Chapter 2

• ~ Damen (POV) ~
• It was her birthday. I found out that she was my mate two years ago. My mind was a mess because I like her and at the same time I was scared to be like my uncle, I saw his pain after he lost his mate. It was all because she was weak and delicate. Asteria is weak too, she was a gorgeous woman and I liked her ever since I was a kid. She was my crush and I still like her but she’s too weak to be our Luna. She could easily get killed by our enemies. I didn’t… I didn’t want her to die because I like her and I would go insane if I lost her.
• I got up from the bed and changed into my clothes. My heart was hurting because I’m going to reject her. I went out of the house and walked towards her favorite place. It was Sunday and I knew she was going to be there in a while. Every Sunday I also came here and watched her secretly. I wanted to let go of her and forget but I failed and I’m still failing.
• Two years passed but yet I’m not ready to hurt her feelings on her birthday. I knew this day would come soon and she’ll recognise me as her mate but still I couldn’t make myself do this. I approached the flower garden and my mind started to show me how I saw her in this place. She was simply an angel. Blue eyes, long black hair, cherry lips and a pretty face. Most importantly she’s innocent.
• ‘We can’t do this Damen. She’s ours. We can protect her. This will hurt her more than we could ever imagine.” It was my wolf Derek, ever since we found that she was our mate he was obsessed with her. He keeps telling me that she’s strong and she’s special but no.. she’s just a normal and innocent girl.
• ‘You want her to get killed Derek? You know they always attack our Luna. Our Luna should be strong. Asteria is just too delicate and innocent. You think that at least she could even hurt someone? No.. she’s just a woman with kindness” I explained to him as he howled from pain.
• ‘But I want her.. I want my mate. I love her.” I felt the pain in his heart and not only him, I also love her.
• ‘I know. But we should protect her,’ betraying all my feelings, I said with a sigh. Derek was whimpering inside of me.
• I suddenly felt a familiar scent of roses and vanilla. My heart filled with a strange feeling and I knew she was here.
• ‘Damen… we can’t do this.. I can feel her wolf. She’s happy because we’re here’ my wolf never acted like this. He was the most dangerous and heartless wolf in our pack but look at him now.
• I clenched my jaws as I felt her scent near me. Without caring for my wolf I turned to her. My heart stopped for a while as I saw her beauty. Why is she so beautiful today? Wearing a floral frock, she held the aura of innocence. She started to blush as she saw me.
• ‘Gorgeous’ I heard my wolf’s voice. Of course she’s gorgeous.
• “So you’re here” I said as she nodded at me with a breathtaking smile. My heartbeat went crazy because of her smile. She was happy.
• “Asteria Griffin, you like me?” It was a useless question because I was going to reject her but deep inside of my heart I wanted to know it. I wanted to know her feelings towards me. This is the first time we’re talking to each other but we have watched each other ever since we were kids.
• “Yes” she nodded and smiled at me. I watched her sparkling blue eyes for a while and chuckled. I’m glad that she likes me. Then she watched me with a worried look on her face.
• ‘She’s worried about us. She thinks we’re tired and busy’ my wolf’s happiness was glued in his voice. Is she really worried about me?
• “So you’re going to become Luna of this blood moon pack?” I asked as she bit her lower lip and smiled shyly. I felt the burning desire in me to ravish her here and there. I wanted to give up on everything and take her with me somewhere far away.
• My mind imagined so many lovely things with her, having kids and becoming a father while she was their mother but everything is just an illusion. If I make her my Luna they will definitely try to kill her, I’m not that strong to accept my mate’s death.
• “I, Damen Phoenix reject Asteria Griffin as my mate” finally the words I decided to say from two years ago came out of my mouth.
• ‘Noo… don’t … she’s our treasure’ My wolf howled from pain as he spoke with his broken voice. I looked at Asteria’s face and saw the hurt and disbelief in her eyes. Then she cried from pain as she clutched the dress she was wearing.
• Not only her but I was also in pain but I endured it. I watched her body begin to shake. She’s hurt.. my eyes turned red as I saw her pain. She is the girl I secretly liked and loved ever since I was thirteen years old, she was the girl I always dreamed about, she’s the girl I wanted to be my kid’s mother but her life is more important to me than my dreams and desires.
• I’m sorry Asteria, I will kill myself if I lost you after you becoming my wife and my Luna.
• “Wh..why?” Finally she looked at me and asked. Her eyes were filled with tears and her face was pale.
• “Weak and pathetic. I want a she-wolf with alpha blood to be my Luna. You’re such a failure” I wanted her to hate me so I just told and left her alone in that garden. I forced myself not to look back because I knew I hurt her beyond the limit.
• ‘Bastard.. how could you? She’s ours to love and cherish not to hurt’ my wolf shouted with fury.
• I went home straight and entered my room. I sat on my bed and started to pull my hair as if I was a crazy man. I wanted to feel the pain, I wanted to feel the same pain I gave her. I took off my shirt and strode into the washroom. Then I grabbed a razor and cut the side of my torso.
• ‘The thing you’re doing will never take back the pain you gave her’ I heard my wolf’s voice again and I stopped what I was doing. I looked at myself in the mirror and saw a mess. I was a fucking mess. Then I saw the bleeding wound on my body but without caring I took a cold shower.
• After that I climbed onto the bed and closed my eyes to sleep,
• ‘Damen, help…’ I heard her voice and I was in my wolf’s form. I followed her voice and ran into the dark forest while knowing that it was a forbidden place for us. Then finally I stopped in front of a white she-wolf. Her eyes were blue but those were filled with hurt. Soon after she collapsed onto the floor while giving me the best view of a man who was holding a silver dagger and blood dripping down from the dagger. Noo..
• My eyes snapped open and I immediately sat up on the bed. My breath became heavy and my heart felt suffocated. It was the same dream I've been seeing for two years. This is the main reason I’m pushing Asteria away from my life. Shit..
• “Brother, mom asked you to come for dinner. It’s already six thirty in the evening and we have guests so she said, ``Wear something nice and come down.” I heard my little brother’s voice and I sighed. Guests? Suddenly?
• “I’ll come in a while” I spoke as I got down from the bed and walked into the washroom. I wanted to shower again because I was sweating. After taking a shower I changed into black sweatpants and a black shirt. Without even wiping my hair properly I went downstairs.
• As soon as I saw the guests my whole body froze. Asteria? Why is she here? Don’t tell me she told my parents that I reject her as my mate. Horror took over me as I looked at my mother. She would kill me if she found that I rejected my mate.
• “You’re here. Let’s have dinner” mom smiled at me and said. Then Asteria’s eyes fell on me but within a second her eyes left mine and looked down. My heart was covered with a bitter feeling and I wanted to go and grabbed her chin to kiss but I caused all these.
• While having dinner she didn’t even look at me for a second. All she did was focus on her food without even looking anywhere.
• “Asteria you’re eighteen now. Did you feel anything about your mate or you already found him?” my mom’s words made my heartbeat go crazy with terror. I looked at Asteria and found she was looking at me with hurt filled eyes.
• “No.. I haven't found him yet.” She looked at my mother and smiled. I… I thought she would tell my mom that I was her mate.. but she just simply said that.
• ‘No.. we are her mate.’ I heard my wolf’s sorrowful howl and I clenched my jaws. I was also hurt because of her words but I made her like this.
• “you didn’t?” My mother’s shocked filled voice came out, then she watched Asteria for a while and her eyes fell on me before moving to my dad. My dad also had a puzzled expression on his face but I couldn’t understand why.
• “Oh.. hope you’ll find him soon” I watched the way my mom forcefully smiled. Her voice was somewhat broken. What the hell is she hiding?
• After dinner, Asteria and her father left. As soon as she left I felt empty. I was the one who pushed her away, didn’t I ? So there’s no point in regretting it because it was all for her own safety.
• I waited for a while and went to meet my dad because I wanted to talk about the training that’s going to happen tomorrow.
• “She should be his mate Kalen. Didn’t Cassiopeia swear that? How come something like this would happen? I don’t understand” I stopped in front of the study room without entering. Why is mom crying? About whom she’s talking? Cassiopeia… Cassiopeia is a witch right? What the hell is this? They are probably hiding something from me. Shit..