Chapter 281: Chapter 281 They are still the Same
I made my way to the kitchen, I took a turn and froze when voices drifted toward me, muffled at first, then sharper as I drew closer.
"...where have you been all this time, Alpha?" an older voice demanded, heavy with accusation.
I stilled, my breath caught in my throat. The voices were coming from the council room, the door just barely ajar. Slowly, I stepped closer, the air thick with tension.
Another elder’s voice followed, stern and harsh. "You left us without a word, Alpha. We felt the bond break... and we thought you were dead. Do you know what that did to this pack? To your people?"
Silence followed for a moment, then I heard Damon’s voice, cold as always. "I know what you felt, I know the fear you lived with but I did what I had to do."
My brows furrowed. His tone was edged like steel, but underneath it... Regret lingered.
The first elder’s voice rose again, trembling with both anger and something close to desperation. "And you return now, only to bring her with you? A Fae, Damon? After everything they cost us? After all the blood spilled? And why does she look like your pet Ember? Is... she Ember?"
My heart tightened. I pressed myself closer to the wall, listening.
"She is not Ember, and she is not just a Fae," Damon said, his voice low, but the growl that rumbled beneath it carried through the walls. "She is my master."
Murmurs broke out immediately, voices overlapping in outrage, shock, and disapproval.
"Your master?" someone spat. "Are you saying you bow to her now?"
"She is dangerous."
"Have you forgotten what her kind did to us?"
Their words slammed into me, one after the other, and my chest felt heavy, tight.
Then Damon’s voice cut through, sharp as a blade. "I owe her my life. And more than that, she saved all of yours today." His voice grew louder, his presence crackling even through the door.
"When the witches’ spell took hold of you, did any of you fight it off? No. It was her. It was her light, her power that saved you. It was her barrier that kept this castle standing while the rogues tried to tear it down."
A thick and suffocating silence followed.
Finally, one of the elders muttered, "That may be true... but at what cost? What does she want from us in return? No one gives freely, Alpha, you of all people should know that."
My nails dug into my palms. Their words stung even though I had expected nothing less. They looked at me and saw only a threat, never the truth.
Damon’s voice came again, lower now, carrying the weight of command. "She asks for nothing. And if she did, she has already earned the right to ask. You will treat her with the same respect you give me... This is not a request."
The murmurs rose again, more heated this time. "You’re placing the pack in danger."
"She is a Fae, Alpha. Fae brings nothing but ruin..."
"Will you gamble all our lives on one woman?"
The scraping of a chair against the floor echoed through the room, followed by Damon’s growl, guttural and raw. "Do not test me."
The room went silent.
I exhaled softly, my hand pressed against the cold wall. I could picture him in there, his shoulders squared, his black eyes cutting through each of them, daring them to speak against him again. Yet beneath his authority, I knew what lingered... his pain, his brokenness, the burden he carried alone.
"Then answer us this, Alpha," Elder Dominic’s voice rang out after a pause, firmer but less hostile than the others. "Why now? Why return after leaving us in the dark for so long? Why bring her here, of all people?"
For a long moment, Damon didn’t speak. The silence stretched so long that I almost thought he wouldn’t. Then he said, quietly but clearly, "Because without her, none of us would have survived today. And without her, none of us will survive what’s coming."
A chill rippled down my spine. What did he mean by what was coming?
The elders muttered again, but their voices were subdued this time, almost cautious. They didn’t know what to say to that.
My chest rose and fell quickly, my thoughts hazed. I stepped back from the door before I was tempted to push it open. If they saw me listening, it would only fuel their hatred.
It did the last time.
I turned, my feet carrying me quickly down the hall, but Damon’s words still echoed in my head. Without her, none of us will survive what’s coming.
Crystal’s timid voice pulled me back when I returned to the room. She was sitting on the edge of the bed now, the dress still hanging loose on her small frame. Her damp hair dripped down her shoulders, and her hands twisted nervously in her lap.
"You were gone for a while..." she murmured, glancing up at me with uncertainty, her gaze settled on my hands.
I followed up her trail, staring at my own hands. ’What is she staring at?’
It was then, it occurred to me the reason I went out the first time. Not only was I unable to bring the food but I also got new mysteries that I must solve.
I blinked, pulling myself out of my thoughts. "Right... food."
Almost on cue, a soft knock came at the door and it creaked open. A maid slipped inside, her eyes darting nervously between me and Crystal as she balanced a tray full of steaming bowls. She set it on the low table near the bed and bowed quickly.
"The Alpha asked us to prepare this for you," she murmured, almost tripping over her own words.
I gave a curt nod. "Thank you. You can leave now."
She ducked her head and scurried out of the room, the door clicking shut behind her.
Crystal’s eyes flickered to the tray, then back to me, hesitating. She looked like she wasn’t sure she was allowed to touch it.