Chapter 8
That evening, the ceremonial department delivered my mating dress.
I had just put on the flowing white gown with silver lunar embroidery when Damon burst into my chambers. Seeing me in the traditional mating attire, his eyes flashed with something I couldn’t quite place.
I stared at him coldly. “What do you want?”
Damon looked away and suddenly dropped to his knees in front of me. “Astra, I’ve made a mistake.”
I frowned. “What mistake?”
Damon seemed to steel himself before meeting my eyes. “Astra, if you call off your mating with Rhett, I’ll take you as my mate.”
I stared at him in disbelief, unable to process what I’d just heard.
“Damon, do you have any idea what you’re saying?”
Damon gave me a bitter smile. “Astra, I was wrong before. I was too proud to admit I had feelings for you. I was afraid of being controlled, afraid people would mock me for gaining power through a woman, so I used Talia to try and make you give up on me.”
“But when I found out you were mating Rhett, I realized I couldn’t do it. I can’t stand the thought of you belonging to another man.”
I knew exactly how prideful Damon was, but for reasons like that, he’d pushed me away over and over again, trampled on my feelings and my dignity, even ignored my life when it was in danger.
That kind of love was too selfish. I couldn’t accept it.
I looked at him with no emotion. “Damon, you know an Alpha King’s word is law.”
Damon’s eyes lit up with hope, and he stared at me intensely. “Astra, your father adores you. If you ask him, he’ll definitely let you mate with me instead.”
I shook my head. “It’s too late.”
15:37
Marked by Four: The White Wolfe Final Chai
Chapter 8
His smile froze on his face. “Astra, what do you mean?”
I scoffed. “What makes you think that after everything you’ve done to hurt me, I’d still have feelings
for you?”
Damon’s face went pale. “I know I was a complete asshole before, but please believe me, I really understand now. I’ll make it up to you…”
“Enough. Just leave.”
I cut him off impatiently before he could finish.
“My mating with Rhett is set in stone. Nothing and no one will change that.”
Damon’s eyes went red with desperation. “No, Astra, you can’t do this! Rhett doesn’t deserve you.
Don’t ruin your life just because you’re angry with me!”
Rhett didn’t deserve me? And Damon did?
We clearly had nothing more to say to each other. I was tired of listening to his nonsense and
ordered the guards to escort him out.
After that, Damon kept requesting audiences, but I refused to see him every time.
Until
my cousin Rowan’s birthday came up. He sent me an invitation, and I couldn’t really refuse
family.
15:37
