Chapter 3

SARAH'S POV

I nodded, chastened by his reprimand. "I understand," I said quietly, my gaze falling to the floor. "I didn't mean to intrude."

Damien sighed, his features softening with a mixture of regret and understanding.

"It's all right," he said, his voice gentler now. "I should have warned you before. Come, let me attend to your leg."

With that, he crossed the room to where I stood, his movements fluid and sure. Gently, he guided me to a chair by the fire, his touch sending a shiver down my spine.

As he inspected my injured leg, I couldn't help but feel a sense of vulnerability wash over me.

"It's not too serious," Damien said after a moment, his voice reassuring. "Just a sprain. I'll bandage it up for you."

He tended to my injury, his hands gentle yet firm as he wrapped the bandage around my leg.

I watched him work, I began to feel more comfortable. Despite his gruff exterior, there was a kindness in him that spoke volumes.

Once he finished, Damien stood back, his gaze meeting mine. "There," he said, a hint of satisfaction in his voice. "All done."

He led me to a wardrobe in the corner of the room, where he selected a set of clothes for me.

As Alpha Damien led me to his wardrobe, my eyes scanned the array of clothing inside.

To my surprise, among the shirts and trousers, I noticed a few pieces of female clothing neatly folded on one of the shelves.

"You have a mate?" I blurted out before I could stop myself, my curiosity getting the better of me.

Damien paused for a moment, his expression unreadable. "It's a long story," he finally replied, his voice tinged with a hint of sadness.

"These clothes should fit you properly. Her body was similar to yours."

"Was...?" I echoed, confusion lacing my words.

"So you said something was chasing you..." Damien interjected, cutting me off before I could continue. His tone was firm, his eyes searching mine for answers.

I hesitated for a moment, unsure of how much to reveal. But then, I began to recount the dream that had driven me from my home that night.

"In the dream," I started, my voice shaky with emotion.

"I was running through the forest, trying to escape from something." I paused,

"Something dark and sinister. I could hear the sounds of pursuit behind me, the rustle of leaves, and the snapping of twigs.

But no matter how fast I ran, I couldn't escape. And then, just as I felt the hands of my pursuers closing in on me, I woke up."

Damien's expression was one of disbelief as I finished speaking, his features etched with skepticism. To him, what I said must have sounded absurd, the ramblings of a frightened girl lost in her own nightmares.

"It sounds like just a dream," he said finally, his voice tinged with doubt. "Perhaps your mind was playing tricks on you."

But I could see the doubt lingering in his eyes, the flicker of uncertainty that belied his words.

He may not have believed me, but I knew that what I had experienced was real, more real than anything I had ever known.

As Damien turned away, his attention focused on something else, I Slipped into the dress Damien had given me and marveled at how perfectly it fit my frame.

When I turned to face him, I noticed his unwavering gaze fixed on me the entire time I changed.

"Were you staring at me all the while I changed?" I asked, taken aback by his intensity.

"It can't be..." Damien muttered, disbelief and shock evident in his voice.

Confusion clouded my mind as I stared back at him, waiting for an explanation. "What can't be?" I pressed, my voice trembling with uncertainty.

Damien's eyes flickered to my spine, and a chill ran down my back. "That mark on your spine..." he began, his voice trailing off as realization dawned on him.

"What's with the mark on my spine?" I asked, still confused by Damien's revelation.

"She had that same exact mark," Damien said, his voice tinged with sadness.

"Your mate?" I asked, feeling a pang of sympathy for his loss.

"Yes. She was killed by a rival pack headed by my twin brother," he said, his words heavy with regret.

"Do you mind telling me about her?" I asked, curious to learn more about the woman who had captured Damien's heart.

Damien hesitated for a moment, his expression unreadable. "Yes," he replied almost immediately. "You should sleep," he added, changing the subject. "Take the bed, I'll take the ground."

I watched as Damien prepared his place on the ground to sleep, his movements precise and methodical.

Despite his offer, I couldn't shake the feeling of guilt in my mind. Here I was, a stranger in his home, intruding on his space and his memories.

As I settled into the bed, I couldn't sleep—not because I was scared, but because sleep eluded me.

My mind was filled with questions, doubts, and a sense of unease that refused to dissipate.

After what felt like hours of lying in silence, Damien broke the quiet with a soft voice. "You're still awake. Why?"

I hesitated for a moment before replying. "I can't sleep," I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper.

There was a pause before Damien spoke again, his tone gentle yet probing. "How did you get that mark?" he asked.

I sighed, the weight of Damien's gaze heavy on me. "As far as I can remember, it feels like a birthmark," I replied, my voice filled with uncertainty.

"I feel like it has always been there."

Damien nodded, his expression thoughtful. "It's strange," he mused. "The resemblance between you and her is uncanny."

I furrowed my brow, puzzled by his words. "Do you think there's a connection?" I asked, my mind racing with possibilities.

Damien shrugged, his gaze distant. "I don't know, maybe," he said cryptically. "But there's still much we don't know."

I bit my lip; there were so many questions swirling in my mind, so many uncertainties that threatened to consume me.

But deep down, I knew that I couldn't ignore the connection between me and Damien's past, no matter how unsettling it may be.

As the night stretched on, I lay awake, lost in my thoughts. The darkness outside seemed to press in on me, filling me with a sense of foreboding.

As I drifted into an uneasy sleep, I couldn't shake the feeling that the answers I sought lay just beyond my grasp.