Page 31 of Redeeming His Omega Mate

“Damian, what are you doing? Damian? Da—.” The words stopped at the tip of her tongue when her back hit the wall, trapping her between me and the hard surface. It still frustrated me that I couldn’t catch her scent, even with the small distance between us.

Her breaths came in fast, her chest rising and falling with each one. Her eyes flickered with a mix of apprehension and something deeper. Desire.

“You say one thing, Tala,” I murmured, my gaze dropping to the rise and fall of her chest before returning to her eyes, “but your body says something else entirely.”

I lifted my hand to brush my fingers against her arm, and her breath hitched. A shudder rippled through her immediately, a confirmation that I was very much not delusional.

“Unlike you, Tala,” I leaned in, brushing my lips against her ear as I spoke. “I don’t have the energy to deny myself what I want.”

“Stop it, Damian,” she hissed. “Whatever this is, you need to stop.”

“You don’t mean that.”

“Yes, I do!” Her voice cracked slightly, but she pressed on. “You forget yourself. Or maybe I need to remind you that you’re mating with Serena soon. Do you even remember that? Or does your ego block out inconvenient truths?”

I stiffened, her words striking a nerve, but it wasn’t enough to douse the heat between us.

“Tala—”

“No.” Her voice was firmer this time, steeling herself. “Whatever this is, it needs to die here. Because I will not be a fool for you again.”

Serena’s voice cut through the charged moment like a blade, and Tala immediately shoved me away in time before Serena entered the living room.

She looked between us for a few seconds. “Is everything okay, Damian?”

“Yeah,” I answered smoothly, forcing my voice to remain steady. “Tala and I were just talking.”

Tala looked at me briefly, and without acknowledging Serena, she turned and headed up the stairs.

Chapter 14

Tala

Over the next couple of days, I had to learn how to separate my feelings from the task at hand. Damian and I ended up working together more than I’d expected, hashing out outreach plans and tackling the finer details of the alliance. I’d spoken to Gina about the outreach plans, and she’d been incredibly helpful, suggesting key infrastructure improvements and other resources that the people would genuinely benefit from.

The barrier equipment from Silver Fang, crafted with moonstone to fortify boundaries and strengthen the territory, had finally arrived. Damian sought me out for advice on setting it up since it was unfamiliar to them. In the course of doing this, he’d also come up with suggestions to strengthen the boundaries using Silver Stakes. We’d further discussed the allocation of resources for the joint patrol unit, negotiating how much each pack was going to provide to sustain them and their activities in the forest.

Despite everything between us, we’d managed to set aside our past and differences and make real progress—especially considering our previous interactions, which, thankfully, had been interrupted. Twice.Though things had been amicable and formal, I made sure to make some groundwork that ensured that.

I made sure to keep our interactions strictly within workspaces like the council room and the Alpha’s quarters. Anything beyond that—breakfast, dinner, or even being in the same space without a clear purpose—I avoided completely. After almost getting caught by Serena in the middle of…whatever that was going to be, I knew I couldn’t afford to jeopardize this alliance by letting my feelings get in the way. Luckily for me, pack celebrations like the Rite of Passage ceremony—where young shifters were welcomed as full-fledged members—and the Full Moon ceremony kept Damian occupied, leaving him out of the house for longer periods and away from me.

I even made a trip to Stonehart’s pack mystic to renew the cloaking potion that masked Aria and my scent. I’d been foolish enough to let Damian see that he still affected me. I wasn’t ready for what might happen when his wolf caught the scent of my desire whenever we were close.

Things had remained cordial and professional. Exactly how it needed to be. Before I knew it, one week had passed. Now, I just needed to get through two more.

I let out a deep sigh as I penned the last words of the letter I planned to send Kael, updating him on the alliance’s progress and recent developments. The first report from the joint patrol unit had just come in, and the rogue threat seemed to be waning. Although attacks on neighboring villages had been reported, the forest separating Silver Fang and Stonehart remained clear, which meant both packs were safe—for now.

Our plans were working. Either the joint alliance had driven the rogues away out of fear, or they were biding their time for a more calculated attack. Either way, we had to be ready to fight. That’s why outreach strategies had dominated our discussions lately, discussions that often stretched late into the night. Just like tonight.

After folding the letter, I sat back in the chair across from Damian’s mahogany desk. He’d excused himself a few minutes ago, presumably to use the bathroom. My muscles relaxed for the first time in hours, and I let my eyes drift shut.

“I made you tea,” Damian’s voice broke through the quiet, snapping my eyes open. I immediately straightened in the chair, my gaze drifting from the steaming cup he held out to his face.

Just as it had one too many times, my thoughts drifted to places I wished they wouldn’t. Gazing up at him, I noticed how his hair was a tousled mess from the countless times he’d raked his fingers through it. I’d always preferred it that way—messy, rather than the slicked-back look he usually wore. When we first met, those unruly waves had given him a boyish charm. But now, with his defined jawline and the shadow of stubble, that same mess made him look… breathtaking.

I mentally scolded myself, dragging my thoughts back to what mattered. As I reached for the cup, our fingers brushed for the briefest moment, a fleeting touch that sent a spark through me. “Thank you,” I muttered, taking a small sip to steady myself.

I expected him to round the desk and return to his seat where he’d been all night. Instead, he perched right in front of me, so close that the faint scent of cedar clinging to his skin wrapped around me. I willed my heart to remain steady, but it was already a lost cause.

---