The Hallway Encounter

As Damon’s fingers entwined with mine, he led me swiftly through the opulent corridors, away from the prying eyes of the court. The dimly lit hallway seemed to stretch endlessly, but Damon’s determined pace brought us to a secluded alcove. His gaze burned with an intensity that made my heart race. The hallway is narrow and dimly lit, with flickering candles mounted in ornate sconces casting shadows that dance along the walls. Gothic arches loom overhead, and the stone floor echoes with the sound of their footsteps. The castle was beautiful, I wish I could have seen it during the day. Its moments like this I miss being human, I miss the warm sunshine on my skin.

I almost trip over a rug in the hallway, “Damon where are we go...” He pushed me up against the cold stone of the wall. Cutting off every train of thought as he crashed his lips down onto mine. His lips grew more frenzied as they moved against my own. It was like I didn’t have control over my own actions as I kissed him back. My fang nicked his lip as we clashed, his blood making the kiss all the more sweeter. “Damon,” I managed to moan as his lips traveled along my throat. The light dance of his fingers along my back making me arch into him.

“You taste so good,” he licked the shell of my ear. “I just want to take a bite.” The light sucking of his lips on my skin had me melting in his hands.

I moaned into his mouth as we fought for dominance. The feeling of his hands and lips leaving trails of fire along my body. My keens grow weaker as my hands brush against the hard bulge in his paints. My eyes shot open as I realized how large he was down there. I rubbed against him more to get a better feel of him.

He hummed in approval as he hovered over my pulse. “Tell me your mine, Caroline. Tell me you belong to me so I can finally have you.” He kissed me some more as his hands find their way down the back of my dress digging into my hips.

The wave of guilt hit me like an ice-cold wave. I swallowed the lump in my throat as I mentally kicked myself. “Damon I, I can’t.”

His head fell to my shoulder laying still as we caught our breath. “It’s because of him, isn’t it?” He spoke the words softly after a moment of silence. He didn’t need to say his name, we both knew who he spoke of.

I nodded my head as he pulled away from me, “Its far more complicated than I would like to admit.” I sucked in a shallow breath, “I have feelings for both of you. I didn’t mean for it to happen, I swear.” I tried to plead with him, but his expression was unreadable. “You're my husband but he is my mate!” I tried to defend my actions to him.

“I understand,” he said. “I am sorry I lost myself in the moment of the dance.” His red eyes locked onto the vein in my neck. “I should have eaten before we came here.” He turned away from me quickly, “the smell of your blood calls to me, and I lost control. Please forgive me.” He bowed his head slightly as if ashamed of what he did.

“There is no reason to say you're sorry, I am your wife. I should be taking care of your needs.” I looked him up and down, “I have failed as a wife.” I was unsure how to respond to him, was he okay with me wanting both of them? Was he just hungry? “Damon, please feed from me,” I begged.

He pinned me back to the walk with his unnatural speed, “don’t say things you don’t understand.” His finger traced my throat, “You have no clue what that would mean for either of us.”

“So tell me,” I pushed against his chest. “You never tell me anything, so tell me what that would mean! You haven’t had a sip even thought I am the only living being near you that you can drink from.”

He hesitated, the conflict evident in his eyes as they flickered from my gaze to the pulse at my neck. “It’s not about thirst,” he said finally, his voice a low grumble. “It’s about control. About breaking a cycle that’s been part of my existence for far too long.” He released me gently, stepping back as if to put distance between us and the temptation I presented.

I watched him, my heart racing with a mix of fear and fascination. “Then break it,” I challenged. “Break it with me. Make a new cycle, one where you don’t have to be alone.”

He looked at me then, really looked at me, and for a moment I saw the man he could have been if darkness hadn’t claimed him. “And what if I can’t?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. “What if I fail and you become another regret, another shadow among many? Drinking from you will complete the binding between us and there will be nothing either of us can do to break it.”

I reached for his hand, holding it between mine. “Then we’ll face that shadow together. We will be together forever Damon. You won’t know unless you try, and I’m willing to take that risk. Are you?”

The silence stretched between us, heavy with the weight of centuries and the uncertainty of the future. As the silence lingered, a soft echo of footsteps approached. I turned to see Deaken at the end of the hall, his presence like a beacon in the dim light. He had heard everything, seen the exchange between Damon and me. The turmoil within him was palpable.

Deaken’s eyes, usually so full of life, now held a storm of emotions. The wave of guilt slammed into me like water crashing into rock cliffs.