Chapter 4

Once the broken Mate Promise became public, Eleanor was desperate to keep her son away from Sienna — afraid that any further damage would destroy any chance of reconciliation with Ivy.

So she forced Damon to stay by her side and mingle with the guests.

That left Sienna on her own.

A drunk son of another Pack got it into his head to "make friends" with her and wouldn't leave her alone.

Everyone had witnessed what happened earlier. Nobody stepped in to help.

Sienna's eyes went red, and she looked like she was about to cry.

Just then, Damon appeared out of nowhere and slammed his fist into the guy's face.

The guy stumbled back, furious. "Damon! You won't let anyone near Ivy, and now this one's off-limits too?"

"Ivy's your promised mate. What is this one to you?"

Damon stared at him for two seconds. His gaze seemed to flick briefly toward Ivy.

Then he answered, "She's mine."

When Ivy showed no reaction, his jaw tightened. He suddenly yanked Sienna to him and kissed her hard.

When the kiss ended, Sienna could barely stand and leaned into his arms.

Damon swept his gaze across the room and declared, "Anyone who dares bully Sienna answers to me."

With his protection made clear, the very same people who'd been siding with Ivy and criticizing Sienna now crowded around the couple.

Ivy couldn't take it anymore. She rushed to the bathroom, clamped her hand over her mouth, and sobbed.

When she'd cried herself out, she pulled out her phone and texted Eleanor to apologize, saying she really wasn't feeling well and would have to come back another day to talk.

After sending the message, she took a deep breath and pushed open the door.

She hadn't made it two steps before someone grabbed her wrist.

It was Felix Ashford — the one Damon had just punched.

He grinned and looked her up and down. "Honestly, I've always liked you more than that Sienna."

"It's just that Damon used to guard you like you were his most prized possession, and I didn't want the trouble. But now he's protecting someone else. If you're willing, I'll take you."

Ivy frowned. "Not interested. This is Thorne territory. I'd suggest you don't try anything."

The mention of Damon's earlier punch set Felix off. Like a man with something to prove, he grabbed Ivy and tried to force a kiss on her.

Ivy fought back hard, her trembling fingers hitting the emergency dial.

Damon picked up almost instantly.

She was close to tears. "Damon, Felix won't leave me alone. Please come —"

Damon scoffed. "Sienna gets harassed by him, and now so do you? Since when do you pull tricks like this, Ivy?"

Felix was about to drag her into the bathroom. Ivy blurted, "I'm not making it up. He's really —"

The line went dead.

Ivy felt like she'd plunged into ice water.

She squeezed her eyes shut. Some strength she didn't know she had made her grab a decorative piece off the wall and smash it into Felix's head.

While he was stunned by the pain, she ducked into the bathroom and locked the door, then called Eleanor and begged her to send someone.

Eleanor came quickly. When Ivy heard Felix cursing as he was dragged away, all the tension left her body. She leaned against the door and closed her eyes.

There were still guests outside. Eleanor calmed Ivy down, had a servant take her upstairs to change, and promised to drive her home personally once the party ended.

Ivy wasn't sure Felix had given up, so she didn't dare leave on her own.

She changed clothes. The party was over by then. She was heading downstairs to find Eleanor when she passed Damon's room and heard familiar voices inside.

Damon and his buddies.

"Aren't you worried about Ivy and Felix? That guy's a loose cannon. Once he latches on, he doesn't let go."

Through the crack in the door, Ivy saw Damon put a cigarette in his mouth. Through the haze of smoke, he shook his head. "Ivy may have lost her parents, but her family still has connections. Felix wouldn't dare mess with her."

"And even if he did, nothing's going to happen in my house. Besides, it's a good chance to knock her down a peg. She keeps threatening to break the Mate Promise, and she's always competing with Sienna for my attention."

One of his friends teased, "So Sienna really does matter more to you?"

Damon laughed softly. Something tender flickered in his eyes. "Ivy will always matter most to me. Sienna... is just about the Life Debt."

Ivy's lips twisted into a bitter smirk.

She mattered most — yet he'd let Sienna take her birthday just because Sienna said she'd never had a big celebration.

She mattered most — yet he'd handed over their Bonding House just because Sienna said she liked it.

She mattered most — yet in a life-or-death moment she was the one abandoned, while the one who didn't matter was shielded with his own body.

The one who mattered was tossed aside. The one who didn't was treated like treasure.

Only Damon Thorne could operate on logic like that.

Ivy didn't listen any further. She went downstairs and found Eleanor.

The guests had all left. Eleanor stood at the foot of the stairs, hesitating to go up.

When she saw Ivy, she rushed over and pulled her to the couch. "Ivy, I'm not making excuses for that fool, but you two have so many years between you. He's said he'd never marry anyone but you... Can't you give him one more chance?"

Ivy shook her head and quietly told Eleanor everything that had happened.

Before Sienna appeared, Ivy had also believed she'd never mate with anyone but Damon.

But the truth was, people change.

Damon no longer put her first. He no longer gave her his devotion.

She'd given too many chances. She wasn't giving any more.

Then Ivy took Eleanor's hand. "Aunt Eleanor, I remember all the kindness you've shown me over the years. But Damon's in love with someone else now. I'll be going to the Capital soon for an arranged mating. Our ties are truly over."

Eleanor wanted to say more, but seeing Ivy's resolve, she swallowed everything and sighed. "All right. The Bonding Pendant — I'll have someone bring it to you."

She gently smoothed Ivy's hair. "Before you leave for the Capital, come see me more."

Ivy nodded, thanked her, and left.