Page 45 of Aine

Alex scoffs at Damien’s words, prompting my supposed mate to move forward and pull me against his chest. I try to push away from Damien, shrieking as he wraps his arm around my waist and forces me to face Alex.

“I can hold her still if you’d like?” Damien offers, grabbing my elbows and pulling them behind my back.

I hiss at the sudden stretch in my shoulders, my eyes filling with tears at the rough treatment of my body. Alex looks sad, the expression short-lived as all emotion is wiped from his face.

The room is silent as both Damien and I wait for Alex’s response, and I struggle to hold back a sob as Alex looks me over. He wouldn’t do that, would he? There’s no way. Alex isn’t that type of person.

Damien, maybe, but not Alex.

“Yes, Damien,” Alex eventually says, deadpan, meeting Damien’s eye in a silent challenge. “That’s exactly what I want. To rape your mate.”

Damien’s grip tightens as he sucks in a deep breath. It’s obvious Alex is being sarcastic, but the words are still jarring to hear.

“Leave,” Damien orders.

I continue to cry as the two men stare at one another, and I try to meet Alex’s eye in a silent plea for him to stay. He doesn’t look in my direction, though, and I feel my heart drop as he pivots and disappears.

I fight to free myself from Damien, terrified of what he’s going to do when we’re alone. He refuses to let me go, his hands sliding from my elbows to my waist.

“Let me go,” I cry, continuing to try to push myself away.

“Aine.” Damien grunts as I jab my elbow into his ribcage. “Stop fighting me!”

I ignore him. I’ll be damned if I go down without a fight, so I try again to shove my elbow into his side. Damien catches the limb before I connect and spins me around to face him.

The fury on his face is hard to miss as he backs me up against the wall, his body towering over mine. My chest heaves as I continue to fight, my hands and legs kicking with every opportunity.

Fuck him.

Damien doesn’t hit me back, but he does shove my limbs down when they get too close to him. He’s toying with me. Eventually, I have no other choice but to stop, my lungs and heart unable to take much more. I sag against the wall and glare at his smug expression.

“Are you finished?” he asks.

I nod, remaining still as he finally releases me.

“I knew Alex was going to sayno,” he says, bending until he’s eye level with me. I resist the urge to spit in his face. “I may be a dick, but I’m not going to let anybody rape you.”

I look away, refusing to believe a word he says.

Damien scoffs, daring to act like I’m the one in the wrong. “I walk in on my mate kissing another man, my brother no less, yet somehow, she has the audacity to be mad atme.” He laughs to himself, concerningly unable to understand how offering me up to his brother is worse than anything I may have done.

“It’s unbelievable,” he continues. “You’re to move into my home so Freya can take up residence in the cabin. My brother was correct in saying it’s inappropriate for her to be living with me, and Olivia won’t stop complaining about her. I came here to offer my assistance in helping you move.”

I shake my head, refusing his help.

The thought of moving into his home fills me with dread, and if it weren’t so pointless, I’d try to argue to stay in the cabin. I doubt I’ll ever get any sleep knowing Damien’s just a few rooms away and capable of entering at any moment.

Admittedly, I know he could easily enter my cabin whenever he pleased, but the distance between us brings me comfort at night.

“I wouldliketo assist you,” he insists.

Assist me with what? I own next to nothing.

Again, I shake my head, not understanding why he’d even want to help. There’s probably some ulterior motive I’m not understanding, and I’m not in the mood to be made the butt of his joke today.

Damien backs away at my rejection, his pupils dilating once more. “Fine, but don’t come crying to me when you get tired.”

He says this as if he isn’t the absolute last person I’d ever go to for help. I remain silent as he finally turns and exits, his movements stiff. The pantry door slams shut behind him, and a couple of seconds later, I hear the front door slam shut as well.

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