Twenty Three.

DAMIAN.

The day of the gala arrived, and the hours seemed to drag as I waited eagerly downstairs for Ishtar to be done dressing up. It wasn't anything important, so I knew she could handle it, especially after the appearance she'd pulled off on the day she tried to tempt me.

Time ticked by really slowly, feeding into my anticipation, and I couldn't help it. I couldn't help wanting to see her in that dress. I was hungry to see her in a dress again, just one more time.

The want hit me like never before, and I paced around the living room, my hands behind my back as I waited for what seemed like decades. The sound of the ticking clock filled my head and synced with my heartbeat, troubling me even more. It seemed as though there was a void inside of me waiting to be filled. I just couldn't wrap my head around it.

Maybe it was because tomorrow was the first day of a full moon, and all my senses were heightened. Finally, Ishtar's footsteps filled my ears, and I hesitated, pausing in my t