CHAPTER 22

Chapter 22

DAMIAN'S POV

I watched Kian cough blood into his handkerchief for the third time in ten minutes. The man sitting across from me looked nothing like the arrogant brother who'd destroyed Violet's life. His skin had a waxy, gray tone. Dark circles hollowed out his eyes. He looked like death.

Good.

Violet sat quietly in the corner of my office. She'd insisted on being here when Kian arrived. I'd tried to talk her out of it, but she refused. Now she watched him with an unreadable expression, her prosthetic hand resting on her lap.

"Start talking," I said coldly. "You have five minutes before I throw you back across the border."

Kian's hand shook as he lowered the bloody cloth. "I abused her. Manipulated her. Made her feel worthless for six years while I chased after Vivian like a pathetic fool." His voice was hoarse. "When Violet left, I didn't want her back because I loved her. I wanted her back to punish her. To make her suffer for daring to choose you over me."

My wolf snarled inside me, demanding blood. My fingers dug into the armrests of my chair.

"I know," Kian continued. "I know you want to rip my throat out. You should. I deserve it." He coughed again, this time doubling over with the force of it. When he straightened, blood dripped from the corner of his mouth. "But I'm not here to beg for forgiveness. I'm here because Vivian is going to destroy everything, and I'm the only one who knows the full extent of her plans."

"Vivian." I spat the name like poison. "Your little girlfriend who poisoned my mate at our ceremony?"

"She's not my girlfriend," Kian said quietly. "She never was. She was using me from the beginning, and I was too blind and stupid to see it."

I leaned forward. "Explain."

"Three weeks ago, I started noticing large withdrawals from pack funds. When I confronted Vivian, she said she was using the money to hire rogues to attack your territory. She framed it as helping me get revenge." Kian's jaw tightened. "But something didn't sit right. So I had my Beta Jesse investigate."

He paused to catch his breath. "Vivian has been meeting with a rogue Alpha named Garrett. They were mates before she came to my pack. I think she rejected him to infiltrate my territory, but they've been working together this whole time."

My blood ran cold. "Working together how?"

"To take over both our territories." Kian's expression was grim. "Vivian wasn't just manipulating me for revenge. She's been positioning herself to become Luna of my pack while Garrett builds his rogue army. The plan was to attack your pack first, weaken you, then turn on mine while I was distracted."

"That's insane."

"That's Vivian." Kian coughed again, harder this time. When he finally caught his breath, his eyes were red. "My wolf has been dying since Violet severed our bond. The pain has been clarifying. It forced me to see what a monster I'd become. But the real wake-up call came two days ago when Jesse intercepted communications between Garrett's rogues."

His hand trembled as he continued. "They're planning to attack my territory the moment yours falls. And once I've served my purpose, Vivian has ordered Garrett to kill me too."

The room fell silent except for the sound of Kian's labored breathing.

"Why should I believe you?" I asked finally.

"Because I might die soon," Kian said simply. "My wolf might not survive much longer. The healers said it isn’t looking good for me. I don't have time for games, Damian. I just want to stop Vivian before she destroys more lives."

His voice cracked as he turned to look at Violet. "Before she destroys the one person who deserved better than anything I ever gave her."

Violet stiffened in her chair but said nothing.

Kian stood slowly, his movements weak. He took three steps toward her before his legs gave out. He dropped to his knees in front of her chair.

"Violet, I—" His voice broke. He tried again. "I'm sorry. I know those words mean nothing after what I did. But I need you to know that you were always too good for me. You deserved better. You deserved everything, and I gave you nothing but pain."

Violet's jaw tightened. "Why are you telling me this now?"

"Because I'm dying, and I don't want to die knowing I never told you the truth." Kian's eyes glistened. "You were never the problem, Violet. You were never not enough. I was too broken and too selfish to see what I had. Damian is a better man than I ever was, and you made the right choice."

A tear slid down Violet's cheek. She was quiet for a long moment before she finally spoke.

"I don't forgive you yet, Kian. Maybe I never will. But I see you're trying to do something right for once. That's... something."

Kian bowed his head. "That's more than I deserve."

For the next thirty minutes, we planned. Kian would return to his territory, pretending everything was normal. He'd make Vivian believe her plans were still secret.

My trackers would coordinate with Kian's most loyal warriors to locate Vivian's rogue camps. We had maybe twenty-four hours before Vivian realized Kian had betrayed her.

"We'll need to move fast," Julius said, studying the map we'd laid out. "If Vivian suspects anything, she'll accelerate her timeline."

"Then we don't give her the chance," I said firmly. "Kian, you leave at dawn. Act normal. Keep Vivian close but not too close. Can you do that?"

Kian nodded, then looked at Violet one last time. "Thank you for hearing me out. And Violet? I'm glad you found someone who sees your worth. Hold onto that."

Then he was gone, leaving behind only the lingering scent of sickness and regret.

Later that night, in our private quarters, I pulled Violet close. She'd been quiet since Kian left.

"I'm sorry," I said softly. "Sorry for doubting you with Julius. Sorry for not seeing Elena's manipulation sooner. My heart knew the truth, but I let doubt cloud my judgment."

Violet looked up at me. "You were protecting your pack. I understand that now."

"But having you targeted, framed, and threatened made me realize something." I cupped her face gently. "I thought I was protecting you by bringing you here. But you've saved me, Violet. You've made me want to be better, do better. I'm falling in love with you."

Her breath caught. "Damian..."

"You don't have to say it back," I said quickly. "I just needed you to know."

"No." She placed her hand over mine. "I feel the same way. I'm falling in love with you too."

I kissed her then, soft and tender. When we finally pulled apart, she was smiling.

For the first time in days, I let myself hope that maybe we could survive this.

Fifty miles away, Vivian stared at the text message on her burner phone.

"Kian met privately with Damian and Violet. Unknown discussions. White flag meeting lasted three hours."

Her nails dug into the leather of her chair.

Three hours. That was too long for a simple territorial dispute.

Kian had betrayed her.

Vivian threw the phone across the room. It shattered against the wall, glass scattering across the floor.

She'd spent years positioning herself perfectly. Years of manipulating Kian, of playing the devoted girlfriend while secretly building her army with Garrett. Years of patience.

And Kian had ruined it in one afternoon.

"Fine," she whispered to the empty room. "If I can't destroy them slowly, I'll destroy them all at once."

She pulled out another phone and sent a single message to Garrett:

"Change of plans. Full assault on Silver Moon. Tomorrow night. Kill everyone. No survivors."

The response came immediately: "Confirmed. We move at dawn."

Vivian smiled, cold and deadly.

If she couldn't have Kian, if she couldn't torture Violet for years, then she'd burn it all down.

And she'd dance in the ashes