Chapter 23: Chapter 23 I’ve found her
Damian’s POV
My phone lit up during the middle of a particularly tedious discussion about tariff regulations with the Council of Elders.
Aria’s name flashed across the screen.
I held up one hand, cutting off Elder Joseph mid-sentence. "We’ll resume this in ten minutes."
"Your Majesty, we really need to finalize—"
"Ten. Minutes."
The authority in my voice left no room for argument. They all rose and filed out, though Joseph looked like he’d swallowed something sour.
The moment the door closed, I answered. "Tell me everything."
"I did it." Her voice came through breathless, almost disbelieving.
"Damian, I actually did it. They tried to tear me apart, but I had all the documentation, all the numbers, and—God, you should’ve seen Nathan’s face when I brought up the Riverside deal."
Pride surged through my chest, hot and fierce. My wolf stirred, preening at our mate’s strength.
"That’s my girl." I leaned back in my chair, a grin spreading across my face. "I knew you’d destroy them."
"I couldn’t have done it without you." Her voice went softer. "Thank you. For everything."
Everything in me wanted to be there with her right now. To see the flush of victory on her cheeks, the fire in those green eyes. To pull her into my arms and show her exactly how proud I was.
"We need to celebrate," I said. "I can be back in the your city by tonight. I’ll take you somewhere nice—"
"Damian, no. That’s too much trouble."
"It’s not trouble."
"You’re in the middle of meetings. Important King stuff." I could hear the smile in her voice, but also the firmness.
"I’m fine. Really. I’m just going to go home, take a long bath, and probably pass out."
My wolf growled in disappointment. I wanted to argue. Wanted to tell her that nothing was more important than being with her right now.
But I’d promised her I’d let her set the pace this time.
Even if it killed me.
"Alright," I said finally. "But rain check. When I get back, I’m taking you out properly."
"We’ll see." That teasing lilt was back in her voice. "Don’t you have some boring political thing to get back to?"
"Extremely boring. Elder Joseph has been droning on about import taxes for the last forty-five minutes."
She laughed, and the sound did something dangerous to my chest.
"Poor Alpha King. Try not to fall asleep."
"Difficult when I keep thinking about peeling you out of that suit later."
"Damian." Her voice dropped to something breathless. "I’m still in the office building."
"So? Find somewhere private. I’ll wait."
"You’re impossible."
"You love it."
She didn’t deny it. Just laughed again and said, "Go back to your meeting. I’ll talk to you later."
"Aria—"
"Yeah?"
I wanted to say it. The words were right there, pressing against my throat. Three simple words that would change everything.
But she wasn’t ready. I could feel it in every careful boundary she put up, every moment she pulled back when things got too intense.
So I swallowed them down and said instead, "I’m proud of you."
A pause. Then, quietly, "That means more than you know."
The line went dead.
I sat there for a moment, staring at my phone like an idiot, that stupid grin still plastered across my face.
Rick poked his head in. "Your Majesty? The Council is waiting."
"Fine."
---
The Council meeting dragged on for another two hours.
By the time we’d finally hashed out the new trade agreements with the northern Packs, my patience was worn to threads.
"That concludes today’s session," I said, cutting off Elder Johnson before he could launch into yet another tangent. "We’ll reconvene next week."
They all stood, bowing respectfully before filing out.
The pack house was exactly where I’d left it—a sprawling estate on the edge of my territory, all stone and dark wood, surrounded by ancient oaks.
Home.
Except the moment I walked through the front door, I knew something was off.
Two familiar scents hit me immediately.
Fuck.
"Damian!" My mother’s voice rang out from the sitting room. "There you are!"
I found them both waiting—my father in one of the leather armchairs by the fireplace, my mother perched on the sofa with that look on her face. The one that said she was about to make my life difficult.
"Mom. Dad." I crossed my arms and leaned against the doorframe. "To what do I owe this unexpected visit?"
My father, former Alpha King Andrew Blackwood, looked up from his whiskey. He was in his sixties now but still built like he could tear through a battlefield.
Silver threaded through his black hair, and those gray eyes—the same shade as mine—were sharp as ever.
"Can’t a man visit his son without needing a reason?" he rumbled.
"Not when that man drove four hours without calling first."
My mother, Elena, waved a dismissive hand. Her dark hair was pulled back in an elegant twist, and she was dressed like she’d just come from a charity gala. Which she probably had.
"We wanted to surprise you, darling."
"Mission accomplished." I moved to the bar and poured myself two fingers of scotch. "What’s this really about?"
They exchanged a look. The kind of look parents gave each other when they were about to gang up on you.
Great.
"Damian," my mother began in that careful tone, "you’re thirty-one years old."
"I’m aware."
"You’re the Alpha King."
"Also aware."
"And you still don’t have a Queen."
There it was.
I took a long drink and didn’t answer.
My father set his glass down with a thud.
"Son, we’re not getting any younger. The pack needs stability. The Council needs to see you settled. And frankly, every unmated she-wolf in a hundred-mile radius is starting to get ideas about shooting their shot."
"Let them try." I smiled without humor. "I’ll rip out the throat of anyone who thinks they have a claim on me."
"Damian." My mother’s voice sharpened. "Perception matters. A King without a Queen looks weak. Unstable."
My wolf bristled at that. Weak? I’d torn apart challengers twice my size.
I’d brought three rogue packs to heel in my first year as King. I’d expanded our territory further than any Alpha King in two generations.
But they weren’t wrong about one thing—wolves were traditional. They wanted their rulers bonded. Mated. Producing heirs.
"I’m not going to choose someone just to satisfy the Council," I said flatly.
"We’re not asking you to choose just anyone." My father’s gaze was piercing. "But surely there’s been someone. In three years, you haven’t met a single she-wolf suitable—"
"I’ve found her."
Silence.
They both stared at me like I’d just announced I was abdicating the throne.
Comments