5

My fingers trembled, and my phone clattered to the floor.

So even this attack was planned by him. Little did he know his scheming had killed his own child.

I closed my eyes as a storm of emotions—grief, despair, hurt—churned in my chest, making it feel heavy and suffocating.

I couldn't understand what more Damon wanted from me.

During the crash, those two silver arrows were definitely aimed at me. But just as I was about to be hit, he turned and shielded me instead.

I didn't understand what he was thinking. If he was determined to use me ruthlessly, whether I got hurt or not wouldn't affect his plans. Why go through the trouble of taking those arrows for me and getting seriously injured?

A thought flickered in my mind, but I didn't want to pursue it further.

Damon Blackwood.

I hope it's exactly as you said—that you have no feelings for me whatsoever, that it's all just using me.

Because if you have even the slightest bit of feeling, you'll be in agony.

For the next few days, Damon took care of me constantly.

Despite his own serious injuries, even though the healer advised him to rest properly, he stubbornly stayed by my side every moment. He fed me porridge, tucked me in, peeled fruit, and told me stories.

Anyone watching would think he was madly in love with me. But I couldn't feel happy about it.

I knew it was all fake.

His tenderness, his care—it was all an elaborate lie.

On the day I was discharged, seeing my low spirits, Damon took me to the autumn hunting ceremony to cheer me up. Torches illuminated the forest edge. All the pack warriors were present.

Damon was attentive to me, and those Gamma guards surrounded me with concern. But I felt uncomfortable all over, sensing something was about to happen.

Until Lydia Ashford arrived with the Ashen Peaks Pack hunting party.

Everyone's faces immediately darkened.

Just as Damon was about to lose his temper, his guard wolves quickly stepped forward and whispered to Lydia, "Didn't we explain everything to you before? You asked the Alpha to arrange for his men to deliberately attack and injure Sage Rivers, and Damon did it. Why are you causing trouble again? Sage even miscarried—don't you believe the Alpha yet?"

Lydia smiled, her voice light and airy. "Relax, I'm not here to cause trouble. I'm here to join your plan. After all, Damon will soon be my mate. The people he wants to deal with, I should help fan the flames too."

She then leaned down and whispered something in the guard wolf's ear.

The guards' eyes lit up, meaningful smiles spreading across their faces.

I desperately wanted to hear what they were saying, but the surrounding noise was too loud. I couldn't make out anything.

After finishing, Lydia walked straight up to me with a fake smile. "Miss Rivers, what happened before was my fault. Damon already punished me for it. He really didn't agree to the marriage alliance. He loves you too much to give any other woman a chance."

I frowned, an ominous feeling rising in my heart.

I didn't know why the previously arrogant Lydia suddenly backed down or why she was saying this, but my instincts told me things weren't so simple.

Damon's expression also looked troubled, his gaze shifting between Lydia and me.

But Lydia completely changed her previous hostile attitude. She suddenly pulled out a string of premium healing crystal beads from her bag and offered them to me. "Miss Rivers, I bought this top-grade healing crystal bracelet at an auction last month for two million dollars. Since you're still weak, please take this bracelet. And I'm also gifting Ironwood Pack one of Ashen Peaks' resource-rich hunting grounds as an apology for last time."

I didn't take it, my voice cold. "No need. I won't be staying at Ironwood Pack much longer anyway."

Hearing this, Damon's face instantly changed.

He grabbed my hand tightly. The man who was always in control now had panic creeping into his voice. "Sage, what do you mean by that? I'm the Alpha of Ironwood Pack, you're my mate. If you're not staying here with Ironwood Pack, where else would you go?"

I looked at him calmly.

Of course I wanted to return to Stormfang Pack, to be with my real family. I didn't want to accept anyone else's fake affection anymore.