The Scorned Luna-Chapter 104: Hurt

"How is he doing?" Beta Matthew asked quietly as the healer finished examining Damien.

​Minutes ago, they had been on the training field. Damien had been sparring like usual when he suddenly clutched his chest. The pain had been so violent that he dropped to his knees before collapsing completely.

​"I’m fine..." Damien muttered hoarsely.

Matthew looked at him, unconvinced. The healer said nothing. He simply bowed respectfully and left the room.

Slowly, Damien pushed himself upright and leaned back against the headboard. He closed his eyes tightly, forcing back the tears threatening to fall. He knew what had happened... He had felt his mate in another man’s arms.

​"What happened?" Matthew asked, even though he already knew the answer.

"I should have listened to you," Damien whispered. His voice sounded hollow, almost broken. "I should have protected her. I should have been the man she needed instead of the coward who punished her for things she never did."

​Matthew dragged a chair closer, the legs scraping loudly against the tiled floor. He didn’t sugarcoat things. He had seen how Damien treated Sofia before the truth came out. And he had seen the hunger in Alaric’s eyes from the very first day he met her.

​"We all make mistakes," Matthew said bluntly, though sympathy softened his expression. "But Alaric is not just any man. He’s an Alpha who has been empty for five years. You gave him an opening... and he took it."

​Damien let out a choked, bitter laugh that turned into a cough. "An opening? He took my soul, Matt. Every time he touches her, it feels like someone is pouring acid into my veins. I can feel his hands on her... I can feel her wanting him."

​He slammed his fist into the mattress. His wolf, usually proud and fierce, was curled in a corner of his mind, whimpering like a wounded pup. The bond was supposed to be a gift, but right now, it was a leash that was strangling him.

​"She’s my mate," Damien hissed, his eyes filled with unshed tears. "The Moon Goddess chose her for me. How can he just ignore that? How can he look at his own sister’s son and decide that my happiness is worth less than his own mid-life crisis?"

​"Because he’s an Alpha in love," Matthew replied quietly. "And Alphas don’t follow the rules—they make them. Right now, to Alaric, the bond is just a mistake he’s trying to erase."

​Damien sat up fully, his face pale and full of fear. "I can’t lose her, Matthew, I can’t..."

​Matthew shook his head as he stared at his friend with sympathy and worry. "You have to... Damien, look at what happened today. If it continues, your heart will become weak. Damien, since she doesn’t want you, then you have to reject her."

​"Never happening!" Damien cut him off.

​Matthew knew there was no point in arguing with a man whose soul was being shredded. Damien was stubborn, and the mate bond was making him obsessive. With a heavy sigh, Matthew stood up and walked out of the room, leaving his friend to wallow in his grief.

​He walked down the long, sterile hallway of the pack hospital until he found a quiet corner. As a Beta, he had the strength to bridge a mind-link with any pack member, even if they weren’t physically near. He closed his eyes, focusing on the image of the girl who was currently tearing his friend apart from the inside.

​In the executive office, Sofia jumped, her heart skipping a beat as the voice echoed in her head. She was still tucked against Alaric’s chest.

​"Sofia... it’s Matthew," the Beta’s voice was cold and carried a weight of exhaustion.

​Sofia’s stomach did a slow roll. Her first thought went straight to the pain she’d felt through the bond. "Matthew? Is... is everything okay? Is Damien alright?"

​There was a long pause on the other end. "No. He’s not. He collapsed on the training field. His heart nearly stopped because of the stress on the bond. We have a healer with him now, but the damage is spiritual as much as it is physical."

​Sofia went numb. She looked up at Alaric, who was softly stroking her hair, completely unaware that Matthew was currently communicating with her. She felt a wave of crushing guilt. She had been enjoying Alaric’s touch while Damien was literally dying from the sensation of it.

​"Sofia, we need to talk," Matthew continued. "Alone. Away from the prying eyes of the pack."

​Sofia swallowed hard, her throat feeling tight. She knew this was coming.

​"I finish my shift at 3 PM," she replied, her voice shaky even in her mind. "Meet me at the old tavern on the edge of the territory. We can have a drink and... we can talk."

​"I’ll be there," Matthew replied, and the link snapped shut.

​Sofia abruptly pulled away from Alaric, her movements jerky and stiff. Alaric’s brow furrowed, his hands hovering in the empty air where her waist had just been. He watched her, his green eyes darkening with a mix of confusion and a growing, sharp intuition.

​"Sofia?" he rumbled, his voice still husky. "What is it? You went cold all of a sudden."

​She didn’t look at him. She couldn’t. Instead, she stared at the shredded remains of her silk blouse and skirt scattered across the mahogany floor.

​"I... I need to get ready," she whispered, her voice tight. "I have to get back to work."

​Alaric stood up, still undressed. He looked every bit the predatory Alpha, but there was a flicker of pain in the set of his jaw. He reached for his desk phone, his eyes never leaving her.

​"I’ve already dropped a message," he said quietly. "Someone is bringing up a fresh change of clothes for you."

​Sofia simply nodded, her mind miles away. She reached down and snatched up her lace panties, sliding them on with trembling legs, followed by her bra. Every touch of her own skin felt sensitized, bruised by a guilt she couldn’t outrun.

​She walked over to the leather couch in the corner of the office and sat down, hugging her knees to her chest. Alaric walked toward her, stopping just a few feet away. He wanted to reach out, to demand what had happened, but he held back. He was terrified that if he pushed, it would make matters worse.

​"Sofia," he started, his voice tender. "If this is about the bond... if you felt him..."

​"He collapsed, Alaric," she snapped, finally looking up at him, her eyes bright with unshed tears. "While we were... while you were telling me you loved me, your nephew was dying. Matthew said his heart stopped."

​The air in the room turned frigid. Alaric’s face hardened into a frown. The mentions of Damien were becoming a poison between them.

​"Damien is young," Alaric said, his voice devoid of sympathy. "He is feeling the consequences of his own choices. I won’t apologize for claiming what is mine, Sofia. Not even to him."

​"He’s your family!" she cried out.

​"And you are my life," he countered fiercely, stepping closer. "Don’t let his weakness pull you away from me. You made a choice today. Stay with that choice."

​A soft knock at the door signaled the arrival of her clothes. Alaric grabbed a robe from his private bathroom, threw it on, and took the bag from the hallway, dismissing the staffer with a growl. He tossed the bag onto the couch next to her.

​"Dress," he commanded, though his eyes were pleading. "I have a meeting. But I’m sending a car to take you home now."

​"No," Sofia said, standing up and reaching for the bag. "I’ll take the bus. I need some air, Alaric. I need to think."

​She didn’t tell him she was meeting Matthew. She couldn’t.

​Hours later, Sofia stepped into the dim, smoke-stained tavern. It was nearly empty, save for a few old wolves in the corner. She spotted Matthew in a back booth, a half-empty bottle of whiskey and two glasses in front of him.

​She slid into the seat, her heart hammering against her ribs. Matthew looked up, his eyes scanning her face, then dropping to the faint, purple mark Alaric had left on her collarbone, barely hidden by the new dress.

​"You came," Matthew said, his voice flat. He pushed a glass toward her. "Drink. You’re going to need it for what I have to tell you." 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

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