Being seated to Damon’s left, while he sat at the head of table annoyed my wolf and made it harder to stare at him directly. Arriving late should have been impossible to do considering I was barely a hundred meters away from the dining room, but at seven thirty, I made my grand entrance.

The large wolf from earlier, who I learned was called Dean, had been the one to retrieve me from the upstairs living room. Size didn’t matter, unless you were being crushed underneath a larger opponent and my wolf loved the challenge he posed. We hadn’t come across another shifter we couldn’t take down, and she was eager to try again. He seemed able to sense it and I refused to show him any submission.

I never intended to go down there at all, so Dean’s arrival only helped delay the inevitable. Our fight had been mostly word based, seeing who could scare the other. In the end he threatened to pick me up and carry me downstairs, so telling him I’d like to see him try is how I ended up at the table.

The fact I was starving didn’t help my resolve not to eat and so I picked at the roast meat idly. It wasn’t long before my stomach won and I’d cleared the plate. Guards were positioned outside the door and it was Hannah who came in to fill up glasses and clear plates. She had being invisible perfected and my wolf even missed her coming in a couple of times.

The silence between us only grew and remembering what he had said earlier, I decided to break it.

“So what do you have that I might be interested in?” I kept my tone neutral, when in fact I was slightly curious.

The only indication he gave of hearing my was a slight raise in his eyebrow and he chewed thoughtfully for a moment.

“Considering you were carried in here, I don’t think you deserve it.” He thought he was amusing, slyly smiling there was a glint of mischief in his eyes as he met my own.

“Considering I haven’t killed you yet, I think I do.” I snapped back.

He put down his fork and sat back in the chair, looking thoughtful once again.

“That’s what you want isn’t it? To kill me for what I did all those years ago?”

I closed my eyes for a second as the pain in my head shot through me. My wolf saw the challenge in his words and wanted to take him up on it.

“Why am I here? You could have killed me with Ethan or anytime since then. Instead we’re having dinner?” I picked up the knife beside my plate, slowly dropping my hand from the table and rested it on my thigh.

“You’re here because I want you to be.” He yelled. It was like flipping a switch and his fist slammed down on the table. All the glassware clinked together and the platter of food trembled as the force shook the table. His eyes seemed to glaze over, and I held my breath as he stood to stand before me. The fight in his mind was obvious and I wondered if his anger was all his own or his wolf too. Something was holding him back, just, but it was there.

‘Back down. Not now.’

Panic swirled in my stomach and I was almost scared to move in case that would be the trigger he needed. My hand was close to bending to the handle of the knife, and one move towards me would have it ripping through whatever part of him I could make contact with.

The tension between us was close to catastrophe levels and after a few moments, he coughed awkwardly. His hands ran down the lapel of his jacket and I saw how they were trembling. My wolf was telling me to stay still, wait for the threat to pass and sitting upright, barely breathing I couldn’t help myself.

“What is wrong with you?”

Sweat beaded along his forehead and the scowl on his face made my skin crawl. Slipping underneath the table was tempting and as the silence was drawn out, I managed to swallow without choking.

“Do you think this has been easy for me?” He growled, stepping away from his position, I tried not to flinch as he pulled my chair away from the table. “Do you think I like smelling someone else on you?”

Any walls I had in place crumbled at the mention of Cody and even my wolf fell to the back of my mind leaving me on my own.

“This is all your fault.” I reminded him, surprised I could actually talk.

“My fault? You’re supposed to be dead.”

“Then you should have done it yourself.” I hissed through gritted teeth as he leant down closer, trapping me in my chair.  I tensed my arm, ready to make my attack only I didn’t get a chance to do anything as his lips touched mine. Shock shut down my brain.  My wolf growled, not welcoming the contact. My eyes stayed open in surprise, awkwardly looking into his.

It wasn’t like kissing Cody, yet it wasn’t as horrible as I told myself something like this would be. My body was uncooperative and the urge to pull away was leaving me the longer I just sat there. His arms surrounded my head as he leant against the back of my chair, and his scent was filling my mind like a toxic gas. I could tell he was assessing my reaction, waiting for me to do something.

The fact I kissed him back didn’t help.

The gypsy woman had it right. I did wonder. I thought about all of it like the one who got away, only it was more than a failed romance. He was my mate. Cody got to experience time with Jill, he would have slept beside her every night. He got to know the smell of her skin, the curve of her lips and the feel of her body against his.

For just a second, I felt that thread between Damon and I glowing. The promise of it all, the temptation to experience it for myself. Life with my mate, the one who loves, protects and cherishes you above all others. The one who was meant to die for you, not be the reason for your death. Cody had Jill; had – past tense. He even admitted that when I left it hurt him more than losing her. I had everything I was raised to believe mates to be with Cody and that was where I needed to be.

I closed my eyes, not willing to risk letting him see what was coming. My left hand slid along his arm, holding his shoulder to steady to his torso as I shifted my position slightly to give me room to move my right arm. With all the effort I could subtly muster, I rammed the steak knife into his abdomen.

‘Run!’

I didn’t need to be told twice.

Gasping he stepped backwards, instantly reaching to the handle and removed the knife. I knocked the chair to the side and scrambled up, running to the door and past Dean who hesitated in running after me as he turned to look into the dining room.

“STOP HER!”

The rage in his order has goose bumps breaking out all over my skin and I knew I should have listened to my wolf. Now wasn’t the time for this, and I should’ve gone at least gone for his neck.

I shifted as I got out the front door, the driveway my path out of the complex and my wolf ran faster than I ever could. Dean was behind me before I had even got half way, the larger wolf snapping dangerously close to my tail. He went to lunge at me to knock me down, and expecting it my wolf managed to swerve to the side. She weaved her way towards the gate, making his next attempt just as pointless and as he tried one last time – he got us.

In a wrestling mass of fur and teeth, we rolled from the gravel to the lawn. My wolf was in a frenzy, blinded by rage which only grew for each bite or nip he placed on us and kicking up at his jaw, she managed to get herself free of his attack. We kept running, the gate was barely meters away and this time the grey and white wolf that knocked us over wasn’t going to let us back up.

Damon.

Standing, my wolf mimicked his movements as we circled each other. His wound wasn’t healing yet, but it didn’t seem to slow him down. The scent of his blood had her thirsty for more and a part of me knew, this wasn’t the fight we had been wanting.  This wasn’t a battle for life, rather one for dominance. He wanted us to give in to him, and fortunately my wolf and I agreed on this.

Never.

Minutes in I realized his intimidation wasn’t for show. That cold and calculating manner of the human was reflected in the wolf, yet even though Damon wasn't in control his bites never pierced the skin, even when ours did. He was holding back. I saw it before my wolf. She was mad with anger and not thinking straight. I had never experienced her like this, not even when  I’d lost control of her before.

Her mind was on her mate. Like Cody had attacked me, she was wanting to make him suffer for hurting her and he was letting it happen. I couldn’t’ see a peaceful reunion after this and had never fought so hard to get her to back down. It wasn’t working, she was to powerful. When I could I tried to keep an eye on what was going on around us.

As expected he had his pack surrounding us, some in wolf form and others with their guns. Dean was pacing near two humans and out of all the wolves he was the only threat; well him and Damon.

If my wolf wasn’t biting or attacking him, she was growling and snarling to the point she was foaming at the mouth like a rapid dog. Her exhaustion was only growing, so was his. He defense got slower. So did her attacks. I was proud of how well she kept her ground, despite that fact it would only take one signal from him and we’d be dead or have a pack of wolves set upon us.

Circling each other again, I couldn’t see it lasting much longer. Both wolves were on shaking legs, panting heavily and neither a clear victor. The pack were all unsettled, unsure if they should have been assisting their Alpha and most were just enjoying the show. Slowly the wolves stopped moving and it was almost as if the two animals were having their own conversation as my wolf whined and he answered, raising his paw slightly to scratch at the ground I felt control come over me with the urge to shift.

To my surprise he did the same.

We were both bruised and bloodied, the wound from the knife still open and unhealed. It wasn’t bleeding now though, but it hadn’t sealed.

“Put her in the shed, if she escapes again you know what to do.” He was sucking in breaths as if he had been running a marathon, then again so was I and my body felt like jelly as two men stepped forward to grab me. Damon stalked off towards the house, limping slightly I could tell he was trying not to show it.

The fact he hadn’t killed me and that I was still standing had everyone in awe so as the guards came to grab me, I decided to use this to my advantage.

“Do not touch me. I am not going in there.” I growled, finding my last scrap of energy to stand tall and proud. The fact the guards hesitated filled me with confidence and Damon stopped to turn. This was it.

If he gave in now, the power had shifted and this was how the victor would be decided upon.

“Fine.” I looked over to him as he crossed his arms over his chest, not missing the way he shuddered at the movement. I realized then I made a mistake, the sense of victory was obvious. “Put her in my room.”

“What?” The guard asked, not sure if he heard right. Neither was I and this felt more like a death sentence than anything else I’d experienced lately.

Damon didn’t answer, disappearing inside. No one moved and finally Dean shifted, grabbing my arm. “You all heard him. Move it, now.”

 I was tempted to try and make him carry me again as the walk back to the house had every muscle in legs burning and getting to the door, he hesitated as much as I did. I looked at his hand that he had wrapped around my arm, his dark skin made my slight tan appear moon light white.

“You bought this on yourself.” He warned, finally opening the door.

“What did you do?”

“Lost a fight, my pack. My dignity.” He growled.

It made sense, he had all the characteristics of an alpha and now he was here working as a lap dog.

“Why not try again?”  ‘Right now, hit him while he’s down.’ I thought to myself. I had a feeling Damon would stoop that low so maybe he needed a taste of his own medicine.

“I have. Twice. You learn to choose your battles little she-wolf. Remember that.”

We went past the lower living room and finding a stair case, he pushed me up the first couple and blocked the way out. We both knew I had no choice other than going up. I couldn’t fight him now, and I had no idea how I was going to make it up the stairs. Holding onto the wall, I practically crawled and getting to the top it was a whole other level like the one I had first come across. Slowly I walked towards the open door, trying to muster as much poise as I could and entered.

He wasn’t there.

Hannah appeared from the bathroom, frowning as she saw the state I was in.

“Come here.” So I obliged, letting her lead me into another bath. I struggled to stay awake in the warmth of the water, the burning sensation lessening as my body finally relaxed and started to heal. Hannah washed my hair with the careful patience a mother would show a child, helping me wash away the blood and getting out my cuts had healed to pink scars and the bruises were changing from purple to green. Soft silky pajamas found the way onto me and as we went into the bedroom, she slipped right out. Damon sat on the bed, freshly showered and he didn’t look up as I started to follow after Hannah.

“Come here.”

It was a command, not a request and I turned slowly to look at him. He had a pair of sweatpants on, but no shirt. The knife would was still red and sore while his own bruises and cuts were like my own.

“I’m not going to bite.”

Against my better judgment I moved closer to the bed, and he motioned to sit in front of him. Folding my legs underneath myself, we sat crossed legged opposite each other.  I wanted to sleep, and after the bath, sitting on the comfortable bed wasn’t helping stay awake.

“I was going to give this to you after dinner, so I’ll do it now.”

His hand was balled into a fist and I watched as he uncurled it. My hands flew to my mouth, trying to hide my gasp and my wolf offered no help in keeping my emotions in check as for the third time that day, I cried. The soft lamp light caught every corner of the diamond in his hand, the colors shining up from it like a piece of heaven. The silver snake chain was still perfectly new and my hands were shaking as I took it from him. Next to the clasp there was a tiny oval disc and the curling shape of the B my Mum had engraved on it hadn’t aged a day since I lost it.

“May I?” He offered and I nodded, letting him take it to put it back where it belonged around my neck. He gently dropped my damp hair down against my back and clutching the diamond, I fell forward – away from him to cry some more. The irony of the fact Damon was then trying comfort me over something he did wasn’t lost on me, but I was too tired to care.

Thankfully it didn’t last long, and pushing him away I got up and locked myself in the bathroom. He made no effort to get me out and wedged between the wall and the counter, I fell asleep on a towel.

I woke up a couple of hours later, my wolf was more active as I needed her and we managed to open the door without any sound. Damon slept soundly where I left him in the middle of the bed and getting out of the bedroom, I headed for the study.

“Bianca?” Cody answered straight away and spying a clock, I had an idea on how we could work out where I was.

“What time is it where you are?”

“Ah, just on midnight. Why?”

“It’s just gone two am here.”

“Anything else? Connor can’t find anything on Damon, no accounts have been touched, nothing. Are you OK?”

“I’m OK. Is Caprice OK?”

He sighed, and I instantly felt worried.

“Yeah, nothing has happened up there.”

“And you are all OK?”

“We’re as good as we can be with you being taken.” He growled and my wolf was whining in my mind, wanting to go to him.

“I miss you, all of you. Even Adam.”

Cody laughed, not his usual one but it was close enough.

“He misses you too.”

“I love you Cody.”

I hadn’t said it before, I wasn’t sure if I even knew what love was – saying it to him felt right.

“I love you too Bianca. How about we skip on Valentine’s Day next year?”

 My laugh was genuine and yet a stray tear managed to escape at the prospect of even having another Valentine’s Day.

“I think that would be a great idea.”