Transmigrated as the Crown Prince's Mate
Chapter 167: Anger and then...

Chapter 167: Anger and then...

Damian’s lips crashed against hers, claiming—demanding.

The heat between them burned fiercely, fueled by raw emotion, by the anger still thrumming through their veins. Their hands clung to each other, as if afraid to let go, as if this was the only thing tethering them to reality.

Evelina’s back arched as Damian pulled her impossibly closer, his fingers tightening in her hair. She could taste the frustration, the desperation, the need in his kiss—and she poured all of her own emotions into it.

But even as their lips moved feverishly, even as fire trailed up her spine, images flickered behind her eyelids.

Images of Selene.

Her hands on Damian’s chest and the way he didn’t immediately push her away.

Evelina tensed slightly.

At the same time, Damian’s mind betrayed him too.

Kyle.

Kyle standing beside Evelina.

Her leaving with him.

The way Kyle smirked at her, like he already knew something Damian didn’t.

A sharp growl built in Damian’s throat, and without thinking, he suddenly pulled away.

Evelina was panting, her lips swollen, her gaze dark with confusion and something else—something aching.

Damian’s silver eyes burned. "You kissed him, didn’t you?"

Evelina blinked, momentarily thrown. "What?"

His jaw clenched. "Did you kiss Kyle?"

Evelina scoffed, wiping at her lips with the back of her hand. "Unbelievable. You were the one tangled up with Selene, the one seen just a centimetre away from her, but suddenly I’m the villain?"

Damian’s nostrils flared. "I didn’t want that."

Evelina’s heart pounded. "And you think I wanted any of this?"

Damian ran a hand through his hair, breathing heavily. "Eve—"

"No," she snapped, stepping forward. "You don’t get to be angry. You don’t get to act like I’m the one who betrayed you."

Damian’s hands fisted at his sides. "You left with him."

Evelina let out a short, bitter laugh. "And you let her touch you."

The silence between them crackled, thick and suffocating. Their breaths came sharp, their wolves prowling beneath their skin, pushing and pulling at their emotions.

Damian’s silver eyes flicked down to her lips.

And just like that—

They collided again.

This time, it was different.

Wilder.

Rougher.

A fight—a claim—a desperate attempt to erase the night’s mistakes.

Damian grabbed her waist and spun her around, pressing her back hard against the wall as his lips devoured hers. A gasp left Evelina’s mouth, but he swallowed it, his body caging hers in.

Evelina’s fingers curled into the fabric of his shirt, pulling—tugging—until she was sure she would rip it apart.

Damian groaned low in his throat, the sound vibrating against her lips.

Their kiss deepened, became more fevered.

His hands roamed, memorizing every curve, every inch of her as if he was terrified she would disappear.

Evelina moaned softly into his mouth, her nails digging into his shoulders. She wanted more.

More of him.

More of this.

More of them.

But then—

She remembered.

Selene’s voice, soft and coaxing.

Her lips hovering too close to Damian’s.

Evelina jerked back, gasping.

Her heart was hammering, her skin flushed, her body thrumming with need.

Damian’s own chest rose and fell rapidly, his eyes hooded, his pupils dilated.

Evelina wiped at her lips again, her fingers trembling.

"I hate you," she whispered.

Damian’s breath hitched.

She swallowed hard, blinking back the sting in her eyes. "I hate that you make me feel this way."

Damian’s throat bobbed, his expression unreadable. "Evelina—"

"I hate that even after seeing what I saw, after feeling this hurt, I still—" She sucked in a sharp breath, her chest rising and falling as if she had just run for miles.

Damian took a slow and deliberate step forward, his silver eyes burning into hers.

Evelina’s breath hitched.

Her hands trembled at her sides. Her chest was rising and falling with the force of everything she felt—everything she didn’t want to feel but couldn’t stop from feeling.

He reached out hesitantly, his fingertips grazing the edge of her wrist before stopping. His touch was barely there, but it sent a shiver through her body.

"I’m sorry," Damian murmured in a raw tone.

Evelina flinched as if struck.

Her stomach twisted, and she hated the way his apology made her heart ache even more. She clenched her jaw, willing herself to stay firm—to not crumble just because he suddenly realisedwhat he’d done and was apologising for it

She swallowed hard before speaking in a low voice, almost like a whisper. "Why?"

Damian blinked, obviously confused. "What?"

"Why are you apologisingto me?" she demanded in a sharper voice now. "You’re a prince, an Alpha. You can have any woman you want. You could pick any lady in this kingdom, and she’d gladly throw herself at your feet. You have one chasing after you now."

Her throat felt tight, her emotions coiling into something too painful to contain. "So why," she breathed, "are you apologising tome?"

Damian exhaled sharply, stepping closer—close enough that his scent wrapped around her, close enough that she could feel the heat radiating from his body.

His gaze softened and his silver eyes darkened. And then, he surprised her with his next words. "Because I love you."

The words shattered her.

A sharp breath left her lips.

She took a small, instinctive step back, as if distance would make the weight of his confession less suffocating.

Damian didn’t move.

For the first time, he stood there, his expression unguarded, as if he was offering her the one thing he had never offered anyone else.

Himself.

His truth.

Evelina’s lips parted, but no words came out.

She didn’t know what to say.

She should be angry. She should fight this. She should tell him that love wasn’t enough—not after tonight, not after the hurt she still felt burning inside her chest.

But instead—

Tears welled in her eyes.

Damian took another step forward, lifting his hand to her cheek. His touch was impossibly soft.

"I love you, Evelina," he whispered. "And I should have fought harder. I should have chased after you the moment you ran. I should have never let anyone else get close enough to make you doubt what you mean to me."

Evelina’s lips trembled.

She hated him.

She loved him.

Her fingers curled into fists at her sides, her entire body trembling from the force of everything crashing down at once.

She inhaled shakily. "Damian..."

His thumb brushed over her cheek, catching the tear that slipped free.

"Say it," Relia whispered in her mind. "Say it back to him. You love him too, I know. And you know that."

Evelina’s chest tightened painfully.

Her lips parted, and for a moment, she couldn’t breathe. And then finally, she spoke, "I love you too."

The words barely left her lips before Damian was pulling her in.

Not roughly this time.

Not desperate.

His touch was tender now, his hands brushing along her skin as if she were something fragile; something to be cherished.

And then—

He kissed her.

Softly.

Slowly.

Like she was something precious.

Like he was afraid she would disappear.

Evelina melted into him, her arms slipping around his neck, her fingers sliding into his dark hair as she surrendered to the depth of it—to the way Damian kissed her like she was the only thing he had ever wanted.

His lips trailed down, brushing against the corner of her mouth. Then her cheek. Then her jaw.

He kissed away her tears, murmuring soft things she could barely hear—things that made her chest tighten all over again.

When he pulled back, his lips hovered over hers as he whispered in a clear voice. "I will never let anything... anyone, come between us again."

Evelina swallowed, unsure of what to say. Damian leaned in, brushing his lips against her forehead, her nose, her cheeks.

Each kiss was warm.

Each touch was worship.

Evelina’s eyes fluttered shut.

And then... his lips met hers once more.

Not fiery. Not desperate. But slow.

Sensual.

As if he wanted to savor her.

As if she was the only thing that mattered.

And in that moment—

She was.

The kiss deepened.

Damian’s hands slid down Evelina’s sides, gripping her waist as he pulled her closer, his fingers pressing into her as if he was terrified she’d vanish between his fingers.

His lips moved against hers with a slow, consuming hunger—a hunger that had nothing to do with anger anymore.

This was possession.

This was claiming.

His tongue traced along the seam of her lips, coaxing her to open for him. Evelina gasped softly, and he took full advantage of that moment to slide his tongue inside.

His tongue wasted no time, stroking against hers in a slow, tantalising rhythm that sent a shiver down Evelina’s spine. She moaned softly against his lips, her fingers tightening in his hair as he kissed her deeper, as if he wanted to imprint himself onto her very soul.

Damian groaned low in his throat, tightening his grip on her waist as he pulled her against him. The heat between them was intoxicating, overwhelming, and all-consuming.

Evelina barely had time to catch her breath before Damian’s hands shifted, one sliding up her back, the other gripping the back of her thigh. And then—

She gasped as she was suddenly lifted off the ground.

"Damian—"