Chapter 21 - Damien

Jealousy looks good on Jade.

It’s the first thought that hits me when she interrupts the conversation between me and the blonde from Starfire Hollow. I catch the flash of irritation in her eyes. The second I see that fire, everything else—my stress, the lingering tension in my shoulders from the demon threat, the suffocating pressure of leadership—it all fades into the background.

“Am I interrupting something?” Jade’s voice cuts through the air, sharp and tense.

The blonde—Nina, I think her name is—glances between us, eyes widening as she senses the change in atmosphere. She takes a step back, clearly uncertain. Honestly, it’s the smartest thing she’s done all night.

“Actually, yeah,” I say, fighting back a grin. “You kind of are.”

Jade’s brown eyes narrow, and for a second, I wonder if she’s about to deck me. I can practically see the thoughts spinning in her head—everything from annoyance at the situation to her stubborn refusal to admit that she’s jealous. It’s all written across her face, plain as day.

And it fucking lights me up.

I’ve always loved that look. Even when she’s mad, Jade’s fierce. And right now? Yeah, it’s definitely working for me.

“Damien,” she snaps. Her voice is dangerously low, and I know I’m treading on thin ice here. But honestly? I like the heat.

“Walk with me,” I tell her, ignoring her tone as I nod toward the edge of the clearing where the party’s still raging. I don’t wait for her to agree; I just take her hand and start leading her away from the crowd toward the cottage at the edge of the forest.

I use this cottage when I stay in town, and I don’t bring women there.

Ever.

But it’s the only place I can think of where we can have a conversation without an audience.

I glance at her out of the corner of my eye. She’s not pulling away. That’s a good sign. She doesn’t protest, but I can tell she’s still fuming. Her hand is stiff in mine, and her steps are quick, almost like she’s trying to prove she’s not following me, that this is somehow still her choice. That fire, that defiance—it’s part of why I’ve always been drawn to her. Jade’s never been the type to follow anyone’s lead. Not without a fight.

We reach the old cottage, and I push the door open and gesture for her to go inside. She pauses to take a second to glare at me, but eventually, she steps through the doorway.

Once inside, I shut the door behind us, and the click of the latch echoes in the silence. The only light comes from the moon filtering through the cracks in the walls, and while there’s a switch to my right, I love how she looks in this lighting, so I don’t bother turning it on.

Jade turns to face me with her arms crossed and that fiery look still in her eyes. “So? What the hell was that about?”

I lean back against the door, crossing my arms to mirror her stance, and raise an eyebrow. “What do you think it was about?”

She huffs, clearly annoyed, and runs a hand through her hair. “Don’t play games with me, Damien. I saw you with her.”

“With who?” I ask, pushing her just a little more, because watching Jade worked up like this is kind of fun.

“Her. The blonde. What’s-her-name.” She gestures toward the party with a frustrated wave of her hand. “She was all over you.”

I chuckle and chance a step closer. “You mean Nina? She was just talking to me.”

“Talking?” she scoffs. “That’s what you call it?”

“She wasn’t flirting, Jade,” I assure her as I close the distance between us until I’m standing right in front of her. “Not that it would matter if she was.”

Her eyes flash, and she steps back. “Oh, it wouldn’t matter?”

“No.” I take another step forward, keeping my voice calm, but there’s no mistaking the seriousness in my tone. “Because I don’t want her. I don’t want anyone but you.”

Jade blinks, and her tough exterior cracks just a bit. For a moment, she looks unsure, vulnerable even, and it hits me that she doesn’t fully realize how much she means to me.

“What are you saying?” Jade asks.

I take her hand and pull her gently toward the futon in the corner of the room. She follows, sitting down beside me. Her body is still tense, but I can see the curiosity in her eyes now. The walls she always keeps up around me are lowering, brick by brick.

“I’m saying,” I begin, turning to face her fully, “that you’re the only one I’ve ever wanted. Since the first time, Jade. Since we… since we were together that night, years ago.”

Her eyes widen, and she opens her mouth to say something, but I stop her with a hand on her knee, the touch light but grounding. “I’ve never been with anyone else since you.”

Her breath hitches, and she stares at me like she’s trying to process what I just said. “What?”

I nod and keep my gaze locked on hers. “Not since that night. I couldn’t. I didn’t want anyone else.”

For a second, I think she’s going to laugh or push me away. But instead, she just sits there, staring at me with this look of disbelief mixed with something deeper. Something I can’t quite place yet.

“Damien,” she begins, but I shake my head, cutting her off.

“I’m serious, Jade. You’re it for me. You always have been.” I reach up to cup her cheek and brush my thumb over her skin. “I know things were complicated back then, but it was always you. I never stopped wanting you.”

Her eyes flicker with something—surprise, maybe, or relief—and she swallows hard, her hands fidgeting in her lap. “I… I didn’t know.”

“I wasn’t exactly the best at showing it,” I admit with a half-smile. “But I had a crush on you even when we were kids. Alec made it pretty clear you were off-limits, though, so I kept my distance.”

Jade’s eyes widen in surprise, and for the first time since we entered the cottage, her lips curl into a small smile. “A crush? You?”

I nod, chuckling. “Yeah. You were always so damn tough. Scared the hell out of me, to be honest.”

She laughs, and the sound is like a weight lifting off my chest. It’s been so long since I’ve seen her laugh like that—genuine, unguarded. “I had no idea.”

“Yeah, well, I was good at hiding it. Alec would’ve killed me if he’d known.”

Her smile softens, and she looks down at her hands for a moment before speaking again. “I had a thing for you, too, you know. Back then.”

“Really?”

She rolls her eyes. “Are you kidding? I had a huge crush on you. Like, embarrassing, swooning, teenage-girl level of ridiculous.”

A wide grin spreads across my face, and I lean forward, unable to resist stealing a kiss. “Is that so?”

“Mm-hmm,” she murmurs against my lips.

“How come you never told me?”

She shrugs. “What would a guy like you want with a shiftless freak like me?”

My fingers curl into fists, and the words slip out before I can stop them. “Never say that about yourself.”

She leans back and looks at me with a raised eyebrow.

“You’re not a freak,” I say firmly, willing her to understand.

“Yeah, I am,” she says, her voice heavy with self-deprecation. “I’m a hybrid. A witch. None of those are good things, Damien.”

“Bullshit.”

“What?”

“They’re bullshit. You’re not a freak. You’re beautiful and strong and brave, and the fact that you had to survive on your own in a world full of wolves who would kill you on sight just makes you tougher. It doesn’t make you any less.”

Jade gapes at me, clearly taken aback by my declaration, and a surge of protectiveness rushes through me.

“Jade…”

She shakes her head and looks away, her gaze landing on some random spot on the wall. I can’t let her get lost in her own doubts.

Not anymore.

“Hey,” I say, reaching up to tilt her chin toward me. “Look at me.”

Her dark eyes meet mine, and there’s a vulnerability there, a crack in her carefully constructed facade that hits me straight in the chest.

“You are not a freak,” I say again, emphasizing every word. “You’re perfect. Absolutely fucking perfect.”

And before she can argue, before she can find a reason not to believe me, I kiss her.

I press my lips to hers and pour every ounce of my feelings into the kiss, hoping she can feel what I can’t find the words to say.

I want her. I need her. She is everything.

Her fingers curl in the front of my shirt, and her tongue sweeps along the seam of my lips, demanding more. I oblige. Gripping her hips, I drag her into my lap, and her legs settle on either side of my thighs, her hot core pressing against the growing bulge in my pants.

The feel of her pressed against me, her body flush with mine, has every nerve ending tingling. A groan escapes my lips as I deepen the kiss, exploring her mouth, her tongue, her lips until we’re both panting and breathless.

Jade pulls back, her eyes glazed and pupils dilated. Her fingers grip my shirt, and her breasts rise and fall with every ragged breath. She licks her lips, and the action sends a rush of desire through me.

“God, Jade,” I whisper. “I need you.”

She doesn’t reply; she doesn’t have to. Her lips crash against mine, and the force of the kiss sends a wave of lust rolling through me. My fingers tighten around her hips, and she grinds her ass against my straining cock, eliciting a groan.

I reach down and tug her dress over her head, tossing it aside and drinking in the sight of her bare breasts and the smooth curve of her waist. Her nipples are already hard, and when I take one in my mouth, sucking and nipping, she arches her back, offering herself up to me.

“Fuck,” she gasps.

I flick my tongue over the sensitive bud, and her fingers slide into my hair, holding me to her. When I’m satisfied that her breast is swollen and glistening, I move to the other, repeating the same attention and relishing the soft moans that spill from her lips.

Her hips rock against me, and I can feel her wetness through my pants. I need her naked, and I need it now.

Gently, I lift her off my lap and lay her on the futon, sliding her panties down her legs and spreading her thighs. The moonlight streaming through the window illuminates her perfect pussy, and I can’t help but stare.

She’s fucking gorgeous.

“Damien,” she pleads, her voice husky with need.

I trail my fingers up the inside of her leg, teasing her, and watch as her thighs tremble and her pussy clenches, begging for more.

“What do you want, Jade?” I ask, leaning down and letting my breath ghost over her folds.

“You,” she gasps, bucking her hips. “I need you.”

“What part of me?”

“All of you. Just fucking eat me, Damien.”

And who am I to deny her?

I dive in, licking and sucking and stroking her with my tongue, and her head falls back, her spine arching.

“Oh, fuck, yes. That’s it. Right there.”

Her words spur me on, and I bury my face in her pussy, devouring her with reckless abandon.

Her nails rake down my shoulders as her legs wrap around my head, drawing me closer, trapping me in the most delicious way. I lose myself in the taste and feel of her, savoring every moan and whimper.

Her hips thrust wildly, and her breathing grows shallow and frantic. I know she’s close.

I slide a finger inside her, pumping slowly, and then a second, curling them just right. Her entire body convulses.

“Oh, God. Yes. Damien. Fuck, yes!”

Her climax washes over her, and she writhes and shakes beneath me, her orgasm sending waves of pleasure crashing through both of us.

When her body finally goes limp, I slowly pull away and rest my head on her stomach, listening to the sound of her heartbeat slowing and her breathing evening out.

“That was…” she trails off, clearly at a loss for words.

I smirk, knowing I’ve reduced her to a babbling mess. “You liked that, huh?”

“Fuck, yes.”

She looks down at me, and her eyes sparkle with mischief. Before I can react, she reaches down and pulls me up until we’re face-to-face, her legs still wrapped around my waist.

“But it’s not fair if I’m the only one having all the fun,” she whispers, trailing her fingertips along the hem of my shirt.

“Oh, really?”

“Mm-hmm. It’s your turn.”

With that, she kisses me, her lips crashing against mine. The kiss is wild and messy and urgent, and I can’t hold back a growl. She tugs my shirt over my head, tosses it aside, and her hands roam over my chest, tracing the lines of my muscles and scars. She reaches between us, unbuckling my belt and shoving my pants and boxers down. My cock springs free, and she wraps her hand around the shaft, pumping slowly between our bodies.

“Oh, fuck, Jade,” I groan, resting my forehead against hers.

She smirks, clearly pleased with herself, and her pace quickens. “Like that, do you?”

“Hell, yeah,” I breathe, thrusting into her fist.

Her hand keeps working, stroking and squeezing and driving me wild. When her thumb slides over the tip, collecting the drop of pre-cum, I nearly lose it. I start to tip my head back, but then she shoves me into a sitting position and straddles my lap.

“Fuck,” I mutter, the word slipping out involuntarily.

“That’s the idea,” she purrs, rising onto her knees and positioning the tip of my cock at her entrance.

Slowly, inch by inch, she sinks down, taking me deep inside her.

“Jesus, Jade,” I gasp.

She feels incredible, hot and wet and tight. She begins rocking her hips, and the friction is exquisite. I grip her hips and guide her, urging her on. She rides me faster, her breasts bouncing, and the sounds coming out of her mouth are unlike anything I’ve ever heard.

It’s filthy and primal, and it drives me wild.

I can feel her getting closer, and when she starts grinding her clit against the base of my cock, her walls start to tighten.

“That’s it,” I encourage her. “Come for me, Jade.”

And she does.

She throws her head back and lets go, her body spasming and shaking as her orgasm hits. The sight is almost enough to push me over the edge, but somehow, I manage to hold off.

As her release subsides, her movements slow. Her eyes flutter open, heavy-lidded and dreamy.

“You’re fucking gorgeous,” I tell her, cupping her cheek.

“I could say the same about you,” she murmurs, her gaze trailing over me.

“Come here,” I command, pulling her toward me.

I claim her mouth in a bruising kiss, and she moans into it. I grab her hips, and when I thrust up, slamming my cock into her, she cries out, her fingers digging into my shoulders.

“Yes, Damien! Harder.”

“Harder?” I growl, my control slipping.

“Yes. Fuck, yes.”

My wolf surges to the surface, and the next thing I know, I’ve flipped us both and have her pinned beneath me, with her wrists trapped above her head and my cock buried to the hilt inside her.

“Is this what you want?” I growl, nipping at her throat.

“Yes,” she gasps. “Fuck me, Damien. Don’t hold back.”

I don’t.

I pound into her, giving her every inch. Her breasts bounce, her nipples grazing my chest. She wraps her legs around my waist, and the new angle lets me hit her deeper. When I feel her starting to come apart, the sensations become too much.

“Jade,” I groan, and she responds by kissing me hard and deep.

“I’m yours, Damien. Only yours.”

And hearing those words, the confirmation that she wants this as badly as I do, sends me over the edge. My climax explodes through me, and my entire body shudders and quakes.

“Oh, fuck, Damien! Fuck, yes! Give it to me.”

We ride out our orgasms together, and the pleasure is so intense, it’s almost painful. Finally, we collapse, both breathless and spent. I roll off her, pulling her into my arms and cradling her against my chest.

We lie there like that for a while, and neither of us says a word. There’s no need. The silence is comfortable, and I can hear the steady rhythm of her heart. The gentle, even cadence telling me she’s content.

Those three words are on the tip of my tongue. I feel them in the very marrow of my bones, but I just don’t know how she’s going to feel when I say them.

Fuck it. With everything going on, I need her to hear them.

I open my mouth, ready to spill my soul, but then a piercing scream tears through the air.

“Help! Someone, please, help!”

Jade’s eyes snap open, and she bolts upright, her expression alert. “Who the hell is that?”