slipping just enough for me to see something raw beneath it.
"Don't do that." His voice is lower now, almost a warning.
I swallow hard. "Do what?"
His thumb grazes my bottom lip, dragging it free from my teeth. "This."
I gulp hard. As I drag my eyes away from him. I can feel his breath, fast.
"Eva…"
I look at him. He gulps.
"Do you want me to kiss you?"