112

112

DAMON

Celeste's words had nagged at me all day, through to the next. The fact that Diana seemed to be moving on.

I couldn't let it be, I needed her. She was mine and mine alone. Not Bradley's, she would never be. No matter how much she tried to convince herself.

I decided I would go get her myself. If I tried to take anyone with me, Uncle would find out, and I didn't need or want his interference.

I had been patient enough.

My phone rang as I was changing.

I picked it up, it was my informant.

“Alpha, she's leaving the house," he said.

I nodded, though he couldn't see me, satisfied. Diana, I am coming for you. How long will you stay away from me?

“I'm on my way, keep me updated" I answered.

The call ended, and not long after, I was ready and on my way out of the house.

As I got into my car, I noticed Celeste leave the house. I saw her drive away, moving faster than expected.

Curiosity pushed me to follow her but I couldn't. This was my only chance to get Diana again. The only time she wasn't inside or surrounded by security.

I would deal with Celeste when I was back with my actual mate. She would have to know her place, I wasn't subject to her just because her brother was helping me.

I drove off, making sure I was fast. I didn't want to miss her. She must have gone a distance into the woods.

I parked not too far away from the pack border. Getting down I found my informant.

He rushed to me, “Good evening, Alpha. She went that way," he pointed to a section of the woods, far into it.

“You sure?" I asked to confirm. I didn't want to go in blindly.

“Yes, Alpha, she's gone faster than her guard, so he's still far behind. You will find her alone" he said.

I was satisfied with that; if she were alone, it would be even better. Made my work easier.

I left the informant and went into the woods, which were sparse at first but became thicker the further I went in.

I could hear the sound of insects and small animals. They were all prey, and I was the predator. The sensation gave me a boost of adrenaline.

Finally, I would be getting my mate back. I was tired of the game she was playing.

As I walked further I paused to sense where I was. Where she was too.

I stopped finally, I could hear her footsteps now, they were dropping. She had been running and just stopped.

I waited before I moved, I soon saw her standing in the small space between two trees. She was looking around.

“Where the fuck am I?" She muttered to herself.

I moved closer, the sight of her was intoxicating. Finally, she was here.

The leaves underneath my feet crunched as I moved closer. I could see the alarm ring through her. She had noticed me.

She looked around, but she didn't see me because I was hidden. Good.

I moved closer and these goddamn leaves wouldn't let my approach be quiet.

She was now sure someone was in here with her, she turned to race away but I ran forward, catching her by her wrists.

She tried to hit me away but I held her there. I pushed her against the tree.

When she noticed that I wasn't going to kill her immediately, she stopped shaking in my arms. I could finally take in her scent. The one I had been missing. That was fading from the clothes she had worn.

I didn't know how much I had missed her until now.

She didn't know it was me yet, with how her shoulders had tensed up.

“Who the fuck are you?" She asked in a cold voice.

I smiled, proud and brave Diana. She wasn't so scared, I knew she would fight if needed.

I let her think about it, taking my scent in before long she realized who it was.

I let out a breath at that.

“You've realized," I said. Relief filling my voice.

Her shoulders tensed again at my voice. Oh, Diana, you must have missed me, I thought to myself. Just as much as I did.

“What do you want?" She asked in a cold tone.

I couldn't help the laugh that slipped out of me then, as if she didn't know why I was here. I was here to take back what was mine. What she had deprived me of for so long just because she couldn't be Luna.

“Don't you see why?” I asked in a mocking tone.

She must have known, I was here to finally snatch back what had been taken from me.

She pushed back on me, trying to free herself because my hold had loosened. I pushed back, tightening my grip. I wouldn't let her get herself out of this, not easily. I would take her back today.

“I don't know why," she bit back in that tone of hers whenever she was defiant.

It was amusing to me. That she was trying to pretend she didn't want this, as if she hadn't been waiting for me to come get her.

“I'm here to take you back. Enough with playing house with Bradley. It's time to come back to your mate, me" I said forcefully.

I was done playing these games. She needed to realize that she was mine. No one else's.

She tried to fight back, pushing back with surprising strength I hadn't noticed in her before.

I held her tightly, and the only sounds were of our breathing.

It didn't take long for her to give up, she stopped fighting, her body sagging into mine. As if she were tired.

Good, she needed to stop fighting it. We were meant to be.

“I'm never coming back," she said slowly, her voice still firm even though her body didn't say the same thing.

I let out a snort. That wasn't going to happen. Didn't she realize yet that she didn't have a choice? “You are mine, no one else's Diana. How many times do I have to tell you?" I asked rhetorically.

“I wasn't yours when you chose Celeste as your Luna," she said, her voice slowly rising into a full-blown shout.

Didn't she understand it yet? I didn't just make Celeste my Luna for the sake of it. She must have known of the pack's bankruptcy, hadn't she put it together now?

“She has to be my Luna, it was only for the pack and business.” My voice had softened now. I needed her to understand. I wanted her to see that I didn't just choose Celeste over her.

"Then stay loyal to her, you couldn't do to me and as much as I don't like Celeste, I won't be the one you cheat on her with. I won't be your side piece, Damon,” she rushed out.

She was never the side piece, she wouldn't be but I would explain it later, when she was with me and we were far from here.

"Your place as beta is still there, you can come back, don't you see, everything will be as it used to be” I answered her, my voice had reduced to a whisper, I moved closer to her ear so she could hear me.

“That's not happening Damon, I'm not coming back. I've found my home here” she said in response, her body beginning to wiggle in my arms, trying her best to get away.

Her home was with me. I was tired of hearing about this home with Bradley. She was only mine. How dare she try to have another mate?

“Your home is with me Diana, you are coming back with me. I don't care if you agree or not, I'm tired, so tired of waiting” I gritted out, I was angry now.

I released her, spinning her around and pinning her back to the tree.

I didn't want to do this but I had no choice. I began to extend my fangs, I would only make her unconscious, nothing else.

She opened her mouth to scream but I stopped her. The anger I had tried to control stormed into me. I couldn't help it.

“You're only making this more difficult Diana. I don't want to hurt you" I said, I was pleading now.

I only wanted her back with me. I didn't want to harm her.

She let out a sick laugh at my words, “Your fangs are extended, ready to bite into me, and you don't want to hurt me?" She asked sarcastically.

I shook my head, she wasn't listening to anything I had said. This was the only choice.

I began to ascend on her neck when I heard the footsteps behind me too late. A claw dug into me from the back, I let out a growl turning around and swatting the hand away.

I looked to see, and it was one of her bodyguards. He looked like he was about to launch another attack and there were others with him.

I wouldn't be able to win this one on my own.

“I'll come back for you, I'm not letting you go," I told her before running off in a Sprint.

I heard footsteps follow behind me but at my speed, they weren't there anymore in a few minutes.

I was out of the woods in a few minutes, into the night.

I had been so close, so close to getting her and keeping her. Bringing her to where she belonged.

I'll be back, Diana, and I'll get you this time. I promised her.

I was going to make pl
And now, the battle wasn't too far off. I would win her back and I would make her my mate again.

It didn't matter that I would go to war with all of the packs.