Chapter 4
Damien appeared in the doorway, champagne glass in hand, Serena draped on his arm.
"Still haven't passed out?" He raised an eyebrow. "You really are stubborn."
I lay in the snow, my body so cold it had stopped shivering — a sign of severe hypothermia. My lips were blue. My eyes could barely focus.
"D-D-Damien—" My words came out in shattered fragments. "H-hospital—"
"Oh stop it." He took a sip of champagne. "Serena said the dose wasn't lethal. You're fine."
*He was going to let me die here.*
The realization hit with strange calm. The man I'd loved for three years was going to watch me die in the snow and convince himself it was my fault.
Serena suddenly gasped. "Oh no! Damien, your mother's heirloom bracelet — the one you gave me — I think it fell off when Aria attacked me earlier! It might be in the snow somewhere."
She turned to me with mock concern.
"Aria, honey, since you're already down there, could you look for it? It's a gold bracelet with a ruby clasp."
I couldn't move. My limbs had stopped responding.
"She's being difficult again," Serena sighed. "Damien, aren't you going to say something?"
Damien's face hardened. He crouched down and grabbed my jaw, forcing me to look at him.
"Find. The. Bracelet."
I looked into his eyes — eyes I once thought held love — and saw nothing. No recognition. No mercy. No humanity.
"C-can't... move..." I breathed.
Damien released my jaw in disgust. "Then crawl."
One of his friends cleared his throat. "Bro, she looks really bad. Maybe we should—"
"Should WHAT?" Serena cut in, her voice sharp. "She humiliated me at my own engagement party. She SPAT on my dress. She tried to DROWN me—"
"She didn't try to drown you," the friend muttered.
Serena's eyes filled with instant tears. "Are you calling me a liar? Tyler, are you seriously taking HER side?"
Tyler backed down immediately. "No, no, I just—"
"Because if you are, maybe I should tell everyone what's on your phone. You know, those pictures you—"
"I said she should find the bracelet!" Tyler said quickly.
Serena smiled. Sweet. Victorious.
She knelt beside me and whispered: "There's no bracelet, obviously. I just want to see how far you'll crawl before your heart gives out. It's the last data point I need for my thesis."
Something flickered in Damien's expression — the faintest shadow of doubt.
"Serena, maybe she's had enough—"
"Damien." Serena stood, facing him with wounded eyes. "After everything she's done tonight. After she attacked me, spit on me, tried to ruin our engagement... you're going to feel sorry for HER?"
She stepped closer, placing her hands on his chest.
"I thought you chose me. Was I wrong? Do you still have feelings for her?"
"No!" Damien said immediately. "Of course not."
"Then prove it." Serena's voice dropped to a whisper I could still hear. "Make her apologize. Properly."
Damien turned to me. Whatever hesitation existed was gone.
"Apologize to Serena, Aria. Now."
I lay in the snow, my heart failing, my body broken, staring up at the man who was supposed to protect me.
"I'd... rather... die..."
"That can be arranged," Serena chirped.
She pulled out another syringe.
This time, Damien didn't stop her.
I closed my eyes, accepting the end.
Then my body began to burn from the inside — not from wolfsbane, but from something far deeper. Something ancient.
My wolf — which should have been completely suppressed — ROARED to life inside me.
Not just any wolf.
A Royal wolf. With blood that burned through wolfsbane like fire through paper.
My eyes snapped open.
They were glowing pure gold.
Serena stumbled backward, the syringe clattering to the ground.
"W-what the—"
Before anyone could move, the sky exploded with light.
Thirty black military helicopters descended through the storm clouds, their searchlights turning the dark grounds bright as noon.
The ground shook. Armed warriors — hundreds of them — rappelled from the helicopters with terrifying precision, forming a perimeter around the venue.
And standing at the center of it all, stepping from the lead helicopter like death itself had arrived — was my father.
Alpha King Dominic Cross.
The most powerful werewolf alive.
And he looked ready to destroy everything in his path.
His roar split the night:
"WHO. TOUCHED. MY. DAUGHTER."
"Still haven't passed out?" He raised an eyebrow. "You really are stubborn."
I lay in the snow, my body so cold it had stopped shivering — a sign of severe hypothermia. My lips were blue. My eyes could barely focus.
"D-D-Damien—" My words came out in shattered fragments. "H-hospital—"
"Oh stop it." He took a sip of champagne. "Serena said the dose wasn't lethal. You're fine."
*He was going to let me die here.*
The realization hit with strange calm. The man I'd loved for three years was going to watch me die in the snow and convince himself it was my fault.
Serena suddenly gasped. "Oh no! Damien, your mother's heirloom bracelet — the one you gave me — I think it fell off when Aria attacked me earlier! It might be in the snow somewhere."
She turned to me with mock concern.
"Aria, honey, since you're already down there, could you look for it? It's a gold bracelet with a ruby clasp."
I couldn't move. My limbs had stopped responding.
"She's being difficult again," Serena sighed. "Damien, aren't you going to say something?"
Damien's face hardened. He crouched down and grabbed my jaw, forcing me to look at him.
"Find. The. Bracelet."
I looked into his eyes — eyes I once thought held love — and saw nothing. No recognition. No mercy. No humanity.
"C-can't... move..." I breathed.
Damien released my jaw in disgust. "Then crawl."
One of his friends cleared his throat. "Bro, she looks really bad. Maybe we should—"
"Should WHAT?" Serena cut in, her voice sharp. "She humiliated me at my own engagement party. She SPAT on my dress. She tried to DROWN me—"
"She didn't try to drown you," the friend muttered.
Serena's eyes filled with instant tears. "Are you calling me a liar? Tyler, are you seriously taking HER side?"
Tyler backed down immediately. "No, no, I just—"
"Because if you are, maybe I should tell everyone what's on your phone. You know, those pictures you—"
"I said she should find the bracelet!" Tyler said quickly.
Serena smiled. Sweet. Victorious.
She knelt beside me and whispered: "There's no bracelet, obviously. I just want to see how far you'll crawl before your heart gives out. It's the last data point I need for my thesis."
Something flickered in Damien's expression — the faintest shadow of doubt.
"Serena, maybe she's had enough—"
"Damien." Serena stood, facing him with wounded eyes. "After everything she's done tonight. After she attacked me, spit on me, tried to ruin our engagement... you're going to feel sorry for HER?"
She stepped closer, placing her hands on his chest.
"I thought you chose me. Was I wrong? Do you still have feelings for her?"
"No!" Damien said immediately. "Of course not."
"Then prove it." Serena's voice dropped to a whisper I could still hear. "Make her apologize. Properly."
Damien turned to me. Whatever hesitation existed was gone.
"Apologize to Serena, Aria. Now."
I lay in the snow, my heart failing, my body broken, staring up at the man who was supposed to protect me.
"I'd... rather... die..."
"That can be arranged," Serena chirped.
She pulled out another syringe.
This time, Damien didn't stop her.
I closed my eyes, accepting the end.
Then my body began to burn from the inside — not from wolfsbane, but from something far deeper. Something ancient.
My wolf — which should have been completely suppressed — ROARED to life inside me.
Not just any wolf.
A Royal wolf. With blood that burned through wolfsbane like fire through paper.
My eyes snapped open.
They were glowing pure gold.
Serena stumbled backward, the syringe clattering to the ground.
"W-what the—"
Before anyone could move, the sky exploded with light.
Thirty black military helicopters descended through the storm clouds, their searchlights turning the dark grounds bright as noon.
The ground shook. Armed warriors — hundreds of them — rappelled from the helicopters with terrifying precision, forming a perimeter around the venue.
And standing at the center of it all, stepping from the lead helicopter like death itself had arrived — was my father.
Alpha King Dominic Cross.
The most powerful werewolf alive.
And he looked ready to destroy everything in his path.
His roar split the night:
"WHO. TOUCHED. MY. DAUGHTER."