SWNOVELXO Chapter 15: The choice that could break them
Chapter 15: The Choice That Could Break Them
That voice ran chills down Amara's spine, one that seemed impossible to shake, no matter how hard she tried to steady her breath. She felt the sharpness of Damien's grip on her hand, pulling her closer to him as he pressed his back against the wall to shield her from whatever was going to happen.
Stay behind me," Damien whispered, his voice low, commanding, laced with an edge of raw desperation.
Amara didn't argue. She couldn't. The air felt charged with danger, and her heart pounded in her chest, a drumbeat of some impending doom. She had never felt so exposed, so vulnerable, as she did now, standing in the shadow of a man who seemed untouchable.
A figure materialized in the doorway, darkened against the dim lightness outside in the hall. The voice had belonged to him-a man who wore the sort of power and menace that would have the most adventurous amongst the bravest hesitate.
Did you really think you could run, Damien?" the man said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Eyes that shone in the dark, cold and calculated, stared at him unblinking. "You and your little human.I think it's time we had a chat.
The figure stepped closer, and Amara's heart dropped into her stomach as sharp features revealed themselves to be a man all too familiar: Orion-the man who had made his presence known in their lives weeks ago, the one serving constant dangerous shadow in the background of their every move.
Damien's jaw clenched, his body rigid, as if ready for battle. "What do you want, Orion?" His tone was firm, but even that couldn't hide the quiver of something-something ancient, something painful. Amara could feel it, the tension between them an almost palpable thing that might be cut with a knife.
Orion chuckled darkly. "I want what's mine." He took a step forward, his eyes never leaving Amara, a wicked glint in his gaze. "I'm here to collect."
Before she could process what was happening, the door behind them slammed shut, the sound vibrating through her bones. Amara spun around, panic rising in her chest as the room seemed to close in on her. They were trapped.
Damien's fist closed tighter over her wrist, and he yanked her close to him. His breath felt hot against her ear as he ordered in a low growl, "Don't move," as though his words would hold her in place. But Amara wasn't so sure she could. The weight of the situation pressed down upon her, making her feel like a deer in the headlights of a car.
Orion's voice cut through the tension, deep and commanding. "You're in no position to run, Damien. You've already made your choice. Now, it's time for Amara to make hers."
Amara's heart skipped a beat at the mention of her name. She looked up at Damien, confusion clouding her mind. "What does he mean?" she whispered, her voice shaking.
Damien didn't say anything right away. His eyes moved from Orion to her and back, and for an instant, something flickered there-something raw, something vulnerable. He didn't want her in this, didn't want her to bear the repercussions of his past. But the fact was, she already had. And there was no going back.
Orion took another step closer to him, his gaze never leaving Amara's face. "You really think he can protect you?" he sneered. "Damien is too far gone, Amara. He can't save you from this world. Not when it's too late.
These words slapped Amara, sending her chest tighter in fear and confusion. She had always known Damien had a past-one dark and complicated-but hearing Orion speak of it in such a cruel, dismissive tone sent her reeling. Was this true? Could he not keep her safe from this world?
She turned to Damien, her eyes searching his face for any sign of reassurance, any sign that everything would be okay. All she saw, though, was a man who seemed torn between two choices, two paths- neither of which promised to lead him to safety.
"Damien?" she asked softly, her voice shaking with the weight of the moment. "What does he mean?"
The look on Damien's face hardened as he slowly turned to face Orion, his stance unyielding despite the tension that threatened to snap the air. "It's not your choice to make, Orion," he said, his voice low but filled with a dangerous edge.
Or'ion smiled smugly, the evident delight in the power he had at this moment written across his face. "You always were the stubborn one, Damien. But you've made it clear that you can't have both. You can't have her and keep your past buried."
The words sent Amara's stomach into somersals, a knot of dread clenching tighter in her chest. "What is he talking about?" she demanded, her voice rising to a desperate note.
His eyes softened, and in the swiftness of a moment, vulnerability gleamed behind the hardness of his gaze. "Amara, you don't know what you're dealing with here," he began; his tone was thick with regret. "My past isn't something that I can just walk away from. It's something that has been hunting me for years. And it's about to take everything."
It was as if a weight crushed onto her with the impact of his words. Amara's breath tacked in her throat. Her heart pounded in her chest, and a wave of urgency surged through her. She had always known that Damien was a man with secrets, but now she finally grasped the reality that those secrets were much darker than she could have ever imagined. And in that moment, she realized one thing more: he wasn't just protecting her from the dangers outside; he was trying to protect her from himself.
Oriona took another step closer, his cold smile spreading. "It's not about his past, Amara. It's about what he will give up. And at this moment, you're the one thing he can't afford to lose. But I'll make him choose. I'll make him give you up, and then we'll see if he can live with that decision.
A wave of panic welled in her throat as the gravity of what was happening hit her. What did Orion mean by 'make him choose'? What choice was Damien being forced to make?
In an instant, Damien's hold around her wrist tightened, yanking her closer to him. He looked at her, his gaze swirling with a storm of emotion-fear, pain, love, and something deeper that she couldn't quite place.
"I'm sorry, Amara," he whispered, his voice breaking. "But this… this is something I have to do. For both of us."
Amara's heart clenched at the words, and she could feel the walls closing in around her, the world spinning faster than she could keep up.
And then, the door burst open.
A figure stepped into the room, blocking the exit, a shadow of a person Amara didn't recognize but who had a powerful, unmistakable aura. "Don't make any rash decisions, Damien. You're forgetting something important." The voice was smooth, but laced with danger.