The lost mate
Chapter 117: A Rift

Chapter 117: A Rift

Anne froze, her eyes widening as her senses sharpened. It was unmistakable, clinging faintly to Damien’s clothes, the same scent she had hated. Her heart pounded in her chest as she looked up at Damien, her excitement quickly draining, replaced by a sinking feeling of dread.

Her eyes met his, and she saw it. Guilt.

Damien’s face, which had lit up the moment he saw her, now faltered. His smile flickered, and the confidence he usually exuded cracked. He tried to hold her gaze, but Anne could see the storm of emotions brewing behind his eyes—the tension in his jaw, the way his shoulders stiffened as if bracing for a blow.

"Damien," she whispered, her voice trembling with the mix of emotions coursing through her. Her fingers, which had been inches away from touching him, now hovered in the air, unsure.

"What... what is this?"

For a moment, he said nothing. His lips parted, but no words came out. He lowered his gaze, unable to meet her questioning eyes. His silence was more damning than anything he could have said.

Anne’s heart clenched painfully, and she took a step back, her mind racing. She didn’t want to jump to conclusions, but the scent was there, and Damien’s guilt-stricken expression was undeniable. The thought of him being anywhere near Jessica made her blood run cold. She didn’t want to question him here; in front of everyone, she acted as if nothing had happened.

Damien stood there, watching helplessly as Anne scooped Ryan up into her arms, retreating from him both physically and emotionally.

"I’m going to take Ryan upstairs," Anne said quietly, not looking at him. "We’ll talk later."

With that, she turned and walked away.

Liana didn’t waste any time getting to the point. "Damien," she began,what is going on with the council? And how did Blaze manage to worm his way into this mess?"

Damien exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. "I’ve been asking myself the same thing," he muttered, his tone clipped. He paced the room, his body language brimming with agitation. "I warned both you and dad about Blaze and Jackson. They’ve been plotting for months—manipulating things from behind the scenes, stirring up trouble—but nothing was done."

Liana’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Damien’s expression hardened, his frustration boiling over. "And Blaze—he’s more dangerous than either of you realise. You should have seen this coming. Now, the council is involved, and I’m the one left to clean up the mess."

Liana stiffened, her pride wounded by his accusation. "We’ve been managing the situation."

"Managing?" Damien cut her off, his voice rising slightly. "Is that what you call it? Blaze showed up with the council, ready to tear Anne apart. He and Jackson have been working together, and you let them get this close."

Liana folded her arms, her jaw tightening. She wasn’t used to being spoken to like this, not by her son. But Damien wasn’t just any Alpha; he was the future king, and his anger was justified. "I didn’t realise it had gotten this bad," she admitted, though her tone remained guarded. "But I still don’t understand how the council got involved so quickly. Blaze has never been able to sway them like this before."

He took a breath, steadying himself. "There’s more. It’s not just Blaze and the council. Jessica... she trapped me at the hotel. I thought I could avoid her, but she followed me. I was hit by something and lost consciousness; when I woke up... she was in my room, and she had marked me."

The room fell silent; Liana’s face immediately darkened, her eyes narrowing into dangerous slits. Alpha Falcon, who had been standing in the corner, his arms crossed, straightened up.

"She what?" Liana’s voice was laced with venom.

Damien nodded, pacing again, unable to keep still. "It was a setup. Chris came to get me this morning and found me in my hotel room with Jessica. And when I confronted her, she admitted to planning the whole thing."

Liana’s hands curled into fists at her sides, her wolf barely contained behind her fierce expression. "This is a declaration of war," she spat, her voice filled with cold fury. "That woman has crossed every line."

Alpha Richard, who had been listening quietly, finally spoke. His voice was deep.

"No one attacks the future Alpha King and gets away with it. We’ll make sure she pays for this."

"First I need to visit the council and dort out this mess." Damein declared and walked away.

**********************

Damien stood at the door to their bedroom, his hand resting on the handle for a moment longer than necessary. He wasn’t sure what to expect when he walked in, but the silence was deafening. Anne was sitting by the window, her back to him.

She didn’t turn when he entered; she didn’t acknowledge his presence. It was as though she was a world away. His mate, the love of his life—who now seemed so out of reach.

He took a deep breath, steeling himself, and stepped closer. "Anne," he said softly, his voice low and filled with regret.

Still, she didn’t turn. Her hands rested in her lap, fingers loosely intertwined, but the tension in her shoulders was unmistakable. Finally, she spoke, her voice cold and distant. "I don’t want to hear it, Damien."

Her words cut deep, sharper than any blade. He had expected anger, maybe even tears—but this? This calm, detached indifference was something else entirely. She wasn’t yelling or accusing. She wasn’t even asking for an explanation. She simply didn’t care.

Damien moved closer, desperation creeping into his voice. "Anne, it’s not what you think. I swear to you, I would never betray you like that." He stopped a few feet behind her, the urge to touch her and pull her into his arms overwhelming. But he didn’t dare. "Jessica, set me up. I don’t remember what happened, but I know I didn’t."

Anne raised her hand to stop him, cutting off his words. "I’m fine, Damien," she said, her tone devoid of emotion. She finally stood up from the chair but still didn’t look at him. "Really. I’m fine. I don’t want to talk about it."

"Anne, please." His voice was almost pleading now, raw with the emotions he was struggling to keep in check. "You’re not fine. And I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry. But we need to talk about this. I need you to understand—Jessica planned this. She’s trying to tear us apart."

For the first time, Anne turned around, her eyes locking with his. There was no anger there, no fire—just an icy calm that chilled Damien to his core. "I understand perfectly, Damien," she said, her words slow and deliberate. "I understand that she’s been a problem for a long time. And I understand that this is going to keep happening over and over again, unless I learn to accept it."

Her words hit him like a punch to the gut. Damien took a step forward, shaking his head. "No. You don’t have to accept this. This is not going to keep happening. I’ll make sure of it."

Anne gave him a faint, sad smile. "You can’t control everything, Damien. Not Jessica, not the council, not what people say or do. And not me."

"I can’t lose you," Damien whispered, his voice cracking under the weight of the fear he had been holding back. "I won’t."

"You won’t," Anne replied, her voice gentle now, but there was still a distance in her eyes. "But things are different now, Damien. We’re different."

He opened his mouth to protest, but she held up her hand again, silencing him once more.

"Let’s just get through this," she said softly. "Whatever’s going on with the council, with Blaze, with Jessica—it doesn’t matter right now."

He closed his eyes briefly, gathering himself. "The council," he started, his voice rough. "You need to come with me to clear up this mess. They’ve been fed lies.

She nodded slightly, her expression unreadable. "Fine," she said after a moment. "I’ll go with you."