CHAPTER FORTY ONE

Damian's POV.

Leaving Anya's room was a sort of defense mechanism, as I shut the door behind me as I had left last, turning towards my brother Daemon, the low look in his eyes said it all, the energetic one was the one with the lowest spirit the moment we needed him the most.

"What do we do now?" I asked him, hoping he would perform a miracle at this point, he turned towards me, struggling with his hopelessness stuck in his eyes.

"I don't know what to do." He said, his voice almost a whisper I thought he wanted to cry, he just turned towards me, "I don't know." He echoed, "We should wait and see how tomorrow would be, one step at a time." He whispered and turned away, leaving me to my thoughts. I strolled back to my room, dumping myself to it's bed, the softness, awfully gone, left with what felt like quicksand, attempting to swallow me at every point I turned to, my mind preoccupied from the information it had received.

The night uneventful as I had little sleep from my restlessness, hadn't washed my face enough when the occasion knocks came to the door, I walk to the door, swinging it open.

"Guards." I muttered on seeing them, just exactly as I had expected.

"You've been summoned to the common ground." One of the guards explained their visit.

"The common room?" I asked, surprised about it as the common ground was only used when the whole pack was having a party or a meeting.

"Yes, Master Damian." The guard answered.

"I'll be there in a bit." I answered, turning back into m room, the guards nodded and walked away, leaving me to my devices, I dress as quickly as possible, walking towards to common ground when I meet up with Daemon being escorted with the same guard as before that had escorted him to the previous council meeting.

"Hey brother." He waved, a smile on his face.

"Why do you have an escort?" I asked him, a little intrigued by the turn of events.

"Even I don't have the answer to that." He said with a shrug of the shoulders, still grinning from ear to ear, "If anyone would have asked me, I would have said you'd be the one with the escorts, seen the way you had been manhandling the guards some time back, I should be the one they should be giving leverage." He continued, still smiling.

"Doesn't matter now, We are at the common ground, let's get in there and see what those old men have decided to open from their little Pandora box." I said as I open the door to an influx of clan members, the light from the open sky hitting me in my face as those already present turn to look at those coming in late, hundred pairs of eyes literally turning to see who had come in, Daemon waltz right in, his dazzling smile radiating seductively as some females in the common ground were already turning pink just from noticing him turn in their direction.

"Why don't we give them what they want?" He said as he moved past the crowd almost effortlessly, gliding to the front, much to the distaste of the councilman he had had an altercation with, a grimace on his face, his stomach rumbling from him breathing. I follow Daemon until we get to where we were meant to be, the meeting starting with the accusations flying out, the first elder standing up.

"The purpose of this meeting is to clear any rumuor that has been a cause of unrest in the pack." He started off, his eyes scanning the crowd in front of him, "This has been concerning our Luna, Lady Anya, and certain news of she killing our beloved alpha." He said the word killing slightly lower to show his doubt over the matter, "Please, step before the people to see you for themselves." He continued, I watched as she stepped down from her seat, her body stiffened as she walked to the front, the eyes of everyone on her, crowd already angered from the rumors.

"Kill her, kill her." Some cries had already began to rise in crescendo from one side of the area

"Enough!" The first elder called out, his voice booming across the ground, I stood out before the crowd standing before them, Daemon following behind.

"Take her out of here." I whispered to Daemon, he nodded taking Anya by her hand and walking away from the common room, the crowd upturned, began to howl, someone from the crowd jumped at Daemon, he shape shifted his hand to claws, striking savagely at the incoming foe, he tumbled to the ground bleeding, his cries joining with the noise of the chaos, while he held on to his bleeding neck, he would survive to live another but he would be the scapegoat to serve as a warning to the other as they opened a pathway for Daemon and Anya to leave. I waited until they left the common ground before I addressed the crowd.

"Why did you let her leave?" The big bellied councilman spoke, his stomach a weight to him as it bubbled with the way he stood, the noise of the crowd, almost overshadowing it.

"If they would want to listen." I answered. The first elder howled, the howl high pitched it put everyone down as every in the common room lowered their head in respect, the howl awe-inspiring I found myself lowering my head, only my will kept it up, the other elders powerful enough kept their heads up, the weaker ones already on their knees by the time he was done, I put my hands in my ears for a while to clear the piercing sound before I spoke.

"We all know this are rumors and there have been no evidence to support this." I spoke, my eyes first on the people in the common ground, then to the big bellied councilman, "And since there's none, there's is nothing to be done against her until the evidence are brought in." I continued.

"You son of...." He was almost done cursing when the first leader called out.

"Elias!" His voice, loud with indignation.

"Oh, Elias, that's his name." I held the name to myself, watching his eyes stare into my soul like he would love to rip me apart at that moment.

"If she is innocent, she retains her position, and until she is found guilty, she is free to continue in her role as the Luna of the clan." The first elder said, I nodded, "On that, we all agree?" He motioned to the crowd, Murmurs began to spread across with a disgruntled Yes moving from the council members to the crowd present.

"And I can leave now?" I asked him, he nodded his head, I walked towards the door as he addressed them.

"If anyone of you have evidence, bring it forward, until then, she is free to do as she please, until the evidence are brought, see you again." He said as he strode from the podium, the other councilmen following after him, I waited at the door until they all passed out, before I passed through the door, the murmurs of the crowd, wheezing into my ears as they also came after me, when my eyes caught Susanne, she stood against the flow of the crowd, her eyes fiery as she stared at me.

"Is she behind this?" I asked myself as I walked away, her stare the only give away I could take.