Page 31 of Howl For A Kiss
Something in his tone made her look up, and she caught a flicker of something in his expression—guilt maybe. It was that same secretive look she'd been noticing since yesterday.
"Damon." Her voice took on a commanding edge. "You've been oddly evasive since that phone call outside the cavern. What aren't you telling me?"
He went very still, his hands freezing on the weapon in his lap. For a long moment, the only sound was the distant chatter from the other rebels in the main room.
"Is this about some rivalry between the Silvercrest and Tidewater rebel groups?" Elena pressed, pieces clicking together in her mind. "I remember the Silvercrest rebels being moreintense and methodical than my group. We've had some tense run-ins in the past."
Relief flickered across Damon's features so quickly she almost missed it, and suddenly Elena was certain she'd hit on the truth.
"That's it, isn't it?" she continued. "You're feeling disloyal to your pack by being here as my second-in-command. You think your buddies won't understand why you'd do something this extreme for a woman you just met."
Damon's shoulders relaxed slightly, and he nodded. "Something like that, yeah. Pack loyalty runs deep, and I've never... abandoned my post before."
"Do you regret staying here with me?" The question tumbled out before Elena could stop it, vulnerable and raw.
"Not for a single second." His response was immediate and fierce, his green eyes blazing with conviction. "I'd make the same choice again in a heartbeat."
The simple honesty in his voice made Elena's chest warm with something dangerous and wonderful. She was letting her walls crumble, allowing this incredible and surprisingly gentle man closer than anyone had ever been.
Maybe it's okay to trust him. Maybe he really is exactly what I need.
"Good," she said softly, then forced herself to refocus on their gear. "Because I need you here, Damon. Not just for tonight, but... for everything that's coming."
As they continued preparing their equipment—tactical vests, shoulder holsters with guns, hip holsters with knives, ankle holsters with backup weapons, and thigh straps for extra ammunition—Elena drank in every detail of Damon's methodical approach. The way he checked each piece of gear twice, the quiet confidence in his movements, and the protectiveway he glanced at her equipment to ensure everything was properly secured.
She was absorbing his knowledge and presence like a sponge, studying his every word and movement with the wonder and desire of someone who'd finally found what they'd been searching for without even knowing they were looking.
When Damon noticed her watching and smiled—one of those rare, genuine expressions that transformed his entire face—Elena felt something settle into place in her chest. Something that felt suspiciously like coming home.
Once Elena and Damon finished securing their tactical gear in her makeshift office, they moved with practiced silence through the rebel cabin. Elena adjusted her shoulder holster one final time, the weight of her weapons providing comfort against the growing knot in her stomach. Damon checked his hip holster and thigh straps with methodical precision, his green eyes already shifting into mission mode.
"Ready?" he asked quietly, his voice carrying that commanding undertone that made her wolf hum with satisfaction.
"Always." Elena pulled her tactical jacket tighter against the November chill as they slipped out of Cade's compound gates.
The moon climbed steadily into the star-scattered sky as they trekked through the snow-covered wilderness. Each footstep crunched softly in the pristine powder and their breath formed crystalline clouds in the frigid air. Elena kept stealing glances at Damon's profile, admiring the hard angles of his jaw and the focused determination etched across his features.
"Thorne's estate is going to take us several hours to reach," Damon said, his voice low and steady. "It's positioned right on the border between Granite Ridge and Tidewater territory—technically on the Granite Ridge side."
Elena nodded, falling into step beside him. The comfortable silence that stretched between them felt different now—charged with the memory of their kiss that morning and the growing awareness of something profound building between them. Her wolf seemed to recognize him on a deeper level, responding to his presence with a contentment that both thrilled and terrified her.
Focus on the mission,she reminded herself as they crossed into more treacherous terrain.Not on how perfectly his hand fits in yours when he helps you over fallen logs.
But Damon made focusing difficult. He moved through the forest like he belonged there, constantly checking on her comfort and safety without making her feel weak or protected. When the snow grew deeper, he'd move ahead to break trail. When they encountered icy patches, his hand would appear at her elbow—warm, steady, and reassuring.
"You okay?" he asked for the third time in an hour, genuine concern flickering in his green eyes.
"I'm fine." Elena couldn't help the small smile that tugged at her lips. "You don't have to worry about me every five minutes."
"Actually, I do." The fierce protectiveness in his voice made something flutter dangerously in her chest. "It's not optional."
God, the way he says things like that.Elena quickly masked her reaction, focusing on the path ahead instead of the way her body responded to his possessiveness.
As they approached Thorne's estate hours later, the massive three-story mansion loomed against the moonlit sky like something from a gothic nightmare. Ornate stonework and towering windows spoke of old money and older power, while manicured grounds stretched in every direction despite the winter snow.
This is it,Elena thought, her pulse quickening.Time to find out which Council elder has been orchestrating these experiments.
But as they moved stealthily through the snow toward the service entrance Damon had suggested, something felt wrong. The estate was too quiet and too still. No guards patrolled the perimeter, no lights flickered in the windows, and no signs of the minimal security Damon had promised.
