Lahat ng Kabanata ng Once His Mate, Now His Rival: Kabanata 131 - Kabanata 140

Damon checked his watch for what felt like the hundredth time since boarding the plane. Barely two hours had passed since he left Hawaii, which meant there were still nine hours to go before he reached New York. "Fuck," he cussed, reaching into the compartment and pulling out a miniature bottle of whiskey and a glass. He poured a small amount, taking a quick swig. The liquor burned on the way down, flooding his chest with warmth, but not enough to quell the turmoil churning inside him. A few moments after ending the call with Magnus, Damon had phoned Jake and told him everything, ordering him to go straight to Amber's house and protect her and the kids. Then he'd called Blake, instructing him to gather every man they had and bring them back to the pack. He didn't know whether Magnus had been telling the truth, but if there was even the slightest chance that he was, the pack would need every fighter they could muster. And he could only hope and pray that Blake be able to hold th

Damon woke to silence. Not the calm kind—the heavy, unnatural kind that pressed against his ears until they rang. For a moment, he couldn't move. Couldn't think. His body felt buried beneath itself, limbs too heavy to answer him. The air reeked of burnt metal and pine sap, sharp enough to sting his lungs when he dragged in a breath. Then the pain came. It rolled through him in slow waves, retreating just enough to let him stay conscious. He groaned and turned his head, his cheek scraping against damp soil and ash. Towering trees loomed above him, their trunks split and blackened, branches torn away as if something massive had plowed straight through them. He rubbed his forehead, trying to piece the events that got him here. Slowly, it came... Leaving Hawaii. The stewardess. The engine failure. The captain's voice. The shift. Then... Nothing. Damon pushed himself up and froze. His skin was bare. He wasn't putting on any clothes. The transformation must have burned through every

"We've been waiting for you."The man voice was soft, yet filled with an ancient weight. It coiled around Damon, seeping into his bones and filling him with dread.Despite himself, Damon shivered.There was power in this man's presence. Raw.Undeniable.He could feel it seeping deep inside his bones."Who are you?" Damon asked, the words slipping out before he could stop them.The man's lips curved slightly, though it was not quite a smile."Lucian Ashborne."Damon froze.He'd heard that name before.Killian Ashborne—the rumoured Alpha, leader of the white wolf pack and keeper of the ancient artifacts.A man feared and revered in equal measure.And if his guess was right, then the man standing before him was Killian's son."Relax, child," Lucian said calmly, his voice measured, deliberate, as he took off his mask. "I'm not going to hurt you."Damon flinched at the word.Hurt.The man before him looked ten years younger than he was. And yet, there was something about him that told him

Amber didn't know how many minutes have passed since she started running, or how much farther her body could carry her.She only knew she couldn't stop.She clutched the twins closer, forcing her legs to move, ignoring the burn in her lungs."I'm tired, mummy," Jessie cried beside her, her breathing ragged, sweat pouring down her small face."Me too, Mama," Jason added, his voice thin with exhaustion."Just a little more, honey," Amber urged, even though she knew they couldn't stop.Not now.Not when that monster was chasing after them.Not when Jake had stayed behind to buy them time.She didn't know why Magnus was after her and her family, but she knew one thing—she would die before she let him lay a finger on her children."What the fuck is going on, Bree?" Jessie shouted as she ran beside her, struggling to keep up. "Who was that man? Why is he after us?"Amber opened her mouth to answer... and that's when she heard footsteps echoing close behind, relentless, quick.Her heart slam

Damon didn't know how long had passed since he'd walked into the hospital, or how many times his heart had skipped a beat each time the ER doors opened and someone walked out.He stood in front of the emergency room, one hand raking through his black hair as he paced the waiting area.The sharp smell of antiseptic clung thickly to the airFrom across the room, people stole glances at him - some pointing, others murmuring among themselves as if they recognized who he was.But Damon didn't care.Not when everything had gone so wrong.Not when he'd lost everything.Somewhere in Hawaii, Drake lay motionless in a hospital room… trapped in a coma, with no certainty if he'd ever wake up.His pack had been attacked and razed to the ground. Several lives lost.Children.Teenagers.Old men and women.People he had sworn to protect.Pack members who had trusted him to keep them safe.But he'd failed them.Terribly.And as if the world itself were punishing him for that failure, he'd lost his wif