CHAPTER 8

Chapter 8

Violet's POV

"Two weeks."

I stared at Damian across the breakfast table, my prosthetic hand frozen halfway to my coffee cup.

"Two weeks until what?" I asked, though part of me already knew.

"Our mating ceremony." Damian set down his fork, his eyes gentle but serious. "I know it seems fast, but the pack needs stability. They need to see their Luna officially recognized."

My throat went dry. "Damian, I'm not sure I'm ready…"

"I'm not asking you to love me yet, Violet." He reached across the table, stopping just short of touching my hand. Always careful. Always respectful. "I'm asking you to give us a chance. A real chance."

Before I could respond, Elena breezed into the dining room with her usual confidence.

"Perfect timing!" she announced cheerfully. "Violet, we need to discuss your ceremony attire. I've already contacted the best seamstress in three territories." She pulled out a chair beside me. "Damian told me your favorite colors. I hope you don't mind that I took the liberty of scheduling some fittings?"

I looked between them, caught off guard by how quickly everything was moving. "I... that's very thoughtful. Thank you."

Elena beamed. "Wonderful! We'll make you look absolutely stunning. Damian deserves nothing less than perfection for his Luna ceremony."

The way she said "his Luna" made something twist in my stomach, but her smile seemed genuine enough.

The next few days passed in a blur. Every morning, Damian knocked on my door at dawn.

"Walk with me?" he'd ask. Never demanding. Always asking.

We'd walk through the territory as the sun rose, talking about everything and nothing. He told me about pack politics, asked about my childhood, listened when I talked about my dreams of becoming a healer before Kian had dismissed it as unnecessary.

"You could still pursue that," Damian said one morning. "We have a healer training program. You'd be welcome to join."

I looked down at my prosthetic arm. "Who would want a one-armed healer?"

"Who would want a one-armed Luna?" He stopped walking, turning to face me. "But here you are. Stronger than most wolves I know with both arms intact."

Something warm bloomed in my chest. Something I hadn't felt in years.

Hope.

On the fifth day, Damian led me to a part of the territory I hadn't seen before. Hidden behind a grove of silver birch trees was a garden that took my breath away. Moonflowers bloomed everywhere, their white petals glowing softly even in daylight.

"It's beautiful," I whispered.

"My parents had their mating ceremony here." Damian's voice was soft with memory. "My father planted every moonflower himself. My mother told me he said she deserved a garden that matched her spirit."

I touched one of the delicate petals. "Your father sounds romantic."

"He is. When he's not busy running the pack with an iron fist." Damian smiled slightly. "But with my mother, he was different. Softer."

He walked deeper into the garden, his expression growing serious. "I had a mate before. Three years ago. She was killed by a rival pack. They tortured her to get information about our territory."

My hand flew to my mouth. "Damian..."

"I know what betrayal feels like, Violet. I know what it's like to lose someone who should have been protected." He turned to face me. "That's why I value loyalty above everything else. That's why I'll never let anyone hurt you again. Not while I'm breathing."

The sincerity in his eyes made my chest ache.

That evening was my first official pack dinner as their future Luna. I'd been dreading it all day, remembering how Kian's pack had looked at me with pity or indifference.

But when I entered the dining hall on Damian's arm, the reception was completely different.

Pack members smiled. They nodded respectfully. Some even stood as I passed.

"Luna Violet," an elderly woman said warmly. "Welcome to our family."

I sat beside Damian at the head table, trying not to let my emotions overwhelm me. Elena sat on Damian's other side, chatting easily with the pack members around us.

"You're doing great," Damian murmured in my ear. "Just be yourself."

As dinner progressed, younger wolves approached our table shyly.

"Luna Violet?" A teenage girl with bright eyes spoke up. "Is it true you survived a silver blade injury?"

I glanced at Damian, unsure. He nodded encouragingly.

"Not a blade," I said carefully. "But yes, I survived some difficult injuries."

"That's so brave," another young wolf said. "My sister lost her leg last year and she's been too scared to shift since. Can I tell her about you? Maybe it would help her?"

"Of course." I smiled despite the tightness in my throat. "Tell her she's stronger than she knows."

The teenagers left chattering excitedly, and warmth spread through my chest. Maybe I could actually belong here.

But then I heard it. Whispers from a table behind us.

"...only using her to get back at his brother..."

"...Kian and Damian have been rivals for years..."

"...perfect revenge, isn't it? Stealing his brother's mate..."

My blood ran cold. I turned to Damian, searching his face.

"We need to talk," I said quietly. "Now."

He stood immediately, leading me to a private room off the dining hall. The moment the door closed, I turned on him.

"Is it true? Are you only doing this to humiliate Kian?"

Damian's expression didn't change. "You want the truth?"

"Always."

"Kian and I have been rivals since we were children. Our father has always compared us. Pitted us against each other." He moved closer. "Yes, there's tension between us. Yes, part of me feels satisfaction knowing he lost you. But Violet…"

My stomach twisted. "So there is revenge involved."

"No." His voice was firm. "The rivalry exists, I won't lie about that. But my feelings for you have nothing to do with him." He stepped closer but didn't touch me. "When I saw you at that ceremony, abandoned and humiliated, I didn't see an opportunity. I saw a woman who deserved better. When I carried you bleeding to the healer, I didn't think about Kian. I thought about saving you."

"How do I know that's true?" Tears burned my eyes. "How do I know I'm not just a pawn in some family feud?"

"Because I'm being honest with you instead of hiding it." He held my gaze. "I could have denied the rivalry completely. Let you find out later. But I respect you too much for that."

I wanted to believe him. God, I wanted to believe him so badly.

"I need time to think," I whispered.

"Take all the time you need." He stepped back. "The ceremony can wait if you're not ready."

I nodded and left the room, my mind spinning with doubt and hope and fear all tangled together.

Elena stood in the shadows of the corridor, her phone glowing in her hand. Her usual warm expression had vanished, replaced by something cold and calculating as she read the encrypted message on her screen.

Her fingers moved quickly, deleting the message. The phone went dark.

She looked up, her face smoothing back into its pleasant mask just as a pack member walked past.

"Lovely dinner, wasn't it?" she said with a bright smile.

But her eyes remained cold.