chapter 3

As Damien approached me, a striking woman swept into the room, her icy gaze fixed solely on me. Rosalyn was her name,I heard him whispered her name.

Her full lips curled into a sneer as she regarded me, her piercing blue eyes narrowing with open disdain. "So, this is the little nobody you've chosen to be our queen," she spat, her words dripping with contempt.

I felt my heart sink. It was clear from the start that Rosalyn would be no ally of mine. The way she looked at me, it was as if I was nothing more than an insect to be crushed under her heel.

Damien raised a hand, his expression unreadable. "Rosalyn, I know this is unexpected. But Emilia is my choice, and that is final."

The woman let out a humorless laugh. "Your choice? Don't be so naive, Damien. We both know your feelings for me run far deeper than this...peasant." She shot me a withering glare. "I won't stand by and watch you throw your life away on her."

Damien's brow furrowed. "Rosalyn, you're being unreasonable. Emilia is-"

"She is nothing!" Rosalyn interrupted, her voice rising. "I have been by your side for decades, Damien. We are destined for each other!"

I tensed, bracing myself for the inevitable confrontation. It was clear that Rosalyn harbored feelings for Damien that went beyond mere friendship. And she was not about to let me waltz in and take what she believed was rightfully hers.

Damien's expression remained calm, but I could see the conflict raging within him. "Rosalyn, you know as well as I do that my bond with Emilia is unbreakable. She is my true counterpart, the other half of my soul."

My head spun at his words. Mates? Soul bonds? This was all so foreign and overwhelming. I had no idea the depth of the connection between Damien and I, forged long before we even met.

Rosalyn let out a feral growl, her body beginning to shift and transform. "Then I'll just have to destroy this bond myself!" she snarled, lunging towards me with unnatural speed.

But Damien was faster. In the blink of an eye, he had stepped in front of me, his own wolf-like features emerging as he met Rosalyn's attack head-on. The two grappled viciously, their primal roars echoing through the chamber.

I stood frozen, watching in horror as my newfound mate fought to protect me from his oldest friend turned rival. This was no mere lovers' quarrel - it was a battle for dominance, for the right to claim me as their own. And I was caught right in the middle of it, utterly unaware of the ancient, mystical forces at play.