DAMIEN.“Damien? Damien? Damien!”Natalie’s voice snaps me back to reality and I am startled to see her standing right in front of me.“Are you okay?” she asks, her eyes shining with concern and her hands cradling my face.“Yeah…I uh…” I take a breath to clear my throat before continuing. “I guess it just finally hit me,” I say as I take her hands in mine. “That you are actually leaving. I just got you back from a deranged which and now you are going into a place I gave no reach. No control. No power. I am not sure how to handle that. What if I… what if I never see you again? What if I lose you?”“You won't. I swear you won't,” she says, her voice ringing with determination and fire. “I am going to come back to you. We are going to defeat Void and we are going to have our happily ever after. We deserve that much.”“Yeah, we do,” I reply quietly as I pull her into a gentle kiss before taking her into a hug.“We will leave you two for now,” I hear Fredja say. “I will come call you when

DAMIEN.“Alpha, it's past two. You need to go to bed.”I list my head to see Anya standing at the door of my study, dressed in her pajamas and hair tied back in a scarf.“Anya. What are you still up?” I ask, my voice low and tired.“I came to check up on you. I had a feeling you won't be in bed. Again. This is the third time in a row. You need to sleep, Alpha.”“I will. I just have a lot to see handle1 before Alpha Maddox arrives.”“Those files will still be there in the morning,” she says as she walks into the room. “As well as more additions to them. You denying yourself sleep won't change that. Besides, you need to be at your best - sharp and agile - for the discussions you are going to have.”“I know, Anya. I know. I just can't…”“You can't sleep without the Luna,” she finishes for me.“I can't,” I admit. “I really can't. Both of our rooms feel so empty. So wrong. Staying there just reminds me of her absence. But don't worry, see,” I tell her as I gesture towards the couch -laden

DAMIENPOW!SMACK!The sounds of sparring echo in one of the training rooms as I land another hit on Lucas.Harvey had left not too long after our conclusions to convince the other Alphas -which is a huge load off for me. The idea of brown nosing people is still unappealing to me, regardless of the reason.In the well lit training room, the air hangs heavy with anticipation as Lucas and I continue our face off. The space is expansive, with high ceilings that seem to stretch into darkness above us. The walls are lined with floor-to-ceiling mirrors, reflecting our every move as we circle each other. The polished wood floor beneath our feet is worn smooth from countless hours of training, marked with scuff marks and scratches that tell the stories of past sparring matches.In one corner of the room, a small alcove holds a rack of training equipment—padded gloves, punching bags, and agility cones—all waiting to be used in the pack’s quest for improvement. The only other features in the

DAMIEN“Oh, come on!” The exclamation rings out from one of the pack members as he collapses to the floor thanks to the maneuver g of his spar partner.“You cheated!”“Did not! You are just slow?”“You-”“Enough.”The voice cuts through the clearing, causing us all to turn to face him.“Let's take ten.”As soon as Alaric signals for a break in the training, exhaustion washes over the pack members like a tidal wave. We collapse onto the grass, gasping for breath, our bodies trembling from the intensity of the workout. I wipe the sweat from my brow, feeling the burn of exertion in my muscles.“Thank the goddess,” I pant. “The man is a demon.”It is the third day of training and my muscles are screaming at me in protest.I thought I was good. That my training was up to par if not one of the best.Boy, was I wrong.Alaric has broken, crushed, and destroyed all of my previous acclaim with his own regiment of training.If I was a weaker, insecure man, I would have already called it quits.

DAMIEN“...her lover is - was Void.”“Damien,” Harvey calls my name, already showing signs of frustration. “You are really pushing this too far. What do you mean Void was the moon goddess’s liver? How?”“Look, I don't know. And I am not entirely motivated to know. I have told you what Natalie relayed to me, that is it,” I say.“Wait,” Steven interrupts. “If Void was her lover, doesn't that mean that your mate has blood ties - or whatever it is they have - with him?”“Yes. That is exactly what it means. Natalie has the power of two deities running through her veins.”“Wow,” Cain remarks. “You really hit the bag with your mate. How does it feel to have deities as parent in laws?” he asks with a smirk.“Not great,” I reply, and then turning to Harvey, I ask. “What plan do you have in mind to get into Void’s camp?”THANDRAL- WORLD OF THE DEITIES ONE OF THE OTHER WORLDS.NATALIE.I collapse into the lush mattress that feels like clouds.“I am best,” I groan into it.“Long day?” a tinkling