Chapter 105: Reject Him

​”I know Damien hurt you,” he said, his voice filled with concern. “He did. He was cruel, and he was blind. If you don’t want to forgive him, then that’s fine. You have every right to hate him. But Sofia… if you want him to keep breathing, you have to reject him. Formally.”

​Sofia scoffed bitterly. “I told him it was over, Matthew. I told him let’s reject each other. But he refused. He won’t let go.”

​”Of course he won’t,” Matthew said, shaking his head. “Sofia, I’ve liked you from the start. I’ve tried to be your friend. But I won’t ignore the truth: Damien loves you. He loved you even before the Moon Goddess revealed you were mates. I’m his best friend—I saw how much he cared for you until things went sour and he let his pride turn him into a coward. He’s obsessed with making it right.”

​He paused, taking a long drink before his expression turned even darker.

​”But you need to listen to me about Alaric. The Alpha isn’t just ’in love’ with you. In his mind, he has replaced his dead mate with you. He’s been a ghost for five years, and now he’s using you to feel alive again. If you try to leave him now, he will go insane. He’s already breaking the oldest pack laws by taking his nephew’s mate. He’s lost his moral compass, Sofia. He’s dangerous and I don’t think he’s going to let you go.”

​Matthew reached across the table, his hand hovering near hers. “You have to have a talk with Damien. A real one. You guys need to reject each other. He is an alpha; he can’t stay in this situation. He’s literally dying from the inside out, and this will affect our pack.”

​Sofia swallowed hard and nodded; she knew Matthew was right. She can’t keep being bound to Damien; it was a risk.

​”Where is he?” Sofia asked, her voice tight with concern.

​”He’s in the pack hospital, but he should be back at the mansion by now.”

​Sofia didn’t hesitate. The guilt was a heavy stone in her chest. “Let’s go see him.”

​Matthew nodded, led her to his car, and they began the ten-minute drive to the pack house. As the familiar gates opened, Sofia felt a wave of nausea. Memories of this place flooded her mind—the happy ones from when they were children, and the dark, cold ones from after her Lola’s death.

​The staff were buzzing about their duties, but they froze when Sofia stepped into the foyer. Whispers broke out instantly. They all knew she was Damien’s fated mate. Seeing her back in the house, wearing a dress that cost more than their yearly salary, sparked a fire of gossip.

​She followed Matthew up the grand staircase to the hallway she used to know so well. When they reached the door to Damien’s suite, Matthew knocked and entered, leaving Sofia standing in the hall.

​Inside, Damien was leaning against the headboard, his face the color of ash. He didn’t even have to look up to know who was behind the door. The bond was humming, a low, painful vibration that told him exactly who was standing just inches away.

​”Sofia is outside,” Matthew said quietly. “She wants to see you.”

​Damien’s eyes snapped open, a flicker of life returning to his dull eyes. “Let her in.”

​Matthew stepped out, giving Sofia a small nod before disappearing down the hall to give them privacy. Sofia took a deep breath and pushed the door open.

​Damien looked terrible. He was thin, his eyes were sunken, and he looked like a man who hadn’t slept in weeks.

​”You came,” he whispered, his voice trembling.

​Sofia stayed by the door, her hands clutched together. “Matthew told me what happened. He said your heart nearly stopped.”

​Damien said nothing at first. He just stared at her with a hollow, pleading look that made her skin crawl. Sofia took a slow breath and walked toward the bed, sitting tentatively on the edge.

​”Damien, we should end this,” she said softly, her voice trembling. “You and I… we can never be together. There is too much pain between us. Please, stop hurting yourself. Let’s just proceed with the rejection so you can heal.”

​Damien let out a jagged, dry breath. “I’m not rejecting you, Sofia. Never. I’m sorry for what I did… for the torture, for the anger. But if you hadn’t betrayed me that day, none of this would have happened. We would be happy.”

​Sofia’s heart stopped, then hammered against her ribs in a sudden flare of rage. She pulled back, frowning deeply. “I didn’t betray you, Damien. I don’t know who you saw that day, or what lie you were told, but it wasn’t me. I never did that.”

​Damien’s brow furrowed, a flicker of confusion crossing his ashen face. He knew what he saw that day. That was Sofia—her smell, her voice, everything. It can’t be wrong.

​”Sofia, you don’t have to deny it now. I’ve already said I forgive you. We can move past it—”

​”That is your problem!” Sofia snapped, her voice rising as she stood up abruptly. “You’ve ’forgiven’ me for something I never did? You never believed me. Not then, and not now. You’d rather believe a lie than the woman who was supposed to be your soulmate.”

​She turned to leave, her vision blurring with angry tears.

​”Sofia, wait—”

​As she stepped away, Damien reached out with a sudden, desperate burst of strength. He grabbed her wrist and pulled. Because she was off-balance and he was using his Alpha weight, Sofia tumbled backward, landing hard against his chest on the bed.

​”Let go!” she gasped, struggling to find her footing.

​But Damien didn’t let go. He wrapped his arms tightly around her waist, pinning her to him. Despite his weakness, his grip was like iron. He buried his face in the crook of her neck, inhaling the scent of her skin—and the lingering, possessive scent of Alaric that still clung to her.

​”Just stay,” he choked out, his body trembling against hers. “Just for a minute. Sofia, please.”

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