Chapter Nine: The Alpha's Choice
The night was heavier after the warning of the rogue, the silence between Ava and Damien extended to eternity. Ava could feel that they were standing upon a brink, one from which something fragile and insidious was just getting a head start.
Damien paced the small cabin, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. He was that way now, like he had been for the better part of the last hour, having barely uttered a word with eyes clouded by the weight of the rogue's words. Ava was rooted to her seat on the couch, following his movements with her eyes.
She had never seen him like this before. The confident alpha she had come to know seemed distant now, weighed down by something she couldn't quite grasp. She hated seeing him like this, but there was nothing she could do to help. Not unless he let her in.
"I don't understand," she said softly, breaking the silence. "Why would they target us? Why come here-why now?
Damien paused, his back still to her, as if the words themselves were too heavy to speak. Long, tense moments later, he finally turned, his eyes meeting hers. "Because of you."
Ava's heart skipped a beat. "Me? What do you mean?
Damien let out a deep breath, his eyes searching hers with a mixture of frustration and sorrow. "I should have seen it coming. The moment I marked you as mine, it set things in motion. The pack—our enemies—they know you're important to me. And that makes you a target.
Ava swallowed hard as her throat suddenly went dry. The weight of his words hit her like a ton of bricks. She had always known that being with Damien would come with risks, but until now, she hadn't really grasped the depth of it.
"You're the alpha," she said, her voice trembling slightly. "You don't have to let them control you. You don't have to let them hurt me.
Damien stepped closer, his face inches from hers. His eyes softened, but there was a hardness in his voice that she hadn't heard before. "You don't understand. They won't just hurt you. They'll tear everything apart to get to me, to take control. I'm not just an alpha. I'm a symbol, Ava. And if they can take me down, they'll destroy everything I've built."
Ava's chest constricted as his words registered. She had always known that Damien's position was dangerous, but hearing him speak about the consequences-about the far-reaching impact of his role-made everything feel so much more real.
"What happens if they succeed?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Damien's gaze darkened. "If they succeed, the pack will fall into chaos. Our enemies will take over, and there will be nothing left for us. We'll be scattered, broken. And you'll be left in the middle of it all."
Ava's heart clenched. She had never wanted to be the cause of so much destruction. She was just a human, caught up in a world she never asked to be part of. But her connection to Damien was undeniable, and it seemed like that connection alone had the power to change everything.
I don't want to be the reason you lose everything," she said quietly, her voice filled with the quiet resolve of steel tempered in a furnace.
Damien's eyes softened, but there was such sadness there, too. "You're not the reason, Ava," he said. "You are the reason I'm still fighting. But it isn't about us anymore, it's about the pack and the people depending on me. It's about everything going with me if I fail.
The air between them crackled with unspoken emotions, with the weight of decisions neither of them wanted to make. Ava could see the burden in Damien's eyes-the burden of responsibility, of leadership. He wasn't just an alpha in name; he was a protector, a leader who cared deeply for his pack. And that loyalty ran so deep it was impossible to separate from him.
But as much as he cared for his pack, he cared for her too. And Ava knew, deep down, that the stakes were higher now. She couldn't just sit back and let Damien carry the weight of the world on his shoulders.
"I don't know what to do, Damien," she admitted, her voice shaking. "I don't know how to help you fight this."
The lines in Damien's face softened, his fingers feathering against her cheek. "You've already helped, Ava. Just by being here. But I can't let them use you against me. You have to be safe. I just can't afford to lose you.
Ava stared into his eyes, seeing the vulnerability that lay hidden beneath the walls he'd built up. She had never seen him like this before. The weight of the world was bearing down on him, but in that moment, all she could think about was how much she wanted to share that weight. She didn't want to be the person he had to protect at all costs. She wanted to stand beside him-whatever came next.
I'm not going anywhere," she said, her voice firm, even while her heart raced. "I won't leave you to face this by yourself. We do this together, Damien. Whatever happens, we'll do it together.
His eyes softened, and for a moment, it was as if time had stopped. She saw the flicker of something-relief, maybe, or hope-before his features hardened once more. The alpha inside him had returned, the protector who couldn't afford weakness.
All right," he said quietly. "We do this-together. But you've got to trust me, Ava-you got to trust that things will get worse much, much worse before it starts to get better."
Ava nodded, her chin firm. "I do trust you, Damien. Above everything.
There was a long, quiet moment between them before Damien turned away, his posture shifting back into that of the alpha, the leader who could no longer afford to show weakness. He moved toward the window, his eyes scanning the tree line, ever vigilant, always watching for the next threat.
Ava stood behind him, her heart heavy with the knowledge that the danger was drawing near. But she wasn't afraid. Not anymore. She was not going to let her life be ruled by fear. Not when Damien was by her side.
"Get some rest," Damien said without turning around. "Tomorrow, we prepare. We need to be ready for whatever comes next."
Ava nodded, but before she could turn away, Damien's voice stopped her.
And Ava… I mean it. Stick close to me. Don't trust anyone else."
Ava's heart raced at the words, weighing down heavy on her. Though she wanted to disagree, she knew he was right. Their enemies were closing in, and they needed to be smarter, stronger, and better prepared than ever.
The world outside was quieter than it had been in days, but Ava knew better than to believe in the silence.
Something was coming. And it was going to change everything.