Mated To My Mate's Worst Enemy Chapter 16

DAMON

The pouch containing the shattered moonstone felt like it was burning a hole in my pocket as I drove through the predawn darkness toward the city's jewelry district.

I'd barely slept. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw that pendant falling in slow motion, heard the sound of it shattering against my desk, watched those precious blue fragments scatter across the floor like broken promises.

Sera was stable now—the healers had managed to get her silver poisoning under control, at least temporarily. She'd been sleeping when I left, her face pale against the white sheets, the mating mark on her throat a constant reminder of the choices I'd made.

But it wasn't Sera's face I saw when I closed my eyes.

It was Aria's. The way she'd looked at me when I'd given her that expensive moonstone necklace instead of returning her mother's pendant. The shuttered expression, the death of hope in her eyes.

I'd hurt her. Again and again, I'd chosen Sera over her, dismissed her feelings, taken her sacrifices for granted.

And now her mother's pendant—the last connection to her murdered pack, her only link to the family that had loved her before rogues destroyed everything—was destroyed.

I had to fix this. Had to make it right somehow.

The jewelry district was just beginning to wake up when I arrived, shop owners opening their doors and arranging displays in windows. I'd done my research last night, finding the most skilled craftsmen in the Northern Territories, the ones who specialized in antique restoration and delicate metalwork.

The first shop I entered had a reputation for miracle work—they'd supposedly restored a ceremonial crown that had been crushed in a landslide, made it look brand new.

The elderly wolf who owned the shop—Edmund, according to the sign—looked up from his workbench when I entered, his magnifying glasses making his eyes appear enormous.

"Alpha Cross," he said, recognizing me immediately. "An honor. What can I do for you?"

I carefully placed the pouch on his counter, opening it to reveal the shattered pieces. "This pendant belonged to an omega in my pack. It was... damaged. I need it repaired."

Edmund lifted his magnifying glasses and leaned in to examine the fragments. He picked up a few pieces carefully, turning them in the light, studying the intricate metalwork of the setting.

His expression grew increasingly troubled.

"This is exceptional craftsmanship," he murmured. "Very old. The moonstone itself was... how should I put this? It wasn't just valuable—it was sacred. You can tell by the color, the way it's been shaped. This wasn't a decorative piece."

"Can you fix it?" I asked, hearing the desperation in my own voice.

Edmund set down the pieces and met my eyes, his expression grave. "Alpha Cross, I'm afraid I can't."

My heart sank. "Why not? Name your price—whatever it takes—"

"It's not about price," he interrupted gently. "The design itself... this pendant was created as a bonding gift. See these symbols etched into the silver?" He pointed to tiny markings I'd never noticed before. "These are ancient pack marks, specifically from the Shadowmere region. This type of jewelry was only given between mates—couples who were sworn to love each other for life."

I stared at the fragments, seeing them differently now. This hadn't just been a pretty necklace. It had been a sacred object, a symbol of eternal love.

And I'd given it away like it was nothing. Like Aria's heritage, her parents' love story, meant nothing.

"There's more," Edmund continued, his voice soft. "There's an old folklore about these bonding pendants. They say that if one shatters—truly shatters like this, beyond repair—it means the bond has been betrayed. That one of the people who wore it, or who held it, was unfaithful to their vows."

The words hit me like a physical blow.

Betrayed. Unfaithful.

The pendant had shattered in Sera's hands. Sera, who I'd chosen over Aria. Sera, who wore my mating mark while Aria waited in a cabin on the outskirts, alone and unwanted.

"But it's just folklore," Edmund added quickly, seeing my expression. "Superstition. The pendant probably just hit the floor at the wrong angle, weakened by age—"

"Where can I get another one?" I interrupted, my mind racing. "If I can't repair this one, I need to replace it. Where would I find a pendant like this?"

Edmund hesitated. "These are unique to the Shadowmere pack region. There's a merchant there—an old wolf named Thomas who deals in traditional bonding jewelry. He might have something similar, or could create a replica if you brought him these pieces. But Alpha Cross, you should know that replicas don't carry the same meaning. If this omega knows her heritage, she'll know the difference."

Shadowmere pack.

The name stirred something in my memory. That was near the Eastern forests, close to where Aria had supposedly gone to gather herbs.

My wolf perked up for the first time in days, interested.

But going there now, while Aria was in the area... I couldn't risk running into her. Not yet. Not when I didn't have her mother's pendant to return, when I had no way to make this right.

"I'll go in a few days," I said, carefully gathering the broken pieces back into the pouch. "After... after some pack business is settled."

After Aria came home, I didn't say. After I could explain everything, apologize properly, maybe convince her that this had all been a terrible mistake.

Edmund nodded sympathetically. "I hope you can make things right, Alpha. That omega must mean a great deal to you, to go to such lengths for a broken pendant."

She did. Moon help me, she did.

I'd been so blind, so stupid. Chasing after a childhood fantasy with Sera while pushing away the one wolf who'd actually proven her devotion time and time again.

I left Edmund's shop and visited three more craftsmen, hoping someone would tell me different. But they all said the same thing—the pendant was beyond repair, the damage too severe. One of them even mentioned the same folklore about betrayed bonds, which made my wolf howl with guilt.