Chapter 18 - The Awakening
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Clara woke to the steady beep of a heart monitor. The room smelled of antiseptic and expensive lilies. She blinked against the harsh light, a dull ache throbbing in her shoulder.
She turned her head and saw Damian sitting beside her bed. He looked like he hadn't slept in days. His suit was wrinkled, his hair disheveled, and his hands were clasped in front of his face in quiet prayer.
"Damian," she rasped.
His head snapped up. Relief washed over his sharp features, so profound it almost broke him. He stood up, leaning over the bed and gently taking her uninjured hand, pressing it to his lips.
"You're awake," he breathed.
"Where are they?" she asked weakly.
"In the nursery. Safe," Damian promised, kissing her knuckles. "The bullet missed your artery by a fraction of an inch. You've been out for three days."
He looked at her, his expression a mix of awe and possessive fury. "You jumped in front of a bullet for me, Clara. After I locked you away. After everything."
"I told you why," she whispered, her cheeks flushing slightly as she remembered her confession before passing out.
May you like
Damian leaned down, hovering inches from her lips. "I am a monster, Clara. I kill. I destroy. I am not a good man. But I will spend the rest of my life worshipping the ground you walk on."
He captured her lips in a soft, desperate kiss. Clara kissed him back, letting herself finally surrender to the dark, dangerous world she had been dragged into.
