Chapter 1

• Dallas’s POV
• The den glowed with a soft amber light. Fire flickered along the carved stone walls, and the scent of wolfsbane resin hung heavy in the air.
• Tonight was the night Damian once promised to mark me.
• Because of that promise, I had prepared something I never thought I would give to anyone. Earlier, I drank the true-love potion sold by a witch in the Eastern markets. It was a vow made into liquid form.
• The potion demanded consummation within three days. If the bond was not completed, the body would fall into fever and itching. I accepted the risk. If I was going to bind myself to someone, it would be to Damian.
• Serena, my wolf, stirred the moment the warmth spread through my veins.
• “Three days,” she said quietly. “If he is truly ours, this vow will hold. If he is not, the potion will show you what you refuse to see.”
• I tried to calm my heartbeat. “He will choose us tonight.”
• Serena did not answer. She only watched, cautious.
• I was gathering the courage to tell him when Damian’s hand slid to my throat and pressed me gently against the chamber door.
• “Tonight you are mine, Dallas. One day soon, I will name you as my chosen Luna.”
• His voice brushed my skin. My pulse jumped, and Serena leaned toward him without hesitation, drawn to the confidence in his tone.
• His mouth found mine, steady and eager. Heat unfurled through me. I kissed him back with everything I had held inside for five long years.
• Clothing loosened. Our breaths tangled. The room grew warmer than the fire could explain.
• Then his phone rang, sharp and jarring.
• Damian’s jaw tightened. He glanced at the screen. “Leonard.” He looked at me with a soft smile. “Pack business. He is using High Wolf Tongue. You will not understand it. I will be quick.”
• He answered the call.
• A strange shiver slid down my spine.
• Serena lifted her head. “Dallas. Listen.”
• Although everyone believed I was a weak Omega, something in my blood had never behaved like one. Months ago, Serena awakened an unusual ability. She understood High Wolf Tongue. Through her, I understood it as well.
• Damian never knew.
• Leonard’s voice came through, rough and anxious, speaking in the ancient dialect.
• “Tell me this is a lie. You marked Eveline Ashforde. Did you really seal the bond with her? Have you lost your mind? She left you to die five years ago. She ran while you bled. She has had mate after mate abroad. She never cared. And now you plan to marry her?”
• My stomach hollowed. The warmth of the room drained from my skin.
• Serena grew still. Not surprised. Only quiet in a way that felt too familiar.
• Damian answered in an even tone. “Eveline is dying. Moon-rot. She asked me to give her peace before she goes. I can give her that.”
• “And Dallas?” Leonard pushed. “She rebuilt you after the crash. She gave you everything. How do you expect her to survive knowing she is only the second choice?”
• Damian’s tone cooled. “She does not need to know. When Eveline is gone, I will take Dallas as my mate, as planned.”
• Something inside me fractured without a sound.
• Serena whispered, “So this is the truth.”
• Damian ended the call and turned toward me, reaching for my waist as if nothing had changed.
• I held my breath steady. “Damian, will you mark me today? You promised.”
• A faint frown crossed his face before he smoothed it away. “There is no need to rush. Your Luna place is already yours. Even if it is not tonight, the coronation will settle everything.”
• Serena’s voice thinned. “He will not choose us today.”
• When Damian leaned in to kiss me, I stepped back. “I do not feel well.”
• Concern flickered across his face. “You are pale. If it gets worse, I will have someone bring you to the healer.”
• His sincerity hurt more than any cruelty.
• Another chime sounded from his communicator, a private alert. Guilt crossed his eyes.
• “Dallas, the pack needs me. Rest here. I will return once matters are settled.”
• He dressed quickly and left. His wildfire scent lingered.
• I had seen the message.
• Eveline: Damian, it hurts. Come to me.
• My chest tightened. Tears slipped down my cheeks.
• Serena pressed her muzzle against my mind. “We cannot stay here. Not for him. Not for this.”
• I clutched my chest as a familiar ache surged through me, sharp and deep. The same pain I felt when I escaped Frostclaw half-starved and wounded.
• Eveline.
• The girl who dragged a whip across my back in the underground cells.
• The girl whose parents let her do whatever she wanted.
• The girl who watched me bleed and smiled.
• And Damian had marked her.
• Serena growled softly. “We deserve a life that is not made from her leftovers.”
• My decision settled with quiet finality.
• I wiped my face, inhaled once, and dialed the number I had memorized for months.
• “Lyria,” I said, steady at last. “I accept. I will join Helix Dominion’s training in the Western Territory. I am leaving Bloodfang. And I am leaving Damian Ravenwood for good.”