Chapter 71 - A Vow Of Protection

This time, I knew that I couldn’t hide anything from Damon. Not when our baby was at risk. The stakes were too high now. Damon arrived at the mansion early the next morning, much earlier than I had expected.

“I’m on my way to the airport now,” he had told me over the phone, “but I’ll be back in time for breakfast tomorrow.”

Yet, something must have changed in his plans because, around 9 a.m., he stormed into the dining room with an urgency that made the entire house tremble. I could hear his voice from a distance, loud and filled with anxiety. “Where is she?” he demanded, his tone sharp as he questioned the staff, who scattered like frightened birds at his approach. “Is she alright?”

Ignoring the sharp pain coursing through my sides, I stood up from my chair and called out, “I’m right here, Damon. I’m fine.”

Within seconds, he closed the distance between us and wrapped his arms around me tightly, pulling me close to his chest. At that moment, all the fear and uncertainty that had been gnawing at me seemed to fade away. In his embrace, I felt as if nothing could touch me, not even the ghost of Tessa.

After a few moments, he pulled back slightly, his hands moving to cup my face, his intense gaze searching mine. “Show me,” he said, his voice low but insistent.

I nodded without a word, taking his hand in mine and leading him up the grand staircase to our bedroom. Once inside, we went straight to the bathroom, where the bloody message on the window still lingered, stark against the glass. Damon studied it closely, his face a mixture of anger and concentration. He traced the crimson letters with his fingers, his expression darkening further with each stroke. Then, without looking away from the window, he called for one of the maids.

A maid appeared almost instantly, her face pale and her hands trembling. “Yes, Master?” she stammered.

“Clean this up. Now,” Damon ordered, his voice firm and commanding. She nodded quickly, rushing off to get cleaning supplies.

Damon’s intense gaze shifted back to me, and I could see a softness in his eyes, a gentle reassurance. “She won’t lay a finger on you,” he vowed, his voice filled with determination.

I couldn’t keep the fear from my voice as I blurted out, “How is this even possible, Damon? How could she still be alive?”

He hesitated for a moment, his brow furrowing as if he was wrestling with the gravity of the situation. “There have been suspicions for a while now,” he began, his tone troubled. “For the past few months, there were whispers that some vampires might still be lurking in the area. We didn’t have any concrete proof… until now.”

His words felt like a lead weight in my chest, dragging my heart down to the pit of my stomach. If Tessa had been out there, hiding in the shadows all this time, then she must have been watching me, learning everything about my life. She must know I was pregnant. The thought sent a cold shiver down my spine, and I instinctively clutched my belly, feeling a fierce need to protect the life growing inside me.

Damon noticed my reaction and quickly stepped closer, wrapping his arms around me once again. “I don’t want you to worry,” he murmured softly, trying to calm me. “Luke’s patrols have already secured the perimeter of the property. I’m not going anywhere far. I’ll only handle urgent business matters in town, and I’ll be close enough to return in a moment's notice.”

I clung to his hands, gripping them so tightly that my nails dug into his skin. “You can’t leave. Not even for a moment,” I insisted, my voice trembling.

If it had been just me, I might have been able to handle the danger, but I wasn’t just thinking about myself anymore. There was another life to consider now, a life that depended on me for protection. I could take risks with my own safety, but not with my child’s.

Damon nodded solemnly, his expression softening. “I’m not leaving you,” he promised, and I felt my frantic heartbeat begin to slow down, calming just a bit. “Luke is sending his best hybrid, his own son. Hell will arrive in a few hours.”

“A hybrid?” I repeated, my brow furrowing with confusion. “Why would I need a hybrid?”

I had never actually met one before and, for a moment, wondered what they would look like—what kind of power they possessed.

Damon's jaw tightened, and his expression became resolute. “I’m not taking any chances, not this time. The hybrid will stay by your side at all times. He’ll be your shadow, your protector. No one will get through him.”

For the rest of the day, Damon refused to leave my side. He handled all his business over the phone, pacing back and forth in the room, his frustration mounting with every call. I could hear the anger in his voice, especially when he spoke to Luke.

“The next call I receive better be you telling me that Tessa’s head is on a wooden stake!” Damon shouted into the phone before slamming it down onto the table, his muscles tense with rage.

We spent the day in the bedroom, and I tried to distract myself by reading, but my thoughts kept drifting back to Tessa. I found it impossible to focus on the words on the page. Eventually, I closed the book with a sigh, glancing over at Damon, who was sitting beside me, his expression still dark and brooding.

“When Tessa exposed my plan to poison you,” I began, my voice hesitant, “did she ever tell you why she did it? Was it just because she hated me so much?”

Damon's expression softened as he turned to face me fully. He reached out, gently brushing a stray hair away from my face. “It was never about you, not really,” he replied quietly. “For Tessa, it was always about me. She was in love with me and had been for a long time. She wanted to be my Doll… my chosen one.”

I felt a lump form in my throat. “And you… you said no?”

He sighed heavily. “Back then, it didn’t matter to me who the human girl was. The council chose Dolls based on status, lineage, and the potential to breed a hybrid. But there was a process, protocols to be followed. Tessa didn’t understand that. She thought she could bypass everything if she got close enough.”

I looked down at my hands, feeling a mix of relief and sadness. “So it really could have been anyone in my place,” I muttered.

Damon lifted my chin, bringing my gaze back to his. “I don’t know where I’d be if it had been anyone other than you,” he whispered, his voice filled with an emotion that made my heart ache.

I bit my lip, trying to keep the anxiety from creeping into my voice. “Then why did she do it? Why did she betray me like that?”

“She made me an offer,” Damon explained. “She said she would give you up if I would set her mother free and take her as my mate.”

My breath caught in my throat. “And you agreed?”

He nodded. “I said yes, but I lied. By then, I was already in love with you. I knew I couldn’t let you go, no matter what she offered. If it wasn’t you, it would be no one.”

A soft smile spread across my lips, and I felt a warm flush rise to my cheeks. “And now?” I asked quietly.

Damon chuckled and pulled me closer, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. “Now, it terrifies me how much I love you,” he admitted. “Before you, I was cold, hardened, just an empty shell driven by duty and destruction. I didn’t know I was capable of this kind of love until you came into my life. If you asked me to burn the world down tomorrow, I’d do it without hesitation, and that scares the hell out of me.”

I stared up at him, my eyes wide with emotion. I hadn’t realized I was crying until he gently wiped a tear from my cheek and kissed it away. “I never thought I’d be loved like this,” I whispered, “I always thought I was destined to be a slave, a tool…”

Damon chuckled softly. “If you could see yourself through my eyes for even a moment, you’d be overwhelmed by how deeply I feel for you,” he murmured.

That night, I fell asleep in Damon’s arms, feeling more secure than I had in months. It was as if I was floating on a cloud, surrounded by his love. And for just a moment, I allowed myself to believe that Tessa or anyone else couldn’t touch me, not when Damon’s love was wrapped around me like a shield.