Chapter 16

In the days that followed, Damon moved through life like a hollow shell.

He didn't go back to Thornfield. He just stayed in the Capital, in the house Eleanor had bought for him, clutching Ivy's photo, apologizing to her over and over, telling her how much he loved her.

Sienna claimed she had nowhere else to go and latched onto him. He couldn't be bothered to deal with her.

Sienna was furious, but there was nothing she could do about it.

Until the night before Ivy and Rhys's Marking Ceremony. Damon went to find Ivy but couldn't even catch a glimpse of her.

He came back and sat there holding her photo, crying.

Sienna knew this was her only chance. She went all in. She slipped wolfsbane extract into his drink, then found an outfit that matched Ivy's style exactly. She held Damon and told him she forgave him.

Damon stared at the figure in front of him—the one he'd been dreaming of—and his longing broke like a dam.

He pulled her into a crushing embrace, murmuring over and over. "I'm sorry, Ivy. I'll never do anything to hurt you again. I'll get rid of Sienna. Send her somewhere we'll never have to see her. And I'll spend the rest of my life being good to you. I'll never make you sad again. Ivy, I miss you so much."

Sienna looked down at him, her eyes full of hate.

After a long moment, she reached out and stroked his hair. She even made her voice sound like Ivy's. "It's okay, Damon. I forgive you. I love you."

She leaned in and kissed his lips. But what she was thinking was: Damon, Ivy will never forgive you in this lifetime. You'll never get rid of me.

But her lips had barely touched his for a second before Damon shoved her away.

He seized her throat, his eyes bloodshot. "You're pretending to be Ivy. You want her to hate me forever. You—you deserve to die!"

The reversal was so sudden that Sienna stared at him in shock, unable to understand how he'd recognized her at the crucial moment.

Tears spilled reflexively. She thrashed against his grip, screaming. "You made me do this! Ivy doesn't want you anymore! She's bonding with someone else tomorrow! You gave me your attention, made me think you liked me! Now she's thrown you away—why can't I fight for myself?"

Damon said nothing. He just tightened his grip.

The terror of death stripped away everything else. Sienna stopped caring and begged. "Damon, I was wrong. I'll never do this again. I won't bother Miss Pemberton either. Please, please let me go."

Damon had lost all reason. He couldn't hear her pleas.

Sienna gritted her teeth, grabbed the lamp from the nightstand, and smashed it over Damon's head.

Damon swayed. His grip loosened involuntarily.

Sienna scrambled to her feet and backed into a safe corner. She was rattled too, and decided she had nothing left to hide.

She glared down at Damon on the floor. "I set up that rescue. I thought it would get me a better life. But all you cared about was Ivy. I worked so hard to poison things between you two. I thought I was finally winning, but then—"

She screamed. "You chased her to the Capital! What's so great about her? You broke the Mate Promise and she's already bonding with someone else. She doesn't love you!"

Damon braced himself and reached for her throat again.

But this time, he collapsed before he could hold on.

Sienna wiped the tears from her face. "You think rejecting me will make her forgive you? It won't. She's bonding with someone else tomorrow!"

A rush of satisfaction surged through her.

She'd always had a secret. The day she'd pulled Damon from the water—it hadn't been an accident. She and her family had been desperate to escape their miserable, stinking life. So they'd decided to target someone wealthy.

Damon became their mark.

Young, handsome, rich. Sienna's family had rigged the spot, made sure Damon fell into the water, and then she'd swooped in to play the hero. She'd clung to him ever since.

At first, all she'd wanted was money to make their lives easier.

But gradually, she'd changed her mind.

She wanted to be Damon's mate. She wanted to stay by his side forever.

So she'd deliberately spread the story—the Pack Alpha's heir saved by a rogue she-wolf. She knew Aldric cared about reputation above all else. With the public watching, he'd have no choice but to make his son repay the debt.

Damon was too decent. Everything went smoother than she'd imagined.

She knew Damon just wanted to fulfill the Life Debt quickly so he could bond with Ivy. So she'd made a deal with him: just make her feel valued, and she'd be satisfied.

She used that deal to squeeze him for everything—a house, a car. And when Ivy fought with Damon over it, Sienna knew her moment had come. If she could just make Ivy give up on Damon, that spot beside him would be hers.

So she kept driving wedges between them. After every fight, she'd feed Damon advice: if a girl feels threatened, she'll stop talking about breaking up and love you even harder.

Damon believed her.

The last time, she told Damon she just wanted to feel chosen. Once. If he'd pick her in a life-or-death moment, she'd consider the debt repaid and leave immediately.

That was the time Ivy gave up on him for good.

Sienna spilled everything. Then, without looking at Damon on the floor, she drained every last dollar from his accounts and took the watch from his wrist—the birthday gift Ivy had given him.

Damon lay on the ground, unable to move. Blood and tears ran together across his face.

He'd been stupid enough to trust Sienna. Everything that happened today—he'd brought it on himself.

He couldn't stop picturing Ivy that day at the Thorne Lake House, struck by that falling shelf, left behind when he chose Sienna.

Had she been this broken and hopeless too?