Chapter 282: Chapter 282 Still Adamant on Getting a Mate
"It’s for you," I said, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "Eat."
Her hands trembled as she reached out, picking up the spoon like it was going to break.
She took a small bite of stew, then another, faster this time. Her eyes fluttered shut for a second as if she hadn’t tasted real food in years.
"You’ll choke if you keep eating like that," I muttered, pushing a cup of water toward her. "Slow down."
She reminded me of Lydia, Caroline, and myself, they had taken care of me and made sure I didn’t choke on my food.
She swallowed hard, nodding. "Sorry."
"You don’t have to apologize for eating," I said, leaning back slightly.
’I need to know where they are buried, I must pay them my respect.’
......
(Damon’s POV)
The council room was suffocating. I sat at the head of the oak table, the weight of a dozen accusing eyes fixed on me. Their stares burned into my skin like claws.
Alaric lounged lazily at my right, his chair tilted back as if none of this concerned him. But his green eyes flickered with restrained violence. Theo, on my left, was less patient, his fists already clenched against the table.
Elder Dominic’s voice rang through the space. "And what might be coming?"
I turned to Alaric to speak. He and Theo had informed me about the message they brought from the Queen of the witches, although they didn’t have the chance to tell what it was.
Alaric sat upright. "After our fight in the Witches’ Realm, we encountered the Queen. She asked us to bring a message to Alpha Damon."
"And what could this message be? Why did you even give her a listening ear, you could have slit her throat and wiped out the core of the witches." One of the Elders with a bald head grunted.
Alaric pressed his lips into a thin line, he inhaled sharply before continuing. "She wants to be an ally..."
"What? Impetuous!"
"This is the biggest insult, she wants us to be allies... with them, distasteful witches!" Another elder let out a growl.
"Let’s hear him out," I said with a tired sigh.
The room quietened, and Alaric continued. "Alpha Lucas is working together with a corrupted witch, the Bone Witch. She had been helping Alpha Licad recruiting rogues, and the sudden appearance of rogues in our territory was the handiwork of the witches." Alaric paused studying their expression.
When there was no objection, he continued. "The Queen of the Witches is sick, and if she dies, the Corrupted witches might take over Witches’ Realm, making them stronger... if that happens I’m afraid Alpha Lucas would have a strong backup and we might have a hard time winning this time."
Silence stretched across the room like a thin layer of ice.
The Elder’s brows furrowed in worry. "What must we do, Alpha Damon?" Dominic asked.
"This is not something we can rush to say yes to or decline," I said, though every part of my body told me to decline the offer. I didn’t want to work any witches.
"If you had mated with Alpha Allison we wouldn’t have been in this situation where we are forced to join forces with our foe." Elder Ronald spat out.
Elder Dominic cleared his throat. "Alpha Damon, we might still be able to turn everything around... why don’t we find you a Luna?" His eyes widened slightly as he leaned forward over the table.
The room went still after Dominic’s words. My fingers tapped once against the table before curling into a fist.
A Luna. Of course, they would bring that up now.
Theo shifted in his seat, his jaw tight. "This isn’t the time to be throwing mates at him," he muttered, his voice low but sharp.
"It is exactly the time," Elder Ronald snapped. "An Alpha without a mate is weak and distracted. If Damon had mated with Allison when he had the chance, the Bloodshade pack would be untouchable right now."
Alaric’s chair creaked as he leaned forward, his green eyes darkening. "Or maybe he’d just be shackled to a woman he doesn’t love. That’s not strength, Ronald, that’s desperation."
The elder’s face flushed red, his hand slamming down on the table. "You’ve been gone too long, Alaric. You don’t understand the pressure this pack is under."
I raised a hand, and the room went quiet. My voice was calm, but it carried through the room like a blade sliding from a sheath. "Enough."
Their eyes all snapped back to me. I let the silence stretch before I spoke again. "You think a Luna would solve this? That putting a crown on someone’s head will erase the rogues, the defected witches, Alpha Lucas? It won’t."
Theo’s fists relaxed slightly, but his gaze flickered toward me. "Then what will?"
My jaw tightened. "Not rushing into a decision we’ll regret, and not throwing ourselves at the enemies without understanding what’s moving behind the curtain."
The elders shifted uneasily. Even Dominic’s steady expression cracked for a moment. "You’re saying the witches aren’t the only threat?" he asked.
"Did you all forget about the war from a century ago?" I asked with irritation in my voice. "We were attacked by witches, vampires, and demons. If my guess is right, the same thing will happen again... only this time, our kind will be against us."
"We need to stop the battle before it happens," Theo said, pushing his glasses back.
"Before we were afraid that I was the only Lycan, but fortunately Theo has been able to awaken his blood, becoming a Lycan too. I believe we have a better chance now." I said, staring at Theo with pride.
The Elders nodded their heads.
"However, you still need a mate." Elder Dominic said, his voice dripping with seriousness. "I have made a list of eligible Shewolf with Alphas’ blood, not only would they be able to carry your pup, their bloodline is strong enough to strengthen your powers." He ended with a proud smile.