Esra
I'd been bound by invisible chains my entire life, but now those chains were visibleâand permanent. I was marked. Yesterday, in Zade's office, he'd asked if he could touch me. And I'd let him. I'd let him kiss me. But then he'd lost control, unable to resist the urge to mark me anymore.
I'd slapped him, punched him, clawed at his face and chest, and wrecked half of his office. No matter how many times he'd apologized, I couldn't find it in myself to forgive him.
Now, I sat outside the bathtub, curled up in a ball, crying uncontrollably. "
Please, forgive me," Zade's words echoed through my mind. I'd blocked the mental path he used to link with me, but his voice lingered, a constant reminder of his betrayal.
There were those who sought to destroy packs, including Damonâthe demon wolfâand the mysterious person Luna Mayu had tried to mention. Zade had already begun reinforcing the border with mountain ash, a barrier only he could breach.
The water in my bath had grown cold, so I showered instead, then changed into comfortable clothes and decided to go to bed early. But my reprieve was short-lived, as a knock at the door interrupted my solitude.
I knew it was Zade, but I opened the door anyway. "Yes?"
"Iâ" Zade shook his head, sighing. "I found something regarding the demon wolf."
I raised an eyebrow, intrigued despite myself. "I'm listening."
But Zade's eyes narrowed. "In my office."
I crossed my arms, leaning against the doorframe. My eyes were still red from crying, and I made no effort to hide my tears. Let Zade see the pain he'd caused.
"No," I told him. "Whatever it is, say it here."
Zade growled, his frustration evident, but he relented. "Damon was formerly from the Silver Moon Pack."
I raised an eyebrow. "And?"
Zade's expression turned somber. "Sit down."
But I refused, and Zade's eyes flashed with irritation. "I said sit."
"I'm not your dog," I retorted, my anger rising.
Zade sighed, his expression softening. "I'm sorry. Love of my life, light of my eyes, my luna, would you please take a seat? You'll want to sit for the next thing I tell you."
My nostrils flared, but I sat down, trapped between my bed and Zade's imposing form.
"Damonâ" Zade began, his voice low and serious. "He'sâhave you had any other memories of him?"
I shook my head. "Only the ones I've told you about."
Zade's eyes searched mine. "Damon is the heir to Alpha Dominic Argent."
My breath caught in my throat. "What did you say?"
Zade's expression was grim. "I'm saying that Damon Argent is your brother."
I felt like I'd been punched in the gut. "Iâ" My words faltered, and I swallowed hard.
Zade's head snapped up, his eyes locked on something in the distance. "He's here."
"Who?" I managed to ask.
Zade's eyes narrowed. "Damon."
I followed Zade outside, where Damon stood in chains, his skin swollen from the wolfsbane. He didn't seem to care, his eyes fixed on me with an unnerving intensity.
"Stop it," I whispered, feeling a pang of unease. "Free him."
Zade studied me, then nodded. "Release him."
As the guards freed Damon, he collapsed to the ground, weak and battered. Fresh lashes and cuts marred his skin, and his dark hair was mussed.
He looked up at me, his black eyes locking onto mine. "Talk," Zade demanded.
I let my mental shield drop, allowing Zade to sense my thoughts.
'Let me handle this.' I told him.
Zade eyed me, then nodded.
"Let me explain, Esra," Damon began, his voice laced with desperation. "I know I messed up. I know I've been a terrible brother."
As Damon spoke, his words spilled out in a rush, explaining how Sulia had corrupted him, using him to further her own agenda.
I listened, my heart heavy with emotion, as Damon revealed the truth about our family's past and his own complicity in Sulia's plans.
Finally, Damon finished speaking, his eyes locked on mine.
"You brought Azrael into our home?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
Damon nodded, his expression contrite. "I'm sorry, Esra. I was young and naive. Azrael promised to help me become normal with the Moonstone, and that I didn't have to be a demon wolf anymore."
Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes as I struggled to process my emotions. The sting in my heart was overwhelming, worse than a silver knife dipped in wolfsbane. "You let him kill my parents?"
I said 'my' on purpose.
Damon's voice cracked as he continued. "I only found out now that Azrael killed them. I found out the same time you did."
I couldn't stand to look at him, so I turned away. Zade tried to comfort me, but it only helped a little.
Damon continued his story. "Sulia started to train me. She gave me wolfsbane every day to inhale or drink it so that I'd become immune to it, and I am."
That explained why he didn't look like he was in pain when he was chained up in wolfsbane laced chains.
"She tried to train you, but you had a good heart. At that time, Sulia told me the training was to take down the guy who attacked our pack. So I thought I was avenging them, but instead I was being used as a weapon."
Damon's eyes dropped, shame etched on his face. "I was too young to take over the pack, so Azrael took over. I thought he was helping us. He treated everyone in the equally and he seemed like a nice guy. But Sulia didn't lie when she said she wanted to kill the guy who took down our pack."
My tears finally broke free. "She was on both sides?"
Damon's voice was barely above a whisper. "That day you visited the Crystal Moon Pack... Something hit youâit was me."
My eyes narrowed. "You tried to kill me?"
Damon shook his head. "It was an antidote. It was to get your memories back. The reason why I did it is because I knew that if you found out what Sulia did, you would kill her. Even though you had a good heart, at some point you'd end up killing someone, and Sulia was the last straw."
I glared at him, my anger simmering. "You knew what I was capable of and decided to abuse that knowledge?"
"I know it's a lot to take in, but I want to help you take Azrael down. I swear on the Moon Goddess," Damon said, his eyes pleading.
He swore on the Moon Goddess, a sign of his truthfulness.
"Please,"
Zade's warning cut through the air. "If you try anything stupid, I will beat the crap out of you. If you're joining our pack, then you will be considered an Omega. Understand?"
I jumped, surprised by Zade's decision. Damon nodded, accepting the terms. "I don't care about titles. Thank you for taking me in."
Damon turned to me, his eyes searching for forgiveness. "Thank you, Esra, for giving me a second chance."
But I never said I'd give him a second chance. "No problem," I said, my voice laced with venom.