Chereads / FERAL ADDICTION / Chapter 20 - Into the future

Chapter 20 - Into the future

The morning light filters through the curtains, casting soft shadows across the room. Damon is lying beside me, his arm draped protectively over me as I stir awake, feeling the weight of his presence beside me. It's quiet now, a peaceful kind of quiet that feels new, yet comforting. The rush of last night—the heat, the need, the pleasure—has settled into something deeper, something unspoken but understood between us.

I take a deep breath, inhaling the familiar scent of him—wood, musk, and a hint of something uniquely Damon. It feels like home. And at this moment, I know that I'm not running anymore. I'm not hiding. I'm here, with him, exactly where I'm meant to be.

His fingers move gently through my hair, and I turn to face him, finding him already awake, watching me with those dark, intense eyes. His gaze is softer now, less guarded. There's a vulnerability in him that I've never seen before, a kind of peace that has settled into him, just as it has with me.

"I'm not going anywhere, Damon," I say softly, my voice still heavy with sleep but full of certainty. "I'm here. With you. Always."

He smiles, a slow, almost hesitant curve of his lips. "I know," he whispers, his thumb brushing against my cheek. "And that means everything to me."

I can see the truth in his eyes, the depth of the connection between us, stronger than anything we've ever had before. All the walls we once had, the walls we built to protect ourselves, are crumbling now. In their place, there is something real, something tangible.

"I was never supposed to feel this," he murmurs, his voice rough with emotion. "Not with you, of all people. But somehow... I don't regret it."

His words hit me harder than I expected, and for a moment, the world seemed to fall away. I've never heard Damon speak so openly about his feelings, so vulnerable. It's as if everything has led us to this moment—this final realization of what we've become.

"Neither do I," I reply, my hand tracing the outline of his jaw, the roughness of his stubble a comforting reminder of how far we've come. "I never thought it could be like this, but here we are."

We both fall silent for a moment, the weight of everything we've shared—everything we've fought for—hanging in the air between us. It's the kind of silence that says everything we don't need to say aloud.

Damon shifts, his expression suddenly serious. "There's still a lot of things we have to face, Ella. The pack. The past. But... I don't want to do it without you."

I nod, understanding the gravity of his words. There's always something lurking in the background, something neither of us can escape. But right now, in this moment, all I can think about is us. And the future we can have if we face it together.

"I'm with you," I say, my voice steady, unwavering. "We'll face it together. No matter what comes next."

Damon leans in, kissing me gently, a soft promise of everything to come. It's not rushed, not desperate. Just a quiet, tender kiss that seals everything we've said without needing more words. It's enough to know that we're on the same path now, moving forward, side by side.

The world outside may be full of challenges—full of things we still have to overcome. But at this moment, it doesn't matter. What matters is the bond between us, the trust we've built, and the love that has grown between us in ways neither of us ever expected.

"We've made it through the hardest part, Ella," Damon murmurs against my lips. "Now, it's just us. Together."

I smile, the weight of everything lifting as I think of the future—our future. Whatever it brings, whatever challenges we face, we'll face them as a team. Together. And I know, deep down, that this is just the beginning of something beautiful.

"Together," I repeat softly, pulling him close as we lie there, wrapped in each other's arms, the future wide open ahead of us.

And for the first time in my life, I'm not afraid of what comes next.