Missy's POV
"I say we strike now, while we still have the element of surprise," Xavier's voice was sharp, measured, as he leaned against the wall, his arms folded across his chest.
Are you crazy? Lucas retorted, moving forward, his eyes blazing with fervor. "We don't even know where the rogue alpha is hiding. You wish to rush into the unknown?
Damion's presence appeared to calm the room, but even he was fighting for control. Frustration clear on his face, he rubbed his palm across his jaw. A plan is required. A genuine one, not hasty choices. We wait until the appropriate time.
The guys, however, were not paying attention. They were too preoccupied with their own anxieties and egos. I could sense it; this was more than simply strategy. It was about something more profound: a break in the confidence that had before linked them together.
My voice was firm yet harsh as I moved ahead. "That's plenty."
All eyes were on me, and I could feel a wave of heat rising in my chest. My voice getting louder with each syllable, I said, "You can argue all night, but it won't change anything." "We must be one. Otherwise, the renegade alpha will tear us apart.
The room fell silent as my words covered them like a blanket. Damion gazed at me, his eyes unreadable, yet a subtle acceptance traveled between us. I was no longer simply the alphas' mate. I belonged to this. I belonged here, whether they wanted to acknowledge it or not.
Damion eventually remarked, his voice piercing the stillness. "We have to concentrate." We have to pay attention; we shouldn't battle but rather hear one another.
I had hoped that stepping up would unite the alphas and alter things. But over time, their uncertainty's burden surrounded me like an unshakable shadow.
Gathered around a darkly lit table, we were talking about the next steps. But the tension between us felt like a live wire, ready to break instead of cooperating. I could see the doubt, the skepticism in their eyes.
You truly believe she is prepared for this? Though his comments were for the group, Mason's voice was low and his gaze darted toward me. She cannot even manage her abilities. How can we expect her to guide us?
His remarks struck me like a slap. I felt the pain of their mistrust and wanted to fight, to scream at him, but I stayed silent.
Damion remarked, his voice frigid yet measured, "I've been with her, Mason." She is more than able. She is stronger than most of us know.
Mason, however, was not the only one. The rest were likewise reluctant. I could sense their uncertainty, which was dragging me down like an anchor.
"Trust isn't just given, Damion," Xavier said tersely. Trust is something you earn. We don't know her. Not as we know one another. She is not one of us. Not yet.
Hearing them made my heart sink. This has nothing to do with my becoming a friend to them. It was about something more profound, their worry that I wasn't what they required me to be. They lacked confidence in me. They weren't prepared to allow me inside.
Turning away, I walked toward the window and gazed out into the dark forest. The renegade alpha was still out there, still plotting his next move, but I couldn't think about that just now. Not with the strain between us, the uncertainty of whether I even fit here.
Then I heard it: Damion's low, agitated voice talking with the others in the shadows. "I won't let her fail," he continued, his tone stern, protective. "She's, my property. And I will do all necessary to protect her.
I immersed myself into the job, attempting to stay occupied and prove myself. But no matter how much effort I put into it, I felt like an outsider in my own pack. They lacked faith in me. Perhaps they were correct not to. I didn't believe in myself either.
Still, I could not allow that to stop me. I had to close the gap, show them and myself that I fit here. Fear could not govern me. Once more not.
"Missy," Damion shouted from across the camp. I looked up and he signaled for me to come.
Not knowing what to expect, I stepped approached him with my heart racing. But when I reached him, he smiled, a rare, genuine smile that made something inside me settle.
"I've been watching you," he whispered softly, his hand brushing against mine. You are succeeding. You're earning their respect."
Damion's eyes were hard as he stared across the room at the others, each of them poised for a response. The men had been quiet for a while, each lost in their own thoughts, unwilling to speak until they were sure of their position. I could feel their eyes occasionally dart toward me, the weight of my presence a silent reminder that I was now as much a part of their future as they were of mine.
"We need to negotiate," Xavier finally spoke, breaking the silence. A clear leader in this time, his speech was quiet yet harsh. Striking first puts us at danger of losing everything. A deal might help us to prevent further violence.
Mason, always the skeptic, laughed. Negotiate? With someone such as him? The rogue alpha seeks power rather than a calm accord. He will never be satisfied with anything less than complete dominion.
Damion, alongside me, moved forward with his mouth set. "The alternative is war. If we go to battle, we risk everything, lives, the pack's future. We need to be strategic, think beyond the present conflict."
I glanced between the alphas, my stomach tightening. They were all right in their own way, and yet none of them could see the wider picture. The rogue wasn't only after territory or supremacy. He had a deeper objective, and the more I thought about it, the more I knew I was the key to his strategy.
"The rogue alpha's forces are not our only problem," I spoke up, my voice firm but laced with uneasiness. "What if this isn't about territory? What if he's after something... more?"
Damion's eyes were piercing as he looked to me. "What do you mean?"
"The prophecy," I said quietly, my sudden awareness of its gravity increasing. "The rogue alpha wants not merely the pack. He wants me.
A strange stillness enveloped the room as the reality of my remarks sank like a stone in the bottom of my stomach. The rogue wasn't seeking pack power by itself; he was targeting me. The pieces were coming together, and the truth of it was smothering.
Tight with need, Damion's voice shattered the stillness. "Missy, what does he want from you?"
"I don't know," I responded softly. Still, I know he won't give up till he has it. We must be ready for everything.
Damion and I had left the group; as the tension between us, the discussion grew quieter. Since the discovery regarding the renegade alpha's genuine goals, we had not talked much. The air was thick with unspoken words between us hanging heavy.
"You're quiet," Damion remarked, his voice low as he turned to face me, his eyes filled with unreadable emotion.
My breath caught as I glanced up at him. Now he had a calm intensity, a fire that had never been there before. He was the alpha, the guardian, but in this moment, he felt... remote. My voice barely above a whisper, I admitted, "I don't know what to say." I feel as though two were pulling me apart. Everything's changing: my past, my future.
Damion moved closer, his hand lightly touching me. He said gently, "You don't have to do this alone." Missy, I'm here. We'll work this out jointly.
His words should have been reassuring, but they just intensified the struggle within me. Undeniable, my relationship with him was stronger than I had ever thought. Yet it also scared me. The power that bound us, the prophecy that said my future, it all seemed excessive.
"I don't know whether I can bear this load," I said, my heart pounding and my eyes brimming with tears. "The pack, the prophesy, you. What if I lack the strength to bear it all?
Damion's hand located my chin and softly raised my face to meet his gaze. Though his eyes relaxed, his touch had a raw intensity. Missy, you are stronger than you think. The pack, the prophecy... this is our battle now. But you are not alone yourself in it.
Though my heart hurt, his words were like a salve to my spirit. No comfort could readily remove the distance between us, the distance I experienced within myself. The truth of what was ahead was too much, even as I wanted to trust him and believe our link could survive this.
My voice quivering with doubt, I continued, "I don't know whether I can let go of who I was." What if I become lost in this?
Damion's look softened as he inched closer, his breath warm on my skin. You will not lose yourself. Not as long as I'm here. "I'll fight with you."