CHAPTER 19

Chapter 19

DAMIAN’S POV

I sat alone in my office, staring at the evidence spread across my desk. Violet's underwear. The servant's written statement about seeing her at Julius's quarters at 3 AM. The image of Julius's hands on her bare skin, burned into my mind.

My wolf wouldn't stop whining. ? He paced restlessly, whimpering like something was really wrong.

I picked up the lace fabric again, turning it over in my hands. The scent was definitely Violet's. Fresh. Recent. But something about it felt off in a way I couldn't explain.

"She knows what betrayal feels like," I whispered to myself, remembering the tears streaming down Violet's face. "She lost everything because of it. Her arm. Her pack. Six years of her life."

Would someone who'd been destroyed by betrayal really turn around and do the same thing? The logic didn't fit.

A soft knock interrupted my thoughts.

"Come in," I called out.

Elena entered with a tray of food. "I thought you might be hungry. You haven't eaten since this morning."

"Thank you." I barely glanced at the food.

She set the tray down and moved closer, her hand landing on my shoulder. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm fine."

"You don't have to pretend with me, Damian." Her fingers squeezed gently. "I've known you your whole life. I can see when you're hurting."

I shifted slightly, trying to create distance without being rude. Elena's hand slid down to my arm.

"It must be so painful," she continued, her voice soft. "Finding out that Violet and Julius were…"

"We don't know what they were doing," I interrupted.

Elena's eyebrows rose. "You saw them together. Julius had his hands all over her."

"He said he was helping with her back pain."

"And you believe that?" She laughed, but there was an edge to it. "Damian, the evidence is right there on your desk. Her underwear was in his drawer."

I looked up at her then. Really looked at her. Elena's eyes weren't on the evidence. They were on me, watching my reaction with an intensity that made my skin prickle.

"Maybe you should take a break from all this," she suggested, moving even closer. Her thigh pressed against mine as she perched on the edge of my desk. "You've been under so much stress with the war preparations and now this betrayal. Let me help you."

Her hand touched my face.

I stood up abruptly, putting space between us. "I appreciate your concern, Elena, but I need to be alone right now."

Something flashed across her face. Anger, maybe. Or frustration. But it disappeared so quickly I almost thought I'd imagined it.

"Of course." Her smile didn't quite reach her eyes. "I'll be in my quarters if you need anything. Anything at all."

She left, and I exhaled slowly.

My wolf was still whining, more insistent now. I couldn't ignore it anymore. Something was wrong with this entire situation, and I needed to find out what.

I pulled up the security system on my computer. If Violet had really visited Julius's quarters at 3 AM the night before our ceremony, the cameras would have caught it.

I started with the footage from Violet's hallway. I watched the timestamp roll from midnight to 6 AM. Her door never opened. Not once.

My heart started pounding.

I switched to Julius's quarters. Same thing. No one entered. No one left.

The servant's testimony was a complete lie.

My wolf surged forward with protective rage. Someone had deliberately framed my mate. Someone in my pack had planted evidence, bribed a servant, and orchestrated this entire thing to destroy my relationship with Violet.

I stood so fast my chair fell backward.

The guards outside my office jumped. "Alpha?"

"Get Axel and Ryan. Tell them to report to Luna Violet's room immediately. No one gets in or out without my direct approval."

"Yes, Alpha."

I was already moving, taking the stairs two at a time. I needed to see Violet. I needed to tell her I knew the truth.

When I reached her door, I didn't bother knocking. I pushed it open.

Violet sat on the bed, her knees pulled to her chest. Her eyes were red from crying, and when she looked up at me, I saw fear mixed with exhaustion.

"Damian," she whispered.

My wolf settled the moment I saw her. That's when I knew with absolute certainty—she was innocent.

"I'm sorry." The words came out rough. "I'm so sorry I doubted you."

Her face crumpled. "You believe me?"

"I checked the security footage. You never left your room that night. The servant lied. Someone planted that evidence in Julius's drawer." I moved closer, kneeling in front of her. "Someone is trying to destroy us from the inside."

Violet's whole body shook. "I thought you'd never believe me. I thought I'd lost you too."

"Never." I took her hand carefully, mindful of her prosthetic. "I should have trusted you from the start. You told me you knew what betrayal felt like, and I ignored it. That was my mistake."

She leaned forward, pressing her forehead against mine. "Who would do this? Who hates me enough to…"

"I don't know yet. But I'm going to find out." I pulled back to look at her. "I promise you, Violet. I won't let anyone hurt you again. Not while I'm breathing."

A knock at the door interrupted us. Axel and Ryan entered, two of my most trusted guards.

"You called for us, Alpha?"

"Yes. You two are assigned to protect Luna Violet around the clock. No one enters this room without my direct approval. And I mean no one."

"Understood, Alpha."

"Not even Elena," I added firmly.

Axel and Ryan exchanged a quick glance but nodded. "Yes, Alpha."

Violet grabbed my hand. "What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to find whoever did this. And when I do..." My wolf growled, pushing forward. "They're going to wish they'd never set foot in my territory."

I kissed her forehead and stood to leave. As I reached the door, Violet called out.

"Damian? Be careful. Whoever did this is smart. They've been planning this for a while."

I looked back at her. "I know. That's what scares me."

As I walked back to my office, my mind raced through possibilities. Someone had access to Violet's personal belongings. Someone knew the guard rotations and camera blind spots. Someone had enough authority to bribe servants without raising suspicion.

Someone close to me.

My phone buzzed with a text from Elena: "Are you okay? I'm worried about you."

I stared at the message, remembering how she'd touched me. How her eyes had lingered. How she'd been the one to suggest checking Julius's phone in the first place.

But that didn't prove anything. Elena had been my friend for years. She'd been nothing but supportive since Violet arrived.

I shook my head. I was being paranoid. The real culprit was probably one of Kian's spies or someone working with Vivian.

Still, my wolf wouldn't settle.

I needed more evidence before I accused anyone. Tomorrow, I'd review more footage, question the servant personally, and dig deeper into who had access to both Violet's belongings and Julius's quarters.

My phone buzzed again. Another text from Elena: "I'm coming over. You shouldn't be alone tonight."

I quickly typed back: "I'm fine. Need to work. Talk tomorrow."

But as I set my phone down, I noticed something odd. In the reflection of my darkened computer screen, I could see the hallway outside my office through the gap in the door.

A shadow moved past. Someone was out there. Watching.

My wolf snarled as I stood, every instinct screaming danger.

The shadow disappeared before I could reach the door.

When I stepped into the hallway, it was empty. But the scent lingered in the air—familiar, but I couldn't quite place it.

I locked my office door and headed toward my quarters, my hand on my phone, ready to call for backup.

Someone in my pack was a traitor.

And they knew I was getting close to the truth.