Elena’s POV

He calls it protection. I call it captivity.

The packhouse is exactly as I remember, polished wood, marble floors, and too many eyes. Every hallway carries his scent, heavy and intoxicating. My wolf paces inside me every time I breathe it in.

The guards walk me through the front doors, pretending not to stare. They all know who I am now. The rejected mate who came back with the Alpha’s heir.

Damon walks ahead, silent. His power fills the space like smoke.

“This isn’t necessary,” I say coldly.

“You need safety.”

“I need space.”

He stops at the base of the grand staircase, turning to face me. “You’ll have privacy. Not freedom.”

“Then you haven’t changed at all.”

His jaw tightens. “Rhea will meet us upstairs for the next treatment.”

“I said I can handle it myself.”

“You’re not a healer.”

“I’m her mother.”

“That doesn’t make you invincible.”

The words sting. I look away before he sees it.

We walk again. I keep my head high even as every memory claws at me, the laughter that used to echo here, the mark he once kissed, the night he ripped it all apart.

When we reach the suite, I stop in the doorway. The room is beautiful, cruelly so. Gold drapes, soft rugs, a king-sized bed dressed in white silk. A cage pretending to be luxury.

I turn to him. “I won’t stay in here.”

He looks calm, but his voice is final. “You will. Maya needs you close.”

“You could have assigned us a cabin.”

“I want you where I can see you.”

I laugh softly. “Still don’t trust me?”

His gaze darkens. “You’re the one who left without a word.”

“And you’re the one who made me.”

For a heartbeat we just stare at each other, years of pain thick between us. Then he nods toward the adjoining room. “Maya’s quarters. The healer set it up for her treatments.”

Rhea enters quietly, bowing her head. “The first transfusion was successful. Her vitals are stable for now. We’ll monitor her daily.”

I exhale in relief. “Thank you.”

Rhea nods once and leaves. Damon watches me the entire time.

“You can rest,” he says softly. “You look exhausted.”

“I don’t rest here.”

“Elena.”

“Don’t.” I move past him toward the window. The mountains stretch outside, endless and cold. “You said this is protection. But I can feel the locks on every door. You’re keeping us prisoners.”

“You’re safe.”

“I’m trapped.”

His tone hardens. “Would you rather I let you leave with a sick child? What happens if her condition worsens on the road?”

I stay silent.

He steps closer. “You still think I’m the enemy.”

“You were once.”

He exhales slowly. “Maybe I deserved that.”

“Maybe?”

His gaze meets mine. “I’m trying to make it right.”

“Then let me go.”

He shakes his head. “Not yet.”

I look away before the heat in my chest becomes tears. “You’re still the Alpha who decides everything for everyone else.”

“And you’re still the wolf who fights every hand that reaches for her.”

The words sting because they’re true.

The tension stretches until Marcus arrives at the door. “Sorry to interrupt. Council’s requesting you, Damon. They want an update on the heir.”

Damon glances at me. “Tell them she’s stable. I’ll speak to them later.”

Marcus frowns. “They won’t like waiting.”

“I don’t care.”

I fold my arms. “Go. I’m not running anywhere.”

He studies me for a long moment before nodding. “Guards outside the door. Call if you need anything.”

When he’s gone, the silence rushes back in. I sink into the edge of the bed, burying my face in my hands. My wolf murmurs softly, torn between anger and longing.

He still feels like home, she whispers.

“He feels like the reason we lost everything.”

Maya’s soft breathing carries from the next room. I walk in and sit beside her, brushing her hair back. Her color looks better already. The sight breaks me a little more.

Hours pass. I stay awake, pacing, checking on her, listening for footsteps outside. Every sound feels like a threat.

By nightfall, the moon rises pale and sharp over the mountains. I can feel it pulling at my wolf, stirring the bond I’ve spent years suppressing. The ache starts in my chest and spreads like wildfire.

Sleep refuses to come. Every time I close my eyes, I feel him. His scent. His voice. His touch. The bond hums beneath my skin like a live wire.

In my dream, I’m back in the woods, his hand reaching for me as his father orders him away. I try to run but roots twist around my legs, dragging me down. His wolf howls for me. Mine answers.

I wake gasping. My body is slick with sweat. The scent of pine and storm clings to the sheets. His scent.

My heart slams against my ribs. “No. You don’t get to haunt me.”

I throw the blanket aside and stand, dizzy. The room tilts for a second. My head spins. A faint ringing fills my ears.

“What the…”

I steady myself against the nightstand. My skin prickles, my pulse uneven. The dizziness fades slowly, but something feels wrong. The air smells faintly of metal and bitterness.

Wolfsbane.

My breath catches. I kneel by the bed, sniffing the sheets, then lift the pillow. Fine purple dust glitters faintly in the moonlight.

Not much, just enough to weaken a wolf quietly over time. Enough to make me dizzy.

My stomach twists. Someone put it there.

I glance toward Maya’s room, my heart racing. She’s still asleep, untouched. Relief crashes through me, followed by fury.

“Who?” I whisper.

The guards outside… Rhea… Victoria. Of course. She’s the only one who stands to gain if I disappear again.

I close my fist around a handful of the tainted dust. My hand shakes, not from fear, but from rage.

This isn’t a warning. It’s a message.

Someone wants me dead. Quietly.

And this time, I’m not leaving without finding out who.