Chapter 126 Mental fight
Chapter 126: Mental fight
Damon pov
The loud shout burst out of me before I could even think about it. It was loud and strong and carried all my power as an Alpha.
The kind of shout that makes wolves stop whatever they are doing and pay attention.
Even Milo paused his action, his bright eyes narrowed down on me.
Everyone's attention focused on me.
All the people in the seats. All my commanders and elders are sitting in their special boxes. The guards, and the warriors… Everyone.
And just like I had feared, series of gasps and shocked murmurs rang out from the crowd.
I looked down at my hands and understood the reason for their reaction. I was still in my half beast mode, in place of my fingers where sharp long claws, my whole body were covered with Black fur, that made me look like a gorilla. Even when I tried to talk, I could feel my canines pressing into my gums. My eyes were probably glowing golden like they always do when my wolf comes out.
I was stuck halfway between shifts, a man wolf, and judging from their scared expressions, it was not a pretty sight to look at.
But I didn't care.
I didn't care about the rules anymore. I didn't care about exposing my weakness. Didn't care about anything except stopping Milo from doing something, he would surely regret.
I jumped over the wall around the fighting ring, which was really high, but my wolf-strength made it easy, and landed in the sand with a thud. Then I started walking gently and cautiously towards the beautiful fire wolf that was Milo.
“Our milo” Dax growled impatiently, wanting me to hasten up. But I know better than to charge at him.
The big fire wolf turned his head to look at me. I could see the warming in those purple eyes, that were so bright they almost hurt to look at. They stared right into mine, as if warning me not to come closer.
But I didn’t listen.
Selene's unmoving body was still hanging from his claws. Was she even alive? I couldn't tell.
"Milo," I said, keeping my voice soft and gentle. "Let her go, please."
But Milo didn't move, nor drop Selene. He just kept staring at me with those glowing eyes that were filled with rage, almost feral.
What happened to you?
My heart twisted painfully. I had to reach him. Had to bring him back from wherever his mind had gone.
I tried something special. I tried to talk to Milo using the mind link. It's the way wolves talk to each other inside their heads when they shift to their wolves. It's called a mind link, like having a telephone in your brain that only works with other wolves.
I have never had the opportunity to do it with him, since he never had a wolf… but seeing this now, I had to try my luck.
“Milo? Can you hear me? It's me, Damon.”
At first, nothing happened. It was like knocking on a door and nobody answering.
Then I felt something. Like a little crack that opened a tiny bit. Immediately Milo's torrents of jumbled thoughts filled with war, anger, confusion, rage etc, slammed inside my head like a hammer.
I groaned in pain, tasting metallic crimson in my mouth. The mental blast that was Milo's wild emotions that was spinning like a tornado had taken me unawares, causing an internal injury, but I didn’t stop.
I had to get to him.
Milo, I thought-talked again, trying to sound as calm and safe as possible. “You need to let her go and come back to me. Please, come back”
The fire wolf's purple eyes flickered. I could see the confusion in its big eyes. The wolf let out a low growl of irritation in response.
It was working! He could hear me!
And I could also feel he wanted to talk to me, to reach out, but then it didn't know how.
I took another small step forward, ignoring the shadow guards that were creeping slowly behind Milo's back. "That's it, Milo. You can hear me, can't you? I'm here now. I'm sorry I wasn't here before. But I'm here now, and I'm not leaving you, just let her go."
For just a second, Milo's grip on Selene loosened. Just a tiny bit.
Hope bloomed in my chest like a flower opening up.
But then…
The fire wolf's eyes suddenly blazed brighter than ever. Its lips curled back, showing fangs as long as my fingers. A growl rumbled from deep in his chest, so loud I could feel it vibrating in my bones.
“Don't listen to him,” a voice hissed.
I froze.
Wait! That wasn't Milo's voice. And it wasn't coming from outside…
It was coming from the mind link… like someone else was inside his head.
"He left you” the dark voice continued, its voice sounding so smooth and sweet like honey. I cringed inwardly,
The voice felt wrong, so wrong and twisted like a thing that could only come from the deepest part of hell.
“He abandoned you when you needed him most. Where was he when you were fighting? Where was he when you were bleeding and scared?"
The aura that had calmed a little exploded again in response to the evil voice.
"No!" I said out loud and in my head at the same time. "Milo, please don't listen to that voice! That's not the truth!"
"Isn't it?" the voice laughed, cold and mean. "He was hiding in the forest watching you suffer. He doesn't care about you. It's because of his sister he came out. He never came out for you. You are just his pet. His plaything."
Milo's claw moved, dangerously close to piercing Selene’s neck…
"That's a LIE!" I shouted, taking another step closer. My heart was pounding so hard in my chest. "Milo, listen to me! I…do care about you! I was scared…scared of hurting you. I thought I was being strong by staying away, but I was wrong. I was so, so wrong!"
The fire wolf tilted his massive head, those purple eyes studying me. I could feel the war happening inside him… part of him wanting to believe me, while another part of him wanted to listen to that evil voice.
"He's lying," the voice whispered again, wrapping around Milo's thoughts like a snake.
"No!" I was almost at the verge of crying now, I had totally forgotten that I was still surrounded by people. "Milo, please! I came back because I felt you were in trouble! I ran through the whole forest as fast as I could because I was terrified something bad would happen to you! …because you're you! Because… you… you matter to me!"
the last words came out like a whisper. I took another step forward, I was only about ten feet away from him. I was getting so close.
"Remember when I told you that you're stronger than you think?" I said softly, closing the distance. "Remember when I put my hand on your shoulder and promised I would protect you? I meant it, Milo. I meant every word. And I am keeping that promise right now."
The fire wolf's grip on Selene loosened a little more. She slipped down a few inches.
I was close now. So close I could feel the heat radiating off his fire-colored fur. It was like standing next to a bonfire.
"Please," I whispered, looking right into those glowing eyes. "Come back to me."
For a heartbeat, I thought I had won. Milo's eyes cleared just a little. His grip on Selene loosened even more.
"KILL HER!" the evil voice suddenly screamed inside the mind-link so loud it made me flinch. "Kill them ALL! Show them what happens when they hurt you! Make them PAY!"
"Milo, NO!" I screamed, "You don't want to do this! If you kill her, you'll never forgive yourself! The darkness wants you to do something you can't take back!"
"HE WILL CHAIN YOU! CAGE YOU! MAKE YOU HIS SLAVE.”
“MILO NOO!!” I lurched forward with all my strength.
Milo moved at the same time. A deep growl tearing out of his throat.
His huge paw swiped at me faster than I could blink…
I barely jumped back in time, but an unimaginable pain exploded on my chest. The world turned black and white for a sec, as a violent force ravaged inside my body. I crashed through the opposite sturdy wall like a meteor, right next to where Selene had been embedded a few minutes ago.
“ALPHA!!” someone shouted.