I Left Before He Learned My Worth novel Chapter 3

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

**Chapter 3**

**ARIA**

As I zipped up the last of my bags, the first light of dawn spilled over Damon’s territory, casting a soft glow that felt foreign and bittersweet. I had chosen not to leave a note, nor did I bid farewell to anyone except for Tom—the gentle guard who had always slipped me extra portions of meat during my recovery from injuries.

“You take care of yourself, Miss Aria,” he murmured, his voice tinged with sadness yet filled with understanding. “And don’t ever let anyone make you feel small again.”

I nodded, a promise hanging in the air between us, a vow to reclaim my worth.

The trek to Shadowmere territory stretched out before me, a daunting three-day journey through thick forests and rugged mountain paths that tested my wolf’s stamina. Luna Margaret had arranged for a guide—a weathered wolf named Marcus, who bore the scars of a past life, having lost his own pack years ago. Now, he served as a neutral courier, navigating the delicate balance between territories.

He asked no questions, which I found comforting. We traveled primarily in our wolf forms, the wind whipping through our fur, allowing us to cover ground more swiftly.

Gone were the days of waiting by the window for Damon’s return. No more swallowing my heartache as he rushed to Sera’s side. No more pretending that I was enough when the truth was painfully clear.

“We’re crossing into Shadowmere land now,” Marcus announced on the third morning, his voice gravelly from disuse.

We had shifted back into human form to navigate a particularly perilous cliff path. “Do you feel that?” he asked, his gaze scanning the horizon.

I did. The very air here felt charged, heavier, imbued with ancient magic that sent shivers across my skin. The trees towered above us, their trunks contorted into bizarre shapes, as if they had borne witness to centuries of secrets. Even the birds seemed to sing with a cautious tone, wary of the atmosphere.

“What happened here?” I inquired, instinctively pulling my jacket tighter around me against the sudden chill that enveloped us.

Marcus cast a sidelong glance my way. “You really don’t know much about your future mate, do you?”

“I know he’s cursed. That he’s been trapped in wolf form for three years,” I replied, my heart heavy with the knowledge.

“That’s just the surface,” he paused at the edge of a clearing, his eyes scanning the land ahead. “Alpha Kael challenged a dark witch who was abducting human children for her rituals. He could have turned a blind eye—humans aren’t pack business. But he didn’t. He tracked her down to her lair and tore her throat out with his own fangs.”

Pride flickered across Marcus’s weathered face, a glimmer of respect for the Alpha’s bravery. “With her dying breath, she cursed him, saying that he wanted to be a beast so badly, he’d become one forever. His human form was locked away, and with each passing day, his human consciousness fades further into darkness.”

My wolf stirred uneasily within me. “And his pack? They just… allow him to suffer?”

“His pack is fiercely loyal. They’ve searched high and low for a remedy—witches, shamans, even vampires. Nothing has worked,” he said, resuming our journey deeper into Shadowmere territory.

“Then their pack seer had a vision, revealing that only a true mate bond might anchor his humanity, give him something to fight for.”

“But I’m not his true mate,” I said quietly, a tinge of doubt creeping into my voice. “We’ve never even met.”

Marcus shrugged, a nonchalant gesture that belied the weight of his words. “Fate can be a peculiar thing. Maybe you are, maybe you aren’t. But the seer saw silver fur in her vision, and you’re the only silver wolf willing to take the risk.”

The only one willing. Because any sensible she-wolf would run from a bond with a dying Alpha.

Yet I had stopped caring about sensible choices the moment I witnessed Damon marking Sera as his mate.

We continued in silence, the forest thickening around us as we approached his pack. We were often halted by pack scouts, their keen eyes assessing whether we posed a threat.

Finally, as the sun reached its zenith, we emerged into a valley that took my breath away.

The Shadowmere pack settlement sprawled before us, a harmonious blend of stone structures and natural cave systems nestled against the mountainside. A crystalline river wound its way through the heart of the village, sparkling as it caught the light.

Wolves moved gracefully through the streets, shifting between human and animal forms. Despite the heavy magic saturating the air, there was a vibrancy here, a sense of community that felt almost palpable.

“Welcome to Shadowmere,” a warm voice called out.

I turned to see a petite woman with kind eyes and dark hair streaked with silver approaching us.

“I’m Nina, Beta of the Shadowmere pack,” she said, extending her hand. “You must be Aria. We’re grateful you’ve come.”

Her genuine warmth caught me off guard. I had braced myself for coldness, for resentment that their Alpha had to resort to an arranged bond.

“Thank you for having me,” I managed, my voice barely above a whisper.

Nina dismissed Marcus with a nod and a pouch of coins, then linked her arm through mine, as if we were old friends.

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