Chapter 52 Accept My Rejection
"Accept your rejection? Has nothing to do with me?" Damian asked, the words practically grinding through his teeth as he confronted Alicia. "You believe it would bring shame to you and the baby if anyone found out I'm a rogue? That's why you're desperate to sever our mate bond, isn't it?"
"No! That's not what I meant. I simply don't want you or your pack members to become targets of the Wilton Family. The truth is, I don't hold a favorable position within the Wilton Family. If I were to admit that I'm accidentally pregnant with another man's child, I would likely be expelled from the family. The worst-case scenario could be imprisoned. However, if they were to discover that you are my mate and the father of this baby, the Wilton Family would likely use it as an excuse to wage war against you and your pack. I don't want that to happen," Alicia explained, her voice filled with urgency.
"You're treating me like a coward," Damian muttered, his lips pursed, his deep eyes concealing his displeasure at her words. He spoke in a cold tone, "You have no faith in me. You believe I would lose if the Wilton Family were to wage war against my pack."
"No, that's not true," Alicia quickly refuted. Yet, she did seem worried that Damian and his pack members might not prevail against the Wilton Family. After all, her mate remained an enigma, and she had no knowledge of his true strength. "Well, um, maybe I am concerned that you might not succeed against the Wilton Family or even the Golden Moon Pack," Alicia admitted, her voice trailing off, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
"Do you feel well enough to move? Are you still feeling dizzy?" Damian inquired.
"I think so. Why do you ask?" Alicia responded, rising from her modest bed with the support of Damian's strong arm.
As they exited the spartan pack medical clinic, Alicia noticed Damian's car parked in front of the entrance. If she hadn't fainted, she and Damian would have already been at her father's house for dinner.
Assuming Damian intended to take her back to her father's pack house, she suggested, "It's not far from my father's place. Before we head back to Los Angeles, you can consider my proposal."
Damian glanced at the crimson sky tinged with the hues of the setting sun, along with the nearby forest. He removed his suit jacket and shirt, tossing them back into the car. Closing the door, he crouched in front of Alicia, gesturing for her to climb onto his back. "Get on," he urged.
Alicia wore a puzzled expression as Damian began to remove his shirt. Upon hearing his request, she questioned, "You want to carry me piggyback to the pack house? I'm feeling better now. I can walk home by myself."
"Shut up! Just do as I say!" Damian snapped, his tone unpleasant.
Alicia rolled her eyes, feeling reluctant, but eventually complied and climbed onto his sturdy back.
With ease, Damian lifted his mate and swiftly sprinted into the woods.
Alicia marveled at his speed, surpassing any shifter's human form she had ever encountered. She soon realized that they were headed toward the pack's forest.
"You're not planning to take me into the forest to kill me because of my suggestion, are you?" Alicia jested, attempting to lighten the atmosphere.
As soon as the words left her lips, the skin beneath her palm flickered, transforming into black fur. The heavy scent of lavender enveloped her senses. In the next instant, the man carrying her shifted into a towering black wolf. A resounding howl echoed through the forest, reaching the ears of all Scarlett Pack members.
It was the first time Alicia witnessed Damian in his wolf form. His entire coat was a deep black, devoid of any other color. With his tail, the black wolf measured around 500 centimeters in length—more than double the size of an ordinary Alpha's wolf.
The black wolf halted in the depths of the forest and lowered itself, signaling for Alicia to dismount. Even in his wolf form, he towered over her, causing her to gaze up at him.
Deliberately, Damian lowered his head, bringing it closer to Alicia's face, allowing her to examine him closely. At that moment, Alicia's dazed expression was clearly reflected in the wolf's eyes.
A sliver of sunset filtered through the gaps between the trees, casting a radiant glow onto Damian's piercing blue eyes. Alicia stared at this formidable Alpha wolf, astounded by how pristine his azure irises appeared, cleaner than the blue sky and brighter than sapphires. She had never known that a shifter's wolf form could exude such charm, such breathtaking beauty.
An overwhelming urge to shape-shift coursed through her, but she forcibly suppressed the thought. Otherwise, her wolf would be consumed by a desire to mate with Damian's wolf, even allowing him to mark her without delay.
"You look absolutely stunning," Alicia blurted out her thoughts involuntarily.
Damian's response to her comment was evident displeasure. He grunted and rose to his feet, showcasing his powerful physique to his mate. Alicia glanced over his body and noticed that his tail was unusually lengthy.
Just as she was about to reach out and touch the tip of his tail, the enormous appendage deftly looped around her waist. Its movements were so gentle that Alicia felt as if she were being lifted by clouds, finding herself face-to-face with the black wolf before she could even fully appreciate the velvety texture hidden deep within the fur of his tail.
Damian lifted his head and released a long, resounding howl into the evening sky, bathed in the hues of the setting sun. Alicia discerned a hidden message within the howl—an assertion of his unwavering strength and fearlessness in the face of any wolf's challenge. It was his way of proving himself to her.
Alicia's heart quivered in response to his wolf's howl. The scent of lavender emanating from him grew more potent. She bit her tongue, a means to quell the urge to shift. Hastily, she spoke up, "Damian, I've realized why you shifted. Can you revert to human form, please?" She feared that if she gazed at Damian's wolf any longer, she would be unable to resist the temptation to shift and pounce on him for intimacy—that wouldn't be good for the baby inside her.
Grunting, Damian transformed back into his human self and stated, "My mate doubted my strength, and it dealt a blow to my self-esteem. I needed to prove myself in some way. So, do you still question whether I would be defeated by the Alphas from the Wilton Family?"
Alicia shook her head. "Well, although I've never witnessed the wolves of Alpha Martin or Alpha Ellis, I can only assume that there's no wolf in all of North America larger and mightier than you."
Damian's chin lifted proudly, accompanied by a smug smile. He planted a gentle kiss on Alicia's forehead and spoke, "Listen, Allie, I don't require my mate's protection. If anything, it is my duty to shield you and our unborn child. I understand your worries regarding Tobias. However, I assure you there's no cause for concern. In fact..."
Damian was on the verge of revealing his true identity and his revenge plan to Alicia when Jason arrived, accompanied by a few members of the pack.
"Allie, are you alright?" Jason asked anxiously, adding, "We heard two distinct and terrifying wolf howls. Jack mentioned witnessing a massive black wolf, unlike anything he'd ever seen, taking you away."
"Dad, I'm perfectly fine. Tobias was taking me to the forest for some refreshing air after shifting," Alicia replied, touched by her father's concern.
"Tobias?!" Jason exclaimed, shocked at the sight of his son-in-law standing beside Alicia. Alpha howls generally did not intimidate shifters who were also Alphas. However, the two wolf howls he had just heard possessed such unparalleled power that it made him feel weak in the knees, almost having the urge to surrender to this Alpha's dominance. It was evident that this Alpha possessed exceptional might.
Nevertheless, Jason had heard that Tobias' brother held the position of Alpha in the Golden Moon Pack, and he couldn't fathom why Tobias hadn't assumed the role of Alpha if he possessed such extraordinary power.
"Why are you all carrying weapons? Do you want to kill me?" Tobias questioned, narrowing his eyes as he observed the guns in Jason's and the other three pack members' hands. With his acute sense of smell, he detected the distinct scent of wolfsbane emanating from those firearms.