INICIAR SESIÓNHaliyah’s POV. My vision was blurry, light and shadow forming the shape of a man carrying me. It took me a moment to register the scent of wood and musk. My eyelids fluttered as I forced my eyes open. Damon’s face came into partial view from my angle. I caught the outline of his neck and the firm line of his jaw as he moved forward. When he finally walked away from Cassandra and Raven, I felt the tension dissipate, though not entirely. They didn’t follow. They stayed behind, and I could still feel their presence lingering like unresolved pressure in the air. Only when we turned into a quieter corridor did I finally breathe properly. I watched him from where I lay in his arms, trying to piece together what little I had heard earlier, but the fragments refused to form anything clear. I questioned it because it didn’t match what I expected. Damon wasn’t someone who involved himself unnecessarily. He wasn’t supposed to stand between me and least of all accusations directed at me. A
Damon’s POV. Still carrying Haliyah in my arms as I walked out of the restroom, my mind wandered far away, replaying what had just happened inside. I still couldn’t forget how I had suddenly kissed her on the forehead while staring at her face. I shook my head, hoping that with the motion, the memory would somehow be shaken loose and erased as I walked down the empty hallway. I still couldn’t understand why I did that— whether it was because of the way my wolf had been howling inside me. It wasn’t as if I was unaware of how my wolf kept insisting, over and over again, that Haliyah was my mate. Maybe I had simply been carried away by that bond and not because I actually wanted it. “It was the mate pull. Nothing more.” The words came out low and flat, spoken more to silence the noise in my own head and convince myself. The mate pull was a deep, natural force that bound two destined wolves together. It wasn’t something chosen or learned— it just existed, beyond logic or reason. Wh
Damon’s POV. I carried the unconscious Haliyah out of the bathroom. She remained limp in my arms, still under the effects of the substance. Whoever did this knew how to control the dosage and avoid killing her while still making her weak enough to collapse. She needed to be moved somewhere safe. I paused for a moment in front of the bathroom door, thinking about what if anyone saw us like this— me carrying her while we were alone together— they might misunderstand and assume something improper. But then, I reminded myself that the situation was normal. Carrying an unconscious person wasn’t unusual in emergencies. There was nothing to question. I didn’t need to explain anything. My gaze dropped to her face. Her expression still looked peaceful in unconsciousness, but I knew it wasn’t real rest. Her body was still fighting something internally. Even in stillness, there was tension in her system. I could sense it in the irregular rhythm of her breathing. My mind started analyz
Damon’s POV. “I won’t touch you…” I meant it. I would not. But even as the words left my mouth, I could already see how fragile Haliyah was in front of me. Her body wasn’t just weakening; it was slowly taking her away piece by piece. I watched her closely as she slowly lost consciousness while sitting on the floor after hearing my words. The resistance that always defined her whenever I was near slipped away in real time. Not slowly like rest, but abruptly like something inside her system had been forcibly shut down. Her guard dropped completely. Her shoulders slackened. The tension that used to hold her upright disappeared. Her hands, which had been pushing me away moments ago, fell down as if she had forgotten how to hold them up. “Haliyah,” I called softly. I moved closer and reached out, but stopped just before touching her. My hand hovered in the air, suspended between action and restraint. There was a line. I had always known there was a line with her and she had made it
Raven’s POV. My ears perked up instantly when I heard Cassandra say she had seen Haliyah and Damon together in the restroom. My mind immediately started to spiral, forming all kinds of disturbing images and possibilities I didn’t want to entertain. Why were they together? What were they doing in there? Was there a secret affair between my wife and my uncle? My fists clenched tightly at my sides as I walked faster. My vision darkened, anger and disbelief mixing. I didn’t even fully register Cassandra following behind me anymore. Her presence was just noise in the background. What if something was really happening behind my back? It refused to leave my head. It kept repeating until it drowned out everything else. My steps turned quicker, almost breaking into a run. The possessive instinct I always contained suddenly rose to the surface. I tried to think logically, but my mind kept painting scenes I didn’t ask for. The thought of Haliyah being with another man, especially Damon, ma
Cassandra’s POV. I gritted my teeth so hard as I watched Damon break through the locked bathroom door and force his way inside just to get to Haliyah. I couldn’t help but feel furious that the plan I had carefully prepared for tonight didn’t fully succeed. I still hadn’t managed to completely bring Haliyah down or damage her image in front of everyone here. I had done everything right this time. Haliyah was supposed to be vulnerable enough to damage her standing, her image, her place in this pack. But of all times, Damon just had to show up and shatter the moment. Even when she should have been irrelevant, someone always came running to her. Stomping my feet, I turned on my heels and marched out of there. I hurried away from the bathroom, glancing cautiously around to make sure no one would suspect me. I slowed my pace as I re-entered the banquet hall, smoothing my dress and adjusting my expression. By the time I reached my seat, I was already someone else again, acting like nothi
Haliyah’s POV. Caleb parked the car outside the pack’s council building and stepped out first, holding the door for me. I grabbed my suitcase, though I didn’t really need it. My real weapon wasn’t inside the bag anymore. It was in the folder in my arms. “You don’t have to attend today’s council m
Damon’s POV. I was sitting in my study, documents and ledgers scattered across my desk. The lamp above my desk shone directly on the papers, but it didn’t help me focus at all. Lucian, my inner wolf that I could never shut off, let out a low, impatient growl every now and then. He restlessly pro
Haliyah’s POV. “Raven!” Cassandra called once more, her voice was filled with distress. Raven’s head turned sharply toward the door. His whole expression changed. Then, he stepped away from me completely and moved toward the door. He strode across the room and pulled the door open. The moment it
Haliyah’s POV.Everything happened too fast. I barely had time to react. One second I was standing near the ballroom entrance, thinking I could leave without any problem, especially after my dear husband ran off to chase his mistress. The next moment, Raven came rushing back, and suddenly we were f







