Ch. I Refuse to Be Your Luna 24 I Refuse to Be Your Luna 24

24 The Green Devil Comes Home

Alpha Damian’s POV

The Stonehedge villa looked smaller than I remembered.

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Perhaps it was because I had spent the last seven years building cities instead of merely living in them. Perhaps it was because I had walked away from this place as a disgraced young Alpha and returned as the ruler of a territory powerful enough to rival the old bloodlines.

Either way, as I stepped through the enormous front gates, I could not shake the feeling that time had moved differently for everyone else.

The guards straightened immediately.

“Alpha Damian.”

I acknowledged them, alongside all the other servants with a nod and continued inside. I was welcomed with breakfast and a light lunch, and after a few hours of observing how much everything had changed, I went to my room.

The summons from Grandpa had arrived shortly before sunset, and that alone told me this was important.

Alpha Magnus rarely summoned anyone directly anymore. Age had not weakened him, but it had made him selective. He no longer wasted energy on conversations he considered

unnecessary.

If he wanted to see me, there was a reason.

A servant led me toward his private study, and the first thing I noticed was that the room had barely changed.

Dark oak shelves lined the walls, filled with records dating back generations. A massive desk sat near the windows overlooking the valley, and standing beside it was the man who had once been the most feared Alpha in all seven territories.

Alpha Magnus.

His silver hair had grown longer, his shoulders had narrowed slightly with age, and yet the pressure radiating from him remained immense,

Many younger Alphas would still struggle to meet his gaze, but I was not one of them.

For several moments, neither of us spoke, and the silence felt strangely familiar.

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Chapter 24 The Green Devil Comes Home

Finally, he gestured toward the chair opposite him. “Sit.”

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I sat, but he remained standing, which was a tactic he used frequently when I was younger. Unfortunately, it no longer worked.

He noticed it, and the corner of his mouth twitched. “You’ve changed.”

I leaned back comfortably. “I would hope so. Seven years is a long time.”

“It is.” His blue eyes, the same as Harold’s, studied me carefully. “When you left this territory, you were angry.”

I laughed softly. “That is one way of describing it.”

“You disagreed with my decision.” He said calmly.

My gaze hardened slightly. “I disagreed with being told who to spend the rest of my life with.”

The old Alpha exhaled slowly. “There it is.”

I folded my arms and leaned back. “There what is?”

“The same stubborn boy.”

A smirk pulled at my lips. “Interesting. Most people call him the Green Devil now.”

That actually earned a small chuckle from him, and as much as I hated to admit it, the sound surprised me.

Alpha Magnus was not a man who laughed often. “I have heard the title.”

I quirked my brow. “You should hear some of the others.”

He waved dismissively, a ghost of a smile still on his lips. “I imagine they are less flattering.”

“Far less.”

For the first time, the tension in the room eased, then his expression became serious again. “I owe you an apology.”

I stared at him, visibly stunned. Of all the things I expected to hear today, that was not one of them.

Grandpa continued before I could respond. “When you refused that mating, I believed you were acting irresponsibly. I believed you were throwing away your future because of pride.”

His gaze shifted toward the valley beyond the windows. “I thought hardship would teach you

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Chapter 24 The Green Devil Comes Home

discipline.”

A dry laugh escaped me. “Hardship certainly taught me something.”

His eyes returned to mine. “Yes. I can see it built you Stormbridge.”

The single word carried weight, and I nodded. “Stormbridge.”

He tapped his cane on the tiles, his eyes looking glazed over. “I expected you to fail. Not everyone can handle what you did out there.”

I shifted uncomfortably, a feeling that rarely came to me. “I know.”

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“You proved yourself as a true Virel, even though I never expected you would be able to do it.” He said.

“A Virel?” I chuckled lowly. “Maybe it’s the gene. But it was also sheer determination and will. You don’t get to see an outcasted Alpha every decade.”

The old Alpha shook his head slowly. “Every report I received became more unbelievable than the last. New trade routes. Military reforms. Economic expansion. Wolves abandoning established territories to join yours.”

I smiled faintly. “People tend to appreciate competent leadership.”

His brows lifted. “Still arrogant aren’t we?”

I smirked. “Well, I learned from the best.”

That earned another reluctant chuckle. For a moment, neither of us spoke, then his expression darkened. “Harold is becoming a problem.”

There it was, the real reason for this meeting.

I leaned forward slightly. “You’re only realizing that now?”

His stare sharpened. “Damian.”

I glanced at him. “What? You want honesty, and I’m more than ready to give it to you.”

He tsked, glancing outside the window. “I want perspective.”

I considered that. After all these years, he was asking for my opinion.

The realization was almost amusing.

“Harold isn’t weak,” I said finally. “That’s what makes this complicated.”

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Finished

Alpha Magnus remained silent.

I continued. “He is intelligent. Capable. Ambitious. The territory has prospered under him.”

He tilted his head.“Then what is the issue?” 

I laughed without humor. “He doesn’t know the difference between responsibility and obsession.”

The old Alpha’s expression tightened, but I continued. “When Rowan died, Harold convinced himself that protecting Phina was some kind of sacred duty. At first it was understandable. The woman lost her mate. She needed support.”

I leaned back.

“But somewhere along the line, he stopped helping her and started centering his entire life

around her.”

Alpha Magnus nodded slowly. “As though saving her became his purpose.”

“Exactly.”

The old Alpha looked tired suddenly, far older than he had moments ago. “I failed somewhere.”

I frowned. “No, you didn’t.”

His eyes met mine. “You can’t convince me otherwise.”

For the first time since entering the room, I saw genuine regret in his eyes.

“You cannot control every choice your descendants make,” I said quietly.

“No. But I can recognize when they are making mistakes.”

The silence settled between us for a bit, then Grandpa surprised me again. “Your mother misses you, you know.”

I groaned immediately. “Grandpa, please no.”

A rare smile appeared on his face. “You know, there was a time she cried every time someone mentioned your name. Up until a few months after you left.”

“Grandpa.”

“But she does.”

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Chapter 24 The Green Devil Comes Home

“Please stop.”

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His smile widened. “Your father is only slightly better. Both very emotional people, those two wolves. They suit each other.”

I rubbed my forehead. “This conversation was going so well.”

“You should visit them.”

I sighed. Maybej would. The years between us had not disappeared simply because time passed. Still, hearing it from him made something uncomfortable twist in my chest.

The old Alpha returned to his chair at last. “I am proud of what you’ve built.”

The words landed harder than they should have. For a moment, I found myself unable to respond.

Because seven years ago, this man had looked me in the eye and told me to leave. Now he was looking at me exactly the same way and saying he was proud.

Life was strange.

“Thank you,” I said quietly.

His gaze softened, then, unfortunately, that softness vanished.

A familiar glint appeared in his eyes, one that usually meant trouble. “Oh.”

I immediately became suspicious. “What?”

“One more thing.” He said casually.

I knew it.

The old wolf leaned back comfortably. “Did you enjoy carrying Lady Flourish home last night?”

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I Refuse To Be Your Luna