Chapter 16
Damian’s POV
I stood at the entrance of the ballroom, my gaze fixed on the taillights of the car as it disappeared down the long driveway.
My wolf growled low in my chest, displeased. *We should have gone with her p>
I forced myself to look away.
Victor was making his way toward me, a genial smile on his face. We exchanged pleasantries, the usual formalities expected at these functions. I responded on autopilot, my mind elsewhere.
The moment Victor excused himself, I turned toward the exit.
“Damian p>
Her voice stopped me cold.
Vanessa.
She glided toward me in a shimmering silver gown, her smile bright and practiced. The scent of her perfume—something floral and cloying—hit me before she did.
“Leaving so soon?” She tilted her head, stepping into my path. “We barely had a chance to talk tonight p>
“Vanessa.” I kept my tone neutral. “I have an early morning p>
“You always do.” She laughed lightly, brushing her fingers along the lapel of my jacket. “But surely you can spare a moment for an old friend p>
I stepped back, putting distance between us.
She wasn’t deterred. She never was.
“I’ve been thinking,” she continued, her voice soft, intimate. “About us. About what we could be p>
Here we go again.
“There is no ’us,’ Vanessa p>
“There could be.” Her eyes brightened with something almost feverish.
“I could stand beside you, Damian. I could be your Queen. I know how to manage Pack politics, how to handle the council. I’ve been preparing for this my whole life p>
I exhaled slowly, reining in my irritation.
The council had tried to push Vanessa on me before, suggesting she would make a suitable Luna Queen. They’d cited her bloodline, her training, her political acumen.
What they’d also cited—what Vanessa herself had never let me forget—was the incident from our childhood.
When we were eight, I’d fallen into the lake during one of her father’s formal visits to court favor with the Alpha King. She’d run for help, screaming that the future King was drowning.
By the time the adults arrived in a panic, I’d already hauled myself out of the water. Soaked and annoyed, but hardly in mortal peril.
But the story had grown in the telling, becoming some grand rescue that bound us together in destiny. Vanessa had “saved the future Alpha King’s life p>
Her father had brought her to our territory regularly after that, hoping to secure an alliance through marriage.
During those visits, I’d spent most of my time trying to evade her attempts at friendship.
That was it. No promises. No bond. No understanding.
At least not from my side.
But somewhere along the way, she’d constructed an entire narrative in her head. A story where we were destined to be together, where she was meant to rule at my side.
It wasn’t love. It was delusion.
“Vanessa.” My voice hardened. “I’ve told you before. I’m not interested p>
Her smile faltered, but only for a second. “You say that now, but p>
“I mean it p>
The silence stretched between us, taut and uncomfortable.
Finally, she took a step back, her expression carefully composed. “One day, you’ll see p>
I didn’t respond.
I turned and walked away, not bothering to look back.
The car ride back was quiet.
Rick sat in the passenger seat, scrolling through his phone. I stared out the window, the city lights blurring past.
My wolf was still restless, pacing beneath my skin.
“Alpha p>
I glanced at Rick.
He didn’t look up from his phone. “We’ve got a situation p>
“What kind p>
“Word’s already spreading about Miss Smith.” He swiped through a few messages.”Several parties have started digging into her background. Quietly, but not quietly enough p>
My jaw tightened. “Who p>
He rattled off a few names. Some I recognized immediately—opportunists, social climbers, a few with shadier reputations. Others were less familiar, but the pattern was clear.
They smelled blood in the water.
“Handle it,” I said flatly. “Make sure they understand she’s off-limits p>
“Understood p>
Rick pocketed his phone and leaned back, but I could see the question in his eyes.
“Something else?” I asked.
“She’s human, Alpha p>
“I’m aware p>
“The Pack world isn’t kind to outsiders. Especially not ones who suddenly inherit this much influence p>
“I know p>
He hesitated. “Your presence will deter most of them. But not all. And you can’t be with her every second p>
I said nothing.
Because he was right.
Aria was human. Vulnerable. Even with my protection, there would always be threats lurking in the shadows—wolves who saw her as an easy target, a weakness to exploit.
I couldn’t be everywhere at once.
But I could give her something that would make them think twice.
An idea began to take shape in my mind, clear and undeniable.
I needed to give her a gift. Not just any gift—something that would mark her as mine in a way that every wolf in this city would recognize and respect.
Something that would protect her even when I wasn’t there.
Something unmistakable.
“Rick p>
“Yes, Alpha p>
“Clear my schedule tomorrow morning p>
He raised an eyebrow. “All of it p>
“All of it p>
He didn’t question me further.
I leaned back against the seat, my fingers drumming against the armrest.
Aria had asked for space. I’d given it to her.
But that didn’t mean I was going to let her face this world alone.