A Glimpse of Power

The scent of pine and damp earth was a constant companion here, a wild perfume that clung to everything. It was supposed to be comforting, a sign of belonging, but lately, it only served to amplify my unease. Every rustle of leaves, every distant howl, felt like a premonition. Mia Blake had made sure of that. Her presence, even when she wasn't physically near, was a tangible weight, a dark cloud threatening to break.

I was in the small, communal garden, ostensibly weeding the stubborn dandelions that dared to sprout amidst the carefully cultivated herbs. My hands, often clumsy and prone to drawing blood when I was nervous, were working with a frantic, almost desperate rhythm. It was a way to channel the jittery energy that had taken root in my chest since arriving. Damon. The very thought of him sent a tremor through me, a confusing mix of fear and a desperate, yearning hope. He was everything this place was—powerful, untamed, and utterly out of my league. And he looked at me like… like I was something precious, something worth protecting. It was a gaze that both thrilled and terrified me, because he couldn’t possibly know the truth.

A shadow fell over me, and my heart leaped into my throat. I didn’t need to look up to know it was her. Mia. She always seemed to materialize when my guard was lowest.