Missy's POV
"Missy," he whispered, his voice hoarse. I need to speak with you.
Damion, who had been standing close by, tensed and turned to look at Paul, his jaw hardening. What brings you here?
Paul's eyes darted between the two of us before he moved nearer and spoke quietly. I came not to create problems. I only... I have to clarify.
A careful stride toward him made my heart rush. Though I couldn't help but feel a mix of rage and want that spun inside me, the air between us seemed thick, as though an invisible wall had been erected. After all this time, Paul was here. Why at this time?
"What to explain?" I said, my voice more severe than I meant. You abandoned me. You abandoned us all.
Paul's eyes grew darker, and for a brief time I noticed something in them, maybe regret, but it was soon supplanted by something more sinister. I didn't leave you on purpose. The renegade alpha has been influencing me, manipulating my every action. He wished for me to avoid you, to prevent my return.
I could not grasp his words. "You mean the rogue alpha... controlled you?"
With a firm look, Paul nodded. Indeed. But now... he intends to hit once more. Layla is engaged. This time she has gone too far. I came here looking for your assistance. The renegade alpha is approaching. You are in danger.
His remarks were almost too much for me to handle. Having tried so long to get past him, from the agony of his betrayal, I found him now claiming that all he had done was under someone else's control. The more I considered it, the angrier I got since it seemed like a terrible joke.
Damion moved forward, his voice low and authoritative. You ought to have kept away. You're just aggravating matters.
Paul, however, remained resolute. His eyes found mine once more, and they had some desperation. Missy, you must believe me. The rogue alpha is after you. You have to get ready.
Damion moved closer as I walked the room attempting to understand the turmoil in my head, his palm brushing mine in a basic yet somehow grounding gesture.
Missy Damion spoke softly and firmly in a low voice. Don't let him influence you. You know you cannot return to him. The pack requires you. You are required.
Swallowing hard, I felt the tension between us growing. I am at a loss for thoughts. Damion, I want to believe in you. Still, Paul. He was in my life for such long time.
Damion's jaw clenched, but he stayed put. Always present, his presence was both comforting and perilous. He isn't the guy you recall. He was never. And all of this, what he wants, what he says, is part of the rogue alpha's strategy. Missy, you are more than simply his past. You are intended for more.
I wished to trust him. Though my heart, my foolish, shattered heart, still held onto the memories, I wished to let go of Paul. How could I release someone who had before been all to me?
A low growl broke my reverie; I looked around the room to find Paul staring at Damion, eyes narrowing. Tension crackled in the space separating them.
Paul said, his voice heavy with rage, "I'm not here for this." I arrived to alert her. The rogue alpha is approaching; you are only going to stand there?
With a stern, authoritative tone, Damion moved forward. Paul, you ought to have stayed away. This is no longer your battle.
Though his voice was constant, Damion talked with an edge that suggested his eyes never left mine. The renegade alpha is looking at us. On you, Missy. The sooner you grasp it; the sooner we can stop this before it gets out of control.
The burden of it all pushing down on me made me tighten my fists. I had no idea who to believe. I didn't know whether to trust Paul or whether he was involved in the same web of falsehoods that had ensnared my life for so long.
Paul said, "You have to get ready." The rogue alpha isn't just going to sit back. He's already moving.
Damion moved forward; his eyes sharp. Yes, we'll get ready. We will prepare, sure. Fear won't drive us, though. Missy, we battle on our terms. Not his.
Days had passed since the renegade assault, and my head still hadn't caught up with what had transpired. Every time I shut my eyes, I saw the rogue and felt the strength that had raced through me in the midst of the fight. It was uncontrollable, terrible, and some of me dreaded it. But another part of me, the one that had grown closer to Damion, believed the power was now part of me.
Moonlight poured over us in glittering streams as we stood in the garden. Damion's presence was like gravity, drawing me in and I couldn't help but be attracted to him. There was none.
"Missy," Damion whispered quietly and softly, a long cry from the fierce defender I had witnessed in combat. "The connection between us is more powerful than either of us anticipated."
His remarks made me feel both a peculiar warmth and a wave of uncertainty. Damion, I don't know whether I can manage this. The pack, my abilities, the prophecy. That's excessive.
Tender but certain, his fingers grazed my cheek. "You don't have to do it alone," he whispered, his voice a whisper reverberating inside me. "I am here. We're in this together.
Part of me wished to trust him. Another part wished to withdraw. Not in this manner, I had never been someone to depend on anyone. I had always battled for independence, for control over my own life. But now? I was no longer certain where the lines were.
Looking into Damion's eyes for answers, I found only the same quiet confidence, that draw that made my heart race and my breath catch. What does this imply for us? I said, my voice almost inaudible. The bond actually means what?
Damion's palm softly cradled my face, his thumb running over my skin, and his expression softened. "It indicates we are linked, Missy. In ways you cannot yet grasp. It's not only physical. It's destiny. Fate led us here as well.
His remarks struck me with weight and strength. Still, the dread that ate at me remained unshakable. What if I am unprepared for this? Should I not be prepared for the bond, with everything it implies?
Damion drew me closer, his body heat enveloping me, and his look softened. You will. You don't have to be ready immediately. But the more you fight, the more it will hurt. Believe me.
Damion and I stood together, silently talking about strategy. Outlining the pack's plans, he spoke calmly and methodically. Still, I had the nagging sense that something was lacking, that the components didn't fit as they should.
"Missy," Damion continued, looking at me, "You have to decide." This conflict is not only about us. Its about the future. Regarding the pack's fate.
I agreed, but at the rear of my head uncertainty remained. I doubted whether I was prepared for this. Not as he wished.
What if I lack strength? I said softly, my voice heavy with unshakable concern.
Damion answered without flinching, "You are." Your abilities to influence the pack's destiny led me to believe in you.
But as I gazed at him, I couldn't help but question whether he believed in the concept of me, someone with abilities that may determine the fate of the pack, someone meant to be the mate of seven alpha kings. But what about myself? What about Missy, the girl who had always sought to stay in charge?
The doubt eating at me made me look away. What if I am unable to accomplish it? What if I don't meet their expectations of me?
Damion's hand found my own, warm and grounding. You don't have to be flawless. All you have to do is battle. For us, for the group. And for you.
Footsteps broke our talk and I spun around to saw one of the pack members approaching, a shadowy figure, moving with silent urgency. He halted before us, eyes wide with panic.
"Damion," the person replied, his voice tight, "We have just gotten news. The armies of the rogue alpha are nearer than we believed. He has already acted.
The gravity of the scenario sank me and my heart missed a beat. War was no longer a distant danger; it was here and approaching quickly.
Damion's face grew more serious. He murmured softly, "Get ready." It is beginning.