Chanel’s POV
Even though the battle was over, the scent of blood still hung thick in the air. The packhouse halls bore the scars of the fight—injured warriors groaning, bodies being carried away.
Daniel was alive. Miranda was unharmed. And I had fought for my life alone.
I had no business saving him after that and had no reason to care whether he lived or died. But I refused to let the pack suffer because he was only prioritizing his precious mate.
So I called Kios.
The moment his voice echoed through the mind-link, my body relaxed, as if my wolf had already recognized where true strength belonged.
“Chanel, what happened?”
I swallowed the lingering anger in my throat. “Rogues attacked. There were too many. Daniel is injured, the pack is weakened, and I—” I paused, my fingers curling against my palm. “I need your warriors.”
There was a beat of silence. When he spoke again, his voice was calm, almost lazy. “Are you asking me to protect your former lover?”
My chest tightened. “I’m asking you to protect the pack. They are vulnerable, and if another attack comes, they won’t survive it.”
Kios hummed, as if weighing the situation, and then I heard the smirk in his voice. “You impress me, Chanel. You ask for my help, not for love, but for duty.”
“Are you sending them or not?”
A low chuckle rumbled through the link. “My warriors are already on their way.”
Even as dawn broke, the scent of blood lingered. Deathfang warriors arrived, moving like shadows through our lands. Our warriors tensed, uncertain if they were allies or a new threat. But Kios’s men carried themselves with absolute control, their sharp eyes sweeping every corner, hunting for danger.
Daniel, despite his injuries, pushed himself to his feet as he watched them spread through the territory. His face was pale, blood dried along his temple, but his expression darkened as he mindlinked me. “You called them here?”
I met his gaze from afar without flinching. “Yes.”
His jaw tensed, his eyes narrowing. “You let Kios’s pack walk onto our lands?”
“They’re here to keep you alive, Daniel. You should be thanking me.”
His nostrils flared as he stalked closer, his frame towering over me. "Why him, Chanel? Why Kios?"
I held my ground, lifting my chin. “Because he was the only one willing to help.”
His fingers curled into fists. “Do you trust him?”
“More than I trust you.”
His jaw clenched. "How do you even know him?"
I arched a brow, refusing to give him the satisfaction of an explanation. “Does it matter?”
His silence told me it did.
His expression darkened, but he said nothing. Without a word, he turned and retreated to his packhouse office.
—
Days passed, and Daniel healed quickly, but something had shifted between us.
He watched me more often now, his eyes following me when he thought I wasn’t looking. When we crossed paths, his shoulders tensed, and his mouth parted as if he wanted to speak, but he never did.
I didn’t give him a chance to reach for it. I had spent years waiting for Daniel to fight for me, and he never had. I would not waste another second hoping for what would never come.
I made sure he felt the distance between us. I stopped looking for him in a crowded room. I stopped acknowledging his presence when he entered. I no longer spoke his name with the softness I once did. I was polite, distant, indifferent.
When Kios arrived at the Luna’s party, the atmosphere shifted. Conversations faded, heads turned, and a silent acknowledgment rippled through the room. Clad in a dark suit tailored to perfection, he exuded effortless dominance. His silver eyes locked onto mine, making my breath hitch before he strode over. Without hesitation, he wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me to his side.
"Among the women here, you look the most stunning tonight," he murmured. "You stand out even among royalty. I wonder if you even realize how much attention you command."
"Thank you," I whispered, faking a smile so the crowd could see.
Daniel saw it all. His gaze burned into me every time Kios leaned in, every time his fingers grazed my skin. He stood stiffly across the room, watching, seething, his hands clenched at his sides. For years, I had been his secret, his convenience. Now, I was standing beside a man who did not need to hide me. And Daniel hated it.
And it drove him insane.
That night, he cornered me in the empty corridor outside the ballroom.
"Is there something between you and Kios?" he demanded, his voice laced with something close to desperation.
I crossed my arms, tilting my head. "Are you jealous, Daniel?"
His jaw tightened, but he said nothing. His silence was louder than any answer he could have given.
I scoffed. "You don’t get to ask me that. Not after everything."
"I just need to know."
I met his gaze, unflinching. "Then you don't have the right to know anything about me."
Before I could turn away, Daniel grabbed me, his arms wrapping around me tightly. "I don’t want to lose you," he whispered, his breath warm against my skin.
I laughed, shoving at his chest, but he was strong. Too strong. I thrashed in his hold. "Let me go, Daniel. Are you not content with one woman? You are so greedy."
But he wasn’t listening. His grip tightened, his gaze intense as he searched my face. "Let’s get engaged at the full moon."
My heart twisted painfully in my chest.
I knew this was a trap. I knew Daniel too well—his sweet words, his smile, his desperation were all part of his game. He wanted to pull me back into his grasp, to crush me just to satisfy Miranda’s ego.
Tears burned my eyes, but I forced them back. I wanted to slap him, to tear him apart for thinking he could manipulate me again.
But if Daniel wanted to play a game, then I would play it better!
“But what about Miranda? Everyone knows that you two are the real mates. You have introduced her to the public, remember?”
Daniel shook his head, his grip tightened around me. “I don’t care, Chanel. I don't care about the world anymore. But I can’t let you go. God, I can’t even look at you with someone else. You are mine, always mine, understood?”
He was a big fat liar! My wolf growled, and I agreed.
I lifted my chin, my lips curling into a small, unreadable smile. "Then I want to be engaged to you."
Daniel seemed surprised at how quickly I accepted, but after a brief pause, he smiled, satisfied. "I can’t wait."
Daniel's arms were still wrapped around me when his body tensed. His hold on me loosened just slightly. A flicker of distraction crossed his face, as if he were suddenly somewhere else.
I knew that look. Someone was mind-linking him, and I already knew who it was.
"What is it?" I asked, tilting my head slightly, pretending I couldn't see right through him.
Daniel's jaw tightened, his fingers releasing me completely as he stepped back. "My Beta just informed me that some of the patrol teams need assistance. I should go check on them."
Liar. I knew it was Miranda. "Go, then. Your pack needs you." I nodded.
Daniel hesitated as if expecting me to push for the truth, but when I didn’t, he let out a quiet breath and turned away.
That night, when I returned home, I wasted no time.
I walked straight to my closet and pulled out everything Daniel had ever given me. Dresses, jewelry, little trinkets that once held meaning. Every gift he had used to keep me tied to him, to make me believe I was something special to him, now felt like nothing more than shackles.
I stuffed them all into a large bag and handed it to my omega, instructing her to deliver it to the local shelter. I wanted nothing to do with any of it.
As she left, my phone vibrated. I reached for it absentmindedly, expecting another meaningless message, but when I saw the notification, my breath caught in my throat.
It was a screenshot of a group chat.
Daniel’s name was there, along with a few of his closest friends. My vision blurred as I read the messages, and I had to control my hand to stop it from trembling.
"Just release it already, man."
"She deserves to be humiliated after what she did to Miranda then."
"She won’t be so confident once everyone sees what she’s been hiding."
And then Daniel’s reply, sitting there like a dagger waiting to be plunged into my back.
"Relax. I’ll send the slideshow soon."
I forced myself to inhale, steadying the fire in my chest. If Daniel thought he could destroy me, if he thought he could rip me apart and watch me crumble at his feet, he was about to learn just how wrong he was.
