Chapter 4: I’ll Finish Him

Damien’s POV

I wanted to reach for her. To hold her and never let go. To see if my affliction would spare her, or perhaps cure me. But I stayed still, fighting the need to close the space between us, but she was afraid of me. She thought I was some thought reading ugly monster. A lot was surely said about me out there! I scoffed internally. She stared, surprisingly not even afraid of the rumors she heard, that I killed for being stared at.

“When you’re done admiring me,” I said, smirking to ease her nerves, “let me know.” She bit her lip. I swallowed hard, resisting the urge to lean forward and taste her. This was going to be harder than I thought. “I’m sorry, Alpha,” she squeaked. Even in fear, her voice slipped into me like a melody, soft, trembling, painfully sweet. My body reacted instantly, instinctively, as if it had been waiting centuries to hear her speak. I wanted to reach for her, to hold her and calm her. But not yet, not until I understood why she couldn’t feel our bond.

“You came for this interview,” I said, keeping my tone neutral, measured. “So you must live among humans… or at least interact with them often. Which is it?” She hesitated, clearly worried I was digging through her mind. I cut that fear before it could grow. “I’m not reading your thoughts anymore,” I told her quietly.

She let out a shaky breath. She went quiet until I probed her more. She was hiding a lot and that had to do with whatever made her wolf hibernate. “I… I live among humans,” she said after a lot of probing. My jaw tightened. She wasn't visiting but living. A lone wolf in human territory? Was that the reason I never got to find her? That meant only one thing: she’d been pushed out or broken. “Do you understand the risk you’ve put yourself in by living outside the Lycan territory?” The Alpha command slipped into my voice before I could stop it. Her body jolted. She flinched, froze… terrified. Damn it.

I dragged a hand over my face. “Oh boy, I hate weak wolves.” The words were intentional, a calculated jab. A test. Her sniffle was soft but then she lifted her chin, eyes burning with something fierce and wounded. “Excuse me for appearing weak,” she said, voice trembling but brave, “but I believe you’d be the same if the tables were turned. I had no choice.” My interest sharpened. She continued, voice cracking at the edges: “I was bullied, humiliated, beaten into submission and rejected by my mate, an Alpha-to-be who thought his power gave him the right to crush me. Then he exiled me. I had nowhere to go and no one.” A roaring fury exploded inside me. 'He WHAT?'

'He rejected her, humiliated her and cast her out?' Damon snarled inside me, unhinged. “I’ll finish him. I’ll rip his throat out.” My hands curled into fists so tight my knuckles cracked. That explained why her wolf went dormant. That Alpha had broken every sacred law we upheld and he would pay for each one with blood. But first, I needed to understand her. “Why apply for this job?” I asked, sharper than intended. “You were willing to risk yourself for money?” I had already read her thoughts, it was for her mother but I wanted to hear her own words. “I don’t do things like this,” she whispered. “But my mother… she needs surgery. I’m out of options.” The breath left my lungs. Assuming this offer didn't come from me but my mate would have carried some human child and created a hybrid and exposing our existence just so she could help her mom. She was abandoned and forced into this. She had walked into the jaws of danger, not out of greed, but out of love.

“I thought I’d never have a child,” she added softly. “Second chance mates are rare. This felt like… my only chance to experience carrying a pup.” My heart caved in. She truly believed she would never love again, never be chosen again. And here I was, her second chance, yet she was clueless of my existence. 'She’s ours,' Damon said, voice breaking, 'and she doesn’t even know it.' I swallowed, forcing my voice steady. “Which pack did you come from?” She hesitated, then answered. The name alone was enough. Blackwood Pack. I didn’t need more. The pieces snapped together with terrifying clarity. When she left my office, disappointment clung to her scent. She thought she had failed. She thought it was over because I told her she could walk or stay. But for me? It had only begun. I grabbed my phone.

“Ryan. Investigate the Blackwood Pack. I want everything on a former maid named Coletta Davids within the hour.” The moment I spoke her name, something primal settled in me. Whoever hurt her…whoever broke her spirit…whoever dared touch what was mine… I would handle them personally.

Ryan entered thirty minutes later, punctual as always. Technology in my kingdom was unrivaled; retrieving information was a matter of seconds, not hours. He stepped inside dramatically and bowed as if greeting royalty in a ballroom. “Your Majesty!” I rolled my eyes. “Ryan.” He grinned. “I live to serve.” “What did you find?” I snapped, patience gone. The grin vanished. He opened his tablet, and began to speak. Every word that came out of his mouth made my blood boil hotter. By the time he finished, Damon was pacing like a caged beast inside me. And one thing was certain: The Blackwood Pack was about to burn.