Damien's POV
There was a lot of silence on the way back to Raven Claw. The SUV hummed along the road, but the quiet between Zendaya and me was a tangible thing, pressing down on both of us. I refused to look at her, instead keeping my eyes fixed on the road ahead. The tension between us was almost suffocating, and yet, neither of us seemed willing to speak.
This wasn't how I thought this would go. What had started as an alliance, a business arrangement to solidify my position, and in return protecting Craven's pack, but it turned into something else entirely. Zendaya was my second-chance mate. The Moon Goddess, in her mysterious wisdom or cruel games, had decided to bind me to her, even after the loss of my first mate. I hadn't thought about another mate since her death. Hell, I hadn't even wanted to. But now… now I had this connection to Zendaya, and it was confusing.
My wolf stirred restlessly in my chest, a low growl vibrating through me. This bond—this raw, unclaimed bond—was a constant reminder that fate had intervened, and I didn't get to decide. It didn't matter that I hadn't sought out another mate; the Moon Goddess had chosen for me. And that felt like a betrayal in itself. What did she expect from me? How was I supposed to embrace a connection with a woman I barely knew?
My grip on the steering wheel tightened, the leather creaking under my force. I could feel her presence beside me, her eyes no doubt fixed on the road ahead as well, but I couldn't bring myself to acknowledge her. Not yet. Not when everything inside me was still at war.
Suddenly, I couldn't hold it in anymore. "Say what's on your mind," I demanded, my voice sharper than I intended. The words hung in the air, thick with frustration.
Zendaya didn't flinch. She kept her gaze forward, but her eyes flicked to me for a moment, her expression unreadable. Then she spoke, her voice cold.
"Alpha, what do you want me to say?" Her tone was calm, but there was something underneath it—something bitter. "That you chose me just as much as I chose you?"
I bit back the urge to respond sharply. My wolf snarled, and I could feel his frustration mirror my own. At least she wasn't being weak. Her resistance was something I understood, but it didn't make the situation any less complicated.
"I don't care what you asked for," I said, my voice grating with tension. "This link is real. Drop the attitude."
"The attitude?" she echoed, her voice rising, a crack breaking through the calm mask she'd been wearing. I glanced over at her, surprised by the fire in her eyes. "You don't realize how much I've already lost because of this link. Alpha Damien, please pardon me if I don't give a damn about how you feel."
Her words struck a deeper chord than I wanted to admit, but I didn't show it. I clenched my jaw, allowing the silence to return between us. She turned her gaze out the window, and I kept my eyes firmly on the road, the tension between us heavy.
After an hour, the landscape began to change. The trees gave way to broad grasslands, and the weather had grown colder, clouds hanging heavy in the sky. It should have been peaceful, but the silence was unnerving.
Enzo's voice came through the mind link, steady but cautious. "So far, everything appears clear, Alpha."
"Good," I responded, keeping my tone neutral. "Stay alert."
My wolf was uneasy, his instincts flaring as we moved deeper into the unfamiliar territory. Something didn't feel right. The air was too still, the roads too quiet. My grip on the wheel tightened, the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end.
Then, Zendaya spoke, her voice low but clear. "Do you feel that?"
I glanced at her, startled by the sharpness in her tone. It wasn't fear I heard; it was instinct, pure and focused. She wasn't just the Alpha's daughter—she was a wolf who knew how to sense danger.
I nodded slightly, my hand drifting to the blade strapped to my side. Enzo slowed the convoy ahead, flashing his brake lights. I tapped the horn, signaling him to report. His voice crackled through the mind link again, his words clipped.
"Alpha, there's something in the path ahead. Looks like fallen trees."
"Is it natural?" I asked, my mind already calculating the possibilities.
"Doesn't look like it," Enzo replied. "They've been cut."
I slammed the brakes, bringing our SUV to a stop. Zendaya tensed beside me, but she didn't panic. Her eyes darted around, assessing the surroundings with surprising precision.
"Stay here," I ordered, opening the door.
She didn't argue, but I noticed her fingers trembling slightly—she was holding herself back, suppressing the instinct to fight. I was the one supposed to protect her, but I could see she wasn't someone who waited to be rescued.
Outside, the air was colder, sharper. Pine mixed with something faint and unfamiliar—too faint to place. Enzo and a few of the warriors moved cautiously toward the fallen trees, their weapons drawn. I joined them, my wolf on high alert, prowling beneath my skin.
"It's a setup," I muttered to Enzo, my voice barely audible. He nodded grimly, scanning the tree line.
A rustle broke the silence, and my head snapped toward the sound. That scent—the one I couldn't identify earlier—hit me full force now. Rogues.
My wolf snarled in warning. I spun toward the SUV, but before I could even call out to Zendaya, the unmistakable sound of claws scraping across metal filled the air. My blood ran cold. Figures emerged from the shadows, rogues—hunched and menacing.
I barked orders to Enzo and the warriors, the chaos escalating as they rushed to protect the convoy. I sprinted back toward the SUV, but Zendaya was already out of the vehicle, her eyes flashing with the intensity of her wolf. She was gripping a small sword, ready for battle.
"You should've stayed inside," I snarled, but she pulled away from me, her gaze sharp.
"I'm not some damsel waiting to be rescued," she shot back, her voice fierce.
Something in me stirred at her resistance—something I couldn't quite place—but there wasn't time to dwell on it. The rogues were closing in fast. I shoved her back toward the SUV. "Get back. Now."
She didn't listen. Instead, she lunged at the nearest rogue, her blade slashing with deadly precision. Damn her. She was reckless, but she was no weakling.
I joined the fight, tearing through rogues with practiced ease, but my focus kept drifting back to Zendaya. She fought like she had nothing to lose, and that both impressed and irritated me. When the final rogue fell, the forest was eerily silent.
I looked at Zendaya, leaning against the SUV, blood smeared on her gown. Her eyes met mine, still blazing.
"This isn't over," she whispered. Shocked, I nodded, my own thoughts in agreement.
Before I could respond, a distant howl cut through, chilling me to the bone. It wasn't just any rogue. I knew that howl.
My wolf surged forward, his fury and pain crashing over me like a tidal wave.
"What is it?" Zendaya asked, her voice sharp.
I didn't answer, my mind racing. The howl belonged to him—the rogue who had killed my first mate. He was here..