Selene. Her name is Selene and what a beautiful name it is.
Taking his blood to take away her pain was an act of desperation on her part. But telling him her name, that is a sign of a building trust between them. Beneath the form of the hawk, he smiles.
He's practically in disbelief. Just when he had prepared himself to seek the dawn, he finds his lifemate; a beautiful young woman with a contending and inquisitive personality. He relished in every moment inside the inn. Damian spent many years wondering if he'd ever find his lifemate, and what she might be like. But he had never imagined her, or how she would bring that spark into back into his life. And Selene certainly did that. He looks forward to how she might continue to challenge him.
However, Damian knows he's running on empty. He has been since he gave the dark-skinned witch, Vicky, blood to heal the wound in her neck. And he gave more than he should have to his lifemate. What else could he do? She was in pain and his blood took it away. And now he suffers the consequence. Deep and aggressive hunger. He must find sustenance before he settles to rest in the earth, otherwise he will wake next rising with an insatiable hunger and not even he is sure that he can control it. He refuses to even entertain the idea.
Damian is glad she put her wards back up upon his exit. He doesn't trust himself to stay away from her without them. And he would go back if he could. He could simply watch her—the way she moves, it's not only fascinatingly sexy but she has a way about her he just can't put to words, something close to magical. But he can't even consider going back to the inn with him in his current state. His hunger gnaws at him, tempts him. He must find prey soon, or else.
He is far from the inn now, enough to be out of her sight. He will now hunt his prey.
Sunrise isn't far off, leaving Damian little time to be choosy with his prey. He will have to hunt on his way to his place of rest; a cave with rich and nutritious soil in the Carpathian Mountains.
He flies over a farm, the farmer just getting up to start his daily routine. This opportunity is as good as any. Damian touches down on the farmland, once again in his human form, awaiting the farmer to exit his home and enter the barn. He takes a step forward and hears a jingle in his pocket. Keys. Selene's keys. He'd swiped them from her belongings before leaving. And he'd told her that he would have her car back at the inn.
The farmer crosses the space between his home and the barn. He doesn't have time to do both and he refuses to go back on his word. Cursing, he takes to the sky once again.
By the time he turns off the ignition, the sun is beginning to peek out in the horizon. His eyes burn and his body is beginning to feel leaden. There is not enough time to make it to the cave.
Damian looks up at the inn. He has two choices. He can find a place here and bury himself in the earth, leaving himself exposed to numerous dangers, or he can go back to her room and hope that she grants him entry and that he has enough restraint to not feed from her. He doesn't like his choices. As much as he doesn't want to put himself in front of temptation, he cannot risk being so unguarded and in the open while he rests the healing sleep of his people.
In the end, there really isn't a choice. In an instant he is on the balcony, knocking on the glass door and fighting exhaustion. The few seconds that he waits seem life centuries as he reminds himself to be in control. Finally, the curtain is pulled back on the other side of the door. She is there, his lifemate. Selene.
She's still wearing her tank top and pajama pants. He wishes in that moment for her to be covered up completely in the least form fitting clothes possible.
She looks at him, a silent question on her face. He realizes that she's trying to communicate in his mind. What are you doing, here? I thought you had to go to ground before sunrise.
I ran out of time. Selene, I understand if you won't let me in but if I'm still out here when the sun rises, I will die. Decide now, so that I can take shelter elsewhere.
He watches as she hesitates for a moment, weighing the pros and cons of the situation. Then she mutters words, presumably undoing her wards. With a flick of her wrist, the balcony door slides open.
"Before I come in, know that I am not at my best. Don't let your guard down."
She nods, stepping back from the doorway.
Damian steps inside, the door closing behind him. He's immediately hit by a wave of scents. There is a charged energy in the room. Looking around the room he sees the candles are still lit and she's been burning incense, the strongest of which were amber and lavender.
She gave him a lot of space. A smart move. He didn't trust himself close to her.
He walks to the dresser and retrieved her car keys from his jeans pocket. "Your car is out front, along with the belongings you left on the mountain."
"Thank you." She keeps her distance. "Is there anything I do for you?"
Damian thinks of several things but did not breathe a word of any of it. Instead he says, "In a few moments I will be overcome with fatigue, involuntarily entering the sleep of my people. I don't have long, so listen carefully. When I rest all brain activity and bodily functions will shut down. I will not breathe, nor will my heart beat. You will think me dead, but I assure you I am alive. You cannot let any sunlight into the room or it will kill me. Do not attempt to wake me, not even when the sun sets. I am hungry. I did not have the opportunity to replenish the blood I gave you and Vicky. I will be ravenous when I awaken. It's best you stay out of my way, or else. I don't know what I will do."
He stumbles, catching his hand on the dresser to stay upright. Selene takes a step towards him.
"Don't," he warns.
"Take the bed," she says, "before you collapse."
She's handling this better than he'd hoped. Nodding, he does as she suggested, walking over to the bed.
"I apologize for having to put you out."
"I couldn't sleep anyway."
He's too tired to will away his shoes. With his remaining strength, he slides onto the bed. He doesn't look at her directly.
"Remember what I've told you, Selene."
She nods.
He would have preferred to be in the earth, the healing soil surrounding his body. But this, this is the next best place for him. He may not have claimed her yet but simply being in her presence is anchoring his soul. His eyes drift closed and he allows himself the healing sleep of his people.