His family knew, but the rest of the town had no idea about them. And when Iris told her father the working-class boy she hung out with was just a friend, Damien didn’t care. Once they left Bay Hill, they would be free to be together. Until then, they spent every spare moment together, unable to get enough of each other. But still, he didn’t tell her about his beast…he didn’t reveal his true nature…it was too frightening, and she…too fragile.
And one night, as she orgasmed around him, she told him…
“I love you, Damien.”
He wasn’t worthy of her…she couldn’t love one such as him, especially if she ever knew the truth. She’d made a mistake…got carried away and blurted the words by accident.
But those blue eyes shone with emotion as she wrapped her legs around him to bring him closer. And suddenly, he knew she meant it. She loved him…
Such a precious gift could only be rewarded with the truth, so he broke his promise and told her who—what—he was…
And then he watched, helpless, as love turned to horror.
CHAPTER ONE
* * *
DAMIEN TRIED TO FOCUS ON the potential investment, received as soon as he came into his office this morning. The apartment block needed some work, having been involved in a legal dispute for years, but it was in a prime location. Any money that went into it would be recuperated fast.
Turning away from the laptop screen, he grabbed his mobile to call his assistant Rahul. “Authorize the funds for the downtown deal.”
“I’ll start preparing the documents,” said Rahul. “I thought you might like that one.”
“You know me. And make sure you ring your commission through.”
“You know me, too, Damien.”
The time when Damien would scout for deals for other investment firms was long gone—today, he had a team that did the same job for him. “My 10 o’clock hasn’t arrived yet?”
“It’s only 9:30.”
“If she arrives early—”
“Yes, I know. I’ll send her straight in.” After a pause, “It’s not like you to be worked up about charity causes…”
“They are good for our image.”
“Sure, boss. Like I said, I’ll let you know as soon as she arrives. Also, there’s been an update on that proposed positive discrimination legislation you wanted me to keep an eye on. It’s been passed.”
Good. Now this legislation had gone through, it meant shifters and other beings from disadvantaged backgrounds had half a chance at the jobs they deserved. “Anything else?” he asked.
“Nothing else going on, apart from the new charities being constantly set up to support the other kind. Nothing happening in the legal department, though.”
After ending the call, Damien went over to the floor-to-ceiling window. Its view over other high-rise buildings in Boston was the reason he had taken the top floor. As always, there was plenty to be getting on with, but today his mind would not settle.
Because of her…
He turned to glance around the spacious office, its expensive wood flooring and customized furniture bringing little pleasure. He entered the kitchen to pour another coffee, the smell wafting around him as he returned to the office and sat at his desk again. With an attached bathroom and small gym, his office had more floor space than the home he was brought up in.
He’d worked damn hard for this success. Being a shifter in the world of humans was difficult…being a poor one even more so…but he was now in a position where he could help others of his kind, so they received the opportunities he didn’t.
And he now had enough political clout to help push through legislation such as the one Rahul just informed him about. When it was first proposed, it was seen by many as a campaign against humans, the youth of the other kind accused of being lazy for wanting to take advantage of such policies instead of relying on their own skills. The ones who opposed the legislation would never acknowledge that even with such policies in place, beneficiaries had less chance of getting a job than a similarly skilled human. Even so, every job acquired by one of the other kind was seen as one stolen from a human…
Damien squeezed the bridge of his nose, wanting calm. Those times of struggle were behind him, but it didn’t take much to bring the angst back.
After they left Iris’ hometown, he worked evenings to get himself through college. He gave up his plan to study art, going for business studies and economics instead. Vying for the money and power that allowed Iris’ father and others to treat him like dirt.
For years, he didn’t pause to take a rest—his determination that his family would never again be ousted from their home driving him until he was so successful that even humans did not care what species he belonged to.
Today, eminent human politicians and figures came crawling to Kareel Enterprises, begging for handouts or partnerships. Because in the end, it was all about money, wasn’t it?
Mother and father had retired, because he insisted on it. They worked hard enough when he was younger, and two years ago, he bought them their own home so they would never have to worry about their future again. As for Linda, she would be all right. She didn’t want to go to that prestigious college with few supernatural students, scared of being in the minority. But Damien had pushed until he convinced her that with her new social status, students at the college would never dare turn on her the way her friends at that school did.
Yes, money had made life easier for his family, and it had been worth the sacrifices. He’d even rebelled against his wolf instinct and never had a family, because he was so busy making sure that nobody would ever attack him for his nature again.
He’d achieved everything he wanted, but he’d been unable to forget the past…even after nearly eleven years…
And today, he would see her again.
He returned to his laptop, clicking on files. Not long to go before her appointment.
The damn irony. Iris, the woman responsible for running his family and him out of her hometown, was now the chief fundraiser for a new charity that supported beasts who had to leave their homes because of hate crimes.
And what about her asshole father Bill—the one who once made hate speeches against their kind? He moved to Boston years ago to pursue a political career and had crawled to Damien’s company more than once, begging for funds for his political campaigns. The man who once used his politics to control other humans, now used them to emphasize that the lives of supernaturals mattered, too, even using Iris’ charity work to court votes from members of other species.
Hell, the more cynical side of Damien wondered if it was the reason she was involved in charity work…to support her father’s political endeavors.
He clicked on Iris’ resume again. He’d been over it so many times, he could recite it by heart. She had not turned out to be the star student her father boasted of. She didn’t complete college, and then went off the radar. Years later, she joined some charity as an admin assistant, working her way up. With no qualifications or experience, she must have been good at what she did to reach the position she was now in.
When the charity All Lives first contacted Damien’s company, there was no reason to entertain its request, because it was one of many that approached for funds every day. But then Rahul had forwarded an email from the charity, requesting a meeting with its chief fundraiser. Iris Hill. And in an instant, that name brought back memories…it couldn’t be her, could it?