Chapter 3 Damon's Regrets

• “Alpha Damon, the council is ready to proceed,” a messenger announced, bowing slightly, yet feeling nervousness because of the seriousness written on Damon's face.
• Damon adjusted his tie, brushing imaginary dust off his jacket. This was it—the moment he had sacrificed everything for. The Moon Ceremony was behind him, along with the shattered gaze of his mate. He couldn’t afford to think about that now.
• Walking into the grand hall, Damon was greeted by Alpha Rowan’s booming laugh. The man was tall, broad-shouldered, and exuded an air of confidence that matched Damon’s own.
• “Damon! There’s the man of the hour,” Rowan said, gripping Damon’s hand in a crushing handshake.
• “Rowan,” Damon greeted coolly, his voice is flat.
• “Shall we finalize this alliance?”
• “Of course,” Rowan said, gesturing to the table where their council members waited. “Let’s make history today.”
• As the terms of the agreement were laid out, Damon nodded at all the right moments, but his focus wavered. The room was filled with the scent of burning candles and aged wood, yet beneath it, Damon swore he caught a faint trace of Lily’s scent—wildflowers after rain. He stiffened, brushing the thought away.
• ---
• When the final signatures were inked, the room erupted into applause.
• “To the future of our packs!” Rowan declared, raising his glass.
• “To the future,” Damon echoed, though the words tasted hollow. He's present, yet his mind seems to be roaming somewhere.
• As the celebration continued, Damon found himself standing apart from the crowd, staring into the distance. The decision he had made—the rejection—was supposed to solidify his path forward. So why did it feel like he had lost something irreplaceable? Like he pull out something very important in his heart?
• “You know, brooding doesn’t suit you,” Caleb’s voice broke through Damon’s thoughts later that evening.
• Damon turned sharply, finding his Beta leaning against the doorway of his office, arms crossed. His eyes seems to be annoying him.
• “What do you want, Caleb?” Damon asked, his tone clipped.
• Caleb stepped inside, his expression serious. “To talk about Lily.”
• Damon’s jaw tightened. “There’s nothing to talk about. She's gone now, and will just be forever a shadow of the past, nothing more."
• “Is that so?” Caleb raised an eyebrow. “Because ever since the Moon Ceremony, you’ve been… off.”
• “I’ve been focused,” Damon corrected. “This alliance is critical to the pack’s future.”
• Caleb scoffed. “And rejecting your mate was part of that focus?”
• Damon’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t question my decisions, Caleb.”
• “I’m not questioning your decisions,” Caleb said, his tone is softening, like he's sympathizing with him. “I’m questioning your heart.”
• Damon froze. Caleb had always been his most loyal confidant, but the words cut deeper than he expected.
• “You think I made a mistake,” Damon said finally. He even not expected this questions to go out of his mouth.
• “I think you let ambition blind you,” Caleb replied. “Lily may not have been the strongest wolf in the pack, but she was your fated mate. That means something.”
• “She was weak,” Damon snapped, though the words felt bitter on his tongue. “She couldn’t handle the weight of being Luna.”
• Caleb stepped closer, his voice lowering. “And what about you? Can you handle the weight of living with regret?”
• ---
• Damon didn’t respond, his gaze hardening.
• “Look,” Caleb continued, “I know you think this alliance will solve everything. But alliances built on shaky foundations don’t last. You rejected a bond that was given to you by the Moon Goddess. If that doesn’t come back to haunt you, I don’t know what will.”
• Caleb turned to leave, pausing at the door. “Think about what you really want, Damon. Because I’m not sure you even know anymore.”
• As the door closed behind Caleb, Damon sat in silence, Caleb’s words messed up in his mind.
• The following week, Damon attended another meeting with Alpha Rowan, hoping to finalize the next steps of their partnership. But from the moment Rowan entered the room, Damon sensed trouble.
• “Damon,” Rowan greeted, his smile sharp. “I’ve been thinking about our agreement.”
• Damon’s eyes narrowed. “The agreement was signed, Rowan. What’s there to think about?”
• Rowan chuckled, leaning back in his chair. “Deals evolve, Damon. You should know that. I’ve decided the northern borderlands you offered aren’t enough. I’ll need additional resources—perhaps access to your southern trade routes as well.”
• Damon’s jaw clenched. “That wasn’t part of the deal.”
• “No, it wasn’t,” Rowan admitted. “But alliances require flexibility, don’t they?”
• ---
• Damon’s temper flared, but he forced himself to remain calm. “Rowan, we agreed on specific terms. Changing them now would undermine the trust between our packs.”
• Rowan shrugged, completely unfazed. “Trust is earned, Damon. And as far as I’m concerned, you still have some earning to do.”
• The meeting ended with no resolution, and Damon left the room seething.
• ---
• Back at his pack house, Damon paced his office, frustration is bubbling over. The alliance he had worked so hard to secure was already showing cracks, and Rowan’s demands were only the beginning.
• Caleb entered, his expression grim. “Rough meeting?”
• “You could say that,” Damon muttered.
• “Rowan’s pushing for more, isn’t he?” Caleb guessed.
• Damon nodded. “He’s testing me. Seeing how far he can push before I push back.”
• Caleb sighed. “I warned you, Damon. Rowan isn’t the kind of Alpha who respects alliances—he exploits them. And you gave up your mate for this?”
• ---
• Damon slammed his fist on the desk. “Enough, Caleb!”
• Caleb didn’t flinch. “You’re angry because you know I’m right. This alliance isn’t what you thought it would be. And without Lily—”
• “Lily has nothing to do with this!” Damon interrupted, though the mention of her name sent a pang through his chest.
• Caleb shook his head. “Keep telling yourself that, Damon. Maybe one day you’ll believe it.”
• ---
• As Caleb left, Damon sank into his chair, burying his face in his hands. The weight of his decis
• ions pressed down on him, and for the first time, he allowed himself to wonder:
• Had he made the wrong choice?