Mates at War: A Battle of Hearts

The Edge of Control

Darius's POV

I couldn’t focus. My eyes were on the food in front of me, but my mind was far away, trapped in a cycle of thoughts that wouldn’t stop.

Does she like Rowon?

It was the only explanation I could come up with for why Jade was acting so cold toward me. She was hiding the fact that we were mates from everyone, pretending like there was nothing between us. No connection. No bond. But I felt it. I knew she felt it, too. So why the distance? Why keep it a secret?

Rowon’s image flashed through my mind—the way he looked at Jade, even as his mate delivered their child. His focus wasn’t on Kassandra or the newborn; it was on her. The way his eyes followed her every move, the way his breath seemed to hitch when she entered the room. It didn’t make sense.

It was like she had him under some kind of spell, and the worst part? I had no idea if she felt the same. I wanted to believe it was nothing, that I was just imagining things, but something about it gnawed at me. What if there was something more between them?

My chest tightened, my wolf stirring uneasily within me. I felt a pang of pain that made me want to slam the dinner table into half.

Is that why she’s hiding the truth? Is she planning to reject me?

The thought was unbearable. My wolf howled in anguish at the mere possibility. If Jade left me for Rowon...

I blinked hard, trying to shake off the image of her walking away with someone else. With him.

“Son?”

My mother’s voice broke through my spiralling thoughts. I looked up to see her watching me closely; her brow furrowed in concern. “Is something wrong with your tea? You’ve barely touched it.”

I hadn’t even realised I was holding the cup. The tea had gone cold, untouched.

Forcing a smile, I shook my head. “No, Mum. It’s perfect, as always. You know I love your tea.”

She studied me for a moment longer, but finally, she smiled back, satisfied. “Good. You always used to say it was your favorite. I made it just the way you like it.”

I nodded, bringing the cup to my lips out of habit more than anything. The taste didn’t register as my mind was still too clouded with thoughts of Jade.

Across the table, my father cleared his throat, catching my attention. He leaned back in his chair, a proud smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as he gazed at me. “Darius, you’ve made us all so proud, son. You’ve raised our family’s status to heights we never thought possible. Look at what you’ve accomplished.”

I glanced at him, but the words barely sank in. My father had always been proud of me—especially since I went away five years ago for intense training to become one of the strongest warriors in the pack.

What he didn't know was that I didn't exactly do it because of them but for Jade. None of that matters if Jade didn’t want me. What was strength and status without her?

My younger brother, Stanley, grinned at me from across the table, clearly unaware of the storm brewing inside me. “Yeah, Darius, you’re basically a legend now! The strongest warrior in the pack. Everyone talks about you.”

Leila, my little sister, chimed in, her eyes wide with admiration. “You’re a hero, big brother. They even call you ‘The Unbreakable’ at school. You’re famous.”

I managed a small smile, trying to play along with their excitement, but inside, all I felt was turmoil. I couldn’t care less about titles or fame. All I wanted was Jade—my mate. But the way she was acting... the possibility that she was already emotionally attached to someone else, to Rowon...

My father raised his glass, motioning for the rest of us to do the same. “To Darius,” he said proudly. “The future of this family.”

I raised my glass mechanically, barely hearing the clink of glass as we toasted. All I could hear was the pounding of my heart and the relentless questions swirling in my mind.

Does she love him?

The worst part was, I couldn’t even confront her about it—not yet. I needed to know the truth first.

My wolf whined in the back of my mind, restless. He didn’t understand why we were waiting and why we weren’t fighting to keep her by our side. But how could I fight for her if she didn’t want to be mine?

“Darius?” My mother’s voice pulled me back to the present again, her eyes filled with gentle concern. “Are you sure you’re all right?”

I nodded, forcing another smile. “Yeah, Mum. I’m fine.”

I wasn’t. I wouldn’t be until I knew the truth.

Was Jade going to leave me?

"Good... I want to introduce you to a friend of mine, daughter. It's time for me to start carrying my grand—"

Bang! Bang! Bang!

It sounded like someone was trying to knock the door down.

“What the hell?” Stanley muttered, rising from his chair, but I shot up, holding out a hand.

“Stay here,” I ordered, looking at everyone. “Don’t move.”

Something was off. I could feel it. My wolf stirred uneasily, alert to the potential threat.

I made my way to the door, the pounding still relentless. The moment I swung it open, a fist connected with my face. The impact sent me stumbling backward, tasting blood.

Rowon?!

My wolf growled furiously, but I held him back, barely. My jaw throbbed, but it wasn’t the pain that set me off—it was the look on Rowon’s face, like I had committed some unforgivable sin.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” I snarled, wiping the blood from my lip and shaking off the stars in my vision.

Rowon stood there, chest heaving, eyes blazing with unrestrained fury. “I warned you!” he spat, his voice shaking with rage. “I told you to stay away from Jade!”

I blinked, momentarily stunned. The audacity of this man—leaving his mate and newborn to come here and confront me over Jade.

“You’re out of your mind,” I growled, forcing my fists to unclench. “Your baby isn’t even a day old, and you’re picking fights with me? Instead of changing his diapers? Pathetic.”

I was seconds away from snapping, but I forced myself to stay calm. He was losing it, and I didn’t need to.

“You think because you went off, became some warrior, you’re a big deal now?” he hissed. "You’re still nothing! Always beneath her.”

That did it.

My wolf growled inside me, screaming for me to do something, anything, to put him in his place. I could end this right now. One hit. I could crush him. But I didn’t.

I stood there, fists clenched so tight my knuckles turned white, chest heaving, trying to calm the beast within, but my anger quickly bubbled up, red-hot and vicious as I glared at Rowon.

"You’re a f*****g joke," I spat, taking a step toward him. “You left your mate and child to fight for a woman who isn’t yours. You’re embarrassing yourself.”

Rowon’s chest heaved,his breath coming in ragged gasps as he stared me down but I wasn’t done.

The fury in his eyes was palpable, but so was the desperation. He was unravelling before my eyes, and I felt a twisted sense of satisfaction.

I chuckled darkly, shaking my head. “This is the height of shamelessness, Rowon. Fighting for a woman who doesn’t even see you while your mate is probably wondering where the hell you are. You’re pathetic.”

Rowon’s fists shook, but he didn’t throw another punch.

“You have no claim on her, Rowon. She doesn’t belong to you. And you want to know the best part?” I leaned closer, my voice a low growl. “She never will.”

That hit the mark.

Rowon’s face twisted in anger, his lips pulling back in a snarl. But behind the fury, I saw the truth. He was hurting, and it was tearing him apart.

Good.

As much as I wanted to crush him with the revelation of Jade being my mate, I knew it wasn’t my place. Jade hadn’t told anyone about us—she was keeping our bond a secret. If I exposed it now, it would only make her angrier, and that was the last thing I wanted. I couldn’t risk losing her completely, not now.

“She’ll never love you, Darius,” he spat. “Never. I’ll do whatever it takes to prove that.”

“I could kill you right now,” I cut him off, my voice cold. “But I won’t. Not because you don’t deserve it, but because I don’t want to make that little baby of yours an orphan. Not yet. And I definitely don’t want to make Kassandra a widow.”

Rowon glared at me, his breathing heavy, fists still trembling.

“What is going on here?!” My mother’s voice rang out, high-pitched, and panicked.

I turned to see her standing in the hallway, my father and siblings rushing in behind her. They all looked horrified, my mother’s hands clutching her chest like she couldn’t believe what she was seeing.

“Rowon, get out,” I snapped, turning back to him. “Before I do something we’ll both regret.”

For a long moment, we stared each other down, his fists still shaking with the urge to fight. My wolf clawed to be let out, ready to tear into him, but I held back. I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of seeing me lose control.

Finally, Rowon let out a shaky breath, turning on his heel and storming off into the night without another word.

The door slammed shut, leaving me standing there, my heart racing, the anger still thrumming through my veins. I could feel my family’s eyes on me, but I couldn’t meet them. Not right now.

“Darius...” my mother whispered. “What’s going on?”

I clenched my fists, staring at the ground, trying to calm the storm raging inside me.

“Nothing,” I muttered. “Nothing I can’t handle.” But deep down, I wasn’t sure if that was true.