DAMON'S POV
“I told you to crush the damn thing. Haul it to the scrapyard and make sure there’s nothing left to piece together,” I instructed coldly into the phone. As I ended the call, my eyes met hers. The way her gaze snapped upward, wide and brimming with hurt, sent a jolt through me, but I refused to flinch.Her lips parted, but no words came. Instead, her eyes shimmered with unshed tears, and her throat moved as she swallowed hard, trying not to let them fall. I tilted my head, almost amused, almost… regretful. But I had to maintain control.I slipped the phone back into my pocket. “You could’ve stopped all of this,” I said evenly, my voice devoid of warmth. “It didn’t have to reach this point.”Velara’s expression twisted into something sharp and pained. “You’re right,” she snapped, her voice trembling with emotion. “None of this would’ve happened if I’d never crossed paths with you.”Then, without waiting for a response, she spunVELARA'S POVI wiped my face with the back of my hand as I marched away, my vision blurry from tears that just wouldn't stop falling. The sting of frustration burned in my chest, heavy and suffocating. My footsteps echoed through the hallway, brisk and angry, the weight of heartbreak pressing harder with each step. I saw Elysia and Kylie standing just ahead, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t. The lump in my throat was too thick, the storm in my chest too wild to contain. I only wanted to reach my office, to shut the door behind me and hide from everything.They came in after me, unwilling to leave me alone in my silent grief. Kylie held a folded sheet of paper tightly in one hand, her expression etched with worry as she followed my hurried steps. The moment I stepped into my office, I sank into my chair, the air in my lungs thin and shaky. My chest rose and fell rapidly as I tried to compose myself, but the tears just kept coming, hot and relentless.Kylie app
DAMON'S POV“I told you to crush the damn thing. Haul it to the scrapyard and make sure there’s nothing left to piece together,” I instructed coldly into the phone. As I ended the call, my eyes met hers. The way her gaze snapped upward, wide and brimming with hurt, sent a jolt through me, but I refused to flinch.Her lips parted, but no words came. Instead, her eyes shimmered with unshed tears, and her throat moved as she swallowed hard, trying not to let them fall. I tilted my head, almost amused, almost… regretful. But I had to maintain control.I slipped the phone back into my pocket. “You could’ve stopped all of this,” I said evenly, my voice devoid of warmth. “It didn’t have to reach this point.”Velara’s expression twisted into something sharp and pained. “You’re right,” she snapped, her voice trembling with emotion. “None of this would’ve happened if I’d never crossed paths with you.”Then, without waiting for a response, she spun
DAMON'S POVVelara clearly believes she can push me away and that I’ll simply walk off and let her go. That won’t happen. I don’t back down from what I want, and I want her. The idea of being paired with another she-wolf out of obligation makes my stomach turn when the Moon Goddess herself matched me with Velara. Unwilling or not, she’s mine. My father would probably have a stroke if he found out my mate was a rogue, but his approval has never factored into my decisions. If fate has made her mine, I trust in that judgment. I don’t believe the Goddess makes mistakes.Velara might resist me now, but everyone has a point where they crack. I intend to find hers.I sat casually in my car, parked across the road from her modest little hotel, a smirk tugging at my lips as the tow truck rumbled into view. My earlier call to the health and safety office had already set things in motion; their inspector's vehicle sat quietly in the hotel’s small parking area, a dull
DAMON'S POVVelara’s hand trembled in my grip, but I didn’t let go. I could feel her fingers slowly relaxing, her resistance wavering as I stepped even closer. Her frame melted ever so slightly against mine, her breath becoming quicker, more erratic, almost desperate. I tilted my head, brushing my nose gently along the slope of her neck up to the shell of her ear. Her skin radiated warmth, her scent intoxicating, making my restraint crumble.The beat of her heart thundered in my ears, fierce and frantic, matching the storm building in my chest. Her free hand clutched the front of my shirt weakly, as though part of her didn’t want to push me away, but I knew better. She was fighting with everything she had to stay in control, to resist the pull of the bond trying to drag her under, urging her to submit, to yield to me, her Alpha.A low growl built in my throat and spilled out as a deep, vibrating purr, echoing through my chest. I couldn’t help it anymore. I
VELARA'S POVThe morning crept in with a hush that felt almost sacred, as though the slightest movement would crack the stillness like thin ice. My feet met the cold kitchen floor with quiet steps, the tiles biting against my soles while my sleeves draped past my hands. The oversized sweater I wore sagged at the cuffs, hanging loosely on my frame, and carried with it a faded scent, something soft and warm, touched by vanilla and the ache of memories I had no strength to revisit. Outside, the misty air cloaked the city in a shroud of pale gray light, making everything seem gentler, quieter, as if the world had decided to pause just long enough for me to finally exhale.Without conscious thought, my hands moved with familiar purpose. I pulled the small saucepan from the cupboard and set it gently atop the stove, careful not to break the silence. The wooden spoon waited where it always did, resting against the tiled wall. I retrieved it and pressed my thumb along its handle. The surface
VELARA'S POVDamon’s voice sliced through the tension between us, sharp and accusing. “So you admit it then? Titles do matter to you. You just said you need to mark me, not out of love but because of some duty to your pack. Like I’m nothing more than a vessel to bear your heir. All because your father ordered it.” My tone trembled, not from fear, but from fury.His eyes darkened, and a low growl vibrated from his chest as he stepped toward me, eyes blazing with indignation. “You don’t know a damn thing about my father, Velara, so don’t you dare speak of him like that. He built this city from the ground up. Show some respect.”“Respect?” I repeated, the word curling with disdain. “Your father might have founded this place, but what did it cost him, or rather, who? How many lives did he crush underfoot to secure his power? Alphas only care about land and status. Meanwhile, the rest of us? We’re cast aside. Forgotten. And you expect me to thank him for that?” My voice was rising now, thi