—- Three hours later, the surgery was over. The head healer came out, his face grim. “We’ve stabilized him for now. But the poison damaged his heart. It will be a long recovery, and there might be permanent damage.” My heart sank. In the recovery room, Damien lay pale against the white sheets, surrounded by beeping machines. He slowly opened his eyes. “You… okay?” I nodded, my voice choked. “I’m okay.” “Good,” he whispered with a weak smile. “Worth it.” “Why?” Tears streamed down my face.
“Why would you do that?” “The moment I saw that blade… I only had one thought,” he said, his breathing shallow. “I can’t let her get hurt.” Just then, the door opened softly. —- The Beta of Damien’s pack, the captain of his enforcers, stepped inside. He looked grave, nodding to me before turning to Damien. “Alpha,” he reported in a low voice. “We caught the attackers. They were rogues, hired for the job.” Ahard glint entered Damien’s eyes. “By who?” “Tt was…
Seraphina.” The Beta’s voice was laced with disbelief. My heart dropped. Of course, it was her. “After you exiled her two years ago, she’s been holding a grudge. She couldn’t stand the thought of you with another Alpha, so she paid the rogues to ruin your Mating Ceremony.” The Beta continued, “She thought if you were injured, you couldn’t complete the ritual, and she’d have another chance. She never expected… you’d take the blade for Miss Isla.” “Where is she?” Damien’s voice was like ice.
“We found her in an abandoned warehouse outside —- the city. For hiring rogues to harm an Alpha anda future Luna, the Council of Elders has sentenced her to be stripped of her pack status and imprisoned for life.” The Beta finished, gave me a deep look of apology and respect, and quietly excused himself. The room was silent. The news was like a boulder, smashing the last of Damien’s illusions about the past. He closed his eyes, his face contorting in agony.
Allhis attempts to “atone,” to repay a non-existent ” debt,” had earned him was more vicious betrayal. After a moment, the door opened again. It was Ethan. He saw Damien in the bed, saw my red-rimmed eyes, and his gaze softened with heartbreak for me. He nodded, then walked over to Damien. The two Alphas looked at each other, the air thick with tension. Finally, Ethan extended a hand. —- “Thank you for saving her. But I also need you to understand something.
Love isn’t about possession, Damien. It isn’t about command. It’s about respect. It’s about building a foundation strong enough that your mate never, ever feels the need to run.” Damien stared for a moment, then took his hand, a weak, bitter smile on his face. “You’re right… It took me two years to learn that. But it was too late.” Ethan nodded. “Yes. It’s too late. So please, from now on, leave her be.
I will give her the happiness you never could.” Ethan stayed with me at the hospital late into the night. Before he left, he asked, “The ceremony tomorrow… do you still want to go through with it?” I glanced at Damien in the bed. “Can I… can I come watch your Mating Ceremony tomorrow?” Damien asked suddenly, his voice filled with a desperate, humble plea.
