Page 116 of Aine

I hope it means he’s changing his views of us.

“I asked Alex to keep an eye on her when I wasn’t around,” Damien explains, his voice quiet. “She couldn’t get any work done when she was harassed every time she tried running an errand for me. They ended up forming a bit of a friendship.”

“They had nicknames and joked around a lot, which is pretty normal behavior for him, but Freya didn’t like it. When Alex and I were in a meeting one day she dragged Olivia to the fields and shaved her head in front of everybody.”

Damien’s arms tighten as his warm breath hits the top of my scalp. “Freya demanded Alex condemn Olivia in front of the entire pack, but I interjected and forced Freya to apologize instead.” Damien bends to grab the hat. “That was only a few months before Freya attacked me and disappeared, and it hurt Alex and Olivia’s friendship for a long time. She thought he should have stuck up for her, and he thought he was obligated to stand by his mate.”

I remain still, absorbing the information as he inspects my new cap.

“I think that’s why she grew so attached to me. I was the only person who stuck up for her, and it made her think I was her savior or some shit like that.”

A long silence stretches between us as Damien waits to hear my response, his nerves distracting as they filter through me.

It explains why she was a bit standoffish when I first arrived. I’d also be upset if the only man who’s shown me kindness was suddenly throwing me to the side for his mate. She probably thought I’d be like Freya, forcing Damien to cast her aside for me.

I feel ashamed as I realize that’s precisely what happened. It was little things at first, like him giving me her favorite dress and shooing her away whenever I was near, but he almost always put my needs above hers.

“Do you feel differently about me after hearing that story?” Damien asks.

I shake my head. If anything, I’m relieved to hear he showed kindness to another human before I arrived. Damien visibly relaxes, a soft smile spreading across his lips as he drops the hat on the dresser.

His relief is thick, and I mold my body around his as he carries me to bed. I laugh as I’m dropped in its center, watching through sleepy eyes as he climbs in after me and pulls me against his side.

Chapter Thirty-One

AINE

“I’ve been thinking,” Damien starts, his nonchalant tone inconsistent with the anxiety I feel coursing through him.

I pause my chewing as I wait to see what he has to say. It’s never good when he starts something off with“I’ve been thinking.”The last time he said it, he followed it up with asking that I try showering by myself, but we all know how much of a disaster that was.

Damien offers a gentle smile when we make eye contact, his movements slow as he prods at the eggs on his plate. I can tell he’s trying to take a read of my mood as his focus darts all along my face, his actions only serving to further my worry.

“We should go to the garden today,” he spits out after another minute of tense silence.

My muscles stiffen. I haven’t left the house yet and honestly don’t want to. Damien has stepped outside to speak with Avia or Olivia a handful of times, but I always stay inside and watch through the window. It’s safe inside.

My eyes narrow as Damien waits for my response. Is this another one of Avia’s suggestions? He promised he wouldn’t push me to do things I’m not comfortable with after my panic in the shower, and up until this point, he’s stayed true to his word. Why did he change his mind?

Damien links his hands on top of the table and leans forward. The action doesn’t intimidate me as it once did, but it does have me squirming uncomfortably in my seat.

“I’ll stay by your side the entire time,” he promises.

I hesitate, reminding myself he’s not going to hurt me, before shaking my head. I don’t want to go. I want to stay inside, where it’s safe.

Most of his men saw me tied to that pole, and I’m not ready to face the hatred I know they hold for me. They probably think Damien’s crazy for sticking by my side, no doubt wondering what he sees in me.

I knowIthink that.

Damien stands and walks around the table. Sweat pebbles along the back of my neck as he crouches next to me and grabs my hands within his own.

“Are you afraid to leave the house because you think somebody’s going to hurt you?” he asks.

I shake my head. Nobody’s going to hurt me when I’m with Damien.

“Are you afraid I’ll get distracted and leave you alone?”

I shake my head again.

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