Chapter Fifty-Nine

Damon

I couldn’t believe Finley let me mark her. The bond that had snapped in place was even stronger than the one we had previously shared and I woke up the following morning feeling like myself again. I had waited months for her to start treating me like a person again.

I had loved her the first time before the bond and I loved her again the second time after I remembered her, all without the bond. I had been mean to her, but it was all to just keep her with me. I didn’t want her not to be in my life and the thought of her dating some other man nearly choked me as the pain ripped through me.

I knew she was awake even though her back was to me. We were still in her bed and the sun would start making its appearance soon. I breathed her scent in as I placed my face in the crook of her neck and I felt her shudder.

“What have we done?” she asked me softly.

“What we should’ve done months ago,” I said.

“We fight more than anything else,” she whispered.

“Not really, we only fight when we’re not together like this,” I said to her.

“How can you be so sure that this time it’ll work out?” she asked me.

“Because this time we both wanted it, we’re a family Finley, stop fighting me because I’m never letting you go,” I said.

“I guess now you’re going to insist on getting married,” she said and I laughed.

“Of course, even if I have to drag you to the altar kicking and screaming,” I said as she smiled.

“Damon! We’re being attacked!” Axel yelled in my head as I scrambled out of the bed and ran down the stairs shifting on the porch as I started running through the dark streets, not caring who saw me. I linked Kat to watch Finley and Griffin as I ran and she responded within seconds.

I made it to the packhouse in under fifteen minutes and I had never run so fast in my life. I could smell blood the moment I hit the territory line and I saw many of the warriors as they fought off the pack of wolves and we didn’t waste any time as Axel ran straight for the biggest wolf he saw.

The fighting was brutal and we were outnumbered three to one, many of the Enforcers being out on assignment. The scent of the pack was familiar but it was only when I faced a certain wolf that I realized who they were.

It was the O’Leary pack coming for revenge for killing Jackson. I could smell the familial scent on this wolf so it was most probably his brother and this one was a Beta. He lunged for me quickly and I met him head on knowing that I was stronger than him. We crashed and rolled and I had my paws stuck in his stomach as I pulled down and I smelled fresh blood as his stomach tore open.

Axel didn’t waste any time as he went for the kill and clamped his jaws down on the Beta’s neck. I heard the low growl of another wolf but he was flung to the side as Connor jumped over me and attacked without mercy.

Connor and I fought side by side as we made our way back to the packhouse and I caught Jared’s scent as he roared painfully and I ran towards him. The Alpha was circling him with four other wolves and I could see that Jared was limping and heavily injured, having fought them all at once.

I barreled into the Alpha wolf and he was sent ribs first into the nearest tree as I circled Jared and lunged for the wolf as soon as he got to his feet. He was tough but I was pissed off as Axel’s jaws clamped around his leg and he started shaking his head until I heard the bone snap.

Connor was fighting with Jared and two other jags and I could hear the wolves' painful howls. The Alpha’s leg was broken but he kept getting up and not backing off. I lunged at him again and went in low as I slid on my back and raked my claws along his side when suddenly a wolf bit down on my shoulder.

I shifted my body and twisted it around and bit down on the wolf’s neck, giving the Alpha the chance to jump on top of me, his blood covering me as he bit down on the top part of my neck. I rolled with him on top of me and his grip loosened enough for me to start biting down on flesh.

His cheek gave way and I spat the fur from my mouth as he growled viciously at me, the gaping wound in his face leaking blood everywhere. My paw swiped at his face again and he was knocked down to the ground as I stepped on his throat and looked at him.

In that moment I saw his intentions and I knew that someone had gone after Finley as my claws extended further and I ripped his throat out. The fighting around was over and the Alpha was the last wolf to fall as I shifted back and looked around.

Jared was lying on the ground in his human form and I could see he was bleeding heavily, his hand on his neck as Connor crouched over him.

“Jared,” I said as I reached him.

“You’re the Alpha,” Jared said and closed his eyes as his heart stopped beating.

“No! Jared!” I yelled but I knew that he was gone, the wound in his neck was beyond any of our healing abilities.

“Finley!” I said as my eyes widened and Connor threw a pair of shorts towards me as he raced into the packhouse.

He returned a minute later clutching his phone to his ear as he sat down on the first step and I could see him nodding his head as he spoke to someone. I knew Finley was alive because I could still feel the bond with her and Griffin.

“They’re fine, Archer killed him, they sent only one man,” Connor said as he reached me.

“Kat says they’re on their way,” I said softly as I looked at the carnage around me.

There were dead wolves everywhere and I could see the Enforcers that were still in the clowder as they started sending bodies back to the realm of the dead. I picked Jared up and carried his body to the infirmary morgue.

The only loss we had suffered had been Jared, he had died for his clowder and I felt guilt as it rushed through me. They had come for me and instead of killing me they had killed Jared. I was angry and there was nobody who I could exact revenge on because that entire pack was dead.

“Alpha Damon,” Connor said as I walked out of the morgue an hour later, having washed Jared’s body myself for his ceremony.

“What is it Connor?” I asked him, automatically falling into the role of Alpha yet again.

“The Elders didn’t make it,” he said.

“Why didn’t you say it was good news,” I said as he looked at me warily.

“I’ll inform the workers to prepare for burial ceremonies,” he said and walked away as I nodded.

I headed to the office and found Charlotte waiting outside the door. She looked terrible and I knew that the loss of that bond hurt like hell. She would’ve felt his pain and him dying and I could see her suffering as clear as day.

“Charlotte, I’m so sorry,” I said to her as she started to cry and I held her.

“He didn’t even know,” she said in between her tears.

“Know what?” I asked her.

“I was going to tell him tonight that I’m pregnant,” she said and I felt my heart twist in pain.

“Listen to me, Jared would’ve been over the moon, he would want you to look after yourself and this baby, this is your home Charlotte and Jared would want you to be strong now,” I said to her as she looked at me.

“It hurts so much,” she said and I saw Connor rounding the corner and stopping as he watched us.

“Connor, take her to their room, have Martin give her a sedative,” I said as Connor placed his arm around her shoulder and led her away.

“Alpha Damon,” Axel said and I ignored him. I had too many emotions going through me right now to worry about the Alpha position. Jared was dead and so were the Elders which meant that the clowder would be perceived as weak right now unless I took the seat back.

My office was exactly as I remembered it and I smiled sadly as I realized that Jared hadn’t changed anything in here, never made it his, like he was waiting for me to come back and sit in this chair again. His scent was faint here and I sat down in the chair and cried over his loss.

I caught Finley and Griffin’s scents and I hurried out of the office. Downstairs in the foyer Finley stood with Griffin in her arms hugging Connor and I couldn’t help the growl that escaped me, warning him not to touch what was mine.

“Sorry,” I said as he looked up at me.

“I guess we should talk,” she said looking afraid.

“We should,” I said as Archer took Griffin and she met me halfway on the stairs.

I took her back to the office and we sat down on the couch as she stared straight ahead not looking at me. I knew what I had to do, but I wanted her with me as well. I couldn’t let go of either one, especially not now.

“You’re going to be Alpha again, aren’t you?” she asked me.

“The clowder needs an Alpha,” I said to her.

“You should do what’s right for your people,” she said to me.

“I want you with me, last night was everything I’ve wanted for months. I can’t do this without you,” I said to her.

“I’m human, Damon, nobody’s going to accept me here, just like last time,” she said softly.

“I don’t care that you’re human, you’re mine and those that don’t accept you can leave this clowder,” I said.

“You can’t do that,” she said.

“I love you, Finley, all you have to do is say yes, yes that you’ll marry me and yes that you’ll stay here with me. I can’t lose you ever again,” I said.

My own honesty was scaring me and Axel was quiet in my head but I knew that we both wanted the same thing. Finley and Griffin were part of our soul and we wouldn’t live without them. She kept looking at me, searching with her eyes and she remained quiet for a long time and I could hear my heart beating faster.

“Yes,” she finally whispered as I kissed her with tears rolling down my face, but these were tears of happiness that overshadowed the sadness I was feeling. Jared would’ve been proud of me and I hoped he knew that I finally stopped being an asshole.

We carried Jared’s coffin to the middle of the clearing to the side of the packhouse and I stood looking at the clowder members. Charlotte stood in the front next to Connor who was physically supporting her. Archer, Kat and Finley stood on her other side.

“Today we gather to pay our last respects to Jared Howell, first my Beta and my brother and then your Alpha. Jared was a man with compassion, love for his clowder and always ready to help any member in need. He was a strong Enforcer and fair in all his dealings. We will always remember him as a good leader, a good warrior, a good husband and the best friend I could ever ask for. May his journey into the afterlife be one worthy of his warrior status and may he finally find peace and watch over us,” I said.

The Enforcers all showed their respect by taking a knee in front of his coffin as I closed it and they carried him back to the waiting hearse. The ceremony for the Elders was shorter and it would only be a matter of time before the Council appointed two new ones for us.