Delicate

Chapter 63

I stroke the skin there with wet eyes and a soft smile, forever grateful for this gift I'd been granted.

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"I can tie my own tie," I grumble as I try to take the fabric from Damon's fingers. He slaps my hands away making me pout as I drop them to my sides. "You don't have to do this."

"I know," Damon replies calmly, his eyes focused on his moving hands.

I look up at Damon, at his combed-back hair and clean-shaven face and I kind of just stare at him for a moment. He looked more striking than usual, like everything about him was painted on carefully rather than made, and the fitted suit hugging his muscled frame only added to the picture. 

If it was any other day or night where he was dressed up like this, I would've found a way to lure him into bed with me, and I would've made sure that we both got our fill of on another, literally in my case.

But it wasn't a lazy night in the pack or in one of our old apartments. It was the night of my birthday celebration and mother had already sent word to the house - three times- demanding more than requesting our presence with guests who were already arriving.

My mind felt like a horrible jumple of thoughts in the form of mismatched lines I had no hope of connecting so I didn't bother trying.

It seemed unreal that the time had finally come, that these two painful days in the place I once called home had already come and gone, leaving only tonight and all we had in store for it. I'd hardly registered that today was my birthday and thankfully Damon had left it alone, but the day itself had still gone by too quickly and now it was time for the dreaded party.

Thoughts of all that would go wrong outweighed and overpowered all thoughts on what could go right. I thought of mother taking me alone with the Haynes, of father whispering spiteful words when no one could hear or of Liam getting me alone where Damon couldn't find me.

I thought of all the worst scenarios and prayed to God that none would come true.

"You aren't alone anymore William." 

My eyes dart up at the sound of the voice I knew to be Theo's. When I meet kind blue eyes focused on me I feel my heart calm just a little. 

I wasn't sure how he and Damon knew that I needed to see him now, talk to him and feel his presence, but they had and he was here now, and just having him close almost brought tears to my eyes as I hugged him tightly.

Theo lets out a soft breath as he carefully wraps his arms around me and lets me hide for a moment in his strong, protective hold. 

"I know you're scared," Theo states gently, his deep tone like a soothing melody, "there is a lot to be afraid of." Theo acknowledges without naming the possibilities that ran rampant in my mind. "But it's important to remember that you are not alone."

Pressing a finger under my chin, Theo tilts my head up so that my eyes met his radiant ones, "it won't be like any of the times before because we're here with you this time." Running a gentle hand over my hair, Theo smiles down at me, "You've got me, and you've got Damon and we will never part from you. Not even for a moment, no matter the reason, we won't leave your side."

"Promise?" I hated how weak I sounded, how weak I felt. But Theo made me feel like it was okay to be weak with him.

"You have my word William," Theo confirms before he presses a soft kiss to my forehead, "no harm will come to you tonight. Only to those who've wronged you."

"No-" I start but Theo silences me with a finger to my lips.

"This is not up for discussion William," Theo states clearly, his words growing sharper as his eyebrows pull together, "perhaps before, there was a minuscule chance that we'd leave them be. But not now, not after..." Theo lets his words drift off as he looks down with eyes glazing with rage. He takes a moment to gather himself before he looks at me again, but the rage hadn't dissipated if anything it'd grown.