Chapter four

Daemon’s POV

He hadn't changed a wink since the last time I saw him, which was years ago. He was still tall and lanky, those bright blue eyes taking the room with such ease, rare to find. He had always been that way, taking on life with such excitement.

"Balor!" The name fell from her lips easily as he crossed the space. That was when I noticed the flowers in his hands. Tulips. Not exactly Annie's favorite, but there was no way he could have known that. 

“Hey,” he murmured, handing her the flowers. “These are for you. Happy birthday, Annie.”

She flushed under his gaze, pink hues appearing on her cheeks as she laughed at something he’d said. Her fingers moved up to her hair, as if trying to tuck away a stray curl. She must have realized she had the hair up as her hands dropped to her side. 

“I didn’t know you were coming.” 

"Surprise!" Alpha Ralph laughed. "Balor was supposed to return from Rome next week, but I had them expedite it because I know you would be elated to have him here with you today."

I knew what Alpha Ralph was playing at, even though Annie couldn’t see it. She’d just clocked sixteen. The perfect age for that scent of her mate to permeate her nostrils. Balor was a perfect candidate. 

Alpha Ralph was probably hoping that he would be his daughter’s mate. And even if it happened that he wasn’t, there was also the possibility of making Balor her choice mate.

“Dad!” Annie cried, her hands flying to her chest. “Thank you so much.”

“Anything for you, honey.”

And he meant that with every fibre of his being. But I wasn’t fooled by the words he left unsaid. Alpha Ralph might be Annie’s protector, the one man she looked up to. But he wasn’t mine.

I hated him.

Yet, when his face reached mine, a smile stretched on mine, the only way I knew how to survive in here. The dinner had continued, and I finally realized why Annie had an empty seat next to her.

Balor plopped into it. They laughed about something, leaning into each other. I tugged at my silk tie. My fingers pinched the silverware a little too hard. It broke my nails, but I didn’t even realize it. 

"And Italy is such a stunning city," Balor was saying, his eyes lighting up like the buildings I have seen there. Annie gave him such rapt attention, drinking in every one of his words. 

“Did you go to the cathedrals there?” she asked, chewing slowly. Annie was happy. Truly happy. This was the way it was meant to be.

So, why did I feel like throwing something across the room, preferably Balor?

“Balor.” My lips moved before my brain followed. “Do you have any plans of returning? I know your father, the Beta, has been dying to have you over for a while, but how about your studies?”

“I wrapped things up there already,” he answered respectfully, looking up at me. I remembered when he was born. I was six or seven, but I remembered because the Blue Moon Pack had been anticipating his arrival for a while. 

"And I was thinking I could stay back a while." He turned to Annie as he spoke. "It's been years since I last saw Annie. I want to spend time with her too."

I tugged at my tie again, then reached for my glass of wine, downing the last of its contents. Serena leaned into me. "Are you fine, Daemon?"

“Why?”

“You… you suddenly went rigid and…”

“I’m fine,” I blurted harsher than I intended. But it was too late to take it back. 

Balor moved to adjust something on her dress, and my hands folded into fists on the table. Serena smoothed her hand over mine. "Daemon…"

Pushing the chair back, I got to my feet suddenly. The whole room turned to look at me. Even Aemon, who was most times half-aware of the things going on around me, realized that I was on my feet.

But Annie didn’t.

Balor was telling her something animatedly, and all her attention was on him. 

“I have to go join the rest of the warriors,” I muttered, even if they were all around the pack house, the borders secure. “Thank you for the wonderful dinner, Alpha Ralph.”

Without waiting for an answer, I walked out of the grand hall, leaving Selena looking at my retreating figure. 

“What is wrong with him?” I heard Aemon mutter under his breath. But as usual, he got no response. No one could answer that. No one knew. 

When the door closed behind me, I turned to the left wing and headed up the stairs. Serena came up behind me, her shoes clacking on the stone ground. 

“Daemon, hold up.”

I halted at the landing of the stairs. “I’ll get one of the warriors to get you back to your parents, Serena,” I said without turning around. “Thank you for coming.”

"No, Daemon," she muttered. "I can get home on my own, but this isn't how to treat your date. I can't come here with you, and then you abandon me…"

A scoff escaped my lips as I angled my head. “Date?”

“Daemon…”

“You know me, Serena. I don’t do dates.”

“I thought … You said…”

"You thought wrong." My voice was clipped, leaving no room for arguments. "It's such a shame. I was planning on seeing you again later today, but it is obvious you want something more, and I cannot give that to you."

“Is this about Annie?”

Everything in me stopped. Suddenly, the walls had ears and a pulse. But I pushed it all down, sounding as nonchalant as I had been all these years. “What about my cousin?”

“It is obvious, Daemon. When Balor got here, you just…”

I turned around and walked towards her so fast that her fast eyes missed it until I was right in front of her. “It’s treason to even insinuate something like that, Serena.”

“Treason for who?”

“Go home,” I muttered, glaring at her. “And never come back.”

I continued my way up the stairs, but didn't stop at my side of the pack house. Instead, I went further up until I got to the corridor that made my veins pulse with anger. When I pushed the door open, she sat up, the pillow case she was knitting on her thighs, a mixture of green and red. 

"I should be Alpha," I said as the door closed behind me. "I should be the one in that seat, not Alpha Ralph."

My mother moved, her wrinkled face regarding min

e. “What has gotten you this worked up, Daemon?”