Chapter 7 A Spark - Damian's POV

A rough knock at the door a couple of hours later pulls me from my thoughts. I straighten, masking any trace of the inner turmoil I feel. “Enter.”

The door opens, and Simon steps in again. His expression is grim, which makes me wonder what happened now. He carries a folder in one hand, but that doesn't hold my attention. It is more the tension in his shoulders that put me on alert.

“What is it now?” I ask, my tone sharper than I intend.

Simon closes the door behind him with a soft click, then crosses the room. He slides the folder across the desk until it settles in front of me. “You will want to see this.”

I open the folder without hesitating, scanning the contents it holds quickly. It is a report from one of the pack, detailing increased activity near the far northern border.

“Rogue packs,” I whisper. “Mercenaries. Hunters. What is all this? I already know they are hunting us, but this looks more than just a few.”

“They’re moving faster than we thought. Do you know how you ticked off now?” Simon asks, keeping his voice low. “If they find out you found her or that she’s here and possibly the one -”

His voice trails off, but I know what he means.

“They won’t,” I say firmly.

Of course, Simon doesn’t look too convinced. “Are you sure about that? Because if one of them catches wind of her presence, this whole thing could blow up in our faces and the prophecy will be over. There are more out there than we first thought and they are just waiting for her to surface.”

I slam the folder shut, the sound echoing through the room. “I said they won't, and I mean it. Double the patrols if you have to. Keep our borders secure and make sure none of them step foot close to the mansion. No one gets in or out without my permission. Do you understand me?”

Simon hesitates, then nods. “Understood. But I urge you to make sure she is the one.”

As he turns to leave, he pauses and glances back at me over his shoulder. “For what it’s worth, I think she might be stronger than she looks and be an excellent luna. She might surprise you and you know that a mate would increase your power. If she is the one, then you need to act quick.”

I don’t respond.

After he walks back through the door and leaves me alone to my thoughts, I sink into my chair and my gaze drifts right back to the folder once more.

The threats are closing in much faster than I anticipated. Maya Sinclair is at the center of it all and she doesn’t even have a clue.

I lean forward, resting my elbows on the desk.

Maybe she will be stronger than she looks, but she’s only human. Strength won’t be enough to survive what is coming, either.

If she is going to make it through this, then she needs more than strength.

She needs me probably as much as I need her.

And that is a problem I’m sure how to solve.

I look back down at the work on my desk, the words blurring together. No matter how hard I try to focus, my mind refuses to cooperate. The weight of everything is suffocating, and I can’t bear to sit there any longer.

With a frustrated sigh, I push back from the desk and stand. My steps are brisk as I leave the office, my focus set on one thing.

A few minutes of escape.

It only takes a few minutes to cross the hallway and enter the study. This room is quieter, more intimate, with shelves of books lining the walls and soft, dim lighting that make it feel a world away from the chaos outside.

I head straight to the small refrigerator tucked into the corner of the room and pull out a chilled bottle of water. Twisting off the cap, I take a long drink.

Settling into one of the deep leather chairs near the unlit fireplace, I let my head fall back against the cushion. The silence of the study is a welcome reprieve from the chaos that is usually around the manor.

My mind wanders again, right back to Maya.

I lean forward, resting my elbows on my knees, the water bottle dangling from my fingertips.

But the alternative? Leaving her out there, unprotected, with enemies closing in? That isn’t an option either.

The prophecy bound us together, but I’m not sure what that means yet. The part that scares me the most is that it doesn’t seem to care whether I want to protect her or use her.

The weight of it all presses down on me, and for a moment, I let myself close my eyes.

Just one moment, I tell myself. Then I’ll figure out what to do next.

I quickly stand and go to the hearth to light the fire before settling back into the chair.

Time passes slowly, and it is well into the early hours of the morning before I look anywhere else but at the fire. My thoughts are consuming me alive.

I sigh and pinch the bridge of my nose. This has to stop. This can’t be how I am. She is a piece of the prophecy, a key to a curse that has haunted my family for years. “Nothing more,” I whisper to no one.

The knock at the door startles me, and I straighten in my chair. I’m not sure who could be knocking in at this time of morning. Most are either patrolling or sleeping.

“Come in,” I say, my voice calm and steady.

The door opens, and this time it isn’t my annoying beta. It is Evelyn, the older one I got to help Maya earlier.

She steps inside with a grace that shows her years. Her sharp eyes take everything in before they settle on me.

“She’s settled into her room and sleeping now,” she says, her voice soft yet firm. “Poor thing is exhausted. You might want to go easy on her for the next few days until she gets adjusted to all of this. She’s been through enough.”

I arch a brow at her, but Evelyn is one of the few who isn’t intimidated by me. But that is only because she has known me since I was a boy.

“She’s human,” I say, as if that explains everything. “Fragile, unprepared, and completely out of her depth. Of course, I wouldn’t subject her to the same trials as the others. She wouldn’t survive.”

Evelyn doesn’t so much as blink. Instead, she crosses her arms and meets my gaze head-on. “She’s more than human, Damian. And deep down, you know it. Don’t let your fear of the prophecy cloud your judgment. That girl might be the answer to more than just one of your problems. You’ve been mateless for years, you know?”

I lean back in my chair, studying her. Evelyn has been with my family for decades, and she has always been more perceptive than most.

“She’s fragile,” I say, my voice quieter now. “If they come for her—”

Evelyn cuts me off with a sharp look. “And if they do, you’ll do what you’ve always done: fight, protect, destroy anything in your way. That isn’t the question. The real question is whether you’re going to smother her because you think she’s breakable, or whether you’re going to let her rise to meet what’s coming. I don’t think you realize everything she’s been through already.”

Her words strike a nerve. “What do you mean?” I ask, my tone clipped.

“She survived long enough to get here, didn’t she?” Evelyn says, sounding annoyed. “You might see someone fragile, but there’s a fire in her. You saw it when you met her. And if you don’t let her find her strength, you might be the one who breaks her, not them. She is going to need it, Damian.”

Her words linger.

“What has she been through?” I ask, my voice laced with skepticism.

Evelyn’s expression softens, but only slightly. “How did her father react when you visited?”

I stay silent, turning her words over in my mind. Evelyn has a way of making me see things I don’t want to. And deep down, I can’t deny the truth in her voice.

When I visited, he had been more than eager to hand her over as if she was nothing more than a prized hog at a sale. I had honestly thought there would have been more of a fight, but the money I offered pleased him and he was ready to hand her over.

“Her father was ready to hand her over at the first sight of money.”

“And that didn’t raise any flags?” She asks, her hands resting on her hips. “Listen, I know why you need her and you would have gotten her no matter what, but a little money and she was yours. Her family probably didn’t care about her. So, my thoughts are you might be nicer to her. She is the key to breaking your curse.”

“We think. I still have some reservations.”

Her face falls. “Whatever the case may be, you should treat her well. But in the end, I know you will do what you want. I already know there is a spark between you two. I would invest in that spark, Damian.”

She turns to leave and I realize she is right.

Maybe that spark can be enough to survive what is coming.

Or maybe it will burn us both alive.