Chapter Nine: Alpha Versus Alpha
Lucien Blackthorn didn't wait for an invitation.
He strolled into the penthouse with two guards behind him, wearing a smirk that said he had no intention of leaving peacefully. Ava stood frozen, wrapped in one of Damon's shirts, while Damon placed himself squarely between her and his brother.
"I see you've made your choice," Lucien said, eyes sliding to Ava. "But I wonder… does she even know what it means?"
"She knows enough," Damon growled.
"Enough to die for you?"
Ava flinched. Damon didn't.
"I warned you," Damon said coldly. "Come near her again, and I'll break every pact our family ever made."
Lucien's smile vanished.
"And I'll burn everything our father built," Damon added, voice like steel.
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❖ Secrets and Threats
Lucien's gaze sharpened. "You think she makes you strong. But she's a weakness. One I can touch, twist… end."
Ava stepped forward. "Then try."
Both brothers turned toward her.
She faced Lucien head-on. "You want to scare me. Use me as leverage. But I won't break. Damon might be the one you're fighting, but I'm not a pawn. I'm a person. And I don't need protection—I need the truth."
Lucien stared at her for a moment.
Then, surprisingly, he laughed. "Maybe I underestimated you."
He glanced back at Damon. "She's not your weakness, brother. She's your edge."
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❖ The Blood Oath
Still, Lucien wasn't finished. He tossed a small black blade onto the table.
"The pact demands blood, not bravado," he said. "You walk away from our legacy? Fine. Then cut ties. Formally. In front of her. One drop of blood for every vow you break."
Damon picked up the blade.
"Ava," he said, holding her gaze, "if I do this… there's no going back. I won't be part of the Blackthorn empire anymore. No safety net. No allies. Just us."
Her voice was soft but certain. "Then do it."
He sliced the edge of his palm. Blood hit the floor—three drops, slow and deliberate.
"I renounce the pact," Damon said. "And any power tied to it."
Lucien's jaw tightened. "Then you're no longer family."
Damon smiled coldly. "You never were."
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❖ Aftermath
Once Lucien left, the air shifted.
It felt final.
Damon's hand was bandaged, but he barely noticed the pain.
"I meant what I said," he told Ava. "Without the Blackthorn name, I'm still dangerous. But I'm also yours. If you'll have me."
Ava stepped into his arms, eyes bright with emotion. "I never wanted your name. I wanted you."
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❖ Chapter Ending Hook
As they kissed, fireworks exploded in the city below—the Blood Moon Festival lighting up the sky in crimson.
But in the shadows of a nearby rooftop, a hidden figure watched them through a sniper scope.
> "Now the real hunt begins," the voice whispered.