Page 16 of Howl For A Kiss
Damon straightened, his eyes meeting hers. "I know."
The intensity in his gaze made her breath catch. There was something about the way he looked at her. Like she was the only person that mattered to him. It was unnerving and intoxicating all at once.
"I'll be next door if you need anything," he said, his voice a low rumble that sent a shiver down her spine, one she quickly suppressed.
Elena nodded, her throat suddenly dry. "Thanks."
He hesitated for a moment, as if he wanted to say more. But then he turned and left, closing the door softly behind him. Elena took a deep breath and began to unpack her belongings. The room was quiet, save for the sound of her breathing and the faint creak of the floorboards as Damon moved around in the adjacent room.
She sank onto the bed, her body heavy with exhaustion. The events of the past few days crashed over her with sudden intensity—Tyler's death, the ambush, the revelation about her hybrid nature, and now Damon. Her wolf stirred again, restless and insistent, and she closed her eyes to quiet her mind.
Her thoughts drifted to Tyler, his laughter, his loyalty, and the way he'd always had her back. Guilt gnawed at her, sharp and unrelenting. She'd failed him. Failed all of them. And yet, here she was, letting a stranger step into his place like it was nothing.
But Damon wasn't just a stranger, was he? Her wolf seemed to know him in a way she couldn't explain, and that scared her more than anything. She'd spent her whole life building walls around her heart and keeping people at arm's length. Now, those walls were crumbling whenever she was around Damon, whether she liked it or not.
Exhaustion finally won out, and Elena lay back on the bed. As sleep claimed her, she dreamed of green eyes and a mysterious dark brown wolf with a white patch near its heart—a wolf that felt like safety and home.
Elena woke up with a start, her body jolting upright in the unfamiliar bed. For a disorienting moment, she didn't recognize the cabin's low wooden ceiling or the faint scent of pine in theair. Then memory crashed over her with startling clarity. She was in a cabin on Cade's rebel base with her remaining rebel fighters, and Damon.
She exhaled sharply, running her hand through her tangled blonde hair. To her surprise, she felt... rested. The exhaustion that had clung to her like a second skin had finally loosened its grip.
A soft knock at the door made her pulse jump.
"Elena?" Damon's voice was low and rough with that same quiet intensity that sent an unwelcome shiver through her.
She swung her legs over the edge of the bed, wincing at the stiffness in her muscles. "Yeah?"
The door cracked open, and Damon stepped inside. He wore the same fitted black henley from yesterday, the fabric stretched taut over his chest and the sleeves rolled up to reveal corded forearms. In his right hand was a steaming mug of coffee.
Her heart stuttered at the kind gesture.
"You sleep okay?" He held out the mug, his green eyes scanning her face with a piercing intensity that made her skin prickle.
She took the coffee from him and their fingers brushed accidentally. The contact sent a jolt through her arm, and she barely suppressed the urge to jerk her hand back.
"Better than expected," she admitted, wrapping both hands around the mug to steady herself. The rich, bitter scent curled around her and grounded her in that moment.
Damon nodded, his gaze lingering on her for a beat too long before he stepped back. "Good. What's the plan for today?"
She took a slow sip, savoring the heat. "Give me five minutes to change. I'll meet you out there."
A flicker of pride crossed his face. "There's a room set up for you already. Figured you'd want a space to work."
Her brows lifted. "You set up an office for me?"
"Took what I could find. It's not much, but it'll do."
She stared at him, something warm and unfamiliar unfurling in her chest. No one had ever gone out of their way like this for her—not even Tyler. "Thanks," she murmured, the word feeling inadequate.
Damon just nodded again and left, closing the door behind him.
Elena set the coffee down and stripped off yesterday's clothes, her mind racing. Why was she so affected by him? By his gestures, his presence, and the way his eyes seemed to darken when he looked at her?
She pulled on a fitted white top, the fabric clinging to her curves in a way she normally wouldn't care about. But today, she hesitated, glancing at her reflection in the small mirror and noticing how disheveled she looked. She quickly dragged a brush through her tangled hair, then splashed cold water on her face, trying to shake off the strange flutter in her stomach.
Stop it. He's just a temporary ally. A stranger.
But her wolf disagreed, stirring with restless interest.
