I Left Before He Learned My Worth novel Chapter 26

**TITLE: I Left Before He Learned My Worth**

**Chapter 26**

**ARIA**

41

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The spring falls had become my sanctuary over the last week, a hidden treasure Nina had introduced me to on my second day within the Shadowmere territory. Water tumbled down the smooth stones, creating a crystal-clear pool that glimmered under the sun, surrounded by ancient trees whose gnarled branches seemed to whisper secrets of ages past. In this serene haven, tranquility enveloped me, a silence so profound that it felt like a cocoon—a perfect space to unravel without the prying eyes of the world.

Perched on a flat rock overlooking the shimmering water, I pulled my legs up to my chest, allowing the tears to cascade down my cheeks, unrestrained and raw.

I was still grappling with the reality of what had just transpired. After years filled with hope, fervent prayers, and countless dreams, Damon had finally uttered the words I had longed to hear. He loved me. He wanted me. He was prepared to sever his connection with Sera, to fight for my heart, to offer me everything I had ever desired from him.

And yet, it was far too late.

Far too late, and for all the wrong reasons.

He hadn’t chosen me because he had suddenly come to appreciate my worth. No, he had chosen me because he sensed he was losing me. I had finally stopped lingering in the shadows, waiting for him to notice my existence, and had discovered a place where I belonged—his ego simply couldn’t bear the thought of my absence.

This realization sent fresh waves of sorrow crashing over me, my shoulders trembling as sobs erupted from deep within, a release of emotions I had been bottling up since that confrontation at the border. All those years I had squandered loving him, all those sleepless nights spent wondering what I could do differently to capture his attention, all those agonizing moments watching him with Sera, feeling as though my heart was being torn from my chest.

And now, he wanted me. Now, when it was irrevocably too late. When I had already pledged my loyalty to another Alpha, to another pack, to an entirely new life.

“Why couldn’t you have chosen me before?” I whispered to the waterfall, my voice cracking under the weight of my heartache. “Why did it take my departure for you to realize what you had lost?”

The water offered no solace, merely the relentless sound of its descent, eternal and unyielding, indifferent to the turmoil of one omega’s shattered heart.

A part of me—a treacherous, foolish part—craved to race back to the border. To find Damon and tell him I had changed my mind, that I would wait for him to sever his bond with Sera, that we could finally create the life I had envisioned. The future we had dreamed of together, filled with pups we had planned to name Luna and Oak, a life we had sketched out in late-night conversations that had meant everything to me and apparently nothing to him until I was no longer within reach.

But I couldn’t do that.

I forced a smile, though I was acutely aware that my eyes were likely red and swollen from crying. “Hello, little ones. What brings you all the way out here?”

They gathered around me on the rock, their small faces a blend of excitement and concern. Without hesitation, Lily climbed into my lap, her trust in me both profound and unearned. The gesture tightened my throat with a flood of emotions.

“People are saying a bad man came to our borders,” an older boy named Thomas stated, his brown eyes serious and wide. “They said he tried to take you away. Is that true?”

Of course, the children had heard. News within the pack spread faster than wildfire, and dramatic confrontations at the border were likely the most thrilling event Shadowmere had seen in months.

“It’s… complicated,” I began, uncertain of how to explain the intricacies of adult relationships to such young minds.

“Was he really bad?” Lily inquired, tilting her head to gaze up at me with wide, innocent eyes. “Like a villain in the stories? Did he want to hurt you?”

“No, he didn’t want to hurt me,” I replied carefully, choosing my words with caution. “He’s not a villain. He’s just… confused. And sad.”

“Why?” Another girl, Sophie, nestled beside me and took my hand gently. “Why would he be sad if he’s a bad man?”