I Left Before He Learned My Worth novel Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

**ARIA**

When Damon turned to face me, I felt my body tremble—not from fear, but from a deep, simmering rage that coursed through my veins like wildfire.

The slap that echoed in the air came from a place deep within, a primal instinct that surged beyond the realm of rational thought.

“How dare you,” I spat, my voice laced with fury, the growl of my wolf rising to the surface, fierce and unyielding. “How dare you throw my past in my face like that. Those conversations meant something to me, Damon. They were dreams I shared with someone I believed truly cared about me. And now you’re wielding them like a weapon, trying to guilt me into returning to you?”

“I didn’t mean—” he began, but I cut him off, my voice sharp as glass.

“Get. Lost.” Each word was a knife, slicing through the tension, fueled by barely contained rage. “Go back to your mate, your bonded partner, the woman you chose over me. Build a life with her. Have pups with her. Name them whatever you like. But leave me alone. I’m done being your backup plan.”

Kael stepped closer, his solid presence a comforting shield against the storm of emotions swirling within me. I buried my hand in his soft fur, drawing strength from the warmth radiating off him. It was a reminder that I had someone who chose me first, who saw me as more than just a second option.

“I’m in love with Kael,” I declared, my voice steadier now, infused with unwavering conviction. “Or at least, I’m falling in love with him. And in just two days, I’ll bond with him under the blood moon. I will become Luna of Shadowmere. And I’m going to be happy, Damon. Truly happy. Without you.”

“No.” His voice was a harsh whisper, desperate and raw, almost a growl. “No, I can’t let this happen. I can’t—”

“You don’t have a choice,” Nina interjected, stepping forward from her position behind me. “Alpha Cross, you need to leave Shadowmere territory. Now. Before this escalates into a diplomatic crisis.”

“I’m not leaving without her,” Damon insisted, his stubbornness flaring like a wildfire. I could see the familiar tension in his jaw, the telltale sign that he had dug in his heels, unwilling to budge. “I won’t let her throw her life away—”

Marcus, his head warrior, placed a steadying hand on Damon’s shoulder. Though I couldn’t hear the words exchanged, I observed the shift in Damon’s expression—from stubbornness to frustration, and finally to reluctant acceptance.

They were leaving. Thank the Moon Goddess, they were truly leaving.

But just before he turned away, Damon glanced back at me, and the intensity in his gaze sent an icy shiver racing down my spine. It wasn’t acceptance. It wasn’t resignation.

It was determination.

“This isn’t over. I’m not giving up on you, on us. I’ll find a way to make this right.”

“There’s nothing to make right,” I replied wearily, exhaustion settling heavily upon my shoulders. “Just accept what’s happening and move on, Damon. Please.”

Yet, he was already being pulled away by his warriors, heading back towards their vehicle. I watched until they vanished from sight, until the sound of their engine faded into the distance.

Only then did I allow myself to lean against Kael, the adrenaline that had fueled my anger draining out of me in a rush.

*”Are you okay?”* he asked softly through our mindlink, concern lacing his tone.

*”I will be,”* I responded, the weight of the moment settling in. *”That was… harder than I expected. But somehow, it was also easier. Seeing him again, hearing him finally say the things I’d longed to hear for years—it didn’t hurt the way I thought it would.”*

*”Because you’ve moved on,”* Kael affirmed, warmth radiating from his mental voice. *”You’ve found something better.”*

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