Chapter 51
Lila
I paused at the threshold of the greenhouse, breath catching. This place was spectacular with stars caught in glass panes overhead. It felt like a delicious
secret.
Damon stood a few steps inside, waiting; his dark shirt rolled at the sleeves, collar slightly open, the kind of rugged perfection that made my stomach twist.
“Come in,” he said, voice lower than usual. “You’re right on time.”
I stepped forward, drawn in by the scent of night–blooming jasmine curling up from the planters. Damon didn’t move until I was beside him, and even then, he just tilted his head slightly, studying me.
“You wore blue again.”
“I like blue. It reminds me of the wide–open sky.”
He nodded once. “It suits you.”
We walked in silence past rows of orchids and moonflowers. The deeper we went, the more it felt like stepping out of the world entirely. There was something about the way the flowers opened only for darkness, blooming when no one was watching, that reminded me of my wolf.
“Did you choose this spot for tonight?” I asked, because I had to break the silence before it swallowed me whole.
“Yes,” he said simply. “I thought you might like it.”
A small table waited for us at the heart of the space, draped in pale linen and lit by candles. No feast or formal silver. Just two bowls, a basket of flatbread, roasted vegetables, something warm and fragrant that smelled like garlic and herbs.
“You cook?” I asked, surprised.
He gave a faint smile. “I… order. But I can set a table.”
That pulled a quiet laugh from me, and some of the tension melted from my shoulders. We sat. And for a long minute, we just awkwardly watched each
other as we ate.
I found myself relaxing despite everything screaming at me to stay guarded. Damon reached for the wine, He poured without asking, handing me a glass before lifting his own.
“No grand speeches?” I teased. “No toast to remind me what’s at stake?”
“I’m not here as the King tonight,” he said. “Tonight, I’m just Damon.”
I stared down at the glass, then took a careful sip. The wine was sweeter than expected. “Why now?” I asked, because I needed to know. “Why me?”
He didn’t speak for a long moment. I could see him weighing the answer. “Because you don’t act like you belong here,” he finally said. “You ask questions. You hold your ground. You make me wonder who I am when I’m not wearing this crown.”
He paused like there was more to say. “You told me to stop watching from the shadows,” he added. “So, I did,”
“That was a challenge, not an invitation.”
“Same thing.” His gaze held mine, and it was too much. I felt too exposed and quickly looked away.
“I don’t know what you want,” I said quietly. “I’m not sure I have anything left to give.”
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Chapter 51
Damon set down his glass. “I don’t want you to give me anything,” he said. “I just want to know you.”
The words landed hard. Tell him something real, Ruby urged. Even if it hurts.
“I used to sneak into my mother’s garden after sunset,” I said slowly. “I thought if I stayed still long enough, the moonflowers would bloom just for me.”
Damon’s expression shifted–something soft, unguarded, in a way I hadn’t seen before. He just listened.
“They always bloomed for her,” I added. “Never for me.”
“They’re blooming now,” he said.
And when I looked around, they were. Every petal opened wide in the warmth of the greenhouse. Blooming just for us.
Damon moved first, slowly, like he was afraid to frighten me. Like I was in slow motion, I placed my palm in his. His hand dwarfed mine.
“Dance with me… please.” The request was almost an afterthought, but it was there.
I was pulled to my feet, and Damon’s other hand hovered by my waist–light, respectful, waiting for me to say no. I stepped into the space between us instead, my hand finding his shoulder.
There was no music as we swayed in a room full of flowers.
His hand was warm through the fabric of my dress. I felt every breath he took, the slight tension in his fingers where they held me, the way his eyes flicked down to my mouth before he looked away.
I hated how much I wanted this. How much I wanted him.
“You surprise me,” he said after a while, voice low, “Every time.”
“That makes two of us,” I murmured.
“I thought you were trying to stay away from me.”
“I am.”
His jaw flexed. “And yet you’re here.”
I swallowed. “You asked.”
That earned me a half–smile. “I could’ve ordered.”
“But you didn’t,” I said quietly. “That’s why I came.”
Something in his posture softened at that. A breath let out through his nose. “You weren’t wrong, you know. In the
My heart kicked. “You remember.”
“I remember everything.” He stepped a fraction closer. “Especially the things most difficult to hear.”
I looked up at him, eyes searching. “And?”
“And I didn’t have an answer then,” he said. “But I’ve been trying to find one.”
I didn’t know what to say to that. My fingers clenched slightly against his shoulder.
- n. About what you said.”
“I’ve always led from instinct,” he continued. “But I’ve never trusted many people. I can’t really afford to in my position.” His gaze dropped to my lips again, this time lingering. “But I’m… trying.”
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Chapter 51
A thousand thoughts crashed behind my eyes, but none made it to my mouth.
“I know there’s something between us,” he said. “But I don’t want to be kept in the dark and kept on a leash at the same time.”
“That’s not comforting.”
“No. But it’s honest.” He stopped moving, holding me still in the quiet.
“You terrify me,” I whispered. “Not because you’re King. But because you make me want things i know I can’t have”
Damon’s hand rose to brush a piece of hair behind my ear. “What if I want them too?”
I stared at him, breath tangled in my chest. Then, without another word, he leaned in and kissed me,
It started soft and slow. But when I parted my lips, the kiss turned hungry like a broken dam bursting. His mouth met mine like he’d been holding back for weeks and finally let himself feel. Let himself fall.
I fell with him.
My fingers curled into the fabric at his shoulder. His palm moved up to cradle the back of my neck, holding me steady as he deepened the kiss. This felt real in a way that nothing had in months. Maybe ever.
I gasped against his mouth, and he pulled back just enough to look at me.
“I shouldn’t be doing this,” I said, breathless.
“Then tell me to stop.”
I didn’t. Instead, I reached up and kissed him again.
The world spun with the scent of crushed petals, the hum of breath and heat and longing. When we finally pulled apart, I was shaking from how much ! wanted to believe this meant something.
Damon’s eyes searched mine, and he exhaled like I’d just undone him.
“I don’t want a perfect Luna,” he said. “I want someone who challenges me. Who sees the man behind the title. Who makes me want to be better.”
I blinked hard. “Then you should know…I’m not the woman they all think I am.”
He simply said, “Good.”
Because part of me wanted him to ask. To already know my name. And to still want me anyway.
But he didn’t. And I couldn’t bring myself to tell him. I couldn’t bring myself to ruin what was an otherwise perfect, romantic evening. Because when everything inevitably came crashing down, I needed this memory close to my heart.
So, I let the moment stretch, holding onto it even as the truth curled like a thorn beneath my ribs. “I should go. It’s late.”
Damon nodded and placed a gentle kiss on my forehead that nearly undid me. He walked me back to the door, his last possible second.
“I’ll see you soon,” he said, voice low.
I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. Then I turned and stepped into the hall.
‘holding tight to mine until the
The conservatory door clicked shut behind me, but I could still feel his mouth on mine, the warmth of his breath against my skin, the quiet way he’d held me close.
Duby preened in my mind, pleased. You’re not falling, she said. You’re landing.
Chapter 52
