Missy's POV
"You must be the one we've all been waiting for," Xavier murmured, his voice smooth and ready to slide past my defenses if I wasn't cautious.
Lucas was the next person to step forward before I could answer. When I initially saw him, I had already sensed the spark between us. Powerful, muscular, his presence nearly overwhelming. His look was like a physical touch that made my heart accelerate.
Lucas, speaking softly and with sharpness, stated, "Waiting may not be the appropriate term." His tone made it obvious that he still didn't completely trust me. But there was more, a glimmer of attention, of calculation.
The last to come forward was Sebastian, a quiet observer from the sidelines. He was remarkably attractive; his dark eyes were clouded by something unknown. His voice was soft, quiet when he eventually spoke. He just remarked, "We all have our roles to play."
Every one of them was strong in a manner I could not even begin to grasp. They were not simply guys; they were forces, storms capable of destroying everything in their way.
I sensed the draw among us all. But it was not only attraction. There was something deeper, something connected to the very essence of who I was supposed to be. Every one of them gazed at me and I questioned whether I was really prepared for the duty they were about to put on my back. The burden of their gaze, their hopes, appeared to push on my chest and so hinder my breathing.
Damion moved closer, his hand grazing mine for a second, a contact that made me shudder. Leaning up close, his voice was gentle, just a whisper. "They're judging you, Missy. Not only for who you are today but also for who you are supposed to be.
I could not get rid of the impression of being drawn in a thousand different ways. The link between myself and the alphas, particularly Damion, was clear-cut. Still, it was disturbing. Every second spent with them magnified the odd attraction that appeared to pull me in. I couldn't overlook. I didn't know whether I wanted to.
Damion was different from the others, more at ease, more like the leader he was meant to be. But with me, there was an edge to him, as if he were always waiting for something. I noticed it in the way his eyes softened to meet mine, the spark of something deep under that tough front.
Though I had only been with them for a few days, my world already seemed to be changing under me and it was too quick to keep up.
Damion took me later that night, after the others had gone, to a calm area of the property away from the commotion. At the forest's edge, we stood under the moon's silver illumination over all.
You sense it, right? Low and personal, Damion's voice cut through the quiet as though he knew the words would fall through my opposition.
I agreed, unable to refute it. I experienced it. The draw. The wish to believe him, to embrace this reality he was presenting. But there was also a fear. A dread of losing myself, of turning into something I could not govern.
"I don't know whether I can accomplish this," I said, my voice quivering a little. "I'm not like you."
Damion came closer; his presence was strong but not suffocating. His hand grazed my arm, sending a spark of energy through me. You don't have to be like me. You don't have to be like me. But you have to believe I'll be here, every step of the way.
My heart was pounding as I stepped back. His touch didn't bother me; rather, it was the way I couldn't seem to get rid of the impression I was losing control of my own ideas. That I was allowing the prophecy, this link to him, control all.
"What if it's all just... the prophecy?" I said, my voice hardly a whisper. "What if I'm not really in control of any of this and it's just fate pulling me in?"
Damion's eyes grew darker and his jaw clenched. Believe me, Missy. This is not only about destiny. This is about you, who you were supposed to be. No prophecy can alter that.
The alphas showed their strength the next day in ways that really amazed me. They were more than just guys. Every one of them commanded respect not by force but by presence alone. It was not only their physical power; it was their movement, their speech, and the pack's reaction to them.
Lucas's presence was sufficient to make the pack members listen as he took charge of a conflict among them. While Xavier operated methodically, a tactician in every way, Sebastian appeared to see everything before it happened with his serene certainty.
Though I felt tiny in their company, more than that I felt powerless. Here were these rulers, these men, ruling the world around them with only their will; I was only... me. A girl trapped between a prophecy I didn't seek.
Damion saw my uncertainty. Missy, you have to witness this. You have to know why you is here.
Standing next to Damion, I scanned the shadows creeping across the ground and my breath seized in my throat. An innate alert I couldn't ignore, the hairs on the back of my neck sprang on end.
What is it? Though I could already sense the response in the pit of my stomach, my voice was almost a whisper as I inquired.
Damion's gaze turned to me, sharp and watchful. "Remain nearby."
The first growl from the woods rang out before I could answer. Low, wild, and sending a shudder all over my body. This time, a louder roar. A scoundrel. The pack's territory was being assaulted.
Paws thumping against the ground grew louder and closer until the rogue emerged from the trees, a huge, menacing creature with inhuman hunger in its eyes. The creature was too quick; I hardly had time to respond before it lunged for Damion.
Adrenaline pumping through me, I stepped forward without hesitation. Damion! I shouted, but the fighting drowned out my voice.
I saw the rogue's teeth bared, its claws flashing. Damion tried to stop the rogue, but it was already on him, its power equal to his. In that split second, something within me broke; my body raced with energy, far more than I had ever experienced before.
Heat poured from me in a rush, vibrating across the air like a shockwave. The rogue flinched, but the strength inside me surged wildly. I was clueless about my actions. All I knew was that the rogue was endangering the group. Instinctively, my hands reached out and the rogue's body flew backward, slamming into the trees with a nauseating thud.
Breathless and with my heart racing in my chest, I stood there. The power crackling all around me, the electricity in the air I could sense. It was my whole body, my being, not only my head. I had accomplished this. But how? What had I only let loose?
Eyes wide with a combination of wonder and worry, Damion fell to his feet. "Missy, no," he said under his breath as he approached me. You have no idea what you have done.
But the power within me blazed once more, uncontrollable, before I could answer. The ground under my feet split; the air was thick with the power I couldn't control. With a loud bang, a nearby window broke, sending glass cascading down all around us.
I gasped, my hands shaking. What had I done?
Damion was instantly beside me, gripping my shoulders to stabilize me. Though his hold was strong, I could read the concern in his eyes. He shouted frantically, "You have to calm down," though his voice was quiet and menacing.
Closing my eyes, I attempted to control the turmoil within. "I... I didn't mean to," I said quietly, my heart racing.
"I know," he answered gently but firmly. You will, however, have to learn to manage it. Otherwise, it will run your life.
The pack assembled, but no one addressed me directly. I could sense their gazes on me, some fearful, some inquisitive, some calculating. They were unsure of me; of the strength I had only just released.
Damion and I sat in a room; the others stood around the perimeter. Unease permeated the atmosphere. In my whole life, I had never felt more out of place. I wished to flee, to vanish, to leave this realm of turmoil and power. But I was unable to. I was now a part of it.
"Missy," Damion started, his voice soft yet strong, "what you accomplished today, what you're capable of, it's not something you can just throw away. The pack has to know what you are and what you are capable of. You also have to know how to manage it.
My heart sank as I gazed at him. "This is not what I want. This strength was not anything I sought. None of it was requested by me.
Damion came closer, his voice softening and his gaze softening. I understand. You have it now, though. Not employing it has repercussions as well. Control will control you if you don't learn it; the pack will suffer.
I swallowed hard, the gravity of his words sinking in. I could sense the dread, the doubt, gathering in my belly. What if I couldn't manage it? What if I harmed someone I loved?
Damion went on, "We'll assist you." We will coach you, direct you. You need not go through this by yourself.