Damon's POV
The meeting hall was packed. Every seat was taken, every corner filled with faces—some familiar, others not. Men and women stood shoulder to shoulder, their expressions tight, their bodies tense, like they were waiting for something terrible to happen.
Even the young boys had been dragged in, barely old enough to understand why they were here. But I could see it in their eyes—the same fear, the same confusion, and worst of all, the same doubt.
They didn’t trust me. Not completely. And I couldn’t blame them. Not with everything going on.
I stood at the head of the room, scanning the crowd. My people were scared. I could feel it in the air. Hell, I was scared too. Every bone in my body screamed to run, to get away, but I couldn’t. Not now. Not ever.
An Alpha couldn’t affor
