Chapter 9
The moment I showed up, Damon was all over me.
To avoid him, I escaped to the back garden.
But then I saw Talia walking straight toward me. I rolled my eyes and started to leave.
She hurried after me in a few quick steps.
“Astra, you’re about to get mated, so why are you still harassing Damon? Aren’t you afraid of what
people will say about you?”
Talia used to act like a scared mouse around me, but now she was acting like she was calling me out
Where the hell did this confidence come from?
My voice was dangerously low. “Are you questioning me?”
Talia lifted her chin defiantly. “Even if you’re a Princess, you can’t steal someone else’s man.”
I was stealing someone’s man?
I almost laughed in disbelief. I knew Damon long before she even existed in our world, and besides,
Damon and I had already settled things–he was the one who kept bothering me.
Instead of confronting Damon, she came to me with this nonsense. I wasn’t going to waste my time
on her and turned to leave.
But then she saw something and suddenly lunged at me, an evil smile spreading across her face even as she screamed, “No, Astra, don’t! I can’t swim!”
Before I could react, she grabbed me and pulled us both into the Moon Pool. My face went white
with terror.
Talia splashed around, screaming, “Damon, save me! I can’t swim!”
Memories of nearly drowning as a child came flooding back. I struggled desperately, trying to call or help, but the sacred water rushed into my mouth instead.
Through my panic, I saw Rhett dive into the water, swimming toward me with everything he had.
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Marked by Four: The White Wolf’s Final Choice
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Chapter 9
Damon hesitated for just a second, then jumped in too, but he ignored Talia’s cries for help and tried
to swim toward me instead.
Rowan was freaking out on the shore. “Damon, you can’t swim! What the hell are you doing?”
I froze.
What did he just say?
Damon couldn’t swim?
I forced my eyes open and looked in his direction. Sure enough, I saw him flailing and sinking under
the water.
Soon Rhett reached me and pulled me to shore.
I watched as guards rescued both Damon and Talia from the water.
I had so many questions I wanted to ask.
If Damon couldn’t swim, then who was the little boy who saved me all those years ago?
I clearly remembered a small figure diving into the Moon Pool and pulling me out.
I’d swallowed some of the sacred water, and when I came to, I saw Damon there.
Father only had one daughter–me–and he treasured me like his own life. Afraid of getting the palace staff in trouble, I never told anyone what happened.
thought Damon was the one who saved me. Turns out I’d been wrong for over a decade.
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