Chapter 8 - Damien's POV
1069 Words
Watching Megan sleep in the passenger seat of my truck was both a blessing and a form of exquisite torture. She looked so young, so vulnerable with her defenses down. Dark circles shadowed her eyes, and I could see the weight she'd lost from months of running and surviving on whatever she could find.
She's been through hell, Dorian observed, his earlier aggression replaced by protective concern.
I know. We're going to fix this.
All of it? Even the missing wolf?
That was the million-dollar question. In all my years as an Alpha, I'd never encountered a werewolf who couldn't access their wolf. It shouldn't be possible. Every werewolf was born with their wolf spirit; it was as much a part of them as their heartbeat.
So what had happened to Megan's?
"Alpha?" Max spoke quietly from the back seat. "Can I ask you something?"
"Go ahead."
"Why did you really come looking for her? I mean, I get the mate bond thing, but you didn't know she was your mate when you started tracking her, right?"
It was a fair question. "Something about Samuel's story didn't sit right with me. The way he talked about her... there was no love there. No genuine concern. Just possession and lust."
"So you decided to find her first?"
"I decided to find the truth." I glanced at Megan's sleeping form. "I just didn't expect the truth to be that she was mine."
Max was quiet for a moment. "She's been through a lot. Her mom disappeared about six months ago. Found her one morning just... gone. Megan waited for days before she started moving again."
My hands tightened on the steering wheel. "Her mother is missing?"
"Yeah. Megan thinks she might be dead, but she's not sure. That's part of why she's been so hard to track. She doesn't stay in one place long, doesn't trust anyone."
"But she trusted you."
"Barely. And only because she didn't have much choice." Max paused. "She's going to fight you on this mate thing, you know. She's convinced she's not worth protecting."
"Then I'll have to prove her wrong."
The lights of my pack's main compound came into view as we crested the hill. Moonhaven Pack had been my family's territory for over a century, and seeing the familiar buildings never failed to ease something in my chest. This was home. This was safety.
This was where Megan belonged.
As if sensing the change in our surroundings, she stirred in the passenger seat, blinking slowly as she took in the sight of the pack houses spread out below us.
"This is your territory?" she asked, her voice thick with sleep.
"Home sweet home." I pulled up to the main house—a large, sprawling structure that served as both my residence and pack headquarters. "Are you ready for this?"
She sat up straighter, and I could practically see her walls slamming back into place. "Ready as I'll ever be."
That's my girl, Dorian said approvingly. Strong, even when she's terrified.
I parked the truck and came around to open her door, but she was already climbing out on her own. Independent to the core.
"Damien?"
I turned to see my Beta, Marcus, jogging toward us. He was a good man—loyal, intelligent, and one of the few wolves I trusted completely. But right now, his presence meant questions I wasn't ready to answer.
"Marcus." I nodded to him, then gestured to Megan. "This is Megan. She's my mate."
If Marcus was surprised by the announcement, he hid it well. His training as Beta had taught him to roll with unexpected developments.
"Welcome to Moonhaven," he said to Megan with a warm smile. "I'm Marcus, Damien's second-in-command."
Megan looked between us uncertainly. "Hi."
"Is the guest room in the main house ready?" I asked Marcus.
"Always. But Alpha..." He glanced meaningfully at Megan, then back at me. "We need to talk. There have been some developments."
My blood ran cold. "What kind of developments?"
"Samuel's been making calls. He's claiming you kidn*pped his mate and demanding her immediate return. He's threatening war if you don't comply."
Shit. I felt Megan tense beside me, and I had to fight the urge to pull her against my side.
"Let him threaten," I said calmly. "Megan isn't his mate. She's mine."
"And if he doesn't accept that?"
"Then we'll deal with it." I looked at Megan, who had gone pale at the mention of Samuel's name. "But first, my mate needs food, rest, and safety. Everything else can wait until morning."
Marcus nodded, understanding. "I'll handle the perimeter patrols. And Alpha? Welcome home."
As he walked away, I turned to find Megan staring at me with wide eyes.
"He's going to come for me, isn't he?" she whispered.
"Let him try." The possessive growl in my voice made her shiver. "You're under the protection of Moonhaven Pack now. Samuel would have to go through all of us to get to you."
"But what if—"
"No what ifs." I stepped closer, close enough that she had to tilt her head back to meet my eyes. "You're safe here, Megan. I give you my word as an Alpha."
For a moment, I thought she might actually believe me. Then fear crept back into her expression, and she took a step back.
"I shouldn't have come here," she said. "I'm putting your entire pack at risk."
"You're not going anywhere." The words came out more forcefully than I intended, and she flinched. I softened my tone. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound so... commanding. But Megan, running isn't going to solve this. Samuel will keep hunting you no matter where you go. At least here, you have an entire pack willing to fight for you."
"Why would they fight for me? They don't even know me."
"Because you're their Alpha's mate. Because you're pack now."
The concept seemed to overwhelm her, and I could see her struggling to process it all.
"Come on," I said gently. "Let's get you inside. You need food and rest, and we can figure everything else out tomorrow."
She nodded slowly, and I led her toward the main house, already planning how to keep her safe from whatever storm was coming our way.
Because one thing was certain—I would die before I let Samuel get his hands on my mate.
- Writer
