Chapter Fifty-One

Damon

I’d been home for a week now and Axel still hadn’t resurfaced. I was getting worried, really worried. I was in a slump and my irritation levels were through the roof. I snapped at everyone and everything pissed me off.

“Axel?” I asked like I did every morning when I woke up but there was nothing, just that empty void inside me.

I sighed and got up from the bed to face yet another mundane day of feeling not like me and pretending to be fine. Jared wasn’t really falling for it and Connor kept avoiding me. I could tell he had something on his mind but he was blocking it from me and I wondered why.

“Damon?” Jared asked as he walked into the office.

“Morning,” I said as I leaned back in the chair.

“We need to talk,” he said to me.

“About?”

“About what’s going on with you,” he said as he sat down in front of the table.

“I don’t know what to tell you Jared, I feel fine but not fine,” I said to him.

“Maybe you should take a break, Brightwater’s no joke,” he said to me.

“It’s more than that, I need you to call a meeting with everyone present,” I said to him.

“About what?” he asked me, narrowing his eyes.

“About me stepping down for good,” I said to him.

“Not happening,” he said to me.

“I don’t belong here anymore!” I said suddenly feeling angry.

“You’re our Alpha, where else do you belong?” he asked me calmly.

“I don’t know, okay!” I yelled.

“Damon, you went through a really tough time, I get that…” he said as I interrupted him.

“A tough time? You don’t get anything Jared, you weren’t there! I let a boy die, I sent him to his death!” I yelled again as I stood up and slammed my fists down on the table.

“Shit happens Damon, that’s not on you, Darwin killed him!” he said equally angry now.

“I could’ve stopped it and I didn’t,” I replied.

“Stepping down over guilt is not going to take it away!” he yelled at me.

“I can’t shift Jared!” I yelled as he looked at me in disbelief.

“What?” he asked me.

“I can’t shift okay, I haven’t had access to Axel in months,” I said, running a hand through my hair.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked.

“I don’t know, maybe I hoped that Axel would come back once I left Michigan,” I said to him.

“Shit Damon,” he said.

“If I can’t shift, I can’t lead this clowder, I’d rather step down and make you Alpha than have some punk challenge me for the position,” I said to him.

“Have you gone to the Oracles?” he asked me.

“No, there’s no point, no Axel, no Enforcer title either,” I said to him.

“I’m sorry,” he said to me.

“It’s better this way, I’m not myself. I need to get away and I don’t know, figure shit out,” I said.

“We still have a house in St Albans City, it’s quiet there, you might like it,” he said.

“Maybe,” I said.

“We still have furniture there from my last assignment when you were in Michigan,” he said and looked at me.

“I’ll think about it,” I said to him.

“Please think carefully about what you want to do, Axel might not be gone forever,” he said to me.

“I know but soon people are going to realize that I’m not shifting anymore, not going on patrol, not hunting, not doing anything I used to do and once the rumors start this clowder can become a target, I won’t have that,” I said to him.

“Who else knows?” he asked me.

“Just you,” I said and he nodded his head.

“Keep it that way, people don’t need to know why you’re stepping down,” he said.

“So let’s do it,” I said to him as I stood up.

“Damon…” he said as I walked around the table.

“I, Damon Woods, hereby willingly transfer the Alpha Seat to Jared Howell, along with the Alpha power that will now flow through you to lead this clowder as the next Alpha,” I said.

I could feel the stirring of my power as it flowed from me to Jared. This would give him an advantage and make him stronger without diminishing any of my power, since I was a born Alpha. This would also change his scent from a Beta to an Alpha and he would now be recognized as an Alpha by other high ranking members.

“I, Damon Woods, hereby relinquish the Alpha Seat to Jared Howell and make no future claim on being the Alpha of this clowder and hereby also relinquish my status as an Enforcer,” I said.

I felt the Alpha bond snap with the clowder members and I knew that they would’ve felt it too. The new bond would also snap into place for them all with Jared as their new Alpha and the transition would be a smooth one.

Jared was swaying on his feet as his mark changed and he gritted his teeth as the bond would be a lot more intense for him than for the pack members. His eyes changed color and I could feel his aura changing to match mine.

“What the hell is happening?” Connor asked as he pushed the office door open and looked at us with wide eyes.

He looked at Jared and then instantly bowed his head as he was forced into submission in front of his new Alpha while Jared struggled to contain the new power he had.

“Rise Beta Connor,” Jared said.

“Yes Alpha,” Connor said and I could see how the new rank affected him as well. Going from a Gamma to a Beta was a big change and he would also feel the effects of it.

“Good choice,” I said as I looked at Jared.

“Why?” Connor asked as he looked at us.

“I don’t belong here anymore Connor, Brightwater changed me,” I said to him and walked out of the office to my bedroom.

I packed two suitcases and a duffel bag, all of my essential belongings and mementos, and it was time for me to leave the packhouse. I couldn’t stay here now that I was essentially human. I still had my other gifts, I just couldn’t shift or command like an Enforcer. I felt out of place here too and I knew that no matter what happened, this wasn’t mine anymore.

“Damon,” Kat said from behind me.

“It’s better this way,” I said to her.

“Jared told me,” she said as she looked down.

“You’ll always have your place here, it’s just not for me anymore,” I said.

“Where will you go?” she asked me.

“I don’t know yet, someplace quiet,” I said as a tear ran down her cheek.

“I just got you back,” she whispered.

“I’ll always be around, I won’t disappear,” I said as I hugged her.

I left the packhouse that night and drove towards the highway with my truck full of boxes not really sure where I should go. I stopped at a garage to fill the truck up and opened the glove box and a letter fell out. On a piece of paper was an address in St Albans City and the keys to a house.

“St Albans City it is,” I said as I refueled and headed towards the town.

I arrived at the address Jared had written down and looked at the house. It really needed some work but I felt calmer as I carried my suitcases inside and walked through the house. It was a nice set up and I felt oddly comfortable here. I recognized my own furniture from the cabin and just smiled that Jared had taken it without asking.

The following morning I went to the store to stock up on food and beer and I stood in the living room wondering what to do with myself when I watched the woman that lived somewhat across from me. She was standing at the back of her car talking to herself like she was trying to figure something out.

I watched her for a few minutes and then decided to go over and introduce myself since I’d be here for a while. I was planning on fixing up the house until I decided what to do next. I walked across the street and right up to her as she continued staring at the boxes in her boot.

“Holy shit!” she yelled as she turned around and noticed me.

“Careful,” I said as I steadied her from falling backwards as she glared at me. ‘Great start,’ I thought to myself.

“Don’t you know it’s rude to sneak up on people!” she said angrily.

“I thought I’d introduce myself as your new neighbor,” I said as I tried to hide my sudden smile.

“By giving me a heart attack?” she asked as she grabbed the edge of a large box.

“Should you be carrying that?” I asked as I took the box from her and walked towards her house.

“Thanks,” she murmured as she followed me and opened the front door.

“Where do you want this?” I asked.

“Upstairs, first door on the left,” she said.

“I’m Damon by the way,” I said as I joined her downstairs and smiled at her.

“Finley,” she said as she watched me warily.

I could tell that she knew what I was even though she was human. I could also tell that the baby she was carrying was supernatural. She was a familial and I could smell her scent, it was somewhat familiar to me.

“Not married?” I asked her as I looked at her empty finger.

“No, he forgot me,” she said and I saw the sadness in her eyes for a brief moment.

I was slightly confused by her answer, how could a man forget her or his child? She was beautiful and her scent was intriguing, even the baby’s scent was familiar to me but I knew that I didn’t know her. I would remember someone like her.

“I’m across the street if you ever need any help,” I said to her.

“Thanks,” she said as she still stared at me. I was a bit uncomfortable by the way she looked at me and I quickly got out of her house and closed the door behind me firmly as I stood in the living room watching her house.