LOGINHaliyah’s POV. I didn’t know what was harder— the fact that Damon had returned, or the fact that he was sitting right beside me yet somehow felt miles away. He walked over and sat beside me. The distance between us was barely an inch perhaps, yet it still wasn’t enough for me to reach him. The space was tiny, but the distance felt endless. I risked a glance at him from the corner of my eye. He looked more serious now compared to his usual teasing grin, and it hurt more to look at him this way. I didn’t know how long we sat there without speaking. As the silence stretched between us, it only grew heavier. In the end, I was the one who gave in and broke it first. “How have you been?” I managed to ask. Damon stared into the distance before giving a nod. “Good.” I blinked. Back then, even the simplest question from me would earn all sorts of jokes from him. Most of the time, I could barely get a word in because he never stopped talking. But now, it felt like a different person w
Raven’s POV. We had just finished dealing with a problem in a neighboring pack with my Beta. It involved one of my pack members who had been caught by them while near their border. According to them, the man was considered a rogue and suspected of planning an attack, so it couldn’t simply be overlooked. I had been forced to go. As Alpha, it was my duty to protect every member of my pack. They couldn’t be condemned without clear evidence. As long as I myself didn’t sever the ties and declare them not mine, they remained under my protection. “Alpha Raven, it might take a while before we get back,” Caleb said while we were in the car. I only nodded. “It’s fine.” What mattered was that everything had been clarified. We had secured the member’s release, and the truth laid bare. My phone, resting in the center console, suddenly vibrated. It was Gamma Sebastian. I answered, expecting a status report on the patrols. “Alpha,” Sebastian’s voice came over the call. “I am calling to info
Damon’s POV. I was invited by the council to serve as one of the judges for the pack trial that would be held in the Mooncrest Pack. It was where warrior competitions were usually conducted. I knew how significant it was. And as an Alpha, and one of the most skilled warriors among all the packs, I couldn’t refuse. “Your presence is highly requested, Alpha Damon,” the council assistant said in the message. I only gave the screen a brief glance before replying. “Confirmed.” When the day of the trial finally came, before I even got into my car to head to the arena, I found myself staring blankly outside for a moment. I didn’t know if I would see Haliyah again there. Hopefully not. It would be easier if we never crossed paths again. I kept telling myself that she wasn’t the reason I was going there. This was only an obligation and had nothing to do with her. I still couldn’t forget the last time I saw her with Raven when I went to their pack house and tried to find her so I could c
Haliyah’s POV. By the time I arrived at the pack house, I barely realized I was already there. Absentmindedly, I slipped off my sandals by the entrance and set my sling bag down on the console table. I walked through the middle of the wide hallway as if I couldn’t see anything around me. “Good afternoon, Miss Haliyah.” “Ma’am Haliyah, welcome back.” “Should we prepare lunch for you?” The guards and maid servants greeted me one after another, but I couldn’t respond to any of them. I didn’t even notice that I had already passed them until I reached the stairs. My mind felt numb. Every step felt heavy as I made my way up to my room. And the entire time, only one scene kept replaying in my head— Damon avoiding me and walking past me as if I meant nothing to him. I tightly shut my eyes when my chest started aching again. Why did he look at me like that? No. The better question was… why did it seem like he didn’t feel anything for me? The moment I entered my room, I closed the door
Haliyah’s POV. When Catherine told me just this morning that Damon had returned to the pack, I didn’t hesitate to attend the same event. Apparently, he was going to be one of the judges for the new batch of pack warriors who would undergo training. I didn’t know if he had truly come back to stay or if he was only there because the council required his presence, but either way, it was enough reason for me to go and see him. I stood in front of the mirror while fixing my hair. I had already let it down and tied it back several times, yet I still wasn’t satisfied. I didn’t know how many times I had changed my outfit either. I also didn’t know why I was so nervous. I felt like a young girl meeting the man she loved for the first time. I let out a sigh at my own thoughts. It had been such a long time, and so many things had changed. Yet despite all that, now that I finally had the chance to face him again, I found myself restless instead. I couldn’t deny the fact that I still wanted to
Haliyah’s POV. “Do you like Damon?” I stared at Raven after he asked the one question I never expected to hear from him. It felt as though the air on the balcony suddenly turned colder. I couldn’t answer right away— not because I didn’t want to admit the truth, but because I didn’t know how to say it without sounding like a traitor. I gripped the edge of the chair while trying to steady the chaotic beating of my heart. Damon was Raven’s uncle, And I was still Raven’s wife. Whether our feelings still matched that truth or not, we were still legally married. Even though he betrayed me, a part of my character still clung to doing what was right and moral, that was why every time Damon crossed my mind, it felt wrong somehow. As if every emotion I felt for him was something forbidden. But how was I supposed to stop myself when he was the only person who made me feel like I wasn’t just a shadow inside my own life? I lowered my gaze. I couldn’t lie to Raven, but I couldn’t tell him t
Raven’s POV.I did not expect to see her. Out of all the possibilities I had prepared for tonight, Haliyah was the one variable I never considered. Yet there she was, standing at the entrance of the ballroom. And worse… she wasn’t alone.Her hand was resting on Damon’s arm, her body angled toward h
Haliyah’s POV. “Alpha Damon… is this lady with you?” Damon glanced down at me. His gaze stayed on my face. I quietly crossed my fingers behind my back, hoping he would help me. Then, I felt his hand move. He casually covered my hand with his. “Yes,” he said simply. “She’s my date.” My heart nea
Haliyah’s POV. “Raven planned it…” When Cassandra said those words, it felt like the ground vanished beneath my feet. My father’s death wasn’t an accident. It wasn’t fate. It was a deliberate murder. I stared at her, my mind struggling to accept the truth she had just thrown at me. My father
Haliyah’s POV.I ran my fingers over the rope I had cut from old supplies, checking the small lockpick I had fashioned in secret, and tested the window latch I had loosened. Everything was ready. I just had to wait for the right moment. I could almost taste freedom.I exhaled slowly, steadying my n







