Chapter 5: Summoning Her Back

Damien’s POV

Crack! The porcelain shattered in my hand, tea splashing over my knuckles like scalding accusation. “Impudent...” My voice shook the room. “They deserve to be annihilated.” Rage thrummed beneath my skin, electric and lethal. I could not believe there were wolves, my wolves, in my own territory capable of such depravity. What gave them the audacity to mistreat a woman? A maid and a pack omega? Not only her but many others! 'My fated mate was mistreated?' Damon growled.

I rose from the chair, jaw locked, and stalked toward the window. The city lights glimmered below, indifferent to my fury. I gripped the edge of the frame, fighting the urge to shift and tear something apart. I tried to picture the horrors Ryan described. Coletta cowering under beatings she never deserved, her mother suffering, and maybe the pack laughing, the Alpha’s son humiliating her,

forcing her into exile like she was nothing. Damon snarled inside me.

“Why did they go to such lengths? What is Thorne Blackwood hiding?” I muttered, my teeth grinding. The Blackwood Alpha was known for pride, cruelty, and secrets, but exiling a girl for existing? Allowing his son to behave like a tyrant? There was more. There had to be more to this. I pivoted sharply. “Tell my PI to call Coletta here by tomorrow.” Ryan stiffened at the icy tone. “Yes, Your Majesty.” He bowed, exaggerated, dramatic of course, but silent this time. He knew better. He slipped out of the office without another word. I remained at the window, fists clenching and unclenching, breath slow and dangerous.

They had mistreated my mate. My own fated mate. And they had done it inside my kingdom, under my rule. Darian Blackwood, the future Alpha who rejected her… I would handle him personally. And if Thorne allowed it willy nilly? He would answer for it too. But first... first I would fix everything for her. The next morning Coletta arrived escorted by Laura, her aura soft and cautious. She stood at the threshold, fingers twisting at the hem of her shirt. Her fear was quiet, tightly contained beneath a fragile mask of composure.

Damon whimpered, restless. He wanted to comfort her. I wanted to pull her into my arms too but she still didn’t know she was mine. “Good morning, Miss Davids,” I greeted, keeping my voice steady, almost gentle. “Thank you for coming back on such short notice.” She hesitated before sitting. “I… didn’t expect a callback,” she said, her face distorted with confusion. “You made an impression,” I said lightly. Her teeth caught her lower lip, and my restraint wavered.

I slid an envelope toward her. “The contract. Read it carefully. If you agree, sign the last page. Your compensation has been doubled.” Her head snapped up. “Doubled? Why?” She asked, suspiciously. She looked like a person who didn't like feeling indebted to anyone. Or maybe she felt there were hidden reasons for doubling the money. “Because your circumstances demand it,” I answered simply. “And because I can. You deserve the chance to help your mother without selling yourself short.” Her hand trembled as she lifted the envelope. She read slowly, eyes narrowing at certain clauses, showing me her intelligence and caution.

She paused at the signature page, pen hovering. Her hesitation pulled a sigh from my chest. “You’re not compelled to sign now,” I told her. “Take the contract with you. Think about it and sign it if you want or don’t.” I didn’t mean it. There would be no turning back from here, not for either of us. I slowly rose from my chair. She scrambled to her feet too, like she wasn’t used to an Alpha moving near her. “I understand,” she whispered. “Thank you.” But then she stilled. Her hand flew to her chest.

I assume she must has been feeling pain. Her aura flickered, and I felt her dormant wolf struggling. “What is it, little wolf?” I asked, instantly alert. I had an idea of what was happening but I wanted her to say it herself. “I, I don’t know,” she whispered. “But something is wrong.” Her face tightened, her breath uneven. She clutched her chest again. I circled the desk quickly, crouching beside her with my seven foot tall frame. She jerked away like my proximity burned her.

Her wolf had recognized me. Her soul recognized me. She wasn’t ready and the bond was forcing itself through the cracks. “You,” she breathed. “Who are you and what have you done to me?” I held her gaze, voice low and certain. “The better question is… what are you to me?” Realization flashed across her features, frightening her. “Your wolf recognizes me, doesn’t she?” I murmured. She backed away, shaking her head. “No. No, you... You did something. This is a trap.” She shook her head. “I’ve done nothing, Coletta,” I said evenly. “Except summon the woman fate owes me.” Her breath hitched at my confirmation of her fears. Good! Now I know she won't disappear even if she wanted. The bond would call her back.

I handed her the envelope, the contract she suddenly seemed too overwhelmed to hold. “When you’re ready… come back with it signed. Or don’t if you don't want to.” I turned away, walking toward the window, giving her an escape even when every part of me wanted to cage her in my arms. She hesitated... then fled. The door clicked shut behind her and that left my heart empty. Damon whispered, voice thick with hope: 'She’s starting to feel it.'

Coletta’s POV

I shouldn’t have come back. My instincts screamed at me to run the moment I stepped into the lobby but I forced myself to stay. My mother needed help. And this contract… it might be the miracle I had prayed for. If they called me back here, it must be that I made it. Still, every step felt like walking into a trap. Alpha Damien McKnight. The way he looked at me yesterday…

it was too intense. Like too knowing and too consuming. As if he’d seen me before or that he’d always known me.

“Miss Davids?” the receptionist called gently. “The CEO will see you now.” The elevator felt like a coffin sealing shut around me. My reflection in the metallic surface showed a girl who’d already been broken once, trying not to break again. The doors opened with a soft chime. His floor was bright, too bright, but the air was heavy. He stood leaning against his desk, carved from something dark and expensive, looking like danger shaped into perfection. His eyes locked on mine immediately.

“Miss Davids,” he said, smooth as silk over steel. “Thanks for coming back on short notice.” I swallowed. “I wasn't expecting a callback.”