Chapter 251 From that very first moment, I wanted you
Aria’s POV
The words hung in the air between us.
Damian’s eyes widened in genuine shock. It was like I’d dropped a stone into a calm ocean—the surface remained still, but beneath it, currents were churning.
"Why would you think that?" he asked after a long pause.
His voice had gone tight, and I could see a muscle working in his jaw.
"Is this about those tabloid rumors? Aria, I thought we’d—"
"No." I shook my head, pulling my gaze away from his. "It’s not that. Last night, you... you talked in your sleep."
"What did I say?"
His entire body went rigid. I glanced down and saw that his hands were clenched into fists so tight that his knuckles had gone white. He was digging his nails into his own palm.
"You said Vanessa’s name."
The moment I spoke, I noticed something on the side of his hand—small, reddish marks where his nails had broken the skin. Thin lines of dried blood.
"Your hand!" I grabbed it immediately, examining the damage. "What happened?"
"It’s nothing."
He tried to pull away, but I held on tight. The wounds weren’t deep, but they looked painful—three distinct scratches running along the side of his palm.
When had he done this to himself?
Then it hit me—his hands were curled into fists so tight his knuckles had gone white, nails biting into his palms hard enough to draw blood.
He wasn’t holding back because he wasn’t furious. He was holding back so I could handle this myself.
The thought made my heart twist.
I looked up at him, but he wouldn’t meet my eyes. His expression was shuttered, carefully blank—like he was trying very hard to hide something.
My chest tightened with guilt.
Damian had done everything right. He’d cut ties with Vanessa completely. He’d publicly declared our bond. He’d protected me, supported me, stood by my side through everything.
And Vanessa was his past. I knew that.
Someone as loyal and honorable as Damian—of course there might be lingering traces of old feelings. That was only human. Or... well, wolf. Whatever.
I understood that intellectually.
But emotionally? That was harder to accept.
Still, I couldn’t stand the thought of making him uncomfortable.
"It’s okay," I said quickly. "You don’t have to answer. I know it was just a dream. I’m not mad, I just—"
"Aria, you’re misunderstanding me."
Damian’s voice cut through my rambling, firm but gentle.
He pulled me closer, one hand threading into my hair to tilt my face up toward his. His dark eyes were bottomless, like staring into the night sky—calm on the surface, but hiding storms beneath.
"I don’t know if I said anything in my sleep," he said slowly, "but if I did, it was a nightmare. Not a memory I cherish."
His grip on me tightened slightly.
"Aria, there’s only one person in my heart. There’s no ’room’ for anyone else, and there never has been. If I had even the slightest lingering attachment to someone else, I never would have entered into this bond with you. I wouldn’t have claimed you as my mate."
Every word landed heavy and true.
I felt the knots in my chest begin to loosen, the doubt melting away like ice under the sun.
Maybe it was just how women in love worked—even when logic told you everything was fine, you needed to hear the words spoken aloud to truly believe them.
A small smile tugged at my lips. "Even from the very beginning? From the moment you met me?"
"Before I met you," Damian corrected, "I’d already stopped having any romantic feelings for her. What I felt was gratitude and friendship. Nothing more."
He paused, then added, "And when I first saw you, Aria... I knew immediately. You were mine."
His voice dropped lower, rougher.
"From that very first moment, I wanted you."
"Fine. I’ll give you credit for that answer." A smile tugged at my lips despite myself, warmth blooming in my chest.
"If you don’t believe me, I can swear an oath," Damian said, his voice suddenly urgent.
Before he could continue, I pressed my fingers against his lips, stopping him.
"I believe you."
The man who didn’t believe in superstitions was ready to make vows to convince me. Something about that made my heart squeeze.
His warm breath ghosted across my palm, and I dropped my hand, looking at his serious expression.
"But you need to be careful from now on," I said quietly. "No dreaming about her. No saying her name in your sleep... or I’ll get jealous."
"Alright." His arm came around my neck, pulling me closer until we were tucked into the corner of the back seat. The streetlights outside had disappeared—we must have turned onto a darker road.
"Though I love that you’re jealous over me, I hate seeing you upset. So I’ll make sure to correct this... mistake."
"Mmm—"
I started to respond, but suddenly couldn’t make a sound.
Damian’s mouth was on mine.
The kiss was different this time—slower, deeper, like he was trying to prove something.
His lips moved against mine with deliberate intensity, swallowing whatever words I’d been about to say.
Heat flooded through me instantly. My hands found his chest again, fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt.
God, even through the material I could feel how solid he was, all hard muscle and controlled strength.
His hand slid up my back, fingers threading into my hair as he angled my head exactly how he wanted it.
The kiss deepened, his tongue sweeping into my mouth in a way that made my toes curl.
I couldn’t think. Couldn’t breathe. Could only feel.
Feel his other hand sliding down to my waist, gripping firm enough to make me gasp against his mouth.
Feel the way his thumb traced circles against my hip bone, even through my jeans. Feel the heat of his body pressed against mine in the confined space of the car.
When he finally pulled back, we were both breathing hard. His eyes were nearly black in the dim light, pupils blown wide.
Then I heard he said, voice rough. "Pull over."
My heart stuttered. "Damian—"
"Pull over," he repeated, never taking his eyes off me. "And take a walk. A long one."
Oh god.
There was a brief pause before the driver’s voice came from the front, carefully neutral. "Yes, Alpha."
The car slowed, then stopped. I heard the driver’s door open and close, then footsteps fading into the distance.
And then we were alone.