Page 111 of The Reaper's Vow

“Good. You should know how satisfied I am.” I press a kiss to the top of her head, tasting the salt of her skin. “How completely you've ruined me for anyone else.”

“Damien, I swear to the Gods that if you are seriously thinking about anyone else, but me right now?—”

I press my finger to her lips. “Shh, kitten. The only female I am thinking about is you, and only you.”

“Good,” she murmurs, nestling deeper into my arms. “Because I'm not interested in sharing.”

I stroke her hair, letting the silky curls slip through my fingers. The wolf in me is utterly content, sated in a way that goes beyond physical pleasure. She's here. She's safe. She's mine.

“How are you feeling?”

“Like I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be.” She tilts her head to look up at me. “I meant what I said, Damien. I love you. It terrifies me how quickly it happened, but I can't deny it.”

“Why does it terrify you?”

She's quiet for a moment, her fingers drawing idle patterns on my chest. “Because loving someone means having something to lose. All my life, I've kept people at a distance. Even my ex...” She pauses. “I never let him see all of me. Never told him about my wolf. It was easier that way.”

“And now?”

“Now I've handed you every part of me—human and wolf. You know me in ways no one else ever has. That kind of vulnerability is scary.”

I tighten my arms around her. “I'll never use it against you. I'd rather die than betray the trust you've placed in me.”

She shifts, propping herself up on one elbow to look at me more directly.

“Do you really think we can do this?” she asks. “Run our own territory?”

This isn't just about us anymore. It's about the responsibility we've taken on, the lives that will depend on our decisions.

“I think we can,” I say, though I understand her concern. “But I won't lie to you, it won't be easy.”

She bites her lower lip, wincing slightly as she aggravates the healing cut there. “It's just...so much, so fast. You're already heir to your father's lands, and now we have Lockhart's territory. Andif we try to reclaim my family's lands too...” She shakes her head. “Three territories, Damien.”

I sit up, pulling her with me until we're facing each other, the sheets pooled around our waists. My hands find hers, squeezing gently.

“It is daunting,” I admit. “But we don't have to do everything at once. Lockhart's territory first. We establish control, and then we can look towards the Rosewood lands.”

“What about your own pack?”

I barely contain a chuckle. “My father is too stubborn to die young. We won’t need to worry about my pack for many, many years to come. Even then, he’ll figure out a way to keep his position as a ghost.”

Karina laughs despite herself, the sound light and musical in the afternoon stillness. “A ghostly alpha. That's a terrifying thought.”

“He'd probably enjoy it. All the power, none of the responsibility.” I trace the curve of her shoulder with my fingertips, marveling at how much of the bruising has already faded. “But that's decades away. Right now, we focus on what's in front of us.”

Her expression grows serious again. “What exactly are we walking into with Lockhart's pack? Do we know anything about them?”

I consider how much to tell her, how much truth she can handle right now.

“They're not going to welcome us with open arms,” I admit. “Lockhart ruled through fear and intimidation. His inner circle profited from that system. They're going to see us as threats to their power. and their bottom line.”

“And the others? The ones who weren't part of his inner circle?”

“Some will be relieved he's gone. Others will be suspicious of any change.” I brush a strand of hair from her face. “Pack loyalty runs deep, kitten. Even when the alpha is a monster, some wolves will defend him out of habit.”

“So, we'll have to prove ourselves.”

“We will. But not today.” I lean forward, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. “Today, all we need to do is tell my father of our decision and come back to bed. If we only have a week until we takeover those lands, that’s seven days that I get you to myself, and I, for damn sure, am going to make sure to soak up every fucking second of that time.”