Chapter 24 "Oh my god..." "Why?! Why didn't you say anything?!" Damien did not answer; his pained irises drilled into Selene's soul, and her eyes filled with tears. "Why did you think I was not beside you when you woke after the wreck? Why did I not stop your mating with Adrian? The answer to all that is because I was incapable, Selene." "Damien?" Selene asked, confused. The next moment he tore off his tunic. Selene gasped. The horrific burn scar across his chest made her tremble; she rushed forward and traced the red gash with shaking fingers. "It was you who got hurt for me and not Adrian!" "No... No, why? Why? He lied to me all along..." Selene clutched Damien's shoulders and sobbed. "I was admitted to the healer's infirmary with you," Damien said. "Unfortunately it took me a long time to recover. The day I came to consciousness was your mating." Selene covered her mouth in shock; her whole body quivered with each word. "I came to your ceremony, Selene. I wanted to tell you the truth, but when I saw you in that silver gown looking at Adrian with so much love... It was the first time I had ever seen you so happy, and I did not have it in me to snatch that away." "Baby, I am so sorry. If only I had acted sooner and told you-" "No. If only I had not been so foolish, Damien." He looked down at her belly and held her close. "I wish they had been mine, Selene. I wish I were their father." They wept in one another's arms that night. After that day something changed between them. Selene's broken heart was slowly, quietly won by Damien. A week later, Maximus appeared in Damien's Northern abode. Seated in an old wooden chair, the elder tapped his fingers with annoyance, his gaze sharp as ever. "I don't understand your stubbornness, Damien. The Sinclair daughter is perfect to be your betrothed. Now that Adrian is out of the picture, you must return and take control of the pack legacy, the elder said bluntly. His eyes flicked to a bouquet on the table-an obvious sign of a she-wolf's presence in Damien's life, a male who usually favored muted grey and black. He might have ignored it if not for the pink hair tie wrapped around Damien's wrist. "So there is already a woman who has caught your attention? What is so special about her? Damien, I do not care how many females you bed-you may play as you please-but mating is different. When it comes to marriage, you will wed Melissa Sinclair." "And let my woman wither away just as my mother did?" "Damien!" Maximus's anger flared like a pit of fire. His first Luna, Lillian Blackthorn, had come from a small house; Maximus had wanted alliance and security, and when she fell ill he never allowed closeness in her final days. Lillian's quiet suffering was a lifetime regret for him; subsequent arrangements had been nothing but paper. 2/2 15.3% 9:44 pm P 0410 "Do not bring my mother into this!" Damien shot back. "She sacrificed for this family when we were barely surviving-it was destiny!" Maximus's face hardened, but he still carried the old guilt. "Melissa will know her place. You owe it to this family to be rational and act in the interest of the Blackthorn legacy." Damien leaned against his desk, arms folded, disgust clear in his voice. "Rational? You mean sacrificing my happiness just like you sacrificed hers? I will not repeat your crimes. I will not trade love for alliances and your profit." Maximus rose abruptly, rage making him loom. "And what can that woman offer you? She is nothing next to what Melissa Sinclair represents-stability, the power of the Sinclair household, prestige. All of which you need as the heir." "Then don't make me your heir," Damien shot back, voice icy. "Adrian carries your legacy in many ways..." The thought of Adrian sparked Damien's resentment; the elder's face reddened with anger. "So what if he severed that girl? She could not give us an heir! I pity Selene, yes, but for this family you must take difficult decisions, Damien-" "By doing what? By betraying your mate?" "Shut up!" Maximus barked, nearing the end of his patience. "I will not watch you throw the empire I built with my blood and sweat into ruin for some fleeting feeling!" "An empire built on manipulation and loveless bonds?" Damien countered, taking a step forward. "I refuse to repeat your mistakes. I will never mate anyone but the one I love." "You have no choice!" Maximus roared, the walls swallowing his words. "You carry the Blackthorn name! You will do what is required!" "Will I?" Damien's jaw tightened; his fists clenched. "You have spent your life controlling everyone around you, but you will not control me. I refuse to be your puppet." Maximus stepped menacingly closer, his voice a low, dangerous growl. "You think defying me will end well for you?" 9:44 pm PD Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!