Chapter 1 : The Alpha's Decision
The sun had long dipped beneath the horizon, casting the Moonshade Pack's territory in hues of silver and shadow. In the grand hall of the Alpha’s home, Damon sat at the head of the long wooden table, his steely gray eyes fixed on the flickering fire. The crackling flames seemed to echo the tension in the room, the heat of the discussion only growing.
His parents, Alpha Gerald and Luna Maris, stood nearby. Gerald’s broad shoulders were tense, and Maris’s usually gentle face was etched with determination.
“We’re not asking, Damon. We’re telling you,” Gerald said, his voice firm and unyielding. “The pack needs stability. An heir. You’ve delayed long enough.”
Damon’s gaze remained locked on the fire. His voice was low, cold. “And so you’ve decided to meddle in my life?”
“This isn’t just about you,” Maris interjected, her tone softer but no less resolute. “The pack’s survival depends on its leader. Without a mate, without children, you jeopardize everything.”
His jaw tightened as he leaned back in his chair, his muscular frame radiating restrained fury. “I have no interest in love, nor in being shackled to someone for appearances.”
“It’s not about love,” Gerald snapped, his temper flaring. “It’s about duty. You’re the Alpha, and your duty is to the pack.”
The weight of those words hung heavy in the air. For a moment, silence fell, broken only by the crackle of the fire. Then Maris spoke again, her voice quieter but no less determined. “We’ve chosen someone, Damon. Lila.”
At the mention of her name, Damon’s lips curled into a sneer. “Lila?” he repeated, his voice dripping with disdain.
“She’s a strong, kind woman,” Maris continued, ignoring his tone. “Devoted to the pack. She’s loved you for years.”
“She can love all she wants,” Damon said, his voice as sharp as a blade. “I don’t.”
Gerald stepped forward, his imposing figure shadowed by the firelight. “She knows what’s expected. She’s agreed to this union willingly. The ceremony will take place in two weeks.”
The words struck Damon like a physical blow. He rose abruptly, the chair scraping loudly against the stone floor. His towering frame loomed over his parents, his fury palpable. “You think you can force me into this?”
“No,” Maris said softly, meeting her son’s cold stare. Her voice wavered slightly, but her resolve remained strong. “But the pack can’t wait forever, Damon. This is the only way.”
Without another word, Damon turned and strode out of the hall, the weight of their decision pressing heavily on his shoulders.
Outside, the crisp night air bit at his skin, but Damon didn’t feel the chill. Without hesitation, he shifted into his wolf form, his massive black fur blending seamlessly with the darkness. Running was his only solace. In his wolf form, he could escape the suffocating expectations and the bitterness that clung to him like a second skin.
The forest enveloped him as he sped through the underbrush, his powerful legs propelling him forward. Trees blurred past him, the wind whipping against his face. But even the forest, his sanctuary, seemed to mock him with its stillness. The words of his parents echoed relentlessly in his mind. The pack needs stability. An heir.
And then there was her name , Lila.
He remembered her faintly, a quiet figure on the fringes of his youth. She had always been there, a watchful presence that he had never paid much attention to. But now, memories surfaced unbidden, half-formed and fleeting. A soft laugh, a pair of bright, hopeful eyes, and the way she had once looked at him with unwavering admiration.
He growled low in his throat, shaking the thoughts from his mind. This union wasn’t about her; it was about control. His parents sought to tether him to a future he didn’t want, to a woman he didn’t love.
Pausing at the edge of a cliff, Damon stared out at the moonlit valley below. The forest stretched endlessly before him, a sea of shadows and silver. The air was heavy with a strange energy, as if the land itself was holding its breath.
He let out a snarl of frustration, his claws digging into the earth beneath him. If his parents thought they could control him, they were wrong. He was the Alpha, and he would make his own choices.
And yet, despite his anger, the image of Lila lingered in his mind. Her quiet strength, her unyielding loyalty to the pack, and the softness in her eyes when she looked at him.
Why her? Why now?
He closed his eyes, trying to banish the thought. She wasn’t his mate. That much he knew. But something about her presence unsettled him in ways he couldn’t explain.
Back in the grand hall, Maris watched her son’s retreating figure with a heavy heart. Gerald placed a hand on her shoulder, his expression a mix of frustration and concern.
“He’ll come around,” Gerald said gruffly. “He has to.”
Maris sighed, her fingers fidgeting with the edge of her shawl. “I just hope we haven’t pushed him too far.”
“He’s stubborn, yes,” Gerald admitted, his voice softening. “But he’s also smart. He knows what’s at stake.”
Maris nodded, though doubt lingered in her eyes. “I hope you’re right.”
Damon remained on the cliff’s edge for what felt like hours, the weight of his thoughts pressing down on him. Finally, he shifted back into his human form, the night air cool against his bare skin.
He couldn’t deny that his parents had a point. The pack needed an heir, and the threat of rogue attacks was growing. But was this truly the answer? To bind himself to someone he didn’t love, to a life he didn’t want?
His thoughts drifted back to Lila. Would she truly agree to such an arrangement, knowing how little he cared for her? He remembered the way she had watched him as a child, her gaze filled with hope and admiration. What did she think now, after all these years?
A bitter smile twisted his lips. It didn’t matter. He wouldn’t let anyone, not his parents or Lila, dictate his future.
As the first rays of dawn began to pierce the horizon, Damon turned away from the cliff and began the long walk back to the pack. He had decisions to make, and no matter what, he would face them on his own terms.