The lost mate
Chapter 94: The Mark of Fate

Chapter 94: The Mark of Fate

Damien didn’t need to his mating out loud; every wolf within the pack felt the truth. The mating bond had been sealed.

She pushed the door of her suite open, the soft creak cutting through the silence. Ryan lay on the bed, curled up in his favourite blanket, his face peaceful and untroubled. His soft breathing filled the room.

Relief washed over her like a wave. She stepped closer to his bed, leaning down to brush a lock of hair away from his forehead. He didn’t stir, blissfully unaware of the upheaval in the pack tonight. Whatever ripple the mating bond had sent through the wolves hadn’t disturbed Ryan.

Her fingers lingered on his cheek for a moment longer before she stood, feeling the tug of the bond pulling her towards Damien. She closed her eyes, grounding herself for a second. The bond was strong, almost overwhelming, but she pushed back the flood of emotions rising from him. He would have to handle his parents alone for now.

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Damien walked through the sprawling corridors, his jaw set. He could already feel the storm brewing ahead. His father, Richardnever did well with surprises, and this would be no exception.

The moment he crossed the threshold into the grand living room, he could feel the tension crackling in the air. Richard stood by the fireplace, his broad back turned, but Damien didn’t need to see his face to know his father was furious.

"Damien," Richard’s voice was low, but it vibrated with restrained anger. "What the hell have you done?"

Damien squared his shoulders, refusing to flinch under the weight of his father’s authority. His mother, Liana, sat quietly in the corner, her hands folded in her lap, her expression caught between concern and dismay.

"You’ve shattered everything we’ve been working for," Richard continued, turning to face him, his eyes flashing. "The grand mating ceremony—the symbol to the other packs, the alliances we’ve been building—it’s all gone. Do you even understand what you’ve done?"

"I understand perfectly," Damien said, his voice steady but firm. "And that’s why I did it."

Richard’s eyes narrowed. "You went behind everyone’s back. You robbed Anne of her ceremony, of her place before the pack as your mate."

Damien felt the heat rise in his chest, but he kept his temper in check. "This wasn’t about a ceremony, Father. It was about protecting her."

"Protecting her?" Richard scoffed, his disbelief palpable. "From what? She’s the future Luna—no one in the pack would dare harm her."

Damien took a step forward, his voice dropping. "Not from the pack. From outsiders. Jessica was harassing her; others still question her place in the pack."

Richard’s expression hardened, his anger giving way to a glimmer of understanding.

"I couldn’t wait," Damien continued. "If we’d gone through with the ceremony as planned, it would’ve been weeks before the bond was fully sealed. That would’ve left Anne vulnerable—an unmated Luna is an easy target. You know that as well as I do."

Liana shifted in her chair, speaking for the first time. "Damien, why didn’t you tell us this before?"

"Because I didn’t want to panic anyone. The pack can’t afford chaos right now. "

Richard’s fists clenched at his sides, his brow furrowed deeply. "We could’ve handled this differently. A private bonding, something with discretion. You didn’t have to bite her in the middle of the night like—"

"Like what?" Damien snapped, cutting him off. "Like a wolf? That’s exactly what I am, Father. I made a decision as Alpha to protect my mate, our future Luna. If you can’t see that, then maybe you’ve spent too much time worrying about politics and not enough about the safety of your family."

The silence that followed was thick, heavy with unspoken words. Richard’s eyes locked onto his son’s, and for a moment, Damien wondered if his father might actually strike him. But then, slowly, Richard exhaled, some of the tension leaving his body.

"You’ve always been headstrong," Richard muttered, his voice quieter now. "But this—this was reckless, Damien."

"I made the best decision I could with the information I had," Damien replied. "You trained me for this. You trusted me to lead. Now trust that I know how to protect my mate."

Richard’s lips pressed into a thin line, but he said nothing more. It wasn’t an admission of defeat.

Liana stood, crossing the room to stand by her son. She placed a gentle hand on his arm and smiled, though there was sadness in her eyes.

"You’ve made your choice," she said softly. "Now we’ll have to live with it. "

Damien nodded, grateful for his mother’s support. He turned and left the room. But he had no regrets. Anne was his mate, and he would do anything to protect her—ceremony or not.

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

"Now what should we do, Liana?" Richard’s voice cracked under the strain. "Damien has marked Anne. He could never leave her, even if he wanted to. He’s bound to her now."

Her eyes flashed with a defiant fire as she tilted her chin upward. "Who says Damien can’t leave his mate?" she asked, her voice low and steady. "I left my mate for you, didn’t I?"

Richard froze; his pacing abruptly halted. He turned to face her fully now, his expression a mix of confusion and anger. "That’s different. You chose to leave your mate—Damien wont.

Liana’s heart ached at the memory of her own decision, the one she’d made so long ago when she had chosen Richard over the mate the Moon Goddess had destined for her. She had shattered her bond for love, for desire, for something she thought was greater than fate. But the scars still lingered. She had walked away, yet she knew the pain of severing that tie, the agony of breaking something so primal, so innate. It had nearly destroyed her.

"If I could leave my mate, why can’t Damien do the same?" Liana said, her voice harder this time, as if daring Richard to challenge her. "He has free will. The bond doesn’t own him. He can choose."

"Alpha Jackson won’t let them get away with this," Richard continued, his voice harsh. "He’ll go against us. You know how he is—he won’t rest until Damien is brought down for this."

Liana’s stomach churned at the mention of Jackson.

She took a step towards Richard, her expression softening slightly, though the steel in her gaze remained. "I won’t let Jackson destroy us," she said. "I know what we’re up against. But we’re not without power, Richard. We’ve faced worse than this. Damien can still choose his own path, and so can we."

Richard looked at her, his blue eyes clouded with uncertainty. "What if you’re wrong?"

A silence fell between them, the kind that made the walls seem to close in, as if they were trapped by forces beyond their control. For the first time, Liana felt the weight of doubt pressing down on her, the cracks in her resolve threatening to surface. But she couldn’t afford doubt. Not now.

"We can figure this out," Liana said, more to herself than to him. "Damien has a choice. Just like I did. Just like you do." She placed her hand over his, squeezing gently. "We fight. We always fight."