He Knows the Door to My Soul and Who Forgot to Novel 53

Natalia is shocked when Damon suggests marking her, a symbolic gesture that would make their relationship appear genuine and help conceal the existence of twins from Andrei. She initially laughs off the idea, believing their relationship is merely a façade without real love. Damon insists that marking her would reduce Andrei’s suspicion and strengthen their alliance, but Natalia hesitates, conflicted by her feelings and the implications.

Damon’s seriousness and intensity reveal deeper emotions, hinting that he has fallen for Natalia, which unsettles her. She struggles with the fact that their arrangement was never meant to involve love, but Damon challenges her to reconsider, expressing his desire to make their bond real. Despite his persistence, Natalia remains uncertain, her inner turmoil reflected by the stirring of her wolf, Onyx.

Their conversation exposes the tension between them, with Damon admitting his love and jealousy, especially regarding Andrei, Natalia’s ex-husband who has reentered her life and complicated matters. Natalia denies still loving Andrei, determined to assert her independence despite Damon’s doubts. The chapter ends with unresolved emotions and the fragile balance of their complicated relationship hanging in the air.

Natalia

I sat there, completely taken aback, my eyes fixed on Damon as if trying to decode the seriousness etched on his face.

“You want to mark me?” I let out a short, bitter laugh, disbelief coloring my tone. “Why on earth would you want to do that?”

I had thought we were clear—our relationship was purely a façade, nothing more than a convenient arrangement. We weren’t in love, or at least, that was how it was supposed to be.

But Damon’s expression was anything but casual.

“If I were to mark you,” he said, his fingers tightening slightly around mine, “Andrei would have fewer reasons to suspect anything. We could even claim the twins are ours.”

I hesitated, the thought stirring a mix of emotions. “But what if he catches their scent? Or sees them with his own eyes—”

“He won’t,” Damon interrupted firmly. “We’d keep the kids away from him. But we wouldn’t need to hide them completely. Eventually, he’ll find out there are two little ones running around, and that will raise questions. If we say they’re ours, backed by a mating mark, maybe he’ll ask fewer.”

I bit my lip, weighing his logic. Though his reasons were compelling, no matter how practical, I just couldn’t bring myself to mark him. I didn’t love him in that way, and I sensed there was more driving him than mere convenience.

“Don’t tell me you’ve fallen for me,” I whispered, the words barely audible.

Damon didn’t answer right away. Instead, he looked up at me with an intensity that spoke volumes, his gaze steady and sincere. That silent look said everything I needed to know.

I shook my head slowly and gently withdrew my hands from his grasp. “No. You can’t say that.” Rising, I crossed the room, needing distance, space to breathe. I moved toward the window and turned away, the cool glass pressing against my palms. “We weren’t supposed to fall in love. You promised me that.”

“Did I?” Damon stood and ran his hand through his thick, dark hair. I avoided looking at him directly, but his reflection shimmered faintly in the windowpane against the dark night outside. “I don’t recall ever making that promise.”

“Damon…” I sighed, summoning the courage to face him. “You’re impossible. You know we can’t—”

“Why not, Natalia?” Damon stepped closer, standing directly before me. The scent of his cologne, a familiar and oddly comforting aroma I’d grown used to over the years, enveloped me. “I’ve come to love you, okay? I don’t see why we can’t at least consider making this real.”

“Because…” My voice faltered, trailing off. Honestly, I had no answer. Or rather, I had too many answers I wasn’t ready to admit aloud—or even to myself.

But my wolf knew. Onyx stirred within me, twisting and almost mocking my fragile heart. I shoved the feeling down hard before it could speak.

“See? You don’t even have a solid reason,” Damon muttered, frustration creeping into his voice. “You know we’d be stronger together—better than we are now—if we just marked each other. Your idea for the alliance was brilliant. It would solidify Ashmoor’s position and keep Andrei close enough for us to watch.”

“So you want me to be your Luna for life just because I made one smart decision in a sea of mistakes,” I scoffed.

“No,” Damon said, his voice low but firm. “I want you to be my Luna because I love you. I’ve loved you for a long time. And yes, you’re damn good at what you do. Maybe I don’t want to risk losing you to another male when I feel like I’ve finally found something precious.”

I rolled my eyes, unable to hide my amusement. “So it’s jealousy, then. I suspected as much from the way you and Andrei kept staring each other down during the hunt.”

“Can you blame me?” Damon countered, his tone sharp. “He’s your ex-husband—the man you’ve been hiding from for five years. And now he’s back, already messing up your life. I see the way you look at him sometimes.”

“That doesn’t mean I still love him,” I said firmly.

Damon’s jaw twitched, and I could tell he doubted me. But I stood my ground, refusing to give him the satisfaction. I didn’t love Andrei anymore. Not after everything that had happened. Not now.

The weight of Damon’s confession hung heavily between us, stirring a tempest of emotions I wasn’t sure I was ready to face. Despite my resistance, a fragile thread of hope wove itself through the uncertainty, hinting that perhaps the walls I’d built around my heart could one day be breached. Yet, the past lingered like a shadow, reminding me that love was never simple, especially when trust had been broken and old wounds still ached beneath the surface.

In that quiet moment, I realized that the path ahead would not be easy, but it was undeniably real. Damon’s words, raw and sincere, challenged the carefully constructed façade we’d maintained for so long. As much as I fought it, a part of me longed to believe in the possibility of something more—something genuine and lasting. And though fear and doubt still whispered their warnings, I knew that facing them was the only way to truly understand what my heart wanted.

Next chapter promises to delve deeper into the tangled emotions between Natalia and Damon, as the fragile line between their arranged alliance and genuine feelings begins to blur. Will Natalia be able to confront the truth about her heart, or will the ghosts of her past with Andrei continue to cast a shadow over her present? The tension between loyalty, love, and survival is set to intensify, revealing cracks in their carefully constructed facades.

Meanwhile, the looming presence of Andrei adds an undercurrent of danger and uncertainty. How will his return disrupt the uneasy balance Natalia and Damon have fought to maintain? As secrets and desires simmer beneath the surface, the characters must navigate a treacherous path where trust is scarce and every choice carries weight. The next chapter will test their resolve and force them to face the consequences of emotions they’ve long tried to suppress.

Sara Lili

Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.