Alpha Damien grunted, glaring at his brother. “Enough, brother… that’s enough. No more talk about Sofia,” he spat.

From where I sat, I cast a curious glance at him. The mention of Sofia had drastically shifted his mood. Moments ago, he'd been calm, almost nonchalant. Now, he looked furious—terrifyingly so.

Who was Sofia? Was she his mate? If so… where the hell was she?

But Sir Damon didn't back down. His voice remained firm. “I’ll keep talking about her, Damien. Maybe that way, you’ll finally see reason. Perhaps you’ll remember what it feels like to love someone—and lose them.”

Alpha Damien growled deeply. “They never wanted her—so I’m taking her.”

I clenched my fists. Why was he talking about me like I was a prize? Like some commodity to be passed around? Why was he so possessive of a woman he knew belonged to his nephews?

Sir Damon’s anger intensified. He moved closer and, before I could blink, grabbed Damien by the collar. I gasped.

Damien didn't flinch. He just stared back, his frown deepening.

“Stop this madness, Damien! Stop it!” Sir Damon spat, his voice trembling with rage.

Damien’s voice was low, rough. “I won’t… I won’t.”

The tension between them was like a storm ready to break. Their bodies were rigid; their breathing heavy. A fight seemed imminent. I could already imagine fists flying.

But just when they seemed about to explode, Alpha Damien yanked himself free of Damon’s grip.

“I’m staying here,” he said coldly. “For a few days.”

That declaration sucked the air from the room.

“What?” Damon barked.

Damien didn’t repeat himself. He simply looked my way—the anger in his eyes obvious. “Come with me,” he said, facing me directly. “I want to have a word with you.”

With that, he turned and walked away.

For a moment, I didn’t move. My heart pounded. A part of me wanted to stay—to refuse. Even my wolf growled softly in agreement, “Don’t go with him.”

But my curiosity won. It was probably better to hear what he had to say. So I stood and followed him, ignoring Sir Damon’s intense gaze.

We walked the long hallway in silence, only the echo of our footsteps and my nervous heartbeat breaking the quiet. Finally, Damien stopped before a room at the corridor's far end.

He grabbed the door handle and pushed it open. The door creaked slightly as it swung inward.

I stepped in behind him—and instantly noticed something odd.

This room… it felt untouched. Dust clung to the windowsills. The air smelled faintly of wood and something aged. The bed was neatly made, but the room lacked warmth. No personal items. No sign of use. It looked as if it had been left alone for years.

“This room…” I murmured softly, looking around. “No one uses it, do they?”

Damien stood by the door, arms crossed, leaning against the wall. “It’s mine,” he said flatly. “This is my room… for when I stay here.”

I turned, surprised. “Oh.” I remembered cleaning every corner of this mansion but was specifically instructed never to clean this room.

Alpha Damien moved away from the door, and I watched him walk to the curtains. In one swift motion, he pulled them open, letting the morning sunlight pour into the room. It lit up the dust motes dancing in the air, casting soft, golden rays across the floor.

I inhaled deeply, feeling nervous. I waited for him to turn and speak, but he didn’t. Instead, his eyes moved slowly around the room, as if remembering something… or someone.

His jaw tightened. I could see the weight in his expression now—less anger, more pain. The kind of pain that clings even when one pretends it's gone.

“I haven’t stepped foot in this room for years,” he finally said, his voice low.

I stayed silent, watching him closely. He didn’t look at me. His eyes remained fixed on the space around him, as if the walls whispered memories he couldn’t ignore.

“This was her room too… sometimes,” he added after a moment.

Her. Sofia. That name again.

So… this had been their room?

I shifted uncomfortably, unsure how to respond. This wasn’t what I expected when he said he wanted to talk.

“She used to love mornings,” he continued, his voice softer now. “Said the sun made everything feel alive again.” He scoffed slightly. “I used to think she was ridiculous for saying that.”

Still, he didn’t face me. It was as if I wasn’t there—as if he were talking more to ghosts than to me.

Then, finally, his gaze flicked to mine. “Do you know what it’s like to lose someone you’d die for?”

I swallowed hard. My voice barely came out. “Yes.”

He nodded slowly, as if he’d known what I’d say.

“It changes you,” he said. “Breaks something inside you that never truly heals.”

I felt the heaviness of his words, their rawness.

He took a deep breath and turned fully to face me, his tone hardening again. “And maybe that’s why I won’t let my nephews get away with what they did to you.”

I blinked, caught off guard. “What do you mean?”

He took a step closer. “I mean they had you, and they didn’t value what they had. They’re young, reckless, distracted by power and position. They hurt you when they should’ve cherished you. And for that, I’ll teach them a lesson.”

My heart thudded. I didn’t know what shocked me more—his confusing words, or the anger behind them.

Before I could respond, he added, “I’ll be staying here for two months… just for you.”

I frowned, holding his gaze. “What… do you mean?”