Page 23 of Bite of Midnight
“Come on,” he says quietly, his hand settling at the small of my back. “Let’s not keep your friends waiting.”
He leads me through the open doors into the now-empty ballroom. The chandeliers still glow softly overhead, but the crowd has thinned to just a few stragglers and staff clearing glasses. My friends stand near the center of the room, looking like they’ve been pacing for hours.
When they spot me, with him, their eyes go wide.
“Thank God!” Brooke blurts, hurrying forward. “We thought you punched someone and they got mad and hid your body.”
My jaw drops. “What?”
Tina snorts, trying not to laugh. “You disappeared, Calla! We were ready to file a missing-person report.”
Maya elbows her. “Wedidcheck the bushes.”
I stare at them, half mortified, half exasperated. “I was fine! I just, uh, met someone.”
That’s when Damien steps forward, every bit the composed host again. The shift is seamless, mysterious, confident, completely unbothered by the chaos he’s walking into.
“I’m Damien Hale,” he says, voice warm and smooth as velvet. “This is my home.”
The girls freeze.
Brooke blinks. “Wait… your home? Like, you own this place?”
He nods with an easy smile that could melt marble. “I do. And I owe you all a thank-you. Without you convincing Calla to come tonight, I never would have met her.”
The transformation is instant. My friends, three of the most capable nurses I know, turn into flustered fangirls.
“Oh! Wow,” Tina stammers, straightening her posture. “It’s a beautiful house. Just stunning. You have… great chandeliers.”
Maya nods furiously. “And floors. Very, uh, shiny floors.”
Brooke elbows both of them, grinning at me like she’s just stumbled into the best gossip of her life. “Sothisis where you’ve been?”
Heat creeps up my neck. “Yeah. I, um… got a little distracted.”
Damien’s lips twitch with amusement. He’s enjoying this way too much.
“Thank you for looking out for her,” he says, that smooth, deep voice somehow making it sound like a royal decree. “Please make sure she gets home safely.”
The girls all nod in unison, starstruck. I don’t think any of them even notice when his hand settles at the small of my back again.
As he leads me toward the doors, I can feel their eyes on us, their whispered giggles trailing behind. And even as the cool night air hits my skin, I can still feel the warmth of his touch.
It’s been days since Halloween, and I still can’t stop thinking about him. Damien Hale.
Every time I close my eyes, I see him, his dark eyes, the way his voice wrapped around my name like it meant something, the way he kissed me like it was a beginning instead of an ending.
I’ve tried to throw myself into work. Charts, patient notes, coffee, repeat. But he keeps slipping through the cracks. Between trauma codes and night shifts, he’s there, quietly haunting me. I can still feel his hands on my skin, the soft rasp of his voice when he saidstay with me.
But then the thoughts spiral, and the questions start.
What would that even look like, being with him?
Would I become something… not quite human? A creature of the dark? Would I still have a reflection? Would I still love the sun the way I do now, or would I have to give it up for him?
I can’t imagine a life without sunlight. Without morning coffee on my balcony or the feel of warmth on my face after a long shift.
He lives in shadows. I live in light. How could that ever work?
