Page 53 of Claimed By the Damned

A tear rolled down her cheek as she finally met his gaze. “Hmm?”

He swallowed hard. “I want you, baby. The good, the bad, the ugly. Give me any version of you that you want, and I guarantee you I’ll enjoy it.”

She sighed with a watery smile. “Funny thing is, Drake, I’ve always been yours. Every part of me.”

His heart began to beat rapidly in his chest, so much so that he placed his hand over it in case it attempted to leap from his ribcage. “I’m not too late?”

“I don’t think it’s ever too late when it comes to fate.”

As he was sitting there, unable to believe his luck, the waitress returned with their food and set the plates down in front of them before asking if they needed anything else.

Drake beamed, his eyes still glued to Amara. “No. I have everything I need now.”

Chapter Twenty-Two

Drake

It was late by the time they returned to the apartment, and Drake opened the door. The place was dark and quiet, though he was surprised that neither Zeke nor Knox had met them at the door to make sure that Amara was still alive and that they hadn’t killed each other.

The return car ride had been a little less tense. They made the occasional small talk but spent the majority of it in silence as they ran over the conversation they had at dinner and attempted to process it.

“Thanks for the meal,” Amara whispered as they crossed the threshold.

“Anytime.”

As he shut the door, Amara stood just inside and crossed her arms loosely around her middle. “Everyone must be sleeping.”

“Yeah, it would seem so.”

The two of them stood there awkwardly for a few moments before she said, “Well, I should grab my things. Knox is obviously doing better, so I think you and Zeke can handle it from here.”

The thought of her leaving so soon, when she had just agreed to give him another chance, had his wolf whining and pacing anxiously. He realized then that he had gotten used to having her in the house, and he didn’t like the thought of her leaving. Especially with what she had to go back to.

“It’s late. Why don’t you stay another night?” he suggested.

She gave him a small smile that squeezed his heart. “I don’t have anything clean to sleep in, and I’ve been away from home for too long.”

“I have a shirt you can wear.” He shrugged. It really wasn’t a big deal. Besides, he liked the idea of her in his clothes. “We can do some of your laundry too while we sleep. That way, you’ll have something to wear for tomorrow.”

“Okay,” she said after a moment, though she sounded unsure.

It was clear that things were either still a little awkward between them or she didn’t fully trust him yet. He didn’t blame her, and he knew he was going to have to prove that he meant it when he told her he wanted her.

After helping Amara put her clothes into the washing machine, she followed him to his room. He stopped by his dresser and pulled out a clean shirt for her to wear. She thanked him before turning her back to him. Unable to help himself, he watched her change as he stripped off his own shirt and jeans and pulled on a pair of sweats. Usually, he didn’t sleep in clothing, but he didn’t want to scare her off. She was already on edge enough as it was.

He would be lying if he said that he wasn’t nervous. This was the first time he was going to have a woman stay the night, and she wasn’t just some random hook-up. She was his mate, which somehow made it an even bigger deal.

When she was finished, she turned to face him, tugging on the hem of the shirt. Her gaze immediately traced his torso, making him smile. “See something you like?” he teased her, hoping to break the ice a bit.

Amara rolled her eyes, but a small smile played across her lips. “Don’t you start with that too,” she retorted, putting her hands on her hips. She pulled her bottom lip in between her teeth as she looked around the room. “So, uh, I guess I’ll see you in the morning then?”

He frowned as she backed away toward the door. “Where are you going?”

“Uh, I figured I’d go stay with Zeke or Knox. Why?”

Drake shook his head. “Not tonight.”

“Okay,” she drew out the word as if she didn’t understand his meaning. “Am I being banished to the couch or something?”

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