Summoning Her Back

Damien’s POV

‘Crack!’ The cup in my hand could not withstand the crushing, the tea in it splashed on my hands.

“Impudent—They deserve to be annihilated,” I roared.

I could not believe that there were wolves in my territory who were so despicable. What gave them the audacity?

I stood from the chair and went near the window. I couldn’t imagine the pain Coletta and her mother—and many others had gone through.

Why go to such length—what is Thorne Blackwood hiding?

“Tell my PI to call Coletta here by tomorrow,” I instructed, my voice colder than I intended.

Ryan gave a short nod before exiting the office silently. He knew better than to question me when I was like this—when the fury of a Lycan King threatened to tear the air apart. I stared out of the floor-to-ceiling window, fists clenched and knuckles pale.

The Blackwood Pack had dared to mistreat not just a wolf—but my mate. My fated mate. And they had done so under my nose, inside my kingdom.

The Alpha kid who rejected her… Darian Blackwood. I would deal with him personally. And so is Thorne. I see he failed to teach his son—or he allowed it all.

But first, I had to make things right for her.

By the next morning, Coletta arrived at the office, escorted in by Laura. Her aura was quiet, guarded. She tried to mask it with composure, but I could sense the anxiety radiating off her like heat from sunbaked stone. Damon stirred again, whining with longing and frustration. He wanted to comfort her, claim her, protect her.

So did I.

"Good morning, Miss Davids," I said with calm precision, gesturing to the chair across from me. "Thank you for coming back on such short notice."

She hesitated before sitting down. “Of course… though I didn’t expect a callback,” she murmured, eyes lowered.

“You made an impression,” I replied smoothly, though I didn’t elaborate on what kind. She bit her lip again—damn, that lip—and nodded.

I slid an envelope across the desk to her. “The contract. Read it. If you agree to the terms, sign on the last page. Your compensation has been doubled.”

Her brows lifted in disbelief. “Why?”

“Because your circumstances demand it. And because I can,” I said simply, keeping my tone impersonal even as my blood roared at the thought of what she had endured. “You deserve to help your mother without selling yourself short.”

Her throat worked in a silent gulp. Her hand trembled slightly as she picked up the envelope, perusing its contents. Her eyes narrowed in places. She was smarter than she let on. Sharp. Careful. Beautiful.

She hesitated to sign.

“You aren't compelled to sign now. You can take this contract with you and take your time to think about the terms. When you are ready, sign it or don't,” I said, not really meaning it, because there was no turning back for both of us.

I stood from my chair!

She stood too, still wary. “I understand. Thank you.”

She suddenly held her chest, as if she felt something but I couldn't read it.

“What is it, little wolf?” I asked, concerned.

“I—I don't know. But something is wrong” she whispered. She did look like something was really wrong. She was clutching her chest.

I went around the desk, crouching near her. She jolted and stood abruptly, like I had just scorched her.

I wanted to ask her if she truly didn’t feel it—this bond between us—but I held back. For now. Perhaps she was beginning to.

“You,” she whispered. “Who are you?” She asked.

“The better question,” I said softly, “is what are you to me?” Realization hit me.

I stepped closer, lowering my voice. “Your wolf recognizes me, doesn’t she?”

She backed away. “You— You did something. This is some kind of trap.”

“I’ve done nothing,” I said, my gaze never wavering.

“Except summon the woman fate owed me. You can run, Coletta—but you’ll feel her again. Stronger next time.”

I picked and handed her the envelope.

“When you’re ready, come back and sign. Or don’t.” I walked to the window, dismissing her without saying another word. Not really what I wanted, I wished she could stay.

She turned and fled.

As she turned to leave, I heard the softest whisper from Damon: “She’s starting to feel it.”

Coletta's POV

I shouldn’t have come back.

Every nerve in my body screamed at me to run, to turn around and disappear. But I couldn’t. Not when my mother needed the surgery. Not when this contract could save her life.

So I walked through those tall, glass doors once again—heart pounding like a trapped bird.

The lobby was pristine and silent. Cold, like the man who summoned me back.

Alpha Damien McKnight.

The way he looked at me during the interview haunted me. Piercing, calculating, yet something in his eyes flickered—like he knew me. Like he saw me.

“Miss Davids?” The receptionist’s voice jolted me from my spiraling thoughts. “The CEO will see you now.”

Of course he would.

As I stepped into the elevator, the doors closed behind me like a coffin sealing shut. My reflection in the metal walls didn’t lie—I looked tired, anxious, out of place. A desperate girl in a world that had already chewed her up once before.

The elevator dinged.

His floor was bathed in light, yet the air was heavy. I stepped out, and there he was—leaning against his desk like some carved god of dominance and mystery, eyes locked on mine the moment I entered.

“Miss Davids,” he said smoothly, like my name was something he’d whispered a thousand times in his dreams. “Right on time.”

I swallowed hard. “You asked to see me.”