Chapter Eight
1531 Words
It was one thing to gather intelligence on Ava from reports and background checks. Seeing her family in person was different.
Now, at the victory celebration, Damien sat at a secluded table, a glass of whiskey in hand. He observed everything—Adrian laughing with his friends, the Sinclairs interacting with their guests, and most importantly, Ava herself.
She wasn’t the type of woman who usually caught his attention. She was ordinary, in a sense—no political power, no business influence. But there was something about her that unsettled him.
And he hated it.
“She’s nothing special,” he muttered under his breath.
“Then why are you watching her so closely?”
Selene’s voice was smooth as she gracefully took a seat beside him. Dressed in an elegant deep red dress gown, she exuded the effortless confidence of someone who knew exactly how the world worked.
Damien didn’t turn to her. “Should I be watching you instead?”
Selene chuckled. “Oh, please. You and I both know you lost interest in me a long time ago.” She sipped her wine before adding, “But this girl? She’s different, isn’t she?”
Damien finally turned his gaze to Selene, his expression unreadable. “You tell me. You seemed quite eager to speak with her.”
Selene tilted her head, a sly smile playing on her lips. “I had to see for myself. The girl whose existence is such a mystery…”
Damien’s jaw tightened. “Selene—”
“Relax,” she interrupted, swirling her wine glass lazily. “I didn’t say anything to alarm her. But she’s cautious. I could see it in her eyes.”
Damien leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping against the glass. “Whatever game you’re playing, don’t involve her.”
Selene raised an eyebrow. “Why? Are you protecting her now?”
He didn’t answer. Instead, he glanced across the room, where Ava stood with her family. She laughed at something her brother said, the tension from earlier seemingly forgotten.
Selene followed his gaze and smirked. “You can pretend all you want, Damien. But she’s already under your skin.”
He didn’t respond, but deep down, he knew Selene wasn’t entirely wrong.
…
The Blackwood name carried weight—not just in the human world, but in the supernatural one as well.
Damien had learned this from the moment he could walk. He wasn’t just a businessman. He wasn’t just a powerful CEO. He was an Alpha—the leader of the Blackwood Pack, a bloodline that had ruled for centuries. And with that title came expectations.
Expectations he had ignored for far too long.
Now, as he sat in the grand study of his estate, he listened with barely contained irritation as his father, Edric Blackwood, spoke.
“You are nearly 700 years old, Damien.” Edric’s voice was firm, unwavering. He was a man who had led with an iron will in his time, and though he had stepped down, his presence still commanded respect. “It is unnatural for an Alpha to rule without a Luna.”
Damien exhaled slowly, swirling the dark liquid in his glass. “I have led the pack just fine without one.”
His mother, Lilian Blackwood, sighed. She was softer than his father, but no less determined. “Damien, the pack needs stability. A Luna brings balance to an Alpha. You know this.”
He did know. He had heard it all before.
Selene had once been their ideal choice—powerful, from a strong bloodline, respected. And he had almost given in to the idea.
But the mate bond had changed everything.
He didn’t want Selene.
And he didn’t want the bonded mate the universe had decided for him either.
“I will handle my affairs,” Damien said, his tone final.
His father’s golden eyes narrowed. “This is not just about you. This is about the survival of our bloodline.”
Damien met his father’s gaze, his own glowing faintly in challenge. “Our bloodline has survived just fine without a Luna at my side.”
Lillian placed a hand on Edric’s arm before the conversation could escalate. “Damien… just consider it.”
He said nothing.
Because deep down, he knew.
He wasn’t ready to accept his mate.
And yet, fate had already set things into motion.
…
The grand halls of Shadowcrest Manor buzzed with murmurs of expectation. The elders of the pack, high-ranking officials, and a few trusted allies had gathered in the council chamber, their gazes trained on the man seated at the head of the long table.
Damien Blackwood.
His expression was unreadable as he leaned back in his chair, fingers steepled together, exuding the same authority that made both the corporate world and the supernatural realm respect—and fear—him.
Across from him sat Lillian Blackwood, his mother. Elegant as always, she regarded him with a calm but firm gaze. She had been patient long enough.
"The pack needs a Luna, Damien," she said smoothly, her tone motherly but laced with an unyielding command. "They are beginning to grow restless."
One of the elders, an older man with graying hair and sharp eyes, nodded. "The Shadowcrest Pack has flourished under your leadership, Alpha. But a Luna strengthens the Alpha. The pack yearns for stability."
Damien's jaw clenched slightly. He had heard this argument before. Too many times.
"We are stable," he replied coolly. "I have led this pack for centuries, and we are stronger than ever."
"A Luna is not just a symbolic figure," another elder interjected. "She is a necessity. She balances the Alpha's strength, nurtures the pack, and ensures continuity. Without a Luna, we are vulnerable.”
The council has been patient," an elder with silver-streaked hair added. "But you made a promise, Alpha. If you could not find your mate, you would choose a Luna to lead beside you."
Selene sat to Damien’s right, composed but watchful. "You’ve always honored your word, Damien," she said, her voice smooth and confident. "We are not asking you to do anything but what you promised."
Damien remained silent for a moment, his jaw tightening slightly. He had, indeed, made that promise.
And he did not break promises.
But something about this situation felt different now. He had lived for centuries without a mate, resigned to the idea that fate had denied him one. Yet now… now there was uncertainty. A shift.
He had met Ava Sinclair.
The memory of her face, her scent, the way the name Ava had echoed in his mind the moment he saw her—it all gnawed at his composure.
Was she truly his mate? Or was it just an illusion, a mere trick of fate to test his resolve?
He exhaled slowly, then finally spoke.
"I have not forgotten my promise," he said, his voice steady. "But neither will I make a decision blindly. When I choose a Luna, it will not be out of pressure—it will be because it is the right choice for me and for the pack."
The elders exchanged looks, sensing something unspoken in his words.
Lillian’s eyes narrowed slightly, as if searching for an answer in her son's guarded expression. "Then tell us, Damien. Has something changed?"
His gaze flickered briefly toward Selene, then back to his mother. "Nothing has changed—yet."
It wasn’t a lie. But it wasn’t the whole truth, either.
Selene pressed her lips together, her fingers tightening around the armrest of her chair. She knew Damien well enough to recognize when something was being left unsaid.
And she didn’t like it.
…
Ava sighed as she stacked the last of the books on the shelf. The bookstore café had been busy today, and her shift was finally over. She pulled off her apron, stretching her sore arms, when a familiar voice made her pause.
"Ava."
She turned to see Ryan standing near the counter, his easy smile in place. Dressed in a casual white shirt and jeans, he looked relaxed, but there was a flicker of determination in his eyes.
"Hey, Ryan," she said, forcing a small smile.
"I was hoping to catch you before you left," he said, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Are you free for dinner tonight? There's this new place downtown, and I thought—"
"Ryan..." Ava cut him off gently but firmly.
His smile wavered slightly, but he kept his gaze steady. "You don’t even want to hear where it is?" he joked.
Ava exhaled, hugging her bag closer to her body. "I appreciate the offer, really. But I just… I can’t, Ryan."
He frowned, studying her. "You always say no, but you never say why."
"Because I don't want to give you false hope," she admitted. "You're a great guy, Ryan, but I don’t feel that way about you."
Silence stretched between them. For the first time, Ryan looked genuinely thrown off. He had expected hesitation, maybe another excuse, but not this blunt honesty.
"Not even a chance?" he asked, voice softer this time.
Ava shook her head. "I'm sorry."
- Writer
