Page 27 of Aine

Olivia sits behind a small desk along the left wall, and I plaster a grin on my face as I approach her. She’s hidden partially behind a large bouquet of flowers, and I lean around them until I can see her entire face.

“Damien told me to come here after work.” I shift nervously as I glance at the large double doors behind her.

Olivia nods. “He told me. You can go right in,” she chirps.

Her words make my heart race, and I wipe my sweaty palms on my shorts before walking through the doors.

Damien sits behind a large wooden desk situated in the center of the room, his eyes cast downward at some papers. The room is bathed with light just like the lobby, and I note that while the tint prevents me from seeing in, it does not hinder his view of the outside.

He must have seen me walking here.

“Close the doors behind you,” he orders.

I do as he says, promptly pushing them shut. He watches, his face void of any emotion as he gestures for me to sit. Once more, I wipe my hands on my shorts, moving slowly to the leather chairs that sit in front of his desk.

“There are a couple of reasons why I asked you to come here today,” he starts, scooping up some papers and placing them in the small metal basket on the corner of his desk. “We’ll start with why you’re here in this village.”

I nod, relaxing into my seat. I’ve been eager to hear why he’s chosen me as his mate and what that’s supposed to mean. Jenna explained it as a soulmate, but Damien’s shown little interest in being with me.

Not that I’m complaining, though.

“So?” he prods.

My head tilts to the side, confused with what he’s looking for me to say.

“Why were you executed?” he clarifies.

I stiffen as my brain processes his words, my mouth going dry. Damien continues to stare as he waits for my reply, his lips pursing when I hesitate.

“I don’t have all day.” He breathes in deeply and leans back in his chair. Clasping his hands together, he rests them on the top of his head. I watch the motion with wide eyes, my jaw clenched shut as I try to conjure up a response.

“I, uh—” I stammer, before deciding to continue with the lie I shared with Olivia previously. “I’m gay.”

Damien quirks an eyebrow and drops his hands to the desk with a loud bang. The sound has me jumping, my heart hammering inside my chest. I should’ve prepared better for this conversation. I knew it was inevitable, even if I’d hoped otherwise.

“I’m not playing around. I need to know what you did.”

I lick my lips. “Why?”

“I’m not putting my people’s lives at risk because my beast decided to choose a criminal,” he snarls.

There’s no way to sugarcoat the fact that I killed my husband, and given Damien’s concern for his people, I already know nothing good will come from telling him the truth.

“So you’ll… what? Kill me if you don’t like my crime? You beasts are bigger and stronger than me on my best day,” I argue. “I’m not a danger.”

I have no doubt that his people, whether in their beast or human forms, could easily overpower me if needed.

Damien hums.

A small bead of sweat drips down my inner arm as I wait for his response. I foolishly hope he’ll give up and drop the subject, but I’d never be so lucky. I try to wrack my brain for any crimes I can claim that’ll be accepted positively, but panic renders my mind blank.

“There are children and humans here,” he points out.

My eyes begin to water, and I stare at the ceiling in an attempt to keep the tears from spilling. The fact that he ignored the first part of my question doesn’t go unnoticed by me. There’s a creaking as Damien shifts in his chair, his lips downturned as he waits for me to compose myself.

“I’m not going to hurt anybody,” I say.

Damien huffs, shaking his head. “That’s not what I asked, is it? What did you do?”

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