Chapter 6 Beautiful Distractions - Damian's POV

I stand in my office, the quietness sinking in as I stare at the door she had just gone through. Though she is a little calmer, or at least seemed like it once she saw another woman, I can still hear her quiet sobs as they walk down the hallway. It claws at me and at parts that I haven’t realized still exist.

Honestly, I expected her to be fearful, resistant, and maybe even a little defiant, but I never expected to see her break down like this. She was shaking and nearly on the verge of collapse, though I hadn’t done anything to her.

And that in itself stirs something deep within me.

With a clenched jaw, I turn toward the window and glare out at the sprawling estate before me. The grounds are shrouded in twilight, with shadows creeping across the edges of the forest that bordered the property. It should feel like home because it is where I have always lived.

But tonight, it feels different and I’m restless because of it.

My fingers curl into fists at my sides as I tell myself that this is just another step in the plan. It is a necessary transaction to secure what is owed to me and my family. She is part of the prophecy that has plagued all of us.

I need her.

Her tear-streaked face, trembling voice, and the way she looked at me didn’t feel transactional, though.

“Damian,” Simon’s voice cut through the silence as he looks over at me.

I turn and give him a straight look. “What now?”

“You seem a little tense and grumpy,” he says as he raises a brow, his usual cocking smirk absent.

“I’m fine,” I say as I turn back to the window to gaze outside.

Of course, Simon knows and doesn’t buy my words. He never does because he knows me entirely too well. “She’s not what you expected for a human, is she? She has more spirit than I thought she would.”

I don’t answer, though. Instead, I let my silence speak for itself.

Simon moves closer, leaning casually against the desk, but there is a cautious edge to his voice when he speaks again. “You know, this could be the start of something good. I know she is the one you need for the prophecy that haunts your family, but you may grow to like her since you all will be pretty close from here on out.”

“Don’t go there,” I say, interrupting him. “I don’t need a lecture about fate or bonds right now. This isn’t about her, but freeing my family.”

Simon chuckles softly, though it isn’t his usual humor. “You’re terrible at lying, you know that? This is because of her. There is something going on between you already, isn’t there? There are bonds at work already and you two haven’t even been around each other for ten minutes total.”

I turn to face him, the weight of my stare silencing whatever else he might have said. “She’s a means to an end. That’s all. There is no room for love in this, even if we do have to remain close.”

The words taste bitter on my tongue, but I force them out anyway. They need to be true. If I let myself think otherwise, if I let myself care about her, then I might ruin everything we’ve worked so hard for.

Simon tilts his head, studying me with that infuriating look that drives me mad. “If you say so,” he says, pushing off the desk. “But you better get your head on straight if you want everyone else to buy it. I’m your beta and know something is going on. The girl’s in your home now, and she’s not exactly thrilled to be here, either. You’re going to have to figure out how to handle her before she bolts or starts tearing this place apart. That’s not mentioning how you’d lose it if she did.”

“She’s not going anywhere,” I say, keeping my voice low and firm.

Simon only shrugs. “Your call, alpha. Just don’t let her become more trouble than she’s worth. You know as well as I do, she might not be the one the prophecy mentioned. You’ve been hunting for years and none of the others were.”

With that, he left, the door clicking shut behind him.

I exhale slowly as I turn back to the window for the third time. The knot in my chest grows, and for a moment, I let myself wonder what I am doing. She isn’t what I expected.

Honestly, she isn’t meek or complacent at all. She definitely isn’t someone who will bend easily or to anyone’s will.

Least of all mine.

But there is something about her, something that stirs a dangerous curiosity deep within me that I haven’t felt in a long time.

I shake my head, dismissing those thoughts.

This isn’t about her. It can’t be. Whatever I feel, whatever strange connection that is beginning to form, I can’t let it distract me from my goal.

I finally turn away from the window, my mind shifting back to the tasks at hand. Whatever Maya is to me will be figured out soon enough.

For now, she is just another piece on the board, and I never lose a game.

The quiet of the room wraps around me once more, but my thoughts don’t want to settle. Each time I try, I look at the work on my desk and focus on the plans ahead. The image of her tear-streaked face keeps creeping back into my mind.

She isn’t supposed to matter beyond her role in this. She is supposed to just be another part of the prophecy and a pawn I can use to free us of this wretched curse.

But paws don’t look at you like that and I shouldn’t feel what I do.

It is almost like she is caught in the storm and I am the eye, causing her pain. I feel like she might even hate me, fear me, and somehow, at the same time, hope I’ll save her in the end.

I clench my jaw as I look back at the desk. My thoughts slowly drag back to the documents strewn across the surface. There are all kinds of reports from the pack and warnings about rival factions circling us like vultures. They are just waiting for us to show weakness.

Now is not the time for me to be distracted. There is too much to do and take care of.

I sit down at the desk, finally settled on finishing all of the paperwork, but as I flip through each page, it is only a reminder of the stakes.

It is a reminder of why I can’t afford distractions, even beautiful ones like her.