Chapter 43

Chapter 43
Elara’s POV

Damian didn’t let go of my hand until we were back inside the packhouse. He closed the door with more force than necessary, the slam echoing through the hall. My ears rang in the silence that followed.

“They hate me,” I whispered before I could stop myself.

His head snapped toward me. “They don’t hate you. They’re scared.”

“That’s the same thing.” My voice cracked. I pulled my hand free and paced across the room, pressing my palms against my thighs to stop them from shaking. “You heard them. You saw their faces. Half of them think I’m a weapon waiting to explode.”

Damian stepped closer, his shoulders stiff, his jaw tight. “Then they’re fools.”

“Fools or not, they’re your pack,” I shot back. “You’re supposed to lead them, not fight against them.”

He flinched, like my words landed deeper than I meant them to. For a moment, I regretted saying it, but the anger bubbling inside me didn’t stop. I sank onto the couch, burying my face in my hands.

Jason’s terrified eyes still burned in my mind. The way his body jerked under my palms before he calmed. The relief on his face when he could finally breathe. The gratitude. But then the whispers had come, louder than his thanks. Dangerous. Unstable. Untrustworthy.

“Why did you make me do it in front of them?” I asked, lifting my head. “Why couldn’t it have been private?”

Damian crouched in front of me, his hands braced on his knees. His amber eyes locked on mine, steady and sharp. “Because they needed to see what you can do. They needed proof you aren’t a threat.”

“They didn’t see proof,” I said bitterly. “They saw something they don’t understand. And people always fear what they don’t understand.”

His lips pressed into a hard line. For a moment he didn’t answer, and the silence between us grew heavy.

Finally, he leaned closer. “I don’t care what they think. You’re mine to protect. My pack will learn that or they’ll answer to me.”

The word mine sent a rush of heat to my face, but also a twist of guilt in my stomach. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to belong to anyone, even him. Not after everything with Kael.

I shifted back, breaking our eye contact. “That’s not enough, Damian. You can’t protect me from everyone forever. If they don’t trust me, if they don’t accept me, this pack will split in half.”

His fists clenched on his knees. “Then we’ll deal with it before it happens.”

I stared at him, searching for something softer under the Alpha steel. But all I found was determination, sharp and cold.

“You don’t get it,” I said quietly. “I don’t want them to follow me out of fear of you. I want them to see me as more than a mistake who can’t shift. I want them to see me as part of this pack.”

The words came out harsher than I expected, raw and trembling. My throat tightened, and I hated how close I was to crying again.

Damian’s expression softened, just a little. He reached for my hand again, slower this time, like he was giving me a choice. I let him take it. His grip was firm, grounding.

“Then we’ll make them see it,” he said. “Not by hiding you. Not by locking you away. By proving them wrong, one step at a time.”

I swallowed hard, nodding even though I wasn’t sure I believed it.

Before either of us could say more, a sharp knock rattled the door. Damian growled low in his chest, annoyed at the interruption. He stood and opened it to find Marcus standing there, arms crossed.

“The council wants answers,” Marcus said flatly. His eyes flicked to me and back to Damian. “They’re not going to wait much longer.”

Damian’s shoulders squared. “Then they’ll get answers.”

Marcus raised a brow. “Be careful, Alpha. You stand with her, you stand against half the pack.”

My stomach twisted. Damian didn’t even hesitate. “Then so be it.”

Marcus’s mouth tightened, but he gave a curt nod and walked away.

Damian closed the door again, slower this time. He turned back to me, his expression unreadable.

“Are you ready?” he asked.

I forced myself to breathe, to push the fear back down. I thought of Jason’s grateful eyes, of Lucas’s last breath, of all the wolves Kael had tried to break. My hands were still trembling, but I nodded.

“Yes,” I said. “I’m ready.”

The truth was, I didn’t know if I was. But if I didn’t prove myself now, I never would.