Chapter 18
Damien pow
“Alpha Damien, are you listening to me?” Lucas’s voice drags me out of my thoughts. I glance up to see him and Felix staring at me with expressions that scream concemed parents.
“Oh, what were you talking about? I wasn’t listening” I admit shamelessly, grabbing the file in front of me and flipping through it like I care. Silence 1 look up again, and they’re still staring at me.
Want hold on Is that sympathy on their faces? Are they pitying me!
“What the hell is wrong with you
ou two?” I scoff, rolling my eyes as I point at both of them with the file
They exchange a look, and I know exactly what’s happening–they’re mindlinking. Again. I hate it when they do that. It’s like watching two people whisper in a corner, except I know they’re gossiping about me.
My curiosity gets the better of me, so I do what any responsible Alpha would do: I intercept their mindlink. Forcefully.
“You sell him. Beta Lucas.” Felix’s voice echoes through the link.
“Why should 1‘ I can’t tell him- Lucas grumbles, and I raise a brow as I glance at both of them. Now, now. Are they actually keeping something from me?
“Tell me what, Lucas” I say aloud, leaning back in my y chair with a smirk. I watch as the two freeze like deer caught in headlights. Their heads snap toward me, eyes wide with panc
“A–Alpha, you were listening?!” Felix blurts out, his voice an octave higher than usual.
“Of course I was You two aren’t exactly subtle,” I reply, propping my feet up on the desk. “Now spill. What can’t Lucas tell me?”
Lucas looks at Felix, then at me, hesitating before mumbling, “Uh.. Alpha Damien, these days you haven’t been yourself
“Myself?” I repeat, my smirk instantly vanishing. Of all the things I expected–like some embarrassing secret or ridiculous complant—not this What does not being myself even mean? If they’re about to lecture me about not paying attention during meetings, they’ve clearly forgotten that I never pay attention. That’s just standard Damien behavior
“Ab–yes. I mean “Lucas stammers, glancing at Felix for backup.
Felis clears his throat. “You’ve been uh distracted. Mondy. Like someone stole your favorite bone,”
Iblink. “My favorite bone? What am I, a dog!”
“Well, you are kind of growling at everyone these days.” Lucas mutters, scratching the back of his neck. “Even more than usual. It’s like you’re in a permanent bad mood”
Felix nods sagely. “Yeah. We thought maybe you’ve got.. you know… Alpha problems.”
“What the hell are “Alpha problems? Taxes? Rogue sightings! A sudden lack of coffee?!”
“No, like, love problems,” Felix blurts out, making Lucas winer
1 stare at them both, dumbfounded Love problems? Are you two drunk, or did you eat some bad meat at lunch! Who would I even have love problems with?”
They exchange another glance, clearly mandlinking again, and I groan. “If you don’t explain yourselves in five seconds, I swear-
“Maybe it’s because of th
the new
new girl! It started
d ever since she fell into a coma, Lucas says cautiously
My eyes narrow at his words, and before I even realize it, the air around me grows icy. The sudden shift makes both Lucas and
Felix ten
telse
It’s been a month since Elara fainted and fell into that con
coma. Thirty long, infuriating days, and she still hasn’t woken up. Despite Martha’s best efforts she couldn’t figure out the cause of it. And that grows at ine more than I care to admi.
“Ah, is that so?” I chuckle, removing my feet from the table and stretching
ucas shifts uniravily. “I’m just saying. Alpha. You’ve been different since it happened. Restless, like something’s eating at you.”
12:52 PM & d
Chapter 15
Felix nods, clearly less brave but equally curious. “We know you’ve been checking in on her. A lot.”
“Well, she’s my mate. What do you expect!” I say, standing and brushing past them as I head toward the door.
“So, do you intend to mark her? What about Tabella?” Lucas calls out behind me, but I don’t answer. My legs carry me forward, instinctively taking me to a place my brain hasn’t fully decided on yet.
As I walk, Cairos whispers in my head. “Do you think she’ll wake up today?”
I shrug and yawn. “Who knows”
“Look, it’s Alpha Damien.” A maid whispers excitedly as I enter the packhouse.
“Greetings, Alpha” I nod to the maids as they greet me, flashing them a smile. I can see the effect of my charm immediately–both the females and even a few of the males blush deeply at the sight of me. I nod in sausfaction. Now that’s the normal reaction, especially when they see this face. It’s like clockwork–irresistible, undenuble.
is her. My mate.
The only one who doesn’t seem to react that way is
I scoff, shaking my head as I continue walking toward her room. Before she fainted, she actually had the audacity to ask me to reject her. Me. Of all people.
She should be lucky to h
lucky to have meas
as her mate. Yet here she is, unconscious and stubborn, still not understanding the privilege
“Damien,” Martha says, startled, as she steps out of Elara’s room–my room, to be exact. When they couldn’t find anything wrong with her at the hospital. I’d carried her to my room, and ever since, that’s where she’s been staying while I bunked in my study.
“Sister!” I wave my hand, flashing her a grin. “So, what do you think about finding another husband I don’t think Lucas is the right choice for you!
I lean in, speaking in the most convincing tone I can master. “Don’t you think you deserve better?”
Martha rolls her eyes so hard I’m half–expecting them to get stuck. She removes her gloves with the precision of a surgeon and places them on the tray. “You’re a headache, Damien,” she muters, shaking her head like she’s my mother, disappointed beyond belef. She looks at me with a mixture of sympathy and something else–pity, maybe?
“You should head in,” she says, her tone softening just a bit. “She still hasn’t woken up, and from the looks of it, I’m not sure when she will
Martha places a hand on my shoulder like I’m some kind of sad, lost puppy, and then, as if she’s had enough of my existence for the day, walks off. shaking her head.
Well, I did my best advising her. I shrug and walk into my room. The first thing that hits me is the scent of her–that sweet, intoxicating scent that draws me in like a spell. I glance at her, lying still on the bed, and I can’t help but watch her for a moment
I move closer, my feet silent against the floor, my eyes scanning her face as I kneel beside the bed. Slowly, I lean in, watching her interally, hoping for any sign that she might stir
“She is beautiful, the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. I wonder how dumb Lucian was to let such a woman go, but then again, it’s Lucian we’re talking about. That old brute”
Gently, I reach out, my bingers brushing her soft hair, and I remove a stray srand from her face. The touch is delicate, careful–100 careful And then, just as my eyes flicker to her plump lips, I swallow heavily and close my eyes as they turn silver as Cairos struggles to take over
“Dammit, pervert! Are you trying to take over and kiss her! 1 slam Cairos back forcefully, and he whimpers but stays obedient..
When I open my eyes again. 1 freeze, and my breath catches because the girl–my mate–has her eyes open and is staring at me.
For a split second, everything freezes. My heart skips a beat as I wait for her to focus, and then she does something that makes my eyes narrow into
deadly glint
She whispers. “Lucian”
My
tightens, and I freeze, my hand hovering in mid–air, not sure how to react. Did she just say Lucian? My mind races, but before I can make sense of anything, she blinks again, as if coming out of a haze, and looks at me with a mix of confusion and something else something I can’t quite place
ding there.
“Damen?” she asks, her voice soft, almost unsure, as she finally registers me standing
I open my mouth to respond, but the words catch painfully in my throat. Well, this is awkward.
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