Chapter 2 - Jade

Damien Lucas has a lot of nerve.

I cross my arms and glare at him from across the table. The firelight flickers in the cabin, warming the room in a way that seems far too cozy for the kind of conversation we’re having. He’s standing there like he owns the place—like he still owns me—and I can’t decide if I want to punch him or laugh in his face.

“You’re coming back with me,” he says again, his voice dripping with that arrogant, commanding tone that used to make me swoon.

Of course, that’s how he thinks this is going to go. He orders, I obey. Just like old times, right?

Not a chance in hell.

“You really think I’m just going to drop everything and waltz back to Starfire Hollow because you said so?” I say.

“You don’t have a choice, Jade. I saw your vision. You’re powerful. You could help the pack—help save people. Or are you really going to sit here, hiding out in the middle of nowhere, while shifters keep dying?”

“Need I remind you that I’m here because you banished me , Damien?” I clench my fists, doing my best to stay calm, but it’s not working. “And you think dragging me back there is the solution to whatever crisis you drove the pack to? After everything that happened? After you—” I cut myself off before the words I’ve buried for three years come spilling out. He doesn’t deserve to hear them. He doesn’t deserve anything from me.

But Damien just stands there like he didn’t destroy my life three years ago. “You’re coming back, Jade. Whether you like it or not.”

Oh, I like it all right. I like it so much, I could scream.

Before I can tear into him with the words I’ve been holding onto for years, a tiny voice from the hallway makes my blood run cold.

“Mama?”

My heart stops. No. Not now. Please, not now.

I whirl around just in time to see Penny stumble into the room, clutching her stuffed wolf and rubbing her eyes sleepily. She’s wearing her little purple pajamas with the stars, and her dark hair is sticking up at odd angles. My heart feels like it’s being squeezed in a vise.

Damien’s entire body goes rigid behind me. I can feel his gaze shift from me to Penny. Oh no. I can sense the shock rolling off him in waves, and I don’t even have to look at him to know what he’s thinking.

My daughter toddles over to me, holding up her arms, and I scoop her up without thinking, pressing her close to my chest like that’ll somehow shield her from what’s happening. My heart is hammering so loudly, I’m sure Damien can hear it.

“Mama, who’s that?” Penny mumbles, pointing her chubby little finger toward Damien.

I don’t answer her. I can’t. My mouth is too dry, and panic is clawing its way up my throat, threatening to choke me. I hadn’t prepared for this. Hadn’t even considered the possibility that Damien would show up here, demanding I return to the pack, and see her.

There’s a long, tense silence, and when I finally muster the courage to glance at Damien, his face is unreadable, which shouldn’t surprise me. Starfire Hollow’s alpha, always in control. Just like his father.

“I didn’t realize you had a kid,” he comments. His voice is lower now, less commanding. Almost cautious. “I—” He pauses, and I can see him piecing it together in his mind, his eyes narrowing slightly as he looks between me and Penny.

“I—” I stammer, my throat tight. “Yeah, well… I do.”

He tilts his head, studying me like I’m some puzzle he’s determined to solve. “Who’s the father?”

I swallow hard, but before I can answer, Penny wriggles in my arms, her tiny fingers grabbing my hair. “Mama, I’m hungry.”

Of course. Because nothing screams “intense emotional standoff” like a two-year-old demanding snacks.

“I’ll get you something in a minute, sweetie,” I whisper, forcing myself to stay calm. “Go back to your room, okay?”

But Penny doesn’t go. She just looks up at Damien with those big, curious brown eyes, completely oblivious to the fact that my entire world is teetering on the edge of disaster.

Damien lets out a long breath, running a hand through his hair, and I brace myself for whatever’s coming next. I know him. I know how his mind works. He’s probably already calculating the odds, trying to figure out where Penny fits into all of this.

“She’s not mine,” he says slowly, more to himself than to me. “You had her with someone else after you left.”

I blink. What?

I open my mouth to correct him—to tell him that no, he’s very much wrong, that Penny is his daughter—but the words die on my tongue. Something stops me. Maybe it’s the fear. Or maybe it’s just the fact that I can’t handle him knowing the truth—not right now. Not with him staring at me like that.

So, I don’t say anything. I just nod as I try to remember how to breathe.

He looks at Penny again, and for a brief moment, I wonder if there’s a shred of humanity left in him. But then, just as quickly, the mask is back in place.

“I’ll protect her,” Damien offers. “Both of you. Come back to the pack, and I’ll make sure nothing happens to her.”

Something pinches me behind my sternum. I don’t like the way he’s using my baby as a bargaining chip, but with everything happening with the packs in the surrounding areas, am I really in a place to refuse protection?

“Damien, I—”

“And,” he adds, “I’ll make sure you’re protected, too. But if you refuse to come back…”

He doesn’t finish the sentence, but the implication hangs heavy in the air. I don’t need him to say it out loud. I know exactly what kind of danger I’m in if I stay out here. If I stay alone.

“You can’t threaten me like this,” I hiss, clutching Penny tighter. “I’m not some weak little girl anymore. I’m not scared of you.”

“Then don’t be scared. Be smart. You know what’s out there, Jade. Probably better than anyone else, given your… gifts. This isn’t just about you anymore. It’s about her, too.”

The weight of his words sinks in, and as much as I hate to admit it, he’s right. I may not trust Damien—hell, I could barely tolerate him—but there are bigger things at play here than my pride. Penny deserves better. She deserves to be safe.

She deserves a pack and a family.

I close my eyes for a second, trying to steady myself. The room feels smaller, the air heavier. Everything is crashing down around me, and the only way out—the only way to protect her—is to go back.

To him.

“I can’t believe I’m even considering this,” I mutter.

Damien’s gray eyes soften, just for a split second. “You’re doing what’s best for her.”

I look down at Penny, her little fingers still curled around my hair, her head resting on my shoulder. I hate this. I hate that I’m even thinking about going back to Starfire Hollow, but what choice do I have? Damien’s right. This isn’t just about me anymore.

I let out a long, shaky breath. “Fine. I’ll go.”

***

I can’t believe I’m doing this.

Driving back to Starfire Hollow feels like stepping into a nightmare I thought I’d escaped. The road stretches ahead, winding through the mountains, and each passing mile makes my heart sink further. Penny sits quietly in her car seat, watching the trees go by, blissfully unaware of the mess we’re heading into. At least one of us is calm.

The pack compound looms on the horizon. It’s a sprawling settlement that somehow manages to look both ancient and perfectly in place in the middle of the city. It’s built like an old Spanish fortress, with high, white-washed walls and red-tiled roofs. The contrast between the compound and the modern surroundings that surrounds it has always struck me as strange—a relic of another time, hidden in plain sight. But now, looking at it through my daughter’s eyes, it feels even more surreal.

I pull the car up to the gate, my pulse racing as I lower the window to show the guard my ID. His eyes widen when he recognizes me—no doubt shocked to see the outcast and accused witch returning after three years with a child in tow. He says nothing, though. Just nods and waves me through after a glance at a list of authorized visitors.

The second we’re inside, nostalgia crashes over me like a wave. Every corner, every cobblestone walkway, every archway feels like a reminder of what I left behind. What I was forced to leave behind.

“Where are we, Mama?” Penny’s voice pulls me out of my spiraling thoughts. She looks around wide-eyed, taking in the towering walls and the lush greenery that spills over the walkways.

“This is where Mama used to live,” I explain, glancing at her in the rearview mirror. “Where… where I grew up.”

Her eyes widen even more, as if the place is too big for her to wrap her little mind around.

I park the car near the central square, where the old chapel stands like the heart of the compound. Alec is already there, waiting. It’s been too long since I laid eyes on my brother, and seeing him now—looking into those familiar brown eyes lighting up when he spots us—makes my throat tighten with emotions I thought I’d long buried.

He doesn’t waste a second. As soon as I step out of the car and pull Penny from her car seat, he’s there, pulling me into a hug so tight it knocks the air out of me. “Jade,” he murmurs against my hair. “God, it’s good to see you.”

Tears sting my eyes, but I blink them back. “You too.”

Alec pulls back just enough to look down at Penny, who’s hiding behind my leg, peeking out at him with wide eyes. His expression softens, and he crouches down to her level, smiling in that warm, brotherly way I remember so well.

“And who is this?” he asks, his voice light and playful.

Penny looks up at me, uncertain, but I nod, encouraging her. “It’s okay, sweetie. This is Uncle Alec, remember? It’s been a while, I know.”

She beams at the word “uncle.” After a beat, she steps forward, squishing her wolf to her chest. “I’m Penny.”

Alec’s smile broadens. “Well, Penny, it’s very nice to meet you. I’ve heard so much about you.”

She giggles, and just like that, she’s charmed. Alec’s always been good with kids.

“Come on,” Alec says, standing up and holding out his hand to her. “Let me show you around. There’s a lot to see.”

I watch as Penny takes his hand without a second thought, and her little legs scramble to keep up with his longer strides as they head down the street. For a moment, I just stand there, rooted to the spot, watching them go. Alec’s laugh echoes off the old stone walls, and I can see Penny pointing at the arches and the ivy-covered walkways. She’s so enamored with this place.

It’s like no time has passed. Like the three years of pain and exile never happened.

But then I hear the sound of footsteps behind me, heavy and deliberate, and the moment shatters.

Damien.

I turn slowly, bracing myself for whatever fresh hell he’s about to spring on me. He stands a few feet away, watching me with those stormy gray eyes. The fire from before, the desperation to bring me back, is gone. Replaced by something colder, more disingenuous that sends a shiver down my spine.

“We need to talk,” he says.

I swallow hard. Well, I try to. My throat is suddenly so dry, it feels like I’ve been chewing on cotton. “About what?”

His gaze flickers toward Alec and Penny in the distance before settling back on me. “About us.”

My stomach twists. “There is no ‘us,’ Damien.”

“There will be.” His words are quiet but laced with finality, and I hate the way my heart lurches at the sound of them. “I wasn’t lying when I said you’re important to the pack. You are. And there’s a ritual—”

“A ritual?” I cut in, blinking in confusion.

Damien’s eyes darken, and when he speaks again, his voice is steady, practiced, as if he’s been rehearsing this for years. “We’re going to participate in the mating ritual. You’ll become my mate.”

The air around me freezes.

For a long moment, I can’t breathe. I can’t move. The world tilts beneath my feet, and all I can hear is my own heartbeat pounding in my ears. His words hit me like a punch to the gut, knocking the wind out of me.

Mate ?

He can’t be serious.

I stare at him, my mind reeling, trying to process the full weight of what he just said. A mating ritual. To him. The man who banished me from my home, from my family, from everything I knew—and now he wants to claim me? Like none of that ever happened? Like I’m just supposed to go along with it?

Damien’s face remains impassive, but there’s a tension in his stance, like he’s daring me to challenge him.

I don’t even know where to start.