Page 75 of The Blood Moon Hunt

Before I can fully collect myself, there's a knock at the door. I don't have to ask who it is; I already know. My heart skips a beat, and I open it to find Damien standing there, his expression unreadable, but his eyes dark with emotion.

"May I come in?" he asks, his voice low.

I nod, stepping aside to let him in. The air betweenus feels charged, like it's humming with unspoken words and unresolved tension. He walks into the room slowly, his gaze scanning the space before finally resting on me.

We stand there for a moment, both unsure of what to say. My emotions are a mess—gratitude, confusion, and a strange, undeniable pull toward him all swirling inside me.

"Thank you," I finally say, breaking the silence. "For supporting me back there... with the others."

He meets my gaze, and I can see something flicker in his eyes—something deeper than just gratitude or duty. "You didn't need my support," he says quietly, "but you had it."

I swallow, unsure of what to say next. The room feels too small, the distance between us too narrow, and yet... I want to close the gap.

He takes a step closer. "How did you know about the curse?" His voice is soft, but there’s an edge of curiosity and something more—something almost like fear. "What aren’t you telling me?"

I hesitate for a moment before reaching over to the small table by my bed, picking up the ancient book I had found in the library. I hand it to him. "This," I say, my voice barely above a whisper. "This is how I knew."

Damien takes the book from me, his fingers brushing mine, sending a strange shiver down my spine. He glances at me before flippingit open, skimming the pages. His brow furrows as his eyes scan the words, and I can tell he’s reading something important. Something that resonates with him.

"You can read it too?" I ask, a mix of relief and curiosity flooding through me.

He nods, his expression darkening. "I can," he says, his voice low and quiet. "This is no ordinary book, Selene. It’s written in a language only those connected to a certain type of magic can understand. The fact that you can read it..." He trails off, not finishing the thought, but I can feel the weight of his words pressing down on me.

I take a deep breath and ask the question that’s been burning in the back of my mind since I first found the book. "Why are you tied to the Order? How are you connected to them?"

For a moment, he doesn’t answer. Instead, he closes the book gently, placing it on the table before turning to me, his eyes shadowed with something I can’t quite decipher. He lets out a long sigh, as if the weight of what he’s about to say has been crushing him for years.

"My parents were killed by the Order," he begins, his voice tight with restrained emotion. "My father was a warlock, and my mother... was a witch." He looks up at me, gauging my reaction, and I feel the ground tilt beneath me slightly. "The Order feared what I might become because of my bloodline—because I carry the power of both a witch and a warlock. So, they killed myparents when I was still an infant and bound me to them before I ever had a chance to understand what I was. They feared me. And that fear... it still controls me."

I feel a rush of sympathy and horror for him. "But the Order wasn’t cursed then, were they?" I ask, trying to piece it all together.

"No," he replies, his voice sharp with bitterness. "They weren’t cursed yet. But they saw the potential danger in someone like me, even before they were bound by the curse. So they shackled me to them, ensuring I couldn’t become a threat. They think they control me. In some ways, they do." His gaze hardens. "But I’ve learned to hide things from them. There are... certain freedoms I’ve taken that they don’t know about. Like protecting you."

I look up at him sharply. "Why have you been protecting me?"

His eyes soften, and for the first time, I see a vulnerability in him that’s both shocking and strangely comforting. "I don’t know," he admits, his voice barely a whisper. "I’ve asked myself that question over and over. But it’s not just about power, Selene. It’s something else... something I don’t understand." He takes another step toward me, and I can feel the heat of his presence, the magnetic pull between us. "I feel something for you—something I’ve never felt before. And I don’t think ithas anything to do with the power that courses through you."

His words hang in the air between us, and I can feel my heart pounding in response. There’s a rawness in his confession that I wasn’t expecting, a glimpse of something beneath the cold, controlled facade he always wears. It stirs something deep within me—a warmth that’s been growing ever since I first locked eyes with him at the club. But it’s more than just the electric pull of magic and lust.

"I feel it too," I admit softly, the words slipping from my lips before I can stop them. "It’s not just the attraction... though, God knows, that’s impossible to ignore." My cheeks flush slightly, but I force myself to hold his gaze, needing him to understand that it’s more than that. "There’s something about you, Damien. Something that goes beyond everything I’ve been feeling with the others."

His breath catches, and for a moment, the world around us feels like it narrows down to just the two of us—his eyes searching mine for the truth, for an answer neither of us fully understands.

"It’s not just about the Hunt," I continue, my voice trembling slightly with the weight of what I’m saying. "It’s not just about this... this bond that seems to tie me to all of you. With you, it’s different. I don’t even know how to explain it, but I feel—" I hesitate, trying tofind the right words. "Safe, when I’m with you. Even with everything that’s happened... I feel like I can trust you."

Damien’s jaw tightens, as if the intensity of the moment is almost too much for him to bear. "Youcantrust me," he says, his voice filled with conviction. "I’ve spent my entire life serving the Order, bound by their rules and their expectations. But for the first time in my life, I don’t want to follow their orders. I want to protect you... no matter the cost."

His words send a shiver down my spine, and I take a shaky breath, trying to process the flood of emotions crashing over me.

"I feel like I’m losing myself in all of this," I whisper, my voice barely audible. "Between the power, the chaos, and everything I’m feeling for all of you... I don’t know who I am anymore. But when I’m with you... it’s like I can breathe again. Like there’s a part of me that’s still whole."

Damien steps closer, his hand gently cupping my face, his thumb brushing softly against my cheek. The tenderness in his touch is a stark contrast to the storm of emotions raging inside both of us.

"You’re not alone in this, Selene," he murmurs, his breath warm against my skin. "I’ve been losing myself too. But we don’t have to fight this alone."

I lean into his touch, my heart aching with the truth of his words. "I don’t want to lose you," I admit, thevulnerability in my voice surprising even me. "Not to the Order. Not to this curse."

He pulls me closer, his forehead resting against mine, and for a moment, it feels like the weight of the world slips away. "You won’t lose me," he promises, his voice a low, steady whisper. "I’m right here. And as long as I’m breathing, I’m going to fight to stay with you."

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