Page 35 of Claimed By the Damned

“Angel.” My voice comes out softer than intended, but her lashes flutter, her body relaxing almost instantly. Like she knows my voice even in sleep.

Fuck.That does something fierce to me.

Her eyes barely crack open, her gaze hazy with exhaustion. “Ethan?”

“Yeah, Angel. I’m here.”

She exhales, like that’s all she needed, and lets her eyes drift shut again. I watch her for another long moment before pulling away, raking a hand down my face as I stand.

I turn to leave the room, needing air, needing distance, but I don't make it far before I feel a soft tug at my wrist. My pulse kicks up. I glance down to find Lila’s fingers curled weakly around me, her eyes half-open, searching.

“Don’t go,” she murmurs.

It’s barely a whisper, but the sound hits deep, shattering something inside me. I swallow against the sudden tightness in my throat and scoop her up into my arms before I can think straight. She’s light, terrifyingly so—reminds me how small my little brother felt hiding behind me all those years ago, how fragile he was beneath the bravado I tried to show. Her fragile weight settles against my chest with an impact far beyond the physical.

Her head immediately tucks into the curve of my shoulder, her breath warming my neck, her body melting into mine as if she belongs there. Her scent—something soft beneath the clean trace of soap—fills my head.

Every instinct screams possession, protection, permanence. It isn’t a conscious decision; it feels like gravity, an undeniable pull I can’t fight.Belonging.The word echoes, dangerous and true.

I carry her to her bedroom, laying her down gently. When I try to pull away, her fingers tighten on my wrist again.

“Ethan.” Her voice is raw with exhaustion and something else—something that leaves me breathless. “Please… just for tonight. Stay with me.”

I hesitate. A war rages inside: logic screamingbad idea, crossing linesversus the overwhelming flood of warmth spreading through my chest from her touch. I shouldn't. I know better than to invite this level of complication, this vulnerability.

But the second her fingers curl tighter, a silent, trusting plea—so much like my brother's desperate grip all those years ago, a plea I denied—bypasses all defenses, and my resolve crumbles. There’s no real choice. It isn't about being lost; it’s about being found by something I hadn't known I was looking for.

I toe off my boots, the soft thud loud in the quiet room, and slide under the covers beside her. She immediately curls into me, her warmth seeping into my skin, her breath slow and steady againstmy chest—a rhythm that somehow settles the chaos inside me even as it intensifies the ache.

Holding her like this, feeling the fragile trust in the way she yields against me, the protective instinct sharpens, becoming something deeper. It's not just about keeping her safe from the outside world, but wanting to shelter the flickering light within her. To offer the protection I failed to givehim.

This isn't just protection anymore. This is... everything. Primal and terrifying, something I’m not ready to name, but it anchors me here. Unable and unwilling to walk away.

Chapter 13: The First Fall

Lila

Sometime in the middle of the night, I wake to warmth. A steady rise and fall beneath my cheek.

Ethan.

For a moment, I don’t move, just breathe him in—warm cotton and something distinctlyhim. I’m still in my dress; he hadn’t undressed me while I slept. That sends a wave of warmth through me, a small, significant act of respect that doesn't go unnoticed. My fingers are still curled into his t-shirt, my body tucked against his like I belong there. As if I haven’t spent weeks convincing myself I couldn’t.

I shift slightly, uncertainty flickering.The ghosts of the past are always there, whispering caution, reminding me of pain.When I force my eyes open, his gaze is already on me—aware, searching.

He doesn’t pull away.

Instead, his fingers brush the fabric where my dress slipped off one shoulder, tracing slow patterns along the exposed curve of my spine. The heat of his touch sends a tremor through me, each stroke coaxing me closer. My breath catches, a deep, unfamiliar need spreading in my chest. This feeling, this spark of want… it's terrifyingly new, yet undeniablymine.

I tighten my grip on his shirt before second thoughts can surface, before the whispers of fear can drown out the burgeoning desire.This is my choice,I realize with a sudden clarity.My body, my want."Don’t leave. Don’t move. Just stay."

A plea. A choice.

His breath hitches, then releases in a shuddered exhale. "Lila—"

"Please, Ethan." My voice wavers, thick with need. I press my forehead to his collarbone, gripping his shirt like an anchor. "I need you. I need to feel you. Just for tonight. Please." The wordsare a surrender, not to him, but to myself, to the craving I've starved for so long.

A low groan rumbles deep in his chest, vibrating against my cheek. His mouth crashes onto mine, hot and demanding, stealing the air from my lungs. His taste is him—faintly minty, underlying male, pure Ethan. And it's nothing like Kolya's bruising possession, nothing like the cold claiming I endured. This is fire, yes, but a fire I lean into, a hunger that meets my own, consuming and raw in the best possible way. His hands, calloused but surprisingly gentle, map the curve of my back before gripping my waist. He shifts us smoothly, rolling onto his back and bringing me with him in a dizzying move.

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