**Exposition** Fifteen years ago, Damien Blackwood made a vow he would carry with him forever: the girl who saved his life, Ariana Grey, would one day be his mate. She had risked everything to rescue him from the flames of a raging fire, sacrificing her own sight in the process. For six months, they had lived together in the wilderness, surviving on each other's strength and forming an unbreakable bond. It was during that time, while they fought against the odds, that Damien swore he would protect her for the rest of his days. But when his father, Alpha Reginald, found them, Damien was ripped from Ariana's side. His father, with threats of violence against his family, made it clear that she was not to be brought back into his life. Now, Damien stands on the cusp of becoming the next Alpha, the weight of the pack's future resting on his shoulders. But Reginald imposes one final condition for Damien to claim his rightful place: he must find a mate. His heart, however, still clings to Ariana-the woman he's been searching for relentlessly for over a decade. During a solitary journey into the wilderness, Damien finally senses his mate. But when he finds her, he is bitterly disappointed. The woman before him is not Ariana. She is Melina, a blind girl and the daughter of a pack servant, and yet, her presence haunts him, reminding him too much of the lost woman he once loved. Consumed with guilt and bitterness, Damien rejects her without hesitation. What Damien doesn't know is that the woman he's just cast aside is Ariana herself, living under a new identity, blind and unrecognized. Though she has always loved him, the pain of his rejection is too much to bear. As time passes, Damien's cruelty escalates, culminating in him framing her for the murder of his own mother after witnessing his father commit the crime. Unbeknownst to him, Ariana is carrying his child. Banished and imprisoned, she endures years of suffering while Damien becomes the Alpha, haunted by the regret of his actions. But when Damien discovers that his father never sought out Ariana and has been manipulating him all along, his guilt turns to rage, and he nearly kills Reginald, leaving him in a coma. Haunted by the truth, Damien realizes that the blind girl he wronged was, in fact, Ariana. Rushing to free her from her prison, he finds a heart broken beyond repair, hardened by the pain of his betrayal. --- **Inciting Incident** Damien sets out to make amends, but when he frees Ariana from her prison, she rejects his apologies with cold indifference. A sharp pang of realization hits him when he notices a young boy named Leo, who bears an uncanny resemblance to him. Damien suspects Leo may be his son, but Ariana's silence leaves him uncertain. Determined to leave the past behind, Ariana accepts an offer from Alpha Marcus, a rival to Damien's father. Marcus offers her and Leo protection and promises her a position of power within his pack if she pledges her loyalty to him. Feeling the weight of the future and the need to keep Leo safe, Ariana leaves, vowing to make Damien pay for the years of suffering he caused her. --- **Rising Action** Reginald awakens from his coma with a renewed thirst for control and an intense hatred for Ariana's return, especially since she has allied herself with Marcus. Furious at Damien's continued ties to her, Reginald orders Damien to eliminate Marcus, making it clear that Leo's life is on the line if Damien refuses. Realizing that Reginald knows the truth about Leo's paternity, Damien understands the full extent of the danger his son faces. Meanwhile, under Marcus's guidance, Ariana evolves into a powerful strategist, using her blindness to her advantage. Her bond with Marcus deepens, and though she still harbors feelings for Damien, they become more complicated by her growing alliance with Marcus. Armed with newfound strength and confidence, Ariana prepares to challenge the Blackwoods and secure her independence, emboldened by Marcus's support. --- **Climax** Reginald escalates his threats, kidnapping Leo in an attempt to force Ariana's submission. This forces Damien and Ariana into an uneasy, reluctant alliance. As they search for Leo, Damien uncovers the truth about Ariana's blindness-it was a curse, a punishment inflicted by his own family in an effort to sever their bond. This revelation drives a final, irrevocable wedge between Damien and Reginald, deepening Damien's guilt and heightening his determination to protect Ariana and Leo, no matter the cost. In a dramatic confrontation, Ariana, Damien, and Marcus face off against Reginald. In the midst of battle, Reginald confesses to having orchestrated the fire that caused Ariana's blindness, hoping to break the bond between her and Damien once and for all. The years of lies, abuse, and manipulation come crashing down as Damien and Ariana unite to destroy Reginald's reign. Damien sacrifices himself, taking serious injuries while protecting Ariana and
Chapter 1 MATE
POV: DAMIENS The smoke choked me, a thick, suffocating blanket that clawed at my throat. Each desperate inhale burned my lungs, but all I could focus on was her-Ariana. Her once-bright eyes were now dull, lost in the shadows cast by the encroaching flames. She had saved me that night, sacrificed everything. I had sworn she would be my mate, vowed to never let her go. But no matter how fast I ran, the distance between us stretched endlessly. "Ariana!" My voice was raw, desperation spilling out with each syllable.
Yet she continued to slip away, her silhouette fading into the smoke and darkness. Then came the resounding deep baritone voice of my father, cold and cruel. "Leave her, boy. She's nothing." I fought against his grip, clawed at the air. "No! Let me go! I have to save her!" His hands were rough and unyielding, dragging me away from the one person who had ever truly mattered to me. I could still hear her breaths, faint and weakening, as the wilderness swallowed her whole. My heart shattered, and no matter how much I screamed for her, I was helpless. Suddenly, the scene shifted. I was alone, the biting cold of the wilderness gnawing at my skin and soul. I knew she was out there, struggling just as I was. "Ariana!" My voice echoed through the empty night, met only by silence. And then I saw her-a fleeting glimpse. She crouched by a fire, blind and broken. But she was alive. Hope surged within me as I reached out, but my hand passed through her like a wisp of smoke. ___________ I jolted awake, gasping for air, my heart racing. Sweat poured down my face as I fought to shake off the remnants of the dream-a memory that haunts me every night. It wasn't the first time I had relived that nightmare. Countless nights had passed since that fateful day, each filled with the same adrenaline and fear. But it always ended the same: my parents finding me, dragging me away from the only person I had ever cared for. My father, the Alpha of the most ruthless pack in the region, had yanked me from Ariana's side as if she were nothing more than a passing breeze. I could still hear his chilling laugh echoing in the corners of my mind. "If you defy me, boy, I'll make sure your mother pays for it." That threat chilled me to the bone as I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. Years had passed, yet the memory still sent shivers down my spine. My father's cruelty knew no bounds, and the thought of my mother-frail and terrified-paying the price for my desires crushed me. I had no choice but to leave Ariana behind, and the guilt gnawed at me like a relentless disease. With a groan, I threw off the covers, running a hand through my damp hair. My bare chest gleamed with sweat, muscles tense as I pulled on my robe. I walked over to the mirror, peeling the fabric from my back to reveal the faint scar stretching across my shoulder blades-an old reminder of the fire that had nearly claimed me, the fire that Ariana had saved me from. A deep sigh escaped my lips as I stared at the scar. "Will I ever see her again?" I whispered, the question heavy on my heart. My inner wolf stirred restlessly within me. "We will find her," my wolf growled, always certain, always yearning for our true mate. "We've been searching for years. She's out there." "But what if she's..." I began, but my wolf interrupted me, fierce and unwavering. "Don't finish that thought. She's alive. I can feel it." I closed my eyes, trying to push away the hopelessness. A decade had passed in search of her, but every lead had ended in disappointment. The wilderness was vast, and without my father's support, my resources were limited. But time was running out. My father had laid down the law: I couldn't take over as Alpha unless I found my mate. And I didn't want anyone but Ariana. She was the only one I had ever wanted, the only one who had ever truly understood me. I stepped into the bathroom, letting the cold water run over my body in an attempt to wash away the tension that gripped me since waking from the dream. My muscles relaxed, but my mind remained a tempest. Ariana's face-though blurry and distant-stayed with me, a haunting reminder of the promise I had made and the promise I had broken. After drying off and dressing, I decided I needed fresh air. The confines of my room, the weight of my duties, and the relentless pressure from my father suffocated me. Shifting into my wolf form, I raced into the wilderness, letting the cool night air rush through my fur. The familiar scents of pine and earth filled my senses, but they couldn't calm the storm inside me. I ran faster, pushing my body to the limit, as if I could outrun the pain that gnawed at my soul. Suddenly, I halted, instinctively drawn to an unfamiliar scent, so captivating and intoxicating. And that's when I saw her. Standing in the woods, her figure delicate, dark hair cascading down her back. My wolf stilled, frozen in place, a strange pull tightening in my chest. A single word echoed in my mind, louder than the pounding of my heart. "Mate." Silver light shot up into the sky, illuminating the night as if the stars themselves had descended to witness this moment. The entire pack would know now. Everyone would know I had found my mate. But my heart clenched, not with joy, but with dread. I shifted back into my human form, hastily pulling clothes from the small bag I always carried. Just then I heard a resounding voice in my head "Bring her to me."My father mindlinked. My stomach twisted as I stared at the girl in front of me. She wasn't Ariana. My wolf might have called her mate, but she wasn't the one I had promised myself to. She wasn't the one I had been searching for. And I hated her for it.