Chapter 389 About Alpha Damon

After breakfast, I finally found a small opening to slip away from Damon’s watchful eyes.It was not easy. He had been hovering like a shadow, asking if I was tired, if I needed water, if I should sit, if I should lie down, if I should breathe slower. As much as I appreciated his concern, it was starting to feel like I could not even blink without him noticing.

Luckily for me, a messenger arrived, whispering urgently about preparations, strategies, and movements near the borders. Damon frowned, kissed my forehead, and told me to stay put. I nodded obediently, even though I already knew I would not.

The moment he turned away, I slipped out.

The morning air felt fresh against my skin, carrying the scent of damp earth and pine. I inhaled deeply, letting the calm seep into my lungs. My hand moved instinctively to my stomach, resting there gently as my thoughts drifted back to Damon.

I wondered if there truly was a way out of this mess. A way where I did not have to choose between the world and the people I loved. A way where my child could live, and a way where Damon would not be left alone again.

I rubbed my stomach softly, a faint smile touching my lips despite everything. "Hang in there," I whispered, not sure if I was speaking to myself or to the tiny life growing inside me.

"Someone is becoming a mother, as long as you don’t pass your trait to him or her, he will be fine." Layla teased.

"What do you expect the child to inherit? Your shamelessness?" I scoffed. "Inheriting my trait is the best thing for the child, I’m cool, nice, confident, and demure, and also very smart," I added.

Layla rolled her eyes inwardly. "Lies. The best thing for the child is to carry my fearlessness, my sharpness, and of course my beauty."

"You are a wolf, and my human part is a Fae. You know very well that Fae are more beautiful, elegant, and soft as the morning light." I smiled.

She howled in my ear. "I’m pretty too."

"Okay fine, the child we decide, he/she can carry both our traits," I said being the bigger person.

"Fine, that sounds better." She huffed before storming to the deepest part of my mind.

I walked aimlessly for a while, enjoying the rare moment of peace, when a familiar voice cut through the quiet.

"Well, look who finally decided to leave her cage."

I stopped, slowly, and I turned around.

Maddie stood a few steps away, her arms crossed, her lips curved into a smug smile she did not even bother to hide. Her eyes swept over me in a way that made my skin crawl, as if she were already congratulating herself over something I did not yet know.

I sighed inwardly. I really did not have the energy for this.

Without saying a word, I turned and started walking in the opposite direction. Whatever she wanted, it was not worth my time, not today, not ever.

A sharp snort sounded behind me.

"Running away again?" Maddie called out. "How predictable."

I ignored her and kept walking.

"Alpha Caelen wants to see you," she added casually.

My steps faltered, but only for a fraction of a second.

"I’m not interested," I said flatly without turning back.

I heard her laugh, light and mocking. "Oh, don’t be like that. This isn’t about you."

I stopped fully this time and turned to face her. "Then what is it about?"

She tilted her head, her smile widening just a little. "It’s about Alpha Damon."

My heart clenched before I could stop it.

I narrowed my eyes, studying her carefully. There was something off about the way she said it, she acted as if she had been waiting for that reaction.

"What about him?" I asked cautiously.

She shrugged. "That’s not my place to say. All I know is that your dear father was very specific. He wants to see you... Alone, and it concerns Alpha Damon."

A part of me screamed not to trust her. Every instinct I had told me to turn around and walk straight back to the castle, to find Damon, to drag him into this conversation and refuse to play whatever game was unfolding.

But Damon’s name echoed loudly in my mind.

If there was even a small chance that this involved him, I needed to know. I could not afford to ignore it, not when everything was already so fragile.

I exhaled slowly. "Fine," I said at last. "Lead the way."

Maddie’s eyes flickered with triumph for just a moment before she masked it with a neutral expression. She turned and began walking, her steps unhurried.

I followed her, keeping a careful distance between us.

The further we walked, the quieter the surroundings became. The castle faded behind us, replaced by trees and open land. The familiar presence of the pack thinned out, and unease crept into my chest with every step.

We were heading toward the outskirts of the territory.

I glanced around, my fingers curling slightly at my sides. "This is far enough," I said, stopping abruptly. "What are you up to, Maddie?"

She turned slowly, blinking at me as if surprised by the question. "What do you mean?"

"I mean this," I replied sharply, gesturing around us. "Alpha Caelen is not waiting out here. You’re leading me away from the pack, not toward him."

Her lips pressed together briefly before she smiled again, that same fake innocence stretching across her face. "You’re overthinking things, father wanted privacy."

I scoffed. "That’s funny, considering he has never cared about privacy before."

My instincts screamed louder now, every part of me urging me to leave. I took a step back. "You know what, no. If Alpha Caelen wants to see me, he knows where to find me."

I turned around, fully prepared to head back.

A thick green smoke suddenly burst into the air in front of me, spreading fast and unnaturally, carrying a sharp, bitter scent that burned my lungs. My eyes widened as I instinctively stepped back, but it was already too late.

I opened my mouth to speak, to shout, to call for help, but the words never came.

The world tilted violently.

My limbs grew heavy, numb, as if my body no longer belonged to me. Darkness crept into the edges of my vision, swallowing the trees, the sky, the path beneath my feet.

The last thing I saw was Maddie’s face, no longer pretending, her smug smile fully exposed.

Then everything went black.