Lahat ng Kabanata ng Once His Mate, Now His Rival: Kabanata 141 - Kabanata 150

The phone vibrated again in Damon's hand.Once.Twice.The unknown number glowed on the screen like a challenge.Damon stepped away from Jake's bedside, his grip tightening as he answered."Talk."A low chuckle rolled through the line."Straight to business, I see," the voice drawled. "I almost forgot how charming you are, Alpha Damon."Damon didn't respond, his gaze fixed on the city lights beyond the ward window, distant and cold, just like the voice in his ear.Silence stretched between them.Five seconds.Eight seconds.Then ten.The man on the other end wanted it that way. Wanted Damon to fill it with fear.Slow, measured breathing followed. The sound of someone utterly at ease. Unbothered by the chaos he’d unleashed in a single night."I thought you'd be louder," Magnus said at last. "After discovering what's left of your pack."He paused, letting the words sink in."No howling? No threats? I'm disappointed."Something old and feral stirred in Damon's chest, a growl vibrating be

Chapter One Hundred And Forty Three; (The Alpha's Reflection II)Marcus didn't know how long had passed since Aaron left the room, or how many times he had clenched his jaw that evening.His thoughts kept drifting back to that bastard.Back to Damon Cross.The man he hated more than anyone else on the planet.The one responsible for the constant ache in his chest.If it weren't for him, Amber never would have left.If it weren't for him, maybe… just maybe, things would have turned out differently.He exhaled deeply, bracing his hands against the edge of his desk as he tried to force the thoughts away. Dwelling on Damon—or on Amber—served no purpose now. Not when he had a pack to lead.Still, his mind refused to cooperate.Why would Damon come to this part of the world?As far as he was concerned, Damon had no business anywhere near this region. New York was miles away, far outside his territory. And with Amber in his life now, the Lycan King had everything he could possibly want.Powe

Chapter One Hundred And Forty Five; (A storm on the Horizon)The silence that followed was deafeningFor a long moment no one moved, all eyes fixed on the two Alphas standing mere inches apart, their dominance crashing together, raw power rippling through the hall until the air itself seemed to hum.A few seconds dragged by, and then... Marcus slowly released Damon. He staggered back, threw his head up, and let out a dark, bitter laugh.The sound echoed through the room, lasting far too long, until every gaze shifted to him.And then… the laughter died.The color drained from Marcus's face, his expression hardening into something cold, something lethal. The temperature in the room seemed to drop."You barge into my territory uninvited, disrupt an alliance that took weeks to secure. And then you stand there and demand I go to war at your side?" he growled, his alpha tone rolling off him in heavy waves.He took a step forward, eyes blazing."Tell me, Damon... what gives you the audacity

Chapter One Hundred And Forty Seven: (When Graves Are Still Warm)NINETEEN HOURS LATERThe moon loomed high above the pack house, it's silver glow casting an ethereal sheen upon the freshly dug graves behind the building.Blake stood at the edge of the gathering, his boots caked in mud, his clothes still clinging to him from the rain that had battered the grounds for hours before finally retreating. The air was sharp with the scent of wet soil and death.Behind him stood the remainder of the pack, all gathered to lay the dead to rest, to offer their final goodbyes before the earth swallowed them whole, just as Damon had instructedThe elder wolves stepped forward, their black robes dragging through the mud like shadows come to life. Their voices rose in the old language, low and haunting, offering prayers of gjan to soothe the fallen and guide their restless souls beyond the veil.The air grew heavy with their words, thick with sorrow. The moon pulsed once, as though it could sense th

Chapter One Hundred And Forty Nine: (When The Wolves Came)Damon sat behind the wheels, eyes locked on the road ahead as he tore through the streets of New York.It hadn't been thirty minutes since he'd ordered the driver to pull over and let him take control - not because he wanted to play the hero, but because he refused to carry any more blood on his handsAfter all the lives lost in Magnus's recent attack, he wouldn't allow another innocent soul to die because of him. As much as it pained him to admit it, Marcus had been right.This was his war.It had begun the moment his father's beta went rogue, and if it was going to end, it would end with him.Alone.He pressed harder on the accelerator, his thoughts dissolving into a blur as city lights streaked past him..By the time he arrived, midnight had already fallen. Blake's coordinates led him to an abandoned estate, devoid of any sign of human life - the perfect camouflage for Magnus's hideout.Clever, Damon thought.He parked the