Page 19 of Howl For A Kiss
They moved as one, slipping through shadows with synchronized precision that spoke of natural partnership. Elena's instincts meshed perfectly with his tactical training and watching her operate was like observing a deadly dance.
She's magnificent.
They cleared the guard post without detection and pressed deeper into the forest. The operatives' main hub emergedthrough the trees—a fortified compound with motion sensors, razor wire, and enough firepower to level a small town.
"Christ," Elena breathed. "No wonder they hit us so hard yesterday."
Damon studied the defensive positions with a Beta's eye for strategy. "Guard towers at each corner and overlapping fields of fire. Main entrance is a kill zone, but there—" He pointed to a maintenance shed on the north side. "Blind spot in their coverage."
"You see that weakness from here?" Elena's voice held a note of impressed surprise.
"Experience." The word came out rougher than expected. Fifteen years of being his Alpha's right-hand enforcer had taught him to read fortifications like a book, but he couldn't tell her that without revealing his true Beta position.
Elena shifted closer to get a better view, her shoulder pressing against his arm. The innocent contact made his wolf surge forward, demanding he pull her against him. The scent of her arousal in that moment—faint but unmistakable—nearly shattered his control.
She wants me too. I could sense it ever since the cavern yesterday.The knowledge was both exhilarating and torturous.
"We go in tomorrow night," she whispered, her voice husky. "Hit them quick and deliberate."
"Agreed." He turned to find her face inches from his, her lips parted slightly as she breathed. The gold ring around her pupils seemed to glow in the moonlight, and his gaze dropped to her mouth.
Tell her. Tell her she's yours.
But the words stuck in his throat. Elena was still reeling, still adjusting to having her world turned upside down. Telling her that she was his fated mate would be cruel right now.
Even if keeping that secret was slowly killing him.
"Damon." His name on her lips was barely a whisper.
"Yeah?"
"I just wanted to thank you again. For staying with me. For helping us." Her hand brushed his. "I know you didn't have to."
I had no choice. You're mine, and I'll die before I let anything happen to you.
"You don't need to thank me," he said instead, his thumb stroking across her knuckles.
The motion made her breath hitch, and suddenly the space between them felt charged with electricity. Her scent spiked with arousal again, and his wolf clawed at his restraint.
Kiss her. Make her yours.
Elena's eyes darkened as she stared at his mouth, and for a heartbeat he thought she might close the distance herself. But then a twig snapped somewhere in the forest, and they both froze.
The moment shattered as they melted back into the shadows, every sense attuned to potential threats. But even as they made their way back to Cade's compound in careful silence, Damon could feel the heat of Elena's gaze on him.
The mate bond pulsed between them, growing stronger with each passing hour. Soon, he wouldn't be able to hide it anymore.
Soon, he would have to choose between his duty as Beta and his devotion to his mate.
Back at their rebel cabin, Damon watched Elena methodically clean her weapons—a ritual he recognized from his own military training. The familiar motions seemed to center her, but he could sense the restless energy thrumming beneath her controlled exterior.
"We should work on your shifting," he said, breaking the comfortable silence. "Tomorrow's mission might require it."
Elena's hands stilled on her knife. "I barely managed a partial shift yesterday. What if I can't control it?"
"Then we practice until you can." He stood up, extending his hand. "Trust me."
Those two words hung between them, weighted with meaning neither acknowledged. Elena studied his face before placing her hand in his, electricity crackling through the simple contact.
