Chapter 2
758 Words
When I opened my eyes, the sterile scent of the pack’s infirmary filled my lungs. The numbness hadn’t changed—I still couldn’t feel anything below my waist. My wolf whimpered in the back of my mind, restless and weak, trapped in the same helpless state as me.
Damien sat beside me, his expression tense. The second he noticed I was awake, his face softened into an illusion of concern.
He took my hand and pressed it against his cheek. “Selene? You’re awake. Do you feel okay? If anything hurts, I’ll call the pack healer right now.”
His voice was gentle, his touch careful—just like always. But his eyes… they were empty. It was almost impressive how well he could fake it.
I gave him a small smile, reaching up to brush my fingers over the rough stubble on his chin. “You didn’t sleep, did you? I’m fine, Damien. You should rest.”
He exhaled, nodded slightly, and within minutes, he was fast asleep. His grip on my hand loosened just enough. I glanced at his phone on the nightstand. Without thinking, I picked it up and unlocked it.
The wallpaper was still the ceremonial mate-bonding photo we had taken in advance. It felt ridiculous now.
His message app was still open in the background. At the top of his chats was Lilah. I tapped in. The messages were simple, but each one felt like a gut punch.
[Rhea called for her dad again today. She already knows how strong you are. She’s going to be trouble when she grows up.]
[Rhea ate the treats you sent, finished every last bite.]
[She won’t stop asking to run with the pack at full moon. I tried to talk her out of it, but she wouldn’t listen. Come if you can.]
Damien hadn’t replied with words, but under every photo, there was a two-hour video call log. I remembered when he once told me he didn’t want pups yet.
Now I knew the truth. It wasn’t that he didn’t want children. He just didn’t want them with me.
I checked his gallery. There was a private album for Lilah. The password? The child’s birthday.
Over five thousand photos. Three years of memories that had nothing to do with me. Damien was there for every holiday, every special occasion.
The second chat in his messages was with the pack elder overseeing the mating ceremony. From the very start, he had put Lilah’s name down.
The ceremonial robes were her size. The invitations had both their names on them. I was never meant to be his Luna.
I let out a quiet laugh and closed the app. No point reading any further. Instead, I reached out to my best friend Mira, asking her to find me a healer outside our territory.
I filed to renounce my position within the pack. She didn’t question it. She just assumed I had finally woken up, finally seen Damien for who he was.
She was relieved. Every message she sent was full of excitement, happy that I was finally letting go. I set my phone down and drifted off to sleep.
When I woke up, Damien was crying. He was gripping a hospital report, his whole body trembling. “Selene.” His voice cracked. “The healer found something during your exam. You—” He swallowed hard. “You were born without a womb. You can’t have pups.”
I didn’t react. Just stared at him.
“It’s okay,” he said quickly. “I don’t care about that. You’re still my mate, and that won’t change. Once you’re discharged, we can adopt. A pup will help you recover, I promise. Everything will be fine.”
I was the one who had supposedly lost something, yet he looked more devastated than me. His performance was almost flawless.
I didn’t call him out on it. I just let the silence stretch, watching him clutch that report like it was the worst thing that had ever happened to him.
After a long pause, he wiped his tears and nodded, as if making some kind of deep, emotional decision. Then he pulled me into his arms.
“I swear, I’ll take care of you,” he whispered. “No matter what the pack says, I’ll always stand by your side. And once we’re bonded, I’ll transfer all my assets to you. I just want you to be safe.”
His chest was pressed against mine, but our heartbeats weren’t even close to matching.
- Writer
