Page 24 of Howl For A Kiss
Elena.
Her name echoed through his mind as he braced his hands against the tile wall. The memory of her naked form in the moonlight, all pale skin and dangerous curves, made his body respond despite the cold water. But it wasn't just physical desire driving him to distraction—it was the way she'd looked at him with growing trust, the soft kiss she'd pressed to his cheek last night, and the vulnerability she'd shown him over the past two days.
And he was lying to her about everything that mattered.
Damon's jaw clenched as guilt twisted through his chest like a blade. Elena had already questioned his tactical knowledge twice, her survival instincts picking up on the inconsistencies in his story. She was too intelligent and too observant to be fooled much longer. Fifteen years of leadership experience couldn't be disguised as rebel training, no matter how skilled Logan Cross was.
She'll know soon enough that you're not just some Silvercrest rebel fighter,his wolf growled.She'll eventually figure out you're the one who enforced the very laws she's fighting to change.
The cold water couldn't wash away the bitter taste of self-recrimination. How could he explain that he'd questioned thosesame laws? That he'd documented every abuse and every injustice, while being forced to maintain order under Alpha Alaric's rigid rule?
Elena saw the world in absolutes—oppressor and oppressed, traditional and progressive. She wouldn't understand the impossible position he'd been trapped in since age eighteen.
She'll cast you out the moment she learns the truth.
And then he wouldn't be able to protect her. The Council already considered her a significant threat as the rebellion leader who stole their ancient records. But if they discovered she was a rare type of hybrid, pure and powerful, that would be the end of it. Human operatives were just the beginning—the Council had resources and connections that could destroy her and everything she'd built.
Damon turned off the water and grabbed a towel, his movements sharp with frustrated energy. The mate bond pulsated between them, growing stronger each hour they spent in proximity. Elena's wolf had recognized him last night—he'd felt the exact moment of awareness.
Elena has to know now. Or at least feel it.
Which meant his time was just about up. Every lie and every misdirection were building toward an inevitable explosion that would shatter whatever fragile trust they'd built. And when that happened?—
His phone buzzed against the bathroom counter, the vibration cutting through his spiraling thoughts. Lena's name appeared on the screen, and Damon stared at it without moving to answer.
Lena represented everything he was hiding from Elena—his real identity, his position in pack hierarchy, and his complicated loyalties. If he answered that call, he'd have to face the reality waiting back at Silvercrest territory. Kieran's patience with his extended leave. The Council's growing suspicion of Kieran'smoderate reforms. The delicate political balance that required Damon's presence and expertise.
Two weeks,Kieran had said.Your leave can't be indefinite.
But how could he leave Elena now? How could he walk away from his mate when she needed his protection the most? The very idea made his wolf snarl with territorial fury, his claws practically extending at the thought of abandoning her.
The phone continued its insistent buzzing, Lena's name flashing accusingly. Damon ran his hand through his damp brown hair, noting how the auburn highlights caught the bathroom's harsh fluorescent lighting.
God, he was in deep.
Fifteen years of careful emotional control, shattered by a blonde rebellion leader with fire in her veins and a white wolf that called to his very soul. The irony was not lost on him—the woman who could save him was the same one who would likely destroy him once she learned who he really was.
The phone fell silent, then immediately started ringing again. Lena's persistence meant something important was happening back home. Probably updates about those ancient records Elena's team had died to retrieve, or news about the Council's next move against Kieran's progressive policies.
Damon grabbed a pair of black cargo pants and a white thermal henley that Cade had provided yesterday—a small kindness from the burly rebellion leader who'd been surprisingly accommodating. Getting dressed gave Damon time to think and to strategize his next move like the tactical expert he'd trained to be.
Tell her the truth before someone else does.
The logical part of his mind knew that was the only viable option. But his wolf recoiled at the risk, unwilling to chance her rejection. Not when their bond grew stronger each moment,and not when she looked at him like he might actually be worth saving.
Damon stared at his reflection in the small bathroom mirror—all sharp angles and carefully controlled expressions. The Beta who'd served the Silvercrest pack faithfully for fifteen years. The man who'd enforced laws he hated and buried his doubts beneath duty and obligation.
Elena deserved better than his deception.
But she also deserved protection from the forces gathering against her. And right now, Damon was the only thing standing between his mate and the Council's brutal punishment.
Damon stared at his phone as it buzzed insistently on the bed, Lena's name flashing on the screen with relentless persistence. His wolf paced, torn between the desperate need to stay close to Elena and the responsibilities he'd abandoned back at Silvercrest territory.
Lena won't give up until I answer.
Damon soon realized he'd promised Elena just yesterday that Lena and Zoe would contact them the moment they decoded those ancient records. Records that had cost Tyler his life and nearly gotten Elena killed. He couldn't let his personal fears about revealing his Beta identity keep vital intelligence from reaching his mate.
Elena deserves the truth about those documents, even if she doesn't deserve the lies I've been telling her.
