Chapter 154 The morning gathering
Chapter 154: The morning gathering
Damon's POV
Morning came too fast.
All night I stayed awake, I continued to roll about thinking about how I would face my pack. Milo slept against my body fur.
"Stop worrying so loud," he said without opening his eyes. "You are shaking the whole cave."
And that was true, the small room couldn't contain my aura that was leaking out uncontrollably due to my nervousness.
The sound of footsteps came, James appeared in front of the door.
"It's time, they are gathering," he said. "Everyone who can walk is there."
My stomach turned, Or what was left of it in this form.
"Ready?" Milo asked, stirring awake.
I nodded at James, who looked at me one last time, before leaving the small room.
"This is a bad idea..." I started
"Even the good ideas were once seen as bad ones" Milo countered me, not giving me a chance in any way.
I wanted to run again, hell I wanted to just disappear from the surface of the earth. But before the thought could cross my mind. A soft hand rested on my chest, all my thoughts evaporated like smoke. Milo's hand on my fur kept me grounded. His fingers tangled in the dark strands, a silent reminder that I was not alone.
With a nod, we left the small room.
The path to the gathering felt endless. Each step made my massive paws sink into the earth, leaving prints that would remind everyone of what their alpha had become. Through the trees, I could already hear them. Whispering and Murmuring, the sound of fear spreading like wildfire.
"Head up," Milo whispered beside me. "You are still their alpha."
But was I? Could a beast truly lead a pack of wolves?
We emerged from the forest path, and silence fell like a hammer. Hundreds of eyes turned to us. Some gasped. Others stepped back. A child started crying, and the sound cut through me worse than any blade.
My pack stood in a loose semicircle, their faces a mixture of fear, confusion, and something else I could not quite name. The wounded leaned on makeshift crutches. Mothers held their children close. Warriors who had fought beside me just days ago now looked at me like I was the enemy.
Together," he said. "Remember?"
We walked out of the cave. I could hear them before I saw them.
My pack… or what was left of them.
"Where is the Alpha?"
"Is he dead?"
"Why won't anyone tell us?"
We stopped at the edge of the cave entrance
"I'll go first," Milo said. "To Prepare them."
I wanted to stop him. But he was already walking into the crowd before I could say anything.
Everyone turned to look at him.
“Milo. Where is the alpha” one called out immediately he appeared before them.
"The Alpha is alive," Milo replied loudly, his voice surprisingly calm and soft.
Immediately sighs of relief spread across the crowd.
I closed my eyes, breathing a little sigh of relief…
“But…” Milo's voice rang out, cutting short the somewhat happy atmosphere
I tensed,
“I need to tell you something.” Milo's voice was clear and loud. If I was not confused in what he was about to do, I would have discovered the tinge of alpha aura that was projecting from his voice.
What was Milo doing? This was not what we planned…
"What do you mean?" someone asked.
The crowd quieted.
"The Council came for us," he began. "A thousand soldiers, maybe more, surrounded our territory. They wanted to destroy everything."
People nodded, they knew this part. Of course the aftermath of the war was why we were living in hiding
"But one wolf stopped them," Milo continued. "One wolf fought them all."
"The Alpha?" someone asked.
"Yes," he replied. "But not the way you think."
My sharp nails dug into my palms from clenching it too hard.
"Our Alpha carries a curse," Milo went on, "The beast curse, It makes him stronger than any normal wolf. But it also makes him... different."
Confused whispers spread through the crowd.
"He used that curse to save us. He became something terrible. Something that scared even him. But he did it for you. For all of us."
"Where is he?" someone demanded.
"He is here," I said. "But he is afraid. Afraid you will reject him, Afraid you will not accept him.”
"We would never…" someone started.
"Even if he looked like a monster?" Milo threw the hardest question at them with ease like he had just asked about the weather.
The clearing went dead silent.
Whatever remained of my heart skipped several beats.
"Even if he was ten times the size of a normal wolf? Even if his eyes glowed red? Even if he looked like the beast from your nightmares?"
People shifted uncomfortably.
"He's still our Alpha," an old wolf said firmly. "Whatever he looks like."
Others nodded, but I could see the fear in their eyes, the uncertainty in their faces were there for them to see.
"You will have to see for yourselves, and know what I mean.” Milo said, then turning to reassure me once again with his smile that could make even the hardest men go weak, he raised his hands. “Behold i present your alpha
That was my cue, taking a deep breath, I took a step forward, and another and another, until I appeared fully before my people.
Nothing in this world could have prepared me for what I saw.