Alpha Darius( Damien's father)- POV
Pain woke me before dawn.
The wound in my shoulder throbbed like a second heartbeat—deep, hot, refusing to heal cleanly. The healers had stitched it, packed it with silver-laced salve, muttered prayers over it, but the shadow spear Damien had driven through me carried something darker than steel. Poison? Curse residue? Whatever it was, it lingered. Every breath pulled at the torn muscle; every movement sent fresh fire down my arm.
I pushed up from the wide bed in my private chambers, ignoring the sharp gasp that escaped my teeth. No one was here to see it. The room was dim, lit only by the low fire in the hearth and the faint gray light seeping through heavy curtains. I stood slowly, testing my balance. The mirror across the room caught me—older than I remembered, lines deeper around my eyes, silver threading thicker through my black hair. The alpha sigil on my bare chest looked heavier than it ever had.
