The courtyard was completely silent.
Even the wind seemed to stop moving.
I stared at Damon, trying to understand the words he had just spoken.
"A war?" I repeated slowly.
"What are you talking about?"
Damon's jaw tightened.
Before he could answer, Kael stepped forward slightly.
"You're not the one explaining anything here," Kael said coldly.
Damon's eyes flashed with irritation.
"She deserves to know the truth."
Kael crossed his arms.
"Then start talking."
For a moment, Damon hesitated.
His gaze moved to the warriors watching us, then back to me.
"This isn't something we should discuss in the open."
Kael didn't move.
"Say it."
Damon's expression darkened.
"You've always been stubborn, Kael."
"And you've always been secretive," Kael replied.
The tension between them grew heavier.
Finally Damon looked at me again.
"When you were born," he said quietly, "the elders of Nightfall Pack discovered something unusual."
My heart began beating faster.
"What?"
Damon took a slow breath.
"You carry the bloodline of the Moon Heir."
The name meant nothing to me.
But the reaction around us was immediate.
Lucas stiffened.
Several warriors exchanged shocked looks.
Even Kael's expression changed slightly.
"The Moon Heir?" I asked.
"What does that mean?"
Damon's voice lowered.
"It means your wolf is different from any other."
I shook my head.
"That doesn't explain anything."
Damon stepped closer.
"It means you can form more than one mate bond."
The words made my stomach drop.
Selene smirked slightly beside him.
"Told you."
I looked at Kael.
He was watching me with intense focus.
"You're saying… I could have two mates?" I whispered.
Damon nodded slowly.
"Yes."
"And if the Alphas learn about it…"
His voice became grave.
"They will fight for you."
The realization made my chest tighten.
"You rejected me to hide that?"
"Yes."
"And you thought humiliating me was the best way to protect me?" I asked bitterly.
Pain flashed briefly in Damon's eyes.
"It was the only way."
Before I could respond, Kael finally spoke again.
"So you expect her to come back with you now?"
Damon looked at him coldly.
"She belongs to Nightfall Pack."
Kael's silver eyes hardened.
"She belongs to herself."
The courtyard grew tense again.
Damon's gaze returned to me.
"Come back with me," he said.
"It's safer."
I felt both Alphas staring at me now.
Waiting for my answer.
And for the first time since all this started…
The decision was mine. 🔥