Chapter 89 Damian mate mark.

Chapter 89: Chapter 89 Damian mate mark.

Neck biting was never part of what Noah expected to receive that evening. The sharp sting of Damian’s fangs sinking into his flesh sent a jolt through his entire body, like an electric current surging through his veins at a devastating speed. His eyes flew wide open, a gasp escaping his lips as the sensation overwhelmed him.

Killian froze mid-motion, his hand hovering in the air as he stared at the scene in shock. "Shit, Damian, what did you do?" he demanded, his voice sharp with reprimand. "This isn’t supposed to happen now! You took away his choice—he didn’t even get to decide yet."

Damian pulled back, his mouth stained with blood, guilt flooding his expression. He hadn’t meant to do it. Something inside him had snapped, an instinct so primal and overwhelming that his control had simply evaporated. His gums had ached with a sharp, piercing pain at the center of his teeth, and the urge had been impossible to resist. Now that he realized the implications, panic began to set in. What would the other alphas say—especially Eugene, who was notoriously violent and unpredictable? This wasn’t part of their agreement. He had stolen the first mark, and there was no taking it back.

"Damian, what did you do to me?" Noah’s voice was strange, almost giddy, as he rolled around on the bed, touching his neck where blood still trickled down his skin. A laugh bubbled out of him, uncontrolled and unsettling. "That tickles so much! What did you do?"

"Damian, this isn’t how it was meant to be," Killian said, sitting down on the edge of the bed and gently placing Noah’s head on his lap. "You’re supposed to say when you want to be marked. We aren’t supposed to carry this out without your knowledge." He shook Noah’s body gently, trying to get his attention. "Look at me, Ashton. Are you alright?"

But Noah wasn’t responding properly anymore. His eyes were fluttering, growing heavy, and his body went limp as sleep began to claim him. He turned his face toward the bed, his breathing evening out as unconsciousness took over.

Damian paced the room, his hands trembling. He was still undressed, but his mind was too consumed with guilt and fear to notice or care. "I didn’t mean to, trust me, Killian," he insisted, his voice cracking with desperation. "His scent, his presence—it took over my head. My control just snapped, and I found myself at his neck. It wasn’t like I would hurt him like that. I would never!"

Killian sighed, watching Noah’s peaceful sleeping face. "Just give him time to sleep it off. We can’t really say what the effects will be until he wakes up. But for now, we can’t let him out of our sight. We’re staying here."

Damian nodded, grateful for Killian’s steady presence. Then another thought struck him, and he frowned. "But Eugene and Marcus—they’re going to come looking for him. Should we let them see him like this?"

Damian groaned, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "I can’t really give you a proper solution right now. But that’s not what we should be focusing on. I think the emperor is already on his way, and something tells me our parents are coming too. And that’s going to be a massive problem, because mating is definitely happening soon."

The reminder hit Damian like a blow to the head. His parents. The weight of their expectations pressed down on him, suffocating and inescapable. He was the least favorite among his siblings, and yet, through some cruel twist of fate, he had been named the heir. His father loathed him, and the feeling was entirely mutual. His mother was no better—she had watched in silence as his father dragged him through humiliation after humiliation, never lifting a finger to defend him. Meanwhile, his siblings had flourished like free birds, untouched by the venom that had poisoned his own life.

"I know you’re going to that academy," his father had warned him before he left, "but remember our family reputation. The Whitmore family has been impenetrable since ages ago. Don’t ruin our reputation for anything, and make sure you’re the main choice—or don’t come back to me."

His brother had laughed at him. "Oh, don’t you see how he is? Do you really think the emperor’s ward would like him more than the other three? I doubt it."

His sister had joined in, their cruel laughter echoing in his memory like a haunting melody. Damian bit the inside of his lip, his jaw clenching as he looked down at Noah’s sleeping form. He was so beautiful, so peaceful, lying there without a care in the world. Damian wished he could protect him, shield him from the darkness that was surely coming. He wanted to carry Noah away from all of this, to defend him from the ills of the world and never complain about the burden. Noah was just too beautiful, too innocent for everything they were about to face. Innocent wasn’t the exact word—Noah had his own complexities—but he was so different from the world they lived in, and Damian was terrified that this place would change him.

"Me neither," Killian murmured, interrupting Damian’s spiraling thoughts. He began searching for his fallen trousers, pulling them on, and Damian followed suit, dressing quickly. They both settled on either side of the bed, none of them willing to leave Noah alone.

"Tomorrow is going to be hell," Damian muttered, staring at the ceiling. "I can see it now. Our parents are going to be in our necks about Slyvia. I’m starting to regret ever getting to know that girl. She’s the one making our lives difficult. We can’t even like someone else in peace. I just don’t understand the concept of this dumb betrothal."

The fact that they had all been children when the arrangement was made only made it more baffling. What had their parents been thinking, binding all four alphas to that girl? There had to be a reason, but they had never been told anything. It felt like they were puppets in a game where they didn’t even know the rules.

"I don’t understand our parents’ relationship with the emperor," Damian continued, his voice low. "They all seem to be close. Do you think they’re friends?"

The question sounded dumb even to his own ears. His parents referred to the emperor with barely concealed disdain, so why would they bind their sons to his daughter? It made no sense.

Killian shrugged, his expression tired. "I’m the last person who should know about any of this. I didn’t exactly stay with my parents as long as you did—I was in boarding school for most of my life."

They both sighed, the conversation hitting a dead end. The emperor himself was clearly ambitious, and the betrothal seemed like a calculated move to control their kingdoms—the four kings’ territories. It should have been a problem, but no one seemed willing to address it.

"I think that’s enough thought for today," Damian said, finally lying down and pulling Noah closer to him. "I need to sleep. I’ll need all my strength for tomorrow’s drama."

Killian nodded, positioning himself on Noah’s other side, his arm draping protectively over him. Damian remained seated for a moment longer, biting his fingers nervously. The full moon wasn’t out yet, but what if they discovered his curse? Aside from being rejected by the imperial palace, what would his fate be? He wasn’t ready to find out.

His thoughts drifted to Eugene and Marcus. Marcus would likely have it easy—his parents adored him. Eugene was a mystery; he kept his family life so private that one peek wouldn’t reveal anything. Damian didn’t know how to feel about that.

Finally, he stood up and walked to the window, pulling the curtains closed. He turned off the candles one by one, plunging the room into near darkness. Carefully, he lifted the blanket to cover Noah properly, then snuggled close to him on the left side. Killian was already settled on the right, his eyes closed. Damian’s eyes fluttered shut as exhaustion finally claimed him, his arm wrapped protectively around Noah’s sleeping form.