Chapter Thirty Six
Chapter Thirty Six
Damien
in the following hours after father died, tension slowly bubbled to the surface. The cumbersome weight of our father's expectations pressed upon us, mingling with our desires for power. Instead of uniting, discord crept into our interactions, and our shared grief transformed into resentment.
As the eldest, I struggled to maintain the delicate balance, but the rift between us deepened with each passing day. The grudge morphed into something more sinister as threats and accusations were hurled across the pack's territory.
It was at that point I realized we were straying far from our father's teachings, falling into a self-destructive pattern that could spell disaster for our pack. We had lost sight of his final plea, overshadowed by our greed and ambitions.
Threats were carelessly thrown around, and tempers flared as we began to argue about our suitability for the role. The grudge between us grew, and it seemed as if our father's final wish for unity was a distant memory.
But it was during a heated argument, where the air crackled with tension and brother against brother, that I paused and remembered our father's words. I realized that this path of division would only lead to our downfall, jeopardizing the very pack we had sworn to protect.
"We should hold a contest," Leo spoke, his voice carrying a hint of authority.
"Let each of us prove ourselves and let the pack decide."
But I frowned in disapproval. "No, Leo. Our father wanted us to work together. He believed in our unity. we would do it his way,"
"Who are you to decide for us? do you think because you're the eldest now, you have the right to be the alpha?" he asked. "Ah. I see, you want to use that to goad us into obediently following your words?"
"We can make decisions ourselves, right Lucas?" he said turning to face him. I hoped Lucas might be more sensible than Leo right now.
"You're right, Leo, let's do this the manly way," he said and I was disappointed, then they both walked away. Our father wasn't even 6 ft yet but we already turned against each other. Hell, he wasn't even cold yet. I was very disappointed but what could I do? I don't have Father here to talk them out of this, not like they would listen seeing how they couldn't even obey his last wishes.
Their words gnawed at my conscience, heightening my feelings of doubt and failure. How could we fulfill our father's dying wish when we couldn't even agree amongst ourselves? The weight of our desires for power threatened to tear us apart.
As the hours passed, the tension among us grew unbearable. Each attempt to resolve our differences descended into bitter arguments and resentment. The once inseparable triplets found themselves drifting apart, consumed by the darkness that clouded our hearts.
That night, unable to bear the weight any longer, I found myself wandering into the depths of the forest. The moon's pale glow filtered through the dense foliage, casting eerie shadows upon the forest floor.
I needed the freedom of running in the wind to clear my head, as I ran through the woods, the feel of the wind on my furs comforted my soul and I felt myself pushing forward and faster wanting more. it was the most relaxed I had been since my father died this morning.
After running for a while, I was exhausted and I decided to stop at a nearby stream to drink water. after drinking from the stream, I morphed back and sat down resting my back against a tree.
"Father, why did you have to leave us now, when we needed you the most?" I whispered into the night, my voice trembling with anger and pain.
I suddenly turned around when I heard the sound of leaves rustling behind.
"Who is that?" I said immediately I heard the sound.
I waited a little for a response but I resorted to overthinking when I didn't hear any reply from anyone. I tried to sniff around for who it could be but I didn't smell any so I just discarded it as me being stressed out from the occurrence of the day.
I kept thinking of my father all through the night till I fell asleep, patiently waiting for the event of the next day.
When I woke up, it was to the howls of wolves that rang in the woods and I was reminded of my father's death again. I got up from the forest floor and started to make my way back to the pack house. An alpha mustn't neglect his duties, there are still works that need to be done, and too many files that need to be revised.
I entered the cold and empty pack house, the house that once always bubbled with people coming in and out was now desolate.
I needed to see my father first, I got to his room and I just sat down there looking at him. At the crack of dawn, I rose from my chair.
"Father, I won't disappoint you," I said. "But there are things that are necessary to be done, I hope you can forgive me," I said then I bowed to him before walking out of the room to my study. I can't let the pack be dissolved in the hands of my incompetent brothers who only knew how to indulge in the pleasures of wines and ladies, the Pack can only thrive in my hands.
For the next few days, I picked myself up in the office reviewing files, not sleeping and not eating and I didn't see anyone else. I only knew it had been three days because of the rise and fall of the sun and Kyle who had been coming to convince me to come out and eat and today was no exception.
Kyle knocked on the door and started to rant again. As he raised his hand to knock again, I opened the door and his hand was left hanging.
"You're too noisy," I said then went back to sit on my desk while looking out the window at the woods. I longed for another release like the other night but I know it was a once kind of thing, there probably won't be another one in a long time.
"I'm sorry for your loss, Alpha," he said then bowed.
"It's okay," I waved him off.
"That's good," he said then his voice changed. "Is that why you locked yourself in for two days," he came to me, his voice stern yet his expression worrying like a mother hen.
"It's fine, I'd be fine," I said trying to make him not worry.
"Oh, yes, I have an urgent matter to report," he said.
"What urgent matter?" I asked turning to face him. I saw that his face was a little stern so I sighed and then went back to my chair to sit.
"Alpha Leo requested an Autopsy result of the late Alpha sir,"
"Autopsy?"
"what for?"
"I have a feeling he didn't believe the late Alpha to have died naturally," Although the doctor told me that, I didn't fully believe it, Deep inside me, I had that feeling too but then, I discarded it almost immediately I had it. and I had told him not to inform my brother's about him so I believe he couldn't have told them. Which means.
He must have figured it out himself.
"Why does he think so? although I have some suspicions, I didn't think anyone could have the power to bypass the security in my father's room," I said and he nodded.
"He only had these suspicions himself, I didn't tell him anything and I was sure the doctor didn't tell him too," he said.
On hearing this, I demanded to see Leo Immediately.
"tell him I want to see him together with Lucas in the inner chamber," I said. he turned to leave and I stopped him. "Get me a list of all the slaves that have been on kitchen duties and also the guards in charge of my father's bedroom for the past year," he nodded and then he left.
"My Instincts were right but I chose not to listen,"
I went almost immediately to the inner chamber to meet with Leo and Lucas. when I got to the door, they were discussing so I stopped at the door to hear what they had in mind.
"I strongly believe Father's health was getting better the morning before he died. when I saw him, he was even sitting up on the bed himself without any rest," Lucas said trying to express his view on the matter.
"yes, I can confirm that,"
"Do you think Damien killed him?" Leo asked and my face darkened, "How could he have such thoughts?" I thought.
"Who knows? he would do anything to be alpha," Lucas said and they stopped talking, then I entered the room.
"Why do I have the strong feeling that you were discussing me behind my back?" I asked and they blanched.
"What did you hear?" Lucas asked.