---- 22 These past days, Damon had been living in agony. He drank while clutching his phone, staring at the message he'd read no less than a thousand times- (Damon Blackwood, I, Sage Rivers, refuse to accept you as my mate. I don't love you anymore.]} Every time he read it, images of my smiling eyes flashed through his mind. Like they were carved into his memory, impossible to erase. Whether awake or asleep, his mind was filled with me. My figure, my voice, even the faint herbal scent on my skin-all like invisible shackles binding his heart tightly. Damon had never imagined he could become like this. He had once been the high and mighty, cold and ruthless Alpha of Ironwood Pack, a man who would stop at nothing for power and strength. But now he ---- was as pathetic as a rogue wolf who'd lost his territory, drowning in alcohol and memories, unable to escape. He didn't understand why he was in such pain. Ihad left, but my departure felt like his heart had been ripped out too. He vaguely sensed something but refused to acknowledge it-or rather, didn't dare acknowledge it. He was afraid to admit he'd fallen in love with me, afraid to admit that the woman he'd once seen as a tool had long since become an indispensable part of his life. But at this moment, he couldn't hold back anymore. Looking at all the shocked pack members, he emphasized again. "T fell in love with her! That damn threatening plan- I ended up trapping myself! Now she's gone, and I'm here in agony!" ---- His voice echoed throughout the villa, carrying long- suppressed pain and anger. Lydia stood to the side, her eyes instantly reddening. Seeing the man she loved in such pain, her heart felt like it was being sliced by knives. The next second, she violently smashed the wine bottle in her hand, her voice sharp. "If you love her, then go chase her! Go howl at her pack's territory borders to claim her! Challenge any males who might be protecting her! Drop your Alpha pride and beg her! You look like a coward running away like this!" Damon froze, confusion flashing in his eyes. "Can I still win her back? Will she ever forgive me?" Lydia's voice trembled slightly. "Are you willing to die for her?" Damon answered without hesitation. "Yes." His men looked at him in shock, stammering as they stared at this man so different from before. "Holy... shit... Alpha, are you... serious?"