Defeated

Damien POV

I ignored him and headed back toward the pack house. The sun was high in the sky. Pack members were starting their day. They fell silent when they saw me. Some looked away. Others watched me with expressions ranging from pity to contempt.

Everyone had seen what I had done. There was no escaping it.

Vanessa was waiting on the stairs. She had changed out of her ceremonial dress into something more practical. When she saw me, she smiled as if nothing had happened.

“There you are,” she said. “I was starting to worry. Your father wants to see both of us. He’s planning the announcement ceremony for the end of the week.”

“Announcement ceremony.”

“For our union, of course.” She reached for my hand. I pulled it back. Her smile faded. “Damien, what’s wrong?”

What was wrong? Where should I even begin?

“I rejected my soulmate last night,” I said. “Everything went wrong.”

“You did what you had to do. She wasn’t strong enough for this pack. Everyone knows that.” Vanessa’s voice sounded reasonable. Calm. As if she were explaining basic math to a child. “Your father needed the alliance with my pack. It was the smart choice.”

“Smart.” The word tasted bitter. “Right.”

“Don’t tell me you regret it.” Vanessa stepped closer. “She’s gone, Damien. She crossed the border and probably got herself killed by rogues. It’s not your fault. You gave her a chance, and she wasn’t good enough. Now you can move on with someone who actually deserves to stand beside an Alpha.”

My wolf growled. I must have shown it, because Vanessa took a step back.

“Don’t talk about her like that,” I said quietly.

“Like what?”

“I’m just stating facts.”

“Get out of my way.”

Vanessa’s eyes narrowed. “Your father won’t be pleased if you start causing trouble. He worked hard for this alliance. If you ruin it over misplaced guilt about that weak little—”

I moved before I could think. My hand closed around her throat and I slammed her against the wall. Not hard enough to really hurt, but firm enough to get her attention. Her eyes widened.

“I said,” I repeated slowly, “don’t talk about her like that.”

“Damien!” My father’s voice cracked through the entrance hall like a whip. “Let her go. Now.”

I released her. Vanessa gasped and pressed a hand to her throat. There would be bruises. Good. Maybe she would learn not to speak Sera’s name again.

Marcus Thorne descended the stairs with controlled fury that sent pack members scattering. He looked at Vanessa, then at me, then back at her.

“Go,” he told her.

Vanessa fled without protest. Smart girl. She knew when to retreat.

My father waited until she was gone before he spoke. “What exactly do you think you’re doing?”

“She insulted Sera.”

“Sera is no longer your concern. You rejected her. Remember?” He crossed his arms. “Or are you having second thoughts about our decision?”

“Your decision,” I corrected him. “I was just a coward and went along with it.”

My father’s expression didn’t change. “Watch your tone.”

“Or what? You’ll reject me too?” Maybe that would be better. Then I could at least stop pretending that what happened last night was okay.

“What happened last night was necessary. That girl was not fit to be your mate. She had no political connections, no strength, no—”

“She’s a Moonwolf.”

That silenced him. For a brief moment, I saw something flicker across his face. Shock. Fear. Then it was gone, replaced by calculated interest.

“Elder Corvus told you,” he said.

“You knew.” The betrayal cut deeper than I expected. “You knew what she was and still made me reject her.”

“I suspected. I only became certain when she manifested.” My father walked to the window and looked out over the pack territory. “Which actually made the rejection even more necessary. Do you have any idea what would happen if it became known that we had a Moonwolf in our pack? Every Alpha in the region would be at our gates within a week. Some would want to claim her. Others would want to eliminate the threat. We would be fighting wars on all sides.”

“So you threw her away to save yourself the inconvenience.”

“I protected this pack.” He turned back to me. “And before you climb too high onto your moral high horse, remember that you did it. You could have refused. You could have defied me and kept your mate. But you didn’t.”

The words struck me straight in the heart, because they were true. I had made a choice last night. A cowardly, selfish choice that I would regret for the rest of my life.

“I’m going to find her,” I said.

“No, you’re not.”

“You can’t stop me.”

“Yes, I can. You are still under my authority as Alpha. If I order you to stay within Nightshade territory, you will stay.” His voice was iron. “And I am ordering it. You will not go after the girl. You will complete the mating ceremony with Vanessa. You will put this mess behind you and focus on your duties as future Alpha.”

My wolf howled. He raged. He demanded that I challenge my father here and now. Take the Alpha position by force if necessary.

But I wasn’t ready for that. My father knew it. I knew it. In open combat, he would still win.

So I forced myself to lower my head. To submit. Even though everything inside me screamed for battle.

“Yes, Alpha,” I said.

My father nodded, satisfied. “Good. Now go clean yourself up. You look terrible. We have a pack meeting this afternoon to announce your upcoming mating with Vanessa. I expect you to look presentable.”

He left me standing in the entrance hall. Alone. Defeated.