Chapter 5

But I remained silent. At that moment, the bond between us felt heavier than it ever had before, almost as though it had already decided how our story would end, even if neither of us was ready to admit it.

Perhaps the nightmare had affected Daemon more deeply than I realized, because the following morning, he refused to let me out of his sight.

“I’m taking you with me,” he said as he finished dressing and picked up his keys. “I don’t want anyone else looking after you today.”

I offered no argument. I simply did not have the strength left to fight him.

When we reached his office tower, the guards immediately lowered their heads.

“Good morning, Alpha Daemon.”

I barely acknowledged them.

Something felt wrong the instant I stepped inside. The atmosphere seemed strangely heavy, as though the entire building were silently watching me. Daemon’s scent was everywhere, strong and unmistakable, yet beneath it lingered another scent that I could not quite identify. My wolf immediately became restless.

Then I saw the wall inside his office.

I stopped breathing.

It was covered with photographs.

None of them were of me.

They were all of Yvette.

There were hundreds of pictures, ranging from ordinary snapshots to images that were far too intimate to belong on the wall of a married man’s office. Some showed her standing beside Daemon, others captured moments between them that clearly belonged in private.

Why were her pictures displayed here?

Before I could ask, Daemon came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist.

“Rhea,” he murmured, his voice gentle and reassuring, “you don’t need to worry about Yvette. None of this means what you think it does.”

I kept staring at the photographs.

None of it meant anything?

He seemed to realize how terrible the explanation sounded because he quickly continued, “She asked for them to be displayed. It was something she wanted, and I allowed it for today. I’ll have everything removed tomorrow and replace them with photographs of you.”

I said nothing.

His arms tightened around me as though he could somehow block the images from my view.

Then, almost too quickly, he turned me away from the wall and guided me toward the private room connected to his office.

“Stay here for now,” he instructed. “I’ll take care of everything.”

A knock sounded at the door.

It was Ned, his Beta.

“Alpha, the council meeting is about to begin.”

Daemon sighed and looked back at me. He brushed his thumb gently across my cheek.

“Stay here, Rhea. Don’t wander around the building. You’re safe here, all right?”

Safe.

The word almost made me laugh.

Still, I simply nodded.

After giving me one last look, Daemon finally left.

The moment the door closed, silence settled over the room.

I remained there for several seconds before curiosity—or perhaps the part of me that already knew the truth—pulled me back toward his desk.

A screen was still open.

There was a social media post displayed across it.

Yvette.

She was smiling at the camera while standing close to a man whose face was hidden from view. His features were obscured, but there was no mistaking the distinctive cross-shaped birthmark near his collarbone.

Daemon.

My stomach dropped.

I scrolled down.

There were more photographs, each one revealing another piece of the secret life they had apparently been living behind my back.

The comments were filled with speculation.

“Is that your mate, Yvette?”

“You two look incredibly close!”

“That man has serious Alpha energy.”

“Wait, is that Daemon? Tell us the truth!”

“They look way too comfortable together.”

My hands turned cold.

I slowly stepped away from the desk as the room seemed to shrink around me.

I could no longer remain there.

So I left.

I walked through the corridors of the tower, passing guards and employees who immediately lowered their heads when they saw me. Yet something about their expressions felt different now, as though they were looking at someone who was already halfway out the door.

By noon, my phone rang.

I answered immediately.

“Ms. Rhea Cooper?” a woman asked. “I’m calling from the consulate. Your application to leave the Targaryen Pack territory has been approved. You may now collect your transfer documents.”

My fingers tightened around the phone.

Approved.

It was finally over.

I had actually done it.

I opened my mouth to respond, but another voice came from behind me.

“Your exit documents?”

I turned slowly.

Daemon stood several steps away.

The color had drained from his face.

“What exit documents?” he asked, his voice unusually unsteady. “Rhea, what did I just hear?”

My heart skipped, but I forced myself to smile.

“They aren’t mine,” I replied casually. “A friend called to tell me that her request to leave her pack was approved. She’s planning to move into human territory, and she wanted to ask me about the process.”

Daemon stared at me for several moments.

He seemed to be searching my face for any sign that I was lying, as though he could somehow scent the truth from me.

Then, without warning, he pulled me into his arms.

His embrace was so tight that it almost hurt, and I could feel his body trembling.

“Rhea,” he whispered against my hair, his voice rough with fear, “please don’t ever leave me. For one terrible moment, I thought those documents belonged to you. I thought our bond was breaking and that you were already gone.”

His arms tightened around me.

“I don’t know what I would do without you. Please don’t put me through that.”

I slowly raised my hand and patted his back as though I were comforting him.

On the outside, I gave him a faint smile.

Inside, however, I was already gone.

I am leaving you, Daemon. You simply don’t know it yet.

That afternoon, while Daemon was occupied with a series of council meetings, I quietly slipped away and went directly to the consulate.

I signed the final documents with trembling fingers.

For the first time, however, my mind was completely certain.

There was no hesitation left.

**

That evening, the Targaryen Company's grand celebration brought together nearly everyone of importance in the pack. Alphas, elders, investors, warriors, and influential families filled the enormous ballroom, while crystal lights reflected off the polished floors and the atmosphere buzzed with wealth and power.

I deliberately chose a simple dress because I had no desire to attract attention.

I only wanted to disappear into the crowd.

Yvette had no such intention.

She entered wearing a striking crimson gown that immediately drew everyone's attention. Conversations faltered as people turned to look at her, and whispers quickly spread throughout the room.

Daemon noticed her too.

I saw the subtle change in his expression, the brief pause of his hand around his glass and the slight tension in his jaw before he composed himself again.

One guest after another approached me, offering compliments about my marriage.

“You’re incredibly fortunate, Luna Rhea. Alpha Daemon seems completely devoted to you.”

“The bond between the two of you is remarkable.”

“Everyone knows how deeply the Alpha loves his mate.”

I smiled politely and thanked them.

If only they knew what was happening behind the perfect image they admired.

At one point, a man approached Yvette and offered her a drink.

Before she could accept it, Daemon stepped forward, took the glass from the man's hand, and drank from it himself.

“I can’t have my friend's sister getting herself into trouble,” he said smoothly.

Yvette tilted her head, a playful smile appearing on her lips.

“Be careful, Daemon,” she teased. “If you keep behaving like that, Rhea might start getting jealous.”

Several people immediately looked in my direction.

I kept my expression calm.

“No,” I replied with a gentle smile. “I’m not worried. I know Daemon loves me, and I know he can’t imagine his life without me.”

For a brief moment, Daemon stared at me.

There was something uncertain in his eyes, as though he could not decide whether my words reassured him or frightened him.

Then my gaze fell on Yvette's neck.

She was wearing a necklace.

The design was almost identical to mine.

Only the stone was different.

My chest tightened.

So he had given her one, too.