Chapter 6.

Damian's POV.

I pace the living room area of the hotel suite I'm staying in, my fingers twitching at my sides. The expensive rug muffles my footsteps, but my frustration burns loud and clear.

"Of all the wolves in this damn world," I mutter, voice low and sharp, "the Goddess had to pick her."

Mother’s eyes flick up from her glass of wine. She's lounging on the velvet sofa, in her two piece white suit, calm as always. "Her?" she questions because she doesn’t know exactly what I'm talking about.

I stop pacing and turn to face her. "Can you believe that the goddess fated me to an omega." The words taste bitter on my tongue. "She is a weak, pitiful excuse of a wolf... I don't want her near me!"

Mother hums thoughtfully, swirling her wine. "An omega, you say?"

The words alone set my blood on fire. I can't hide my frustration anymore. "That's all you have to say?" I snap. "I won’t accept her," I repeat, my voice tight with anger.

Her glass clinks against the table as she sets it down. "But rejecting her would be foolish, Damian."

I scoff. "But I’m not mating with some pathetic omega. She's weak. She’ll ruin everything—my bloodline, my status, everything." I shake my head, teeth grinding together. "If she has my pups, they'll be fragile, and powerless. An embarrassment to the Blackwood name."

Mother doesn’t react, which only makes me even angrier. Instead, she folds her hands neatly in her lap and lifts her chin. "Listen to me, son," she begins, her voice sharp yet oddly serene. "Rejecting her will only weaken your wolf, and frankly speaking, I'm tired of running around these pathetic packs searching for your mate. It’s high time we returned to the Crimson crown. I miss home."

Miss home? Is she being serious right now? I stiffen. "I’ll recover from the rejection." I stir the conversation back to me rejecting the omega and continue searching for a perfect mate.

"Will you?" Her brow arches. "You know what happens when an Alpha heir turns away his destined mate. Your wolf will suffer—and when that happens, he challenges you for your position."

I don’t need her to say the name. I know exactly who she’s talking about. Julian. My crippled half-brother who should have been heir if he hadn’t gotten himself injured years ago.

"Julian’s no threat to me," I growl.

Mother’s smile is cold. "Don’t underestimate a cripple with nothing to lose."

I clench my fists, nails digging into my palms. She's right—and I hate that she's right. If I weaken myself by rejecting my mate, Julian could rally supporters to challenge me. Despite his injury, he’s still respected… and worse, people like him.

But an omega? A weak, powerless omega tied to my name? That's an abomination and will never happen… The idea churns my stomach.

"She’ll ruin everything," I mutter, more to myself than Mother.

"Not if you control her." Her voice turns smooth, calculating. "Mark her, bond with her... but keep her in her place. An omega like that? She won’t expect much."

I grit my teeth. "Mark her? Mother, that asking too much from me. I won’t let her drag me down."

Mother sighs and then let's out a smile with a glint of satisfaction in her eyes. "Then don’t."

I stare out the window, watching the pack grounds below. Somewhere out there, that omega is probably still buzzing with excitement, thinking her miserable life is about to change.

She has no idea what’s coming…

Suddenly, Julian wheels himself into my suite without knocking, his sharp gaze locking onto me like he already knows something’s wrong. His huge beard ond shoulder length hair disguises his face because he never wants to get recognized.

“Well?” he asks, his voice flat. “When are we heading home? I'm getting tired of all this charade.” Julian doesn't bother to spare my mother a glimpse because him and her don't talk since I can remember.

Mother also ignore him and continues to sip on her wine as if he isn't in the room.

I sigh and run a hand through my hair, still unsettled by their enmity. “Not yet.” I respond to Julian.

He frowns. “Why not?”

I hesitate. Damn it. I should’ve lied, but instead, I mutter, “Because I found her.”

Julian’s face lights up. “Seriously? That’s great! So what’s the hold-up? Accept her, and we can get out of here already.”

I scoff. “Yeah... that's not happening.”

His smile falters. “What do you mean ‘that’s not happening’? You’ve been dragging me all over these packs to find her, and now you’re just... what? Gonna reject her? Why would you do that?”

"Whether I reject her or not is none of your business," I say coldly. "But just know—it’s complicated."

Julian’s eyes narrow, his gaze hardening. "Complicated?" He wheels himself closer, his fingers tightening around the armrests. "What’s so complicated about rejecting or claiming your mate?"

I turn away, staring out the window again. There’s no way I’m telling him. He doesn’t need to know she’s just some weak omega.

“You know what?” Julian snaps. “I shouldn’t have even come with you. If you’re gonna act like a selfish ass, I don’t want to be a part of it.”

His words hit harder than I expect. I whirl around, fists clenched. “I didn’t ask you to come!”

“Sure you didn't!” His voice rises. “But remember that father practically begged me to come along with you because he needed me to talk some sense into you if you started acting like this! And guess what? Here we are.”

The tension crackles between us, and for a moment, I actually consider shoving his wheelchair just to shut him up.

But before I can say another word, there’s a knock at the door.

“What?” I bark.

A royal guard steps inside, standing stiff as a board. “Apologies, Luna, prince Damian and prince Julian, but there are two ladies here to see you prince Damian.”

I frown. “Who?”

“I didn’t get their names,” the guard replies, clearly nervous.

I roll my eyes. “You didn’t bother to ask?”

“I... I didn’t think—”

“Just describe them,” I cut him off impatiently.

“One of them is... an omega with red hair and the other is a Gamma with dark hair.”

My stomach twists at the mention of red hair. I know it's her and she followed me here to obviously ask about the bond...

How desperate and pathetic...