Page 115 of Sticks & Serpents

Then I saw it—headlights cutting through the darkness, screeching to a stop in the driveway. My heart raced as I turned toward the sound, praying it was who I hoped it would be.

Damien.

He got out fast, his eyes wide as they took in the flames licking hungrily at the side of the house. The shock registered on his face as he scanned the scene before settling on me.

Time slowed down.

His gaze locked onto mine, and everything else faded into insignificance. I could see him processing what had happened—the fire, the destruction—but more importantly, he was taking in me: blood smeared across my hands from where I’d fought against his mother and smoke curling around my skin like a shroud.

I stood frozen for a moment, uncertainty gripping my heart as he drew closer. His expression shifted from panic to something deeper—something fierce—as he reached me. The warmth radiating off him cut through the chill of the night air.

He didn’t ask what happened.

Because he knew.

The tension hung thick between us as I stood there, my hands trembling slightly at my sides, blood still fresh on my fingers from where I’d fought back against her.

Damien’s eyes bore into mine, a storm of emotions swirling beneath the surface. The raw anger and fear coiled tight in my chest, but I held my ground, forcing myself to breathe steadily.

“She’ll never hurt you again,” I promised, my voice steady despite the chaos that had just unfolded.

Damien’s chest rose and fell with each breath he took, something unreadable flickering in his expression—perhaps relief, or maybe it was disbelief. It was hard to tell when his face remained so guarded. I wanted to reach out to him, to show him that he didn’t have to be alone in this anymore, that we could face whatever came next together.

But he stepped toward me instead.

And he didn’t stop.

With every inch that closed between us, the weight of everything we’d faced—the pain, the fear, the unyielding darkness of his past—seemed to dissolve into the air. He moved with purpose now, like a predator who had finally caught sight of its prey. My heart raced as he crossed the final distance between us.

“Damien…”

I barely whispered his name before he enveloped me in his arms, pulling me close against him as if he were trying to shield me from all the hurt and chaos around us. The warmth of his body seeped through my clothes; it felt like home amidst the flames and smoke still billowing from behind us.

“I thought…” His voice was low, strained with emotion that wrapped around us both like a heavy fog. “I thought I’d lost you.”

“You haven’t.” I looked up into his eyes, feeling every beat of my heart echo in tandem with his own. “You’re safe now.”

Chapter34

Damien

Istood in front of the burning house, the heat licking at my skin, the scent of smoke and destruction thick in the air. Flames roared like a wild beast, consuming everything in their path. But all I saw was her.

Holly.

She stood there, covered in blood and soot, her chest rising and falling in sharp, ragged breaths. The chaos faded as I focused on her—my heart pounding against my ribcage like it wanted to escape. There was something different about her now. Something darker. Wilder.

This wasn’t just the girl I’d loved through all our twisted moments; this wasn’t the same Holly who had clung to me when I was drowning in my own demons. No, she had stepped into something more primal today—a fierceness that made my gut twist with both admiration and fear.

I had always thought of myself as the one who would protect her, but now she had done something so fierce and unyielding that it shook me to my core. She wasn’t just a reflection of my darkness; she was a force unto herself, standing defiantly against everything that sought to destroy us.

I watched as she took a step toward me, blood-stained hands trembling but resolute. Her eyes were bright, illuminated by the flickering flames behind her, alive with a fire that matched the inferno consuming the house that had once held so many painful memories.

This was no longer just about me or my past; it was about us—together in this moment of chaos. She wasn’t merely an extension of my pain anymore; she was mine in a way I hadn’t fully understood until now.

She’s mine.

The thought reverberated through me with an intensity that sent shivers down my spine. In this storm of fire and ash, I felt an undeniable connection—the kind that bound us together even amidst destruction. Whatever awaited us beyond this moment wouldn’t matter because we would face it together.

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