Alone once more, Damian allowed himself a single moment of honesty - his hand pressed against his chest where the bond ached like a wound. The scent of lavender still lingered, ghostlike and maddening.

He despised it.

He despised her.

And yet, he could not stop himself from needing it.

Flashbacks

The training grounds were alive with the sound of steel and snarls. Torches cast flickering light across the packed dirt, illuminating warriors locked in combat. Damian moved among them like a phantom, his presence alone enough to stiffen spines and sharpen reflexes.

"Again," he barked, his voice cutting across the night. Two young wolves, sweat dripping from their brows, squared off once more their blades clashed, the rhythm raw, desperate. But Damian saw everything-the weakness in their footing, the hesitation in their strikes.

"Pathetic."

In one swift motion, he drew his own sword. The silver blade gleamed like lightning, cold and merciless. He stepped between them, and with a blur of movement, disarmed them both. Their weapons clattered to the ground before they even realized what had happened.

"Strength without precision is nothing," Damian growled. "Precision without resolve is worse. You hesitate, and you're dead."The young warriors bowed their heads in shame, but Damian barely noticed. His own heart was pounding-not from the fight, but from the sudden memory that struck him. He had seen hesitation before. Not in himself. In her, the lady he dispised Luna The flashback came unbidden, vivid as fire. The night her pack's lands had burned, Damian had led the Silverfang charge. He remembered the heat of the flames, the screams, the chaos. And through it all, he had seen her. A girl standing in the ruins, clutching her mother's lifeless form, her eyes locking on his with a hatred that seared deeper than the fire around them.

She hadn't run. She hadn't begged. She had stared him down, trembling but defiant, her lips forming a vow he would never forget.

"I will never forgive you."

The bond had flared then-wild, raw, undeniable. It had been his first taste of it, and it had nearly dropped him to his knees. In that instant, the mighty Alpha Damian Nightshade had felt weaker than he ever had before. And the memory still tore at him, years later. A growl ripped from his chest. He turned on the nearest warrior, blade flashing in a storm of strikes. The man barely blocked in time, sweat pouring as Damian pressed him harder and harder, each blow fueled not by discipline but by rage.The warriors around them fell silent, watching with wide eyes as their Alpha unleashed a fury no training exercise should hold. When Damian finally stepped back, his opponent was on his knees, sword knocked from his graps

The night was quiet, too quiet for Luna's restless heart. The moon hung high, silver and cold, but instead of comfort it reminded her of all she had lost. While other wolves celebrated bonds, she carried only scars-memories of betrayal, and a heart bound to an Alpha she despised.

She stood at the edge of the forest, fingers curled into fists, her breath fogging in the night air. The hate inside her was not a fleeting flame anymore; it had grown roots, strong and unyielding, twisting into every thought. She knew one truth: if she was ever going to find peace, she had to strike back.

But revenge could not be rushed. It had to be cultivated, planned, nurtured like a seed until it grew into something unstoppable.

So Luna began to gather.

She sought out the broken, the angry, the forgotten-the ones whose lives had also been shattered by Damian Nightshade's ruthless reign. Some were old warriors cast aside after battles, their loyalty repaid with scars and solitude. Others were young wolves, their futures ruined because their families had been crushed under Silverfang dominance. One by one, they listened to her voice, a voice sharpened by grief and steady with determination.

"I don't want to be a victim anymore," she told them under the cover of trees. "And neither should you. We deserve to take back what was stolen. We deserve justice... even if we must carve it out with our own hands."

Eyes glimmered in the dark, some filled with doubt, others with fire. And slowly, like embers catching, the fire began to spread.

But even as she drew strength from these allies, Luna's heart whispered a warning: the bond between her and Damian still pulsed beneath her hatred. It was a curse she could not shake, a chain she could not sever. Each time she thought of destroying him, a part of her recoiled-yet she pressed on, determined to silence that weaknesse. Luna moved like a shadow through the undergrowth, her breaths shallow, her senses sharpened. Every crunch of a twig beneath her boots sent a shiver down her spine, but she didn't stop. She had followed whispers of Damian's warriors training near the river cliffs-a place deep in Silverfang territory.

If she could learn their patterns, their numbers, their weaknesses, she could plan the strike that would one day bring the mighty Alpha to his knees.

The sound of steel against steel reached her first, a sharp clash that echoed through the trees. Then the growls-low, guttural, bestial. She crouched low behind a fallen log, peering through the shadows.

There they were.

A dozen warriors, stripped to the waist, their bodies glistening with sweat as they sparred beneath the pale moonlight. Their movements were brutal yet disciplined, each swing of their blades drilled to perfection. She recognized some of them-Damian's personal guard. The Wolves of Ironfang, they were called. Merciless, loyal to him unto death.

Her heart pounded, but she forced herself to stay still, her eyes drinking in every detail: the way they rotated their watches, the weapons stacked by the oak stump, the weak point where the cliffside gave way to loose stone.

"Faster," one of them barked, striking his partner across the jaw. "The Alpha demands perfection. No weakness. No mercy."

The name on his tongue was enough to make Luna's skin prickle. Damian. Even here, his presence weighed heavy, his shadow stretched across every move they made.

She leaned closer, her fingers gripping the bark of the log. One wrong move, one snapped branch, and she would be discovered. And if Damian's guards found her spying... her revenge would end before it had even begun.

Still, she didn't retreat. She couldn't. She etched every weakness into her memory, burning the image of their training into her mind.

But then-

Her foot brushed against a stone. It tumbled down the slope, landing with a sharp crack.

The warriors froze. Heads snapped toward the treeline.

"Who's there?" one growled, nostrils flaring as he inhaled the air. Another bared his teeth, already shifting as claws sprouted from his hands.Luna froze, every muscle in her body screaming to run, but instinct warned her that sudden movement would only give her away. She pressed herself tighter against the earth, forcing her breath to slow even as her heart hammered like a war drum.

The warriors' eyes scanned the treeline, sharp and predatory. One of them, a hulking wolf with scars across his chest, tilted his head and sniffed the air.

"Someone's here," he growled, his voice low and certain.

Another warrior shifted, his bones cracking as fur spread across his skin. His glowing amber eyes swept the darkness, searching.

Luna's pulse spiked. If she shifted now, the scent of her wolf would betray her instantly. If she stayed still, they might pass her by-or they might not.

The scarred one began to advance, each step deliberate, his nostrils flaring wider with every breath. He was coming straight toward her hiding place.

Think, Luna. Think.

She reached slowly into the pouch strapped to her thigh, fingers brushing over the small leather vial of crushed wolfsbane. It was dangerous, toxic even in small amounts, but also a distraction when burned. She pulled free a pinch, holding her breath as she tossed it onto a dry leaf just a few feet to her right.

The night breeze carried the faint bitter scent. Immediately, the advancing warrior halted, his face twisting in disgust.

"Wolfsbane!" he barked. "Spread out! Someone's playing games here."

The warriors growled, circling like predators. Luna used the momentary confusion to slip backward, every step silent, every nerve burning with fear. She moved with the patience of prey that knew it was being hunted, never turning her back until the trees grew thicker around her.

Then-snap.

A twig gave way beneath her boot.

The nearest warrior's head jerked up, eyes narrowing. "There!" he snarled, lunging forward.

Luna bolted. Branches whipped against her face as she ran, her wolf inside her screaming to take control, to shift and flee with greater speed. But she couldn't-not yet. The risk of her scent lingering was too high. She had to rely on her own human strength, her endurance, her determination.

Behind her, heavy footsteps thundered through the forest. The hunters were coming.Luna's heart thundered in her chest. The night, which had once felt like her ally, now seemed to hold its breath against her. Luna froze as a sharp howl ripped through the night. Not one of her own. Silverfang. She bared her teeth. "They're close."Rowan tightened his grip on his spear. "Orders are to hold position unless they cross."But Luna's blood was already boiling. She wanted to see a Silverfang tonight. Wanted to sink her claws into one and feel justice for her mother.The forest stirred. Branches cracked. And then, from the shadows, a figure emerged.Not just any warrior - but him.

"Damian Nightshade".

Even without knowing his face, Luna's wolf recognized him instantly. The bond hit her like a strike of lightning, stealing her breath, making her knees weak.Her first instinct was denial. No. No.No, Not him. Not a Silverfangs.

Silverfang packs

This feeling it's unexplainable, I don't understand why Damian has vowed to be so distant, the feeling I have for Damian is drowning me, I love him dearly but he seems not be be interested, nothing I do ever pleased him. I always wallow in my thoughts, mother I know the Goodness has destined every wolf and it's mate. "but the feelings I have for Damian i can't let it go".

Listen katra I know you love Damian, and I promise to make him yours just be patient, I well heard Damian has a mate already from the forbidden clan which our forefathers has laid a law for no should break. I will do something about her don't worry my dear, Damian is all yours.

It felt like forever, seeing Damian standing at the forefront I have always admired him, Damian has been my childhood love and I promise to to have him all to my self and that useless mate of his, will surely see to her end, Damian won't settle for less and I know how much he hate and dispise her.well I know how dedicated and strong he has been protecting his clan for years and from danger he won't want to ruine that right? and I promise to be by his side .

Katra, katra , who the hell is that constituting nuisance, I'm so sorry the next time you do this I'm gonna slit your throat, what information do you have for me that can't wait!

Well katra there have been some rumors going about, what about it? Damian has found his mate and he's with her as we speak, wait hold on you're joking about this right? "No I'm not joking". if this is to be a lie I will ordered my guards to unalive you. Get out.

That's not possible, that's forbidden Damian has other plans I know he has, what literally will he be doing with her I guessed she crossed the line, Damian is no Alpha to mess with. Literally she and her troops are going in for a show.