All Chapters of The Alpha’s Betrayed Mate: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

Aria’s POVThe silence between us felt really heavy, making it hard to bear.The fire had long burned down to embers, but the room still carried the smoky scent of smoke and anger ... thick, choking. Damon stood by the window, shoulders tense, breath quick and uneven. His back was turned to me, yet I could sense the storm within him as clearly as my own.My hands gently rested on my stomach, feeling a bit shaky. I thought I would feel anger or maybe even rejection. But what caught me off guard was the silence... the kind that hurts more than any words ever could.When he finally spoke, his voice was low and controlled… but just about. “Zac’s,” he said, as if the name itself was poison. “You carried his child, and you didn’t think I deserved to know?”I swallowed hard. “It wasn’t about what you deserved. It was about what I couldn’t face.”He turned then, and the look in his eyes almost broke me. It wasn’t just anger. It was hurt ... betrayal, confusion, something rawer than rage. “You

Damon’s POVThe night was quiet…too quiet. After the battle, silence had blanketed the pack like a fragile peace offering. The moon hung pale over Winchester lands, painting everything in silver. Aria slept beside me, her breath soft, her face serene against my chest. For the first time in weeks, I let myself believe we’d finally earned rest.First, I caught a whiff of it...sharp, acrid, and just not right.Smoke.I woke up suddenly, feeling my heart pounding hard against my chest. The air around me felt thick and heavy, almost too heavy to breathe. At first, I thought it was just a nightmare lingering at the edge of sleep, but then I heard it...the roaring sound of fire consuming wood. It was loud and unmistakable. Soon after, I caught the distant shouts coming from within the pack house.I quickly jumped to my feet, ready to face whatever came next.Aria!" I called out, my voice trembling as I searched the dark room. Her side of the bed was empty and cold, sending a shiver down my s

Damon’s POVThe first thing I noticed was pain. A deep, dragging ache that throbbed through every part of me. Then came the scent ... smoke, ash, and the faint whiff of lavender. Aria.I slowly opened my eyes to a gentle blur of light, finding myself in the healer’s cosy room. The ceiling above was made of whitewashed stone, softly glowing from the herbs warming in the brazier. My chest was rising and falling in shallow, uneven breaths, with each inhale feeling like a fiery sting, and every exhale like fire creeping through my lungs.“You’re awake.”Her voice trembled softly, carrying a gentle relief that warmed the moment. I turned my head and saw her there- Aria sitting quietly by my bedside, her eyes shimmering with tears, her hand tightly holding mine as if never wanting to let go. Her hair was a bit dishevelled, with streaks of soot, and her skin looked pale, dotted with the smudges of ash on her cheeks. It was a tender, touching scene full of quiet strength.“Aria…” My voice cra

Damon’s POVThe night air was crisp as I picked up her scent near the gates. The moonlight gently washed over the training field, casting a soft glow that revealed the trembling figure I had been looking for all day ... Aria. Clutching a small satchel, her eyes were fixed on the dark woods ahead, as if she was about to disappear into them.“Don’t,” I said, my voice low but commanding.She froze, then slowly turned around. When her eyes met mine, I could feel the tension in the air. There was pain in her look, mingled with a sense of acceptance that felt even heavier.“Damon, please,” she whispered. “Let me go.”I approached quietly, each step slow and careful, until I was just a breath away. The guards behind me looked uncomfortable but didn’t dare to move. My wolf spirit stirred beneath my skin, feeling agitated and restless. I gestured politely to them to stay back, so it was just the two of us sitting under the beautiful moonlight.“Running again?” I asked, my tone sharper than I i

Damon’s POVThe scent of iron and smoke lingered in the air even after the fires had died down. Though the war had ended, I couldn't help feeling that true peace still seemed so far away. It was kind of like how a predator senses when trouble is near...when the forest suddenly feels quiet, or when the wind seems to murmur secrets instead of bringing a soft, calming breeze.The Winchester pack was steadily rebuilding, brick by brick and bone by bone. The warriors trained diligently once more, and the walls were carefully reinforced. Yet, beneath it all, there was a strange unrest. I could sense it in my wolves' tension, in how their eyes kept flickering toward the forest line, as if they were somehow expecting shadows to come to life.I stood on the balcony of the pack house, the night breeze softly blowing through my hair and carrying the comforting scent of pine and earth. From this vantage point, I could see everything...the patrol lines, the new gates, and the gentle flicker of tor