What changed you

Damon, we need to talk! Luna Anita yelled as she burst into Damon’s room. She walked over to where he was seated and stood before him with folded arms.

“I heard you tried whipping Amara with a belt. Is that true?” she asked, hoping Damon would deny it. She couldn’t believe he would do such a thing.

Damon, filled with guilt, couldn’t say a word. Rather, he ran a hand through his hair and looked away, unable to face his mother. His silence made her realize that what Darius had reported to her was true.

For a moment, she couldn’t believe it. She couldn’t believe her kind-hearted son, who had loved Amara so dearly when they were little, would consider flogging her with a belt—something he had never done before. Even when a maid did something terrible and she wanted to discipline them, Damon would always be the one to beg for mercy on their behalf.

So what happened? Why was he acting so cold and harsh toward Amara? She took a deep breath and sat across from Damon, who still couldn’t hold her gaze.

“What happened, son? Tell me,” she urged, knowing something was obviously wrong with him. “Damon, I gave birth to you. I watched you grow. I saw how much you loved Amara. You adored that girl. I remember how you would innocently tell me that Amara was your wife. I admired how much you cared for her. But suddenly, everything changed. You became aggressive toward her, and now you nearly whipped her with your belt.” She muttered, confused. “Tell me, son, did Amara wrong you in any way? If she did, please tell me, and I will apologize on her behalf. Please, son, I want you to stop this.” She pleaded, her voice filled with desperation.

Damon remained silent, his face contorted with guilt, pain, and something deeper—something Luna Anita couldn’t quite put her finger on. His hands clenched into fists as he struggled with his emotions, torn between the impulse to defend himself and the shame of his actions.

“Son, please,” Luna Anita implored softly, reaching across the table to place a gentle hand on his. “Talk to me. Whatever it is, we can work through it together. I need to understand why you’re doing this—why you’re hurting her.”

Damon finally looked up, his eyes clouded with pain. “You wouldn’t understand, Mother,” he muttered, his voice rough and low.

“Then make me understand,” she replied, her voice firm but compassionate. “I raised you to be kind, to be fair. This isn’t you, Damon. It’s like you’re someone else entirely.”

Damon wished he could pour out his emotions to his mother. He had never kept anything from her before, but he knew he had to keep this one.

“Mother, people change. I changed,” Damon murmured.

But Luna Anita wasn’t convinced. She frowned, sensing there was more to Damon’s words than he was willing to admit. “Changed how, Damon? People don’t just change overnight without reason. Something must have happened—something serious.”

Damon clenched his jaw, his gaze hardening. He tried to maintain his composure, but Luna Anita could see the turmoil brewing beneath the surface.

“I can’t tell you,” he finally said, his voice a mixture of frustration and pain. “You wouldn’t want to know, and it wouldn’t change anything.”

Her heart ached as she watched her son struggle with his secret. She knew him better than anyone. She knew Damon wasn’t inherently cruel or violent.

“Damon, I’m not leaving this room until you talk to me. I can’t sit back and watch you destroy yourself—or Amara.”

“Please, Mother, nothing is wrong with me. I want to be left alone,” he pleaded desperately.

Sensing Damon wasn’t in the mood to talk, she decided to let him be. “I will leave,” she muttered as she got to her feet. “But don’t think this discussion is over,” she added before leaving the room.

Damon let out a heavy sigh the moment his mother left, his hands trembling slightly as he ran them over his face, trying to shake off the guilt and shame that clung to him. He stared at the closed door for a moment, his heart pounding in his chest. His mother’s disappointment settled over him like a heavy blanket, suffocating him.

He turned away from the door and walked over to the window, pushing it open to let the cool evening air brush against his skin. He needed to calm down, to think clearly. But even the fresh air wasn’t helping.

Wanting more air, he decided to leave his room and go to the garden.

On his way, he met his father, Alpha Richardson.

“Father,” Damon greeted.

Alpha Richardson smiled and gave Damon a soft tap on the shoulder. “I was just coming to your room,” Alpha Richardson said, prompting Damon to become curious.

“Is everything okay, Father?” Damon asked.

Alpha Richardson nodded with an assuring smile. “It’s fine. In fact, I want to discuss something with you and your brother before you leave for the Alpha’s Academy. We’ll have that discussion tonight. Let your brother know,” Alpha Richardson said and tapped Damon on the shoulder before attempting to walk away.

But he stopped and turned to look at his son, noticing that he seemed different, as if he had lost some noticeable weight. “Are you okay? You don’t seem well,” Alpha Richardson asked with concern, his inquisitive eyes scanning Damon.

Damon nodded. “Yes, Father, I’m fine. You don’t have to worry about me,” he assured, forcing a smile—which didn’t convince Alpha Richardson, but he chose not to push the matter further.

“If you say so, son,” Alpha Richardson said before leaving.

Damon continued his journey to the garden. He was almost there when he noticed Antonia, with her back turned, speaking on the phone. He quickly stepped closer, wanting to scare her playfully, but her next words made him stop.

“Don’t worry, I’ve already given her three days, and I believe she has no choice now,” Antonia said to the person on the phone.

Damon’s brow furrowed in confusion. Sensing his presence, Antonia turned to see him standing there. Her eyes widened, and a lump formed in her throat.