Chapter 10 Chapter 10
ELIJAH’S POV
Damon didn’t bow to anyone.
He simply walked in, his black coat brushing the floor, and his eyes, sweeping across the hall like he owned it.
He hadn’t changed much. His hair was still dark and messy now, his jaw stronger, but the same aura followed him—that quiet kind of power that made people take a step back without realizing it.
No one spoke.
He looked at each elder one by one before his gaze finally landed on me.
“Hello, brother...”
My throat felt dry. “Damon...”
A small smile touched his lips, but it wasn’t genuine. “You've grown so much, Elijah. I'm glad to see you much better than I left you.”
No one moved.
No one breathed.
Elder Matthias cleared his throat, trying to speak first. “Lord Damon, it’s… been a long time. We didn’t expect—”
“I wasn't talking to you...” Damon snapped, cutting him off.
Gasps filled the room.
A few people turned to each other, whispering in shock. The sound of murmurs rippled across the hall like a wave, but no one dared to speak out loud.
Elder Matthias froze, his mouth still half open. The color drained from his face, and he quickly looked away, his jaw tightening in silent embarrassment.
If it had been anyone else who spoke to a council member like that, they would have been dragged out immediately and banished without a second thought.
But this was Damon...
The dangerous Hybrid no one dared to challenge.
So the elders stayed silent.
All of them.
Even Matthias forced a weak smile and nodded, pretending nothing had happened, while the whole room watched in silence.
And Damon… just stood there, calm, and unbothered—like a king walking among those too afraid to question him.
He suddenly stepped forward slowly, his boots echoing against the floor as he walked. “I heard you wrote crowned the Alpha of this Pack last night. Congratulations, brother.”
His eyes didn’t leave mine.
“Thank you...” I replied quietly.
He tilted his head slightly. “Tell me, Elijah. Does the Elder Council know that I am the one who's supposed to be the Alpha of this pack, and not you?”
Elder Matthias frowned. “Damon, this isn’t—”
“I’m speaking to my brother!” Damon snapped sharply, his eyes turning red and vicious.
Elder Matthias decided to act brave and take a step forward, his voice still shaking slightly. “Damon, enough. You cannot undo what is done. Elijah was crowned as the Alpha last night before the entire pack. The Moon Goddess has accepted him already.”
“I don't care about the Moon Goddess!” Damon shot back, almost amused. His voice echoed through the hall like thunder. “No one cares about that bitch anymore!”
The entire room froze.
Gasps filled the air. Every elder, every guard, every wolf in the hall stared at him in disbelief. Some even bowed their heads immediately, as if afraid lightning would strike them where they stood.
The Moon Goddess was the mother of all wolves, the one who gave them their powers, their mates, and their bond. Her name was never taken in vain. Every wolf was taught from birth to worship her, because she was the heart of their faith.
And yet Damon had insulted her name like it meant nothing. Everyone’s mouth hung open, but no one dared to challenge him. If it had been anyone else who uttered such words, they would have been executed before sunrise for such blasphemy.
But this was Damon—the Hybrid who was powerful and no longer feared the Goddess, the Elders, or anyone else in that hall.
He stood there, defiant, a faint smirk tugging at his lips, as if he enjoyed watching them tremble.
Damon’s eyes slowly returned to me. “Tell me, Elijah,” he said quietly. “Do you truly believe you’re the rightful Alpha?”
My heart pounded hard in my chest.
Every eye in the room turned toward me, expecting my answer. They were expecting me to challenge my own brother and I wanted to speak. I wanted to say something confident, something that would make me look like a leader.
But the words stuck in my throat.
Damon smiled again, then laughed out loudly, further embarrassing me. “That’s what I thought, brother!”
He started walking toward me.
His steps were slow, but they filled the hall with sound. Every thud echoed like a heartbeat. The guards near the door tightened their grip on their weapons, but Damon kept walking until he was standing right in front of me.
His eyes met mine, dark and unreadable. He was taller than I remembered, broader too, and he carried an energy that didn’t belong to this world.
I swallowed hard and decided to stand up to him. “You left, Damon. You abandoned the pack. You can’t just walk back in and—”
“And what?” he asked, stepping closer. “Remind you what a real Alpha looks like?”
His voice was calm, but there was danger in every word.
“Stop!” Elder Matthias ordered. “This is not the place—”
Damon ignored him completely. He took one more step toward me until there was almost no space between us. I could feel his breath against my ear.
“I didn’t come here for your crown,” he whispered softly. “Not yet…”
My body went still.
My heart skipped a beat. His words… they weren’t about the pack or the throne. They were about someone.
He was here for someone else.
My mind screamed one name—Anna, but I didn't want to believe it. I didn't want to believe he had found out about her yet.
“Then what do you want?” I managed to ask.
He smiled—a slow, cold smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “You already know.”
He leaned closer, his voice dropping to a whisper only I could hear. “She was crying last night while I comforted her...” he said.
My heartbeat increased.
“Who?”
His smile deepened, though his eyes were full of something dark. “Anna...”
The world stopped moving.
My chest tightened. My fingers went cold. Every sound in the room faded—the crackling fire, the nervous breaths, the shuffling feet—all gone.
“How… how do you know Anna’s alive?” I whispered, lowering my voice so no one around us could hear.
He leaned even closer, his lips almost brushing my ear. “You should’ve killed her when you had the chance, brother. Because now…”
He paused, his voice turning low and dangerous as he whispered.
“…I have to kill her.”
My heart skipped a beat.
The room felt like it tilted under me. Damon stepped back slowly, his smile never fading as he stared at me.
He suddenly turned away, his coat brushing the floor as he walked toward the doors. The guards looked at me again, waiting for orders, but I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t move.
The doors opened on their own, creaking loudly in the silence. And just before he stepped out, Damon glanced over his shoulder. “I’ll see you soon, brother!”
Then he was gone.
It suddenly felt like I was going to collapse because of what he had just told me. If he had truly seen Anna last night—if he even knew where she was—
She was in deep trouble.
My heart beat faster, as the realization dawned on me that Damon wasn’t just back for my crown.
He was hunting Anna.
And I had no idea how to stop him.