DAMON
I had a hard ti falling asleep that night, not that I had anything to think about or whatever. But I guess I had to tell Doctor Grace sothing else, that the sickness I had might have gotten to a stage where it had beco quite difficult for to sleep. Insomnia was the worst thing that could happen to and it made my health deteriorate quickly I feared that I might have just limited ti on my side before I got to see my son and the woman I had chased out of my life.
The sky was still dark when I woke up the coming morning, the faintest trace of dawn slightly visible on the horizon.
I hadn’t slept much, but that was nothing new. My body, forrly burdened with the weight of the illness, refused to give the solace of rest. It even got worse when I found it difficult to get out of bed that morning, my muscles protesting in pain, my vision blurry and my head pounding with the strength of a thousand forces.
My thoughts churned relentlessly, wringing and turning until I could no longer separate them from the noise in my head and it made feel weaker and weaker with each passing second I feared I might collapse if I didn’t hold myself together.
What if a servant had walked in and saw in this position, the news would go around that the Alpha was barely living and this might bring in rogue attacks
I couldn’t ignore the thoughts, the mad headache. The challenge, the distrust, and words from Mark.
The fear. It was all washing up inside , hanging to slip over, and I had to keep it contained. For the sake of the pack. For the sake of the future. I exhaled as my stomach rumbled, reminding of how little I had eaten in the past few days.
I quickly had my bath and wanted for the servant to co in and just as if on cue, I had a knock and a servant ca in, bowing low, his eyes refusing to et mine.
"You have guests and do you want anything —"
"Don’t bother," I said cutting him off. " I’ll have sothing when I get back."
He left and I prepared to et my guests
Carlos and Daniel arrived at my side as I walked out into the room.
Both of them were quiet, their expressions dimd but bent. They knew what was coming, and they knew how important this was and I was so grateful to them. There was nothing like having support from the people you trust and being there for you when you need them the most.
" It’s ti, " Carlos said, his voice slightly above a tale, as though speaking too loudly might disturb the fragile peace between us.
I nodded and led the way through the winding trails of the packhouse, the scent of pine and earth sharp in the morning air. The pack had gathered near the center of the pack, a very big hall, a place where nurous important etings and decisions were made. And this mont would be no different, this mont. Would remind them who I was.
Mark stood at the front of the hall, surrounded by many of his followers. His eyes t mine, and the pressure between us was thick. He stood like he had won, and he had a stupid smirk on his lips.
I stepped forward, the hall was almost quiet and I saw a thousand eyes staring back at .
Only a few older pack mbers were here and a few important ones wanted to see things for themselves.
" I heard your challenge, Mark, " I began, my voice carrying anger through the air. " And I’ll admit, it shook . Not because I want to make you feel better, but because I see you as a weakling and you need to be reminded again who I am."
Mark scoffed, stepping forward with his usual confidence that made him look stupid.
" You’ve let your illness control you, Damon. You’ve let it break you. And you think I’m the problem?" He looked around and laughed."No. You’re the one who’s losing control. This pack needs soone strong. Soone who isn’t hysterical to lead. "
His words pierced hard.
"And you think you are fit to rule."
"Yes, of course. I don’t need to spell it out, no one wants to be under a weak alpha."
I t his eyes as anger drove through , refusing to back down. " You think strength is about physical power? It’s not, Mark. It’s about confidence. It’s about knowing who you are and standing by it, no matter what. "
I took a step closer to him, my voice growing more violent with every word. " I’ve faced lots of battles than you’ll ever know. And I’ll continue to face it. Because I’m Damon Torrence, and nothing — not even you — will take this pack from . "
Mark opened his mouth to respond, but I raised my hand, cutting him off.
" I’m the Alpha, " I said, my voice now and filled with rage. " And I’ll fight for this pack until my last breath. "
The air was thick with pressure. The pack held its breath, watching the battle unfold. Sluggishly, Mark’s posture faltered. His strength lted down, replaced by sothing I had not expected at all.
He took a step back, his eyes narrowing. " For now, " he murmured, his pride easily wounded. " But don’t think this is over, Damon. "
I looked at him and said nothing.
"You are nothing but a stupid and weak alpha."
I didn’t respond. Rather, I turned and walked away, Carlos and Daniel falling into step beside . The pack, as silent as the grave, watched us go. But I could feel the shift. The whispers were gone. And for the first ti in a long ti, I felt a flicker of hope.
Because I was Damon Torrence. And no one — not even ti itself could take that from .
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