Aria's POV
Years.
The word echoed through my mind.
Years.
Damien had loved me for years.
Not weeks.
Not months.
Years.
I stood in the middle of his office, unable to move.
Unable to breathe.
The man sitting in front of me was the strongest Alpha in Mooncrest history.
The man everyone feared.
The man who never showed weakness.
And yet the pain in his eyes was undeniable.
He had suffered.
Alone.
For years.
"When?"
My voice barely rose above a whisper.
Damien looked away.
The moonlight coming through the office windows illuminated the silver in his hair.
For a long moment, he remained silent.
Then he finally spoke.
"You were eighteen."
My heart skipped.
"Eighteen?"
He nodded slowly.
"It was during the Winter Festival."
The memory immediately returned.
The festival
