Chapter 44 The Intervention
~Sage~
My feet had barely touched the ground when Damon's hand found my waist , his palm holding my back with a possessiveness that made my skin crawl beneath my dress. The warmth of his touch was nothing like Keith's. Where Keith's hands set my body on fire with desire and longing, Damon's touch felt like a brand, a reminder of ownership that I had never consented to but was trapped within nonetheless.
"Come, my dear," Damon said, his voice smooth as silk but carrying an undercurrent that made the hair on the back of my neck stand at attention. "We have much to discuss, and I find that late night conversations often yield the most honest results. Something about the darkness makes people more willing to share their truths."
I swallowed hard, my mind racing through all the possible things he could want to discuss with me in private at this time of the night. None of the scenarios I conjured were good. Did he know about Keith and me? Had he seen something through those tinted windows that I hadn't accounted for? Was he going to confront me about the way my scent had probably mingled with his son's after hours of being pressed against each other?
My legs felt like they were made of lead as I took my first step toward the estate entrance. I could feel Keith's eyes on my back, burning into me with an intensity that made me want to turn around and run back to him, to throw myself into his arms and let him protect me from whatever was coming. But I couldn't do that. I couldn't give us away any more than we might have already been given away.
"Actually, Father."
Keith's voice cut through my thoughts, and I felt Damon's hand tense against my back at the interruption. I turned slightly to see Keith climbing out of the car with that lazy, confident grace that seemed to be permanently etched into his DNA.
His hands were shoved deep into his pockets, and his posture was relaxed in a way that seemed almost casual, like he was trying too hard to appear unbothered by the situation unfolding before him.
"I was hoping to discuss something with you as well," Keith continued, strolling toward us with steps that were unhurried despite the tension in the air. "Something that really shouldn't wait until morning, given the sensitive nature of the matter."
Damon's eyes flashed with irritation, his dark eyes narrowing as he watched his son approach. There was something almost territorial about the way he positioned himself slightly in front of me, as if he was marking his claim even in this small, subtle movement that most people wouldn't have noticed.
"Whatever it is can wait, Keith," Damon said, his voice carrying the weight of authority that came from decades of ruling an entire kingdom. "I need to speak with my Luna first. I'm sure you understand that pack matters take precedence over whatever trivial concern has suddenly occurred to you this late at night."
Keith came to a stop a few feet away from us, and I watched as something that looked almost like a challenge despite the easy smile remained plastered on his face. He was playing a dangerous game, stepping between an Alpha King and his property, and I wasn't sure whether to be grateful for the intervention or terrified of what it might cost him.
"I'm afraid this particular matter concerns pack business as well," Keith said, his tone still light but carrying an edge that hadn't been there before. "Territory concerns along the eastern border. Reports of unusual activity that I believe requires your immediate attention. You wouldn't want word to spread that the Alpha King was too preoccupied with domestic matters to address potential threats to his kingdom, would you?"
There was a huge silence for a while. Damon's jaw tightened, and I could practically feel the battle of wills happening between father and son. Neither of them was willing to back down, and I was caught in the middle like a deer frozen between two predators.
"The eastern border has been quiet for months," Damon said slowly, his eyes never leaving Keith's face. "Our patrols would have reported any unusual activity directly to me. Are you suggesting that my men are incompetent, or are you simply making up excuses to delay this conversation?"
Keith didn't flinch at the accusation. Instead, his smile widened slightly, taking on that mischievous quality that I had come to recognize as his default defense mechanism against his father's aggression.
"I would never dream of questioning the competence of your men, Father. I'm merely suggesting that some matters are better discussed between family members before they're brought to the attention of the broader pack. Wouldn't you agree that discretion is sometimes the better part of valor?"
Damon studied Keith for a long moment, his eyes searching for cracks in the facade, looking for the truth beneath the carefully constructed mask of casual indifference.
Then his gaze moved to me, and I had to force myself not to shrink beneath his scrutiny.
"You do look exhausted, my dear," Damon observed, his voice softening into something that was probably meant to sound concerned but came across as vaguely threatening instead. "Maybe Keith is right. Perhaps our conversation can wait until you've had a chance to rest properly. After all, what kind of Alpha King would I be if I deprived my Luna of her beauty sleep?"
Relief flooded through my veins like a drug, but I forced myself to keep my expression neutral, to not let the gratitude show on my face in a way that might make Damon suspicious of why I was so desperate to avoid being alone with him.
"Thank you my king," I managed, my voice coming out steadier than I had expected given the way my heart was still racing in my chest. "That's very considerate of you. It has been a long evening, and I'm afraid I'm not at my best when I'm this tired."
Damon nodded, but his next words wiped the relief from my system as quickly as it had come.
"We will have our conversation tomorrow," he said, and there was no mistaking the command in his tone. "I expect you to be available in the afternoon. Don't make any other plans."
It wasn't a request. It was an order, delivered with the full weight of his authority as Alpha King, and I knew better than to argue with him in this moment when I was so close to escaping.
"Of course," I said, bowing my head slightly in a show of submission. "I'll be available whenever you need me."
Damon's hand lifted from my back, and I had to resist the urge to stumble forward in my haste to put distance between us. Instead, I walked toward the estate entrance with measured steps, my spine straight and my head held high despite the trembling that had taken up residence in my limbs.
At the door, I paused and turned back, allowing myself one final glance at Keith. He was standing with his hands still in his pockets, his posture relaxed. There was a promise in that gaze that he would find a way to make this right, that he wasn't going to let his father corner me without putting up a fight.
Gratitude and worry warred within me as I slipped through the door and disappeared into the safety of the estate, leaving the two men to their confrontation.