Cassandra stood at the forest's edge, the air heavy with the aroma of pine and earth. Her heart raced with excitement, and terror coiling in her chest, she had never been more vibrant yet perplexed. Damon: The mere mention of his name made her shiver all over. Though she had been attempting to forget him, the attraction was unrelenting. It got stronger every time their paths met, every stolen gaze, and whispered word.
Trying to analyse her breathing, she momentarily shut her eyes; it was futile. Their relationship was like an invisible thread pulling on her heartstrings with an unrelenting power. Always powerful, self-assured, and independent, she felt Damon was robbing her of control over all. She didn't know how to handle this increasing inward urge, this emotion.
She was aware of the risks. Being near Damon might endanger all she cherished—her pack, family, and existence. Damon was a force that might shatter her universe, a creature of darkness, not just any man. But every time she encountered him, she found it impossible to leave. His presence pulled her like gravity, pulling her in and pushing her to face emotions she wasn't ready for.
His voice, low and soft like velvet brushing against her skin, cut through her musings, "Cassandra."
Startled, she spun around to see him at the edge of the clearing, black eyes fixed on hers. Tall and menacing, he was a shadow among shadows with muscles rippling under the dark cloth of his shirt. The way he gazed at her made her heart race and her breath catch in her throat.
"Damon," she said softly, her voice shaking. "You should not be here."
Though he didn't get closer, she could sense his concentrated, heavy stare. "I know," he murmured gently, "but I couldn't stay away."
Her body ached for him, and her heart raced. Something kept her from wanting to move towards him, to shorten their separation. Trying to study herself, she tightened her hands at her sides.
"This isn't right," she said softly, almost inaudibly. "The attraction is impossible. I cannot be with you."
His eyes softened, and for a brief time, he seemed nearly vulnerable. "Cassandra, you don't have to decide. You never did."
Her pulse skipped a beat, and she thought about his words for the briefest of seconds. Might he be correct? Could they coexist without wrecking everything? Then the sound of rustling leaves pierced the quiet, and she turned automatically towards the commotion.
From the trees came a lone individual, a dark shape moving at the edge of the pack's domain—a rogue wolf with malevolent eyes shining. Cassandra's heart sank into her gut as she saw the threat.
She looked at Damon, whose expression was unreadable since he was already staring at her. He was aware, and she could read it in his eyes.
Her instincts took control, and she ran towards the rogue wolf without hesitation. She didn't even turn back to Damon. She could not afford to. Not at this time. The pack needed her.
Running made her see him—Damon, watching her from afar. A quiet witness to the inner struggle that had ripped her apart, his gaze tracked her every movement. In that instant, she realized he had always been there, just out of reach; suddenly, she couldn't ignore him any longer.
High in the sky, the moon hung and sent a glittering radiance over the woods. Away from the flock, away from all that had always kept Cassandra grounded, it was quieter here. Her breath came in calm, steady pulses; her footsteps were light against the soft ground. She had to be cautious; Damon was out there somewhere. She had sensed him; his presence was like a whisper on the breeze.
Now, he was coming out of the shadows like a nocturnal beast. Standing at the edge of the clearing, his tall frame was difficult to see in the low light, but she knew it was him. Damon
"Cassandra," he said softly, but there was no denying the warmth in his voice. It appeared to reach down into her chest, wrapping around her heart. Anticipation's tremor ran through her.
She did not talk right away. Instead, she watched Damon, seeing how the shadows appeared to hug him, dragging him into the forest's depths and how the light danced over his face. He was now a part of it, a riddle as alluring as he was hazardous.
She murmured, her voice laced with fear and want, "You aren't meant to be here." She had repeatedly told herself she could not allow herself to get drawn into his circle. But there she was, in front of him, feeling like she was about to drop into an area she could not leave.
His dark gaze stayed on hers as he stepped closer. "Does it matter anymore?" he enquired softly.
Every controlled, intentional action he took narrowed the gap between them, making her heart race in her chest. His body heat and the electric charge running between them made her feel as though the world had stopped spinning, leaving them in a moment entirely theirs.
"I told you before," she replied, attempting to keep her voice steady, "this can't happen."
"So why are you here?" He enquired, his breath warm on her skin. Like a narcotic she couldn't stop, his closeness was intoxicating.
"I don't know," she confessed, her voice breaking. Stepping back, she found herself up against a tree with the cool bark against her back and Damon's body warmth just inches from hers. "I no longer know what to feel."
"Cassandra, you need not decide," Damon replied gently, his voice full of unspoken hope. "We are already connected."
His palm went to her cheek, his touch soft and almost hesitant, and her breath caught in her throat. The air between them was tense, making her heart race and her thoughts scatter.
She was unable to go. Not this moment
Low and sad, a howl pierced the night air before she could answer. Turning her head towards the noise made her heart skip a beat. Rogue wolves. Drawing near.
Damon's eyes sparkled with a hungry glint. He said softly, "We are not safe here. You have to return to your pack."
Cassandra, though, was unable to move. She could not leave him. Not at this time. Not when all was crumbling.
Louder this time, the howl echoed again, resonating through the trees like a death knell. Her heart was still caught in the tempest of feelings spinning inside her, but Cassandra's instincts kicked in. She felt like running. It was required of her. The pack needed her. Damon's presence, however, anchored her in place as though it were anchoring her feet to the ground.
Her eyes pleaded; she looked to him. "We have to return," she replied, her voice full of desperation.
Damon shook his head, his eyes narrowing. "It's too late now. They're already here."
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed movement in the darkness. Low to the ground, a pair of shining eyes followed by another and another. The rogue wolf was swiftly closing in—too quickly.
"Cassandra, go," Damon said quietly yet forcefully. Pulling her closer to him, his fingers gripped her wrist almost painfully at this time.
Tension hung thick in the air. Every second seemed like an eternity. Cassandra's heart raced in her chest, but her legs would not budge. She could hear the wolves' snarls and the scrape of claws across the ground as they approached. The pack was at risk. Her family was in danger.
Damon, nevertheless, was right there, so close, and the pull of him, the undeniable connection, made it impossible to turn away.
"Please," she said softly, her voice breaking. "Don't force me to choose."
Damon's expression softened briefly, a glimmer of vulnerability in his eyes, but it vanished as fast as it had come. "You need not. Staying here with me will cause you to lose everything you have fought for."
His words burrowing into her soul made her feel his grip slipping. That was true. Should she remain and give in to what she felt for him, there would be no turning back. The pack would not forgive her. She would be an outcast, torn between two worlds that could never cohabit.
The rogue wolves attacked from the shadows, their snarls rising in volume. Cassandra's heart skipped a beat. There was no time for her to consider. She lacked time to decide.
Damon pushed her backward without notice, his power driving her away from the approaching danger. Colliding into the trunk of a neighbouring tree, she stumbled, her feet seeking purchase. Struggling to regain her balance, her breath stuck in her throat, and the wind knocked her out.
"Run!" Damon yelled, his voice rough and frantic. "You are not safe with me."
For a fleeting second, their eyes met. Damon's look was pained, a profound sadness she could not grasp. Though he knew that was the only way to save her, he didn't want her to go. Something within her snapped as she stood still, observing him confront the wolves.
Her heart shouted at her to stay, to fight with him, but her feet carried her back, away from him. Going was not her choice. Though the rogue wolves were now closing in, their growls filling the air like a symphony of peril, she didn't want to turn her back on him. Claws scraping on the ground made more and more noise, and she realised she had no option.
She ran and turned.
Sprinting through the underbrush, her breath coming in jagged gasps, her legs ached. She dared not glance back. Should she look back, she might never leave him. But the noises of the conflict behind her, the snarls of the wolves, and the idea that Damon was out there, confronting them alone, made her chest knot with guilt.
Her heart was split in two. Though it seemed like an eternity before she got to them, she could hear her pack's voices ahead shouting her name. Waiting for her, their faces full of worry as she came out of the shadows, breathless and wide-eyed.
One of the pack members asked, "Cassandra, what happened?" but she didn't answer. She couldn't. The burden of Damon's sacrifice sat heavily on her chest, and she understood that no matter what happened next, she would never be the same.
In the distance behind her, the sound of battle went on.