Damon’s POV
Elena had jumped from under like I was molten lava. One second, I was buried in the scent of her arousal, the feel of her skin against mine—everything—and the next, the atmosphere had been completely obliterated.
All thanks to the stupid fucker behind that door.
Whoever it was better have a damn good reason for the interruption. Because if not? They weren’t going to live long enough to see the sun rise. I was seconds away from snapping necks.
Grinding my jaw, I found a pair of sweatpants and yanked them on, muscles tight, my beasts raging beneath my skin. I could feel both of them—feral, volatile, starving. They didn’t like being interrupted either. And all three of us wanted blood.
anwhile, Elena had run to the balcony. No words. No eye contact. Just gone, like what we shared hadn’t just set the entire fucking room on fire.
She’d given herself to , willingly, wantonly, godsdamn beautifully—and now, after this little interruption, I knew she’d retreat back behind those stubborn emotional walls. She’d overthink. Regret. Rewind everything and convince herself it was a mistake.
Back to square fucking one.
I opened the door with a force that shook the fra.
A teenage girl stood there—wide-eyed, shaking. Not even a full warrior yet. Just a trembling little ssenger. Typical.
The stupid cowards had sent a kid, probably thinking I wouldn’t kill her if I lost my temper. Tough luck.
They better think again.
"You’ve got one minute to tell why you’re knocking on the bedroom door at this ti of night," I snarled, letting my Alpha energy bleed out of like a stormcloud. Both my beasts growled low and deadly behind it, and the girl flinched like I’d physically struck her.
"Alpha," she whimpered, her voice cracking. Whether from my aura or sheer terror—or both—I didn’t care.
"There... there are witches at the border," she rushed out, nearly tripping over her words. "They’re asking for an audience with you. They say... they an no harm."
Witches.
Fucking witches.
What the hell did those persistent, ddleso, magic-wielding pests want now?
I ran a hand down my face, barely keeping my fury in check. I should’ve expected sothing like this. Of course they’d show up now, at the worst possible ti.
"Fine," I growled. "Let them in. But tell the guards to keep an eye on them. If one of them so much as breathes wrong, I’ll tear her throat out."
The girl gave a quick, terrified nod, bowed her head, and turned on her heel—running as if the devil himself was chasing her.
Smart.
I slamd the door shut behind , dragging in a deep breath.
I had blocked off the entire pack from my mindlink the mont I’d stepped into that room with Elena. It had been intentional—an attempt to protect our privacy. To finally have a mont alone. No interruptions. No outside voices.
A stupid move in hindsight, but hell, how could I have predicted this? And after all that, we still got interrupted.
Fucking perfect.
I took one last glance toward the balcony as I passed the bed. She was still out there, her back to the room, hugging the railing like it was the only thing keeping her grounded.
She hadn’t even looked at .
Didn’t speak. Didn’t ask where I was going.
And yeah, that part stung more than I cared to admit.
She was pulling away. I could feel it.
No matter how much her body had responded to mine—how much she wanted —her mind was already crawling back into self-denial. And unless the stars aligned again, unless sothing stirred her the sa way...
I didn’t think we’d pick up where we left off any ti soon.
That thought made sothing inside snarl.
But I didn’t have ti to dwell on it now.
I turned and left, making my way to the office—fighting to compose myself, to rein in the raw, maddening energy still simring beneath my skin. I needed my head clear in case those witches were up to sothing.
Because if they were hiding anything? If they thought I’d be distracted or weakened?
They’d soon learn just how fucking wrong they were.
Still... as I strode through the hallway, only one thought gnawed at louder than the rest:
Whoever interrupted us didn’t just ruin a mont.
They ruined a damn turning point.
And the next ti I got my hands on Elena?
There wouldn’t be any interruptions.
Not. A. Fucking. Chance.
*******
I was still seated in my chair, brooding in silence, when the door creaked open and five won dressed in long, dark robes stepped into my office.
Their presence carried a chill with it—an unnatural stillness that prickled against my skin like icy fingers.
Witches.
Fucking witches.
I expected mischief, attitude, cryptic riddles—anything but what happened next.
Without a word, the five of them dropped to their knees in perfect unison and bowed low before , their heads touching the floor.
My brows shot up.
Okay... What the actual fuck?
Even my beasts, who’d been snarling inside the entire way here, paused in stunned confusion.
I an, sure, I’m an Alpha. People bow. Submit. It’s a pack instinct.
But these were witches—arrogant, manipulative, power-hungry witches. The last thing I expected was reverence.
And then they began to chant.
"Reign, reign forever... oh great and mighty King of Darkness... for the new era awaits your rule... oh Hades..."
My body went cold.
What. The. Fuck.
They chanted it again.
Louder.
"Reign, reign forever... oh great and mighty King of Darkness... for the new era awaits your rule... oh Hades..."
I shifted in my seat, unease crawling down my spine like a thousand spiders. My hands curled into fists on the desk, but I couldn’t move. Couldn’t speak.
A third ti—louder still, their voices echoing unnaturally in the room like a damn cult ceremony.
"REIGN, REIGN FOREVER... OH GREAT AND MIGHTY KING OF DARKNESS... FOR THE NEW ERA AWAITS YOUR RULE... OH HADES..."
My chair creaked beneath as I sat up straighter, my pulse pounding in my ears.
What. The actual. Fuck.
Then silence.
They lifted their heads in unison.
And the one in the center—their leader—stood first. Her eyes were pitch black, not even a sliver of white showing, and her smile... it wasn’t wicked. It wasn’t playful.
It was devotional.
"Welco, my lord," she said slowly, her voice velvet-wrapped steel. "Welco to the land of the living."
My blood turned to ice.
I blinked. My breath caught.
Sothing inside ... shifted.
No—not my wolf.
Not my shadow beast either.
This wasn’t them.
It was sothing else.
Sothing ancient.
Sothing wrong.
A pressure curled in my gut, coiling like a serpent waking from centuries of slumber. Not pain exactly... but power. Raw. Overwhelming. Darker than anything I’d ever felt before. As if the earth itself had shifted slightly to make room for whatever was waking up inside of .
My jaw clenched as a low growl ripped free from my throat—but it didn’t sound like . It sounded inhuman.
The witches watched with hungry eyes. Like worshippers seeing a god stir from slumber.
What the hell did they an, "Hades"?
Who the fuck did they think I was?
Or worse...
Who the fuck had they just woken up inside of ?
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