/- Darius -/
I never wanted to believe she was alive, when the scouts came back and told me my senses had not failed me, I wanted to doubt and call it just a hunch instead of my alpha senses.
"Don't die on me Alpha Desmond, stay with me.... please I don't think I'm ready to lead the pack"
"Dee, you're ready, I know it......you just need to let the moon be one with your soul" Alpha Desmond's voice came through the scattered sound of coughing.
"Alpha…...no, Dad.....I need you here with me" I said, trying as hard as I could to hold back my tears.
"The poison has spread through and no matter how I try, I'm not healing, I'm about to join my Luna" Alpha Desmond said, as he grabbed my hands into his beckoning on me to get down to his face.
I could hear his cold breath against my skin, as I leaned with my hand resting softly against his chest I could feel his heartbeat slowly fade away with every beat softer than the last. I was lost in the moment and at that time what he said wasn't really fixed on my mind but it was etched somewhere in my memory.
In the next seconds that passed the room and the whole surrounding echoed my roar, a bone-chilling symphony of rage and dominance. The deep, rumbling growl reverberated off the trees, sending shivers down the spines of all who heard it. The sheer force of my roar seemed to shake the very ground beneath the feet of all those present, a testament to my newly found unmatched power and ferocity.
"Don't let your family name go down the drain, be a true Desmond. You know what to do"
Those words kept ringing in my head as I lay on the bare grass numb, my hands were in the air but I could barely feel them. The night air was thick with the scent of blood and the echoes of battle still echoed in my mind. I laid alone in the clearing, the adrenaline of the fight slowly dissipating, leaving behind a bone-deep weariness.
I tried to place my fingers on what my father really meant when he said that to me, what he could have actually meant. The Hybrid Dianne killed him and my mother, I have to avenge their death and restore the glory of the Desmonds.
Lost in thought, I barely noticed my fellow pack members approaching until they were upon me, their concerned faces breaking through the haze of my thoughts.
"Alpha Darius," one of them spoke, their voice mixed with pain and concern, "Are you alright?"
Looking at them, offering them a weary smile, I said "I'll be fine"
I assured them, though the weight of exhaustion hung on to every word. "I Just need a moment to collect myself." I added getting up with the help of one of my pack members.
"Were there any major casualties?" I asked as I leaped forward, slowly healing myself.
"We suffered enough damage Darius…..." My beta, Ragnar said just before he was cut short by one of the pack members.
"And twelve of us f*cking died because of your selfish intent of wanting to kill someone for an offense you're not even f*cking sure she committed" he snarled amidst tears.
"That's no way to talk to the Alpha!!" Ragnar said as he almost jumped at him before I stopped him.
*So f*cking what? Yeah go on…..kill me too then, I lost my friend and two of my brothers tonight, several one of us lost someone tonight, our pack members" he said as he broke down and went on his knees.
"I am fully aware of our losses tonight, there were brave wolves who followed my call" I said as I climbed to the top of a nearby rock to address the rest of the pack.
"Their death wouldn't be in vain, we might have been defeated tonight, but next time would be different"
"I promise to work on myself, I will not ask any of you to die for me but if you feel the glory of the Desmonds should be restored then follow me"
"That being said, we need to head home now"
I said as I started walking alone avoiding eye contact with anyone....."I don't think I am fit to lead them father, help me" I muttered under my breath as I walked away.
/-Lewis-/
The clink of glasses and murmurs of conversation filled the upscale bar as my friend Austin and I settled into our usual spot. Despite the late hour, the place was buzzing with energy, a testament to the relentless pace of the metropolis that never slept.
As we sipped our drinks and moved into the familiar line of business, the weight of the world seemed to momentarily fade away. Yet, beneath the joy of success and ambition, there lingered a pressing ache, a yearning for something more.
And so, in that moment when we were tipsy, I found myself confiding in Austin about the woman who had captured my heart. "Her name is Dianne," I began, the words tumbling out in a rush of emotion.
"Sorry, Lewis what now, are you that high?" Austin asked as I caught him by surprise.
"I knew from the moment I met her that she was the one." I added as I took a sip of the Martel we were having.
Austin's brow moved in concern, I could feel his gaze piercing through the dimly lit atmosphere of the bar.
"Lewis, are you sure about this?" he asked, his voice laced with caution. "She seems...dangerous, suspicious even. I've heard things about her from workers at her company and most of them are not good things brother."
"Well, you know workers always have something nasty to say about their bosses but I don't f*cking care bro, a billionaire, a female CEO and a goddamn sexy looking ambitious lady, that's all I see man" I replied to clear his uneasiness.
But Austin remained unconvinced, his skepticism casting a shadow over my newfound happiness.
"I'm just saying, Lewis, be careful," he cautioned, his gaze unwavering. "There's something about her, a darkness that I can't shake. Trust me, I've seen it before."
"She's just a lovely boss…...plus we've had something intimate before she went off the grid" I replied
"Holy smokes, hold on so you're telling me you've f*cked Dianne?" He blurted out, almost spilling the drink in his mouth.
"And I'm just getting to know of this bro?" He added menacingly
"Yeah bro, I'm sorry, it was a one night fling after the MVP gala night for Under-Forty CEOs and since then we just went normal, although I felt something every time I met her after that day" I said as I stared blankly into the ceiling.
"What the f*ck? That's crazy man, oh now you hiding things from me huh?" He said jabbing me playfully.
"Not like I didn't want to tell you but somehow it seems like that part of my memory only came back after I met her recently, almost as of I was brainwashed before she came back" I said laughing loudly.
"Must be the booze from that night" he added as we both laughed heartily.
"Stay jiggy man, these ladies would be ladies regardless and they can switch up anytime" he added as he emptied the remnant of his drink.
I drained the last remnants of my drink, the taste bitter on my tongue.
"I appreciate your concern, Austin," I murmured, the weight of his words settling like lead in my chest.
"But I have to follow my heart. And right now, my heart belongs to Dianne."
"Do you, loverboy" he said as he adjusted to fit in comfortably in his seat.
As the night wore on and the conversation shifted back to safer topics, I couldn't shake the lingering doubt that lingered in the back of my mind. Was Dianne truly the woman of my dreams, or was she a harbinger of something darker, something I dared not confront?
Only time would tell, but for now, I pushed aside my doubts and embraced the intox
icating allure of love, knowing full well that the path ahead would be fraught with uncertainty.