FIVE

The road to the palace seemed longer than ever, each step heavier than the last. My chest felt like it was caving in, suffocating under the weight of my thoughts. Damian’s promises replayed in my mind, over and over, like a broken record. He swore we’d be together no matter what, that his father wouldn’t stand in our way.

I’d opened myself to him in ways I’d never done with anyone else. He was my world, my everything. I’d given him every part of me—body, heart, and soul. Didn’t he know i would do anything for him? Didn’t he see the lengths I’d go to just to keep him by my side? And now... now it felt like he was throwing it all away, tossing me aside like I was nothing.

The thought made my heart feel like it was drowning in a sea of pain. My breaths came shallow, and it took everything in me to keep walking.

As I approached the palace gates, I wiped at my tear-streaked face. I couldn’t let them see me like this. I straightened my back and plastered on a neutral expression, pretending I was just returning to work. The guards gave me a quick glance and stepped aside, letting me pass.

The moment I got through the gates, the memories hit me like a wave. Every dark corner, every hidden spot where Damian and I had talked about our future, shared secrets, and had sex —it all came rushing back. Tears welled up in my eyes again, spilling over as I bit down on my lip to keep from sobbing.

“Hey, Sirella!” a soft voice called.

I turned to see one of the other maids, her kind eyes scanning my face. “You okay? You look a little pale.”

I forced a small smile. “I’m fine, just a bit tired. Thanks for asking.”

She nodded, her face still concerned, but I didn’t wait for her to press further. My focus was on Damian now. I had to see him. I needed to see him.

When I got to the door of his quarters, my hands trembled. I tried to steady them, taking a shaky breath before speaking to the guard stationed there. “Damian... He asked to see me,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

The guard nodded, stepping aside to let me through.

I stepped into Damian’s room, my hands trembling. It was empty. For a moment, I let myself hope—maybe this was all a misunderstanding. But then I heard faint noises coming from the bathroom. My heart sank.

The door creaked open, and there he was. Damian walked out with a towel wrapped low around his waist. My stomach twisted at the sight of him, but before I could say anything, I noticed her.

Behind him, a blonde-haired girl followed, clutching her belongings to her chest. She avoided my gaze, her face flushed as she hurried out of the room without a word.

I froze. It felt like someone had ripped my heart out of my chest and stomped on it. My chest tightened as I clutched the fabric over my heart, as though trying to hold it together. But it was no use. The pain was too much. My wolf whimpered inside me, her cries echoing my own.

For a moment, I couldn’t move. I couldn’t breathe. My legs felt like they might give out beneath me.

Damian didn’t seem to care. He walked to his dresser, pulling out a shirt and pants like nothing had happened.

I took a deep breath, swallowing the lump in my throat as I gathered the courage to speak. “What’s the meaning of this, Damian?”

He didn’t look at me right away. When he did, his eyes were cold, empty, and filled with something I didn’t recognize—disdain.

“Why are you here, Sirella?” His voice was calm, too calm, like he couldn’t be bothered to care.

I blinked, my mind spinning. “What do you mean, why am I here? Damian, you promised me!” My voice cracked as tears spilled over again. “You said we’d be together, that nothing could come between us. What happened to that? What happened to us?”

He sighed, like I was annoying him. “Sirella, you need to stop living in a fantasy. Whatever you thought we had—it wasn’t real.”

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. My legs wobbled, and I reached out for the edge of the dresser to steady myself.

“Not real?” I whispered, tears blurring my vision. “Damian, you told me you loved me. You said we’d get through anything together. Was that a lie?”

My eyebrows shot up, anger burning behind my tears. “And what is this?” I held up the envelope, my hands trembling with rage.

He scoffed, slipping on his shirt and buttoning it up without a care. “For the sex, of course. And mind how you talk to your future Alpha, Sirella.”

I stared at him, stunned. “Future Alpha? Is that all you care about? What about us, Damian?” I yelled.

His lips curled into a bitter smirk. “You’re being dramatic. Just because we shared a few moments doesn’t give you the right to yell at me.”

“Moments?” I repeated, my voice cracking. Tears spilled down my cheeks as I looked at him—really looked at him. The same Damian who used to hold me, whispering sweet words in the dark, now stood before me like a stranger.

“Who was she?” I asked, my voice barely audible. “That girl who just left—was she the one you replaced me with?”

Damian laughed, but there was no warmth in it. “Replaced you? Sirella, you were never supposed to be in this position in the first place. What we had was... fun. But it was never meant to last. You need to understand something. I have a duty to this pack. I can’t throw that away for a maid.”

A maid.

The word hung in the air, stinging like a slap to my face.

I shook my head, trying to make sense of it. “But... we’re mates. The moon chose us for each other.” My voice broke as I spoke the words.

“And that was a mistake,” he said bluntly. “You should’ve known better, Sirella. This was never going to work.”

My knees wobbled. “But you promised me, Damian,” I whispered, tears streaming down my face again. “You said you loved me.”

“And you believed that?” he snapped, his tone dripping with cruelty. “How naïve can you be? Do you really think I’d throw away my legacy—my duty to this pack—for you?”

“This pain you’re feeling?” he continued, in a cold and mean tone. “It’s your fault, you brought it on yourself. You should have known your place, Sirella. This was never possible. You should have made me reject you the first time we met.”

I shook my head, refusing to believe what I was hearing.

“Thank the moon my father was here to remind me of my duty,” he said, his voice steady and firm. “Now, take that envelope and leave. And if it’s more money you need, just say so. I know your mother is sick.”

“And one more thing,” he added, his eyes narrowing. “Don’t bother coming back to the palace. And tell Rachel she’s fired.”

I stared at him, my vision blurry with tears. My hands clenched into fists at my sides as I fought the urge to scream, to claw at him, to do anything to make him feel even a fraction of the pain I was feeling.

But I couldn’t. My body wouldn’t move.

“Go,” he said, his voice flat. “Before I call the guards.”

I turned and ran. Tears streamed down my face as I stumbled through the palace halls, my vision blurry and my chest heaving with sobs. By the time I reached the gates, I could barely see where I was going.

The pain was unbearable. It wasn’t just in my heart—it was in my chest, my head, my whole body. I felt like I was being torn apart from the inside.

By the time I reached the outskirts of the pack, my legs felt like jelly. The small hut came into view, and I saw the Gamma outside, shirtless and sparring with a wooden training dummy.

He stopped when he saw me, his expression unreadable.

I marched toward him, my vision blurred with tears and fury.

The Gamma raised an eyebrow, his calm demeanor only making me angrier. “Sirella,” he said, his voice steady.

I wiped at my face, trying to compose myself, but the sight of his sculpted chest distracted me for a moment. His strength, his presence—it was overwhelming. But I didn’t care.

“I’m ready for the mission,” I said with confidence.

I needed a plan, and I needed it now.

My wolf stirred inside me, whispering something I didn’t want to hear. Mate.

No. It couldn’t be. Neither of us knew if he was truly my mate or if the moonbane had chosen him as my next victim.

But one thing was clear—this Gamma would destroy me before he let me destroy him.