Chapter 5 Damian’s Pov

Most people assumed being Alpha meant you always had control. They weren’t entirely wrong because I usually did. 

But the truth was, sometimes you had to create control. Manufacture it. Bend the moment until it bent to you.

That’s exactly what I planned to do with Jane Garice.

Jason called it reckless but then, if I wanted people to stop whispering about my grades and start believing I was untouchable again, there was no better way than making it public: Jane and I, together.

Fake or not, the image mattered more than the truth. And image was something I’d mastered.

It's been a few days since Jane told me that she would give me an answer.

And I was tired of waiting. 

So I hatched my plan. 

***

Friday night meant one thing at Cornell: the Den.

It wasn’t just a bar—it was a wolf hangout disguised as one. There was loud music, sticky floors, and the scent of cheap beer mixing with the unmistakable musk of wolf energy simmering under the surface.

Every pack kid on campus ended up here sooner or later.

And, conveniently, the entire cheer squad was celebrating some routine they’d nailed.

Jason raised an eyebrow as we walked in. “You’re really going through with this tonight? She said you should wait for her answer, you know.”

“Why wait?” I grinned, scanning the crowd until I spotted her. 

Jane.

She was standing by the bar, her dark hair loose around her shoulders for once, gold eyes glinting under the neon lights. She wore ripped black jeans and a cropped hoodie. 

The look was casual, but somehow she still managed to look like she owned the place.

It was crazy that she was new in this school and yet, had quickly dominated the place. 

It made me curious about her even more.

Geneva was bouncing beside her, gesturing wildly as she talked. Typical hype-woman mode.

My wolf stirred, pushing forward as I locked eyes on Jane once again. 

Mine, he growled, unbidden.

Not mine, I reminded him sharply. Not yet. Not ever.

I then shoved the thought aside and started toward her. 

Jason groaned. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

I ignored him and continued moving. 

***

When Jane spotted me halfway across the room, her expression instantly soured like she’d bitten into something rotten.

“Ross,” she said flatly as I stopped in front of her.

“Garice,” I returned with a grin. “Enjoying yourself?”

She crossed her arms, unimpressed. “You’re blocking the bar. Move.”

“Or,” I said, leaning just slightly closer to her, “you could play along for five minutes and make this easier on both of us.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Don’t you dare—”

I didn’t give her the chance to finish. Instead, I slung an arm casually around her shoulders, turning to face the crowd just as Jason joined Geneva.

“Hey, everyone!” I called, voice cutting through the noise. Wolves turned instantly—perks of Alpha lungs. “Figured I’d clear up a little rumor before it gets out of hand.”

Jane stiffened under my arm. “Damian—” she hissed.

I ignored her. “All that talk about me failing classes? About me losing my spot on the team?” I paused for effect, letting the silence stretch. “Not true. Because I’ve got the best study partner on campus. And more than that…”

I looked down at Jane, smirking at the fury flashing across her eyes. “She’s my mate.”

The place exploded immediately.

Cheers. Whistles. Some gasps. 

Geneva actually squealed like she’d won the lottery. 

Jason muttered something about me being a dead man but I couldn’t hear it over the noise.

Jane shoved my arm off her and spun on me, amber eyes blazing. “Are you insane?”

“Maybe,” I said, still smiling. “But it worked. Nobody’s going to question me now.”

“You had no right,” she snapped. “No right to use me like that!”

I stepped closer, lowering my voice so only she could hear. “You wanted Trevor to suffer, didn’t you? Imagine his face when he finds out you’re with me. His rival. His enemy. Nothing hits harder. Why think about it?”

Her lips parted, then snapped shut. I could see the war in her—pride against temptation, fury against the quiet satisfaction of revenge.

“You don’t know what you’ve just started,” she whispered finally with a harsh tone.

“Oh, I know exactly what I’ve started,” I murmured back.

For a heartbeat, it felt like the room faded out, leaving just the two of us. Her scent tangled with mine, sharp pine and wild honey, sparking something electric down my spine. 

My wolf prowled, restless, hungry.

But Jane shoved me back, breaking the moment. “Fine,” she said through gritted teeth. “If you want to play this game, we’ll play. But on my terms. You don’t breathe without me approving it first. Got it?”

I grinned, all teeth. “Sweetheart, you’ll regret giving me permission to breathe.”

Her growl was soft but lethal. “Call me sweetheart one more time and I’ll—”

“Bite me?” I suggested.

Her cheeks flushed. “Don’t tempt me.”

I moved closer to her just enough for her to hear the rumble of my wolf under my words. “Oh, I’m counting on it.”

She was breathing really hard now as she demanded, “Just for the next few weeks, right?”

“Yep,” I said so casually, knowing that it was going to irk her. 

As I looked at her while fury burned in her eyes, one thought was crystal clear in my mind: 

the next few weeks were going to be one hell of a crazy and interesting time.