Chapter 6

As if to make up to Serena, or to scrub Evelyn from his head, he dropped everything and took Serena on a spree.

For a whole month, he and Serena were on every feed.

"Devoted mate Damon Sterling buys maternity Pack for his darling."

"For his mate's safe birth, Damon Sterling made a pilgrimage to the Moon Temple, kneeling every step."

"Damon Sterling personally designed every outfit for the pup. So lucky to be his child."

When the spree burned itself out, he dropped Serena off at the Seaside Birthing Den he'd prepared.

He came home alone. The place was empty and cold. His brow furrowed and he called on reflex.

"Mate, why are you—"

His throat closed. He shut his mouth and went upstairs to get his papers.

He pushed open the door. The master chamber had been turned into a nursery.

He called the housekeeper back in a panic.

"Who said you could touch the master chamber? Where is my mate's things?"

"Mate... which mate?" The housekeeper was frightened. "This is how Miss Serena told us to set it up."

"I mean Evelyn! Evelyn!" he exploded. "Where are Evelyn's things?"

"Miss — I mean, Miss Serena said you'd be Marking her soon. She said the old mate's things were in the way. She had us haul it all off. It was burned at the incinerator long ago."

Damon went slack. Something blank and lost passed through his eyes.

"Sir?"

"That'll be all. Go." He paused and couldn't stop himself. "Where did Evelyn go?"

"Since you drove her out, she never came back, Sir."

His lips pressed tight. "Evelyn, you bitch. Must be addicted to someone else's bed."

But when he pulled out his phone, it hit him. He didn't know who had taken Evelyn.

A terror he couldn't name gripped his throat.

He started calling every Alpha who'd been at the auction, hunting Evelyn.

He chain-smoked through his cigarettes. Nobody knew where Evelyn was.

His knuckles whitened around the phone. His face went pale.

Then he asked the phone, "Find out where Julian Hartwell is."

A shout came from beyond the door.

"Sir! Sir, the Luna—"

Damon dropped the phone and ran out.

"Evelyn, where the hell did you—"

Not the tall, slender figure he'd expected. The curse died in his throat.

The housekeeper, thrown, held out a parcel.

"This is a delivery for you. The courier said you had to open it yourself."

Damon frowned. "Evelyn? Didn't the courier say where Evelyn was?"

The housekeeper shook her head and left.

Damon opened the parcel. As he pulled layer after layer out, dread rose in him.

Something told him that once this was fully open, he would lose Evelyn for good.

He forced a careless laugh. "What is this? Does she think a gift's going to make me come crawling back?"

"Funny. Who does she think she is? I'm not the pup running after her anymore."

The words died in his throat. His pupils shrank as he stared at a stack of documents.

The top line read: "2010. First pup. Paternity: 99%."

"Impossible..." He stared, numb. "This pup wasn't Julian's?"

He turned pages with shaking hands. Every paternity result came back: biological father confirmed.

"Evelyn. You think forging a file will trick me?"

He laughed and cried in the same breath and turned the page. An investigation report. Serena had used her access to sell Pack trade secrets.

Chat logs with the rival Pack. Transfer records. Surveillance stills of her meetings.

The last page was from the Moon Council of the Hollow Realm.

"Due to abuse and betrayal of his mate in the course of their Bond, the Mate Bond of Damon Sterling is hereby declared void."

Papers fluttered to the floor.

Damon couldn't stand. After a long while, he let out a bitter laugh.

Tears slid down his red-rimmed eyes. "Evelyn. This is what I had coming."

He could hear his heart breaking.

His phone rang. Serena's sweet, coaxing voice came through. "Damon, I miss you. Come keep me company."

"I want our pup to come into the world carrying Hermes. The boutique has a new red crocodile. Get it for our baby?"

Damon said slowly, "Yes. Wait for me, sweetheart."

Serena was filming the luxe interiors of the villa for her feed.

When the door opened, she turned to throw herself into his arms on instinct. She was slammed to the floor.

"Ah!" She curled around her belly and screamed. "Damon, what are you doing?"

Papers rained down on her head.

"Is this true?" Damon's voice was ice.

Serena stared at the black and white on the pages, trembling. "It's not true. It's not."

"Not true? Then who is this in the surveillance still?" He seized her throat and pinched her face. "Don't tell me someone stole your face to run the deal."

Serena screamed. Water and blood were running down her legs.

"I'm in labor. Damon, save me."

"Don't call me that! You don't deserve to!" Veins bulged at his temples. "One question. Answer me honestly. Lie, and I'll leave you here to die with the pup."