Chapter 16: ¹⁶: I need him

I flailed my arms frantically, trying to hit the person behind me as they dragged me deeper into the dark alley.

Damn it!

I hated how weak I had become.

I hated this cursed wound even more. It had not only cut me off from Anna, but had also weakened me to the point where someone could drag me away like this, and I could do absolutely nothing to stop it.

The moment the hand covering my mouth loosened, I spun around.

"Who the hell are you?!" I shouted trying to look who it was.

"Calm down. It’s me. "The familiar amused voice made me freeze. "I figured you’d make a scene if I approached you normally, so I pulled you into the alley instead. Nobody can see us, less attention."

I stared at him for a long moment before pinching the bridge of my nose. "You are unbelievable, Damian. You know you could’ve just called my name like a normal person but you have to be dramatic."

He grinned shamelessly, stepping towards me. "You know me well, Ath. If it isn’t dramatic, it isn’t me."

Rolling my eyes while looking at his smirk , I walked over and sat on a nearby concrete block not wanting to deal with his childishness anymore.

"Now that your completely unnecessary entrance is over, why are you here? Aren’t you supposed to be working or something? Does Aunt even know you’re here?" I asked slipping my hand slowly on my aching abdomen not wanting him to notice coz if he did his dramatic ass would cause a scene.

The teasing smile disappeared from Damian’s face the instant he heard the word aunt from my mouth.

Of course.Among everyone in the world, the only person capable of keeping Damian Moonvel under control was Aunt.

"She knows, I am here" he answered seriously. "And Grandmother is the one who sent me."

My expression immediately changed.

"L..I mean Grandmother?" A strange uneasiness settled in my chest as I asked. "Why did she send you? Is everything alright?"

"She’s fine." He quickly reassured me before continuing. "She only wanted to know whether you’ve settled in... and whether you’re ready to move forward with her plan yet or not."

His voice carried obvious reluctance like he wanted to be the last person saying this. That wasn’t surprising. He had opposed this plan from the very beginning, but Grandmother had refused to change her decision.

I nodded. "I’ve pretty much settled in. You can tell Grandmother that I’ll begin the plan very soon."

Before I could say anything else, Damian suddenly grabbed my wrist which was around my abdomen. The sudden movement pulled at my abdomen.

A sharp stab of pain shot through me.

"Ah..." The small cry escaped my lips before I could stop it. Damn it. I had tried so hard to hide it from him and still it was revealed.

The color immediately drained from Damian’s face. "Athena!" He dropped to one knee before me, cupping my face with both hands. "What happened micasa? Is your wound acting up again? Why did you cry out? Tell me."

His eyes frantically searched my face. "Stand up. Let me see the wound. Did it reopen? Did something happen? Did someone do something to you?"

His expression turned deadly as he ponderd at the possibility, "Did somebody dare to touch you Athena? Tell me and you know I will tear them apart limb by limb!"

He caressed my face as he looked at my pain filled eyes, " I don’t like those tears in your eyes Ath," he said wiping my little tears that may have escaped. " You look hideous with tears, you should just have smile in your eyes. Tell me who caused you this pain, I will make sure they recieve it back tenfold."

I sighed. This is exactly why I didn’t want him to notice, he just takes everything so seriously.

I gently removed his hands from my face and forced myself to stand before trying to reassure him that I was fine. "I’m fine. It was nothing. I slipped while walking on the sidewalk and I grabbed a railing to stop myself from falling, but it hit my abdomen. So it hurts a little. That’s all nothing serious, everything else is fine."

His brows remained tightly knitted. "Are you sure? coz if it isnt the case you know I can help you, just tell me and nobody will dare to vome near you again." he asked taking a step back when he saw I wanted some space.

I gave him a slight smile. "I’m very much sure. Now stop worrying.Instead, make sure Grandmother knows I’m doing well and that I’ll begin carrying out her plan very soon." I said bringing the conversation back to where we had left it.

Although he clearly wasn’t convinced, Damian finally sighed. He knew that once I made up my mind, there was very little anyone could do to change it. Knowing he should not make me irritated for his own peace he decided to move ahead with the topic.

"Why do you have to do this, Athena?"

His voice had become much quieter.

"Please listen to me and...Just come home. I’ll handle Grandmother. You want revenge against that bastard, right? I’ll bring him to his knees myself. You don’t have to sacrifice yourself. Just... come back."

A tired sigh escaped my lips. So that was why he had come. For a brief moment, I had foolishly believed he had finally accepted my decision. Instead, he had only come to persuade me one last time.

"I’m indebted to Grandmother, Damian. I can’t refuse her for this little thing after everything she’s done for me. And besides..."

"My revenge isn’t as simple as I once thought."

He frowned. "What do you mean?"

I looked toward the narrow strip of sky visible above the alley. "When I went back..."

"I believed that Harry could never become Alpha simply because he had stolen my Alpha Tally. I thought taking it by force wouldn’t be enough and all his actions will be futile once I go back."

A bitter smile appeared on my lips. "I was wrong. The situation has changed far beyond what either of us imagined."

I looked back at Damian. "You have your own battles to fight for Damian. You have to help Grandmother restore the glory of her pack."

"And even if I agree with you and returned today..."

"The two of us wouldn’t be enough to fight what Harry has become today. Harry has built an army around himself while I was drowning in grief and being a naive lovesick fool. He has powerful allies now. I need someone capable of crushing that army.

Someone whose name alone terrifies the werewolf world." My eyes slowly narrowed.

"Alpha Kael Dreven. The Alpha King of the Starlight Empire."

Silence fell between us. Then I continued.

"And now..."

"I’ve discovered something even more important. He carries the same curse that I do. I feel like I will get more than just power from him, maybe like Grandmother had said, he might be the missing link of all these mysteries.."

Damian’s eyes widened. "...The curse?" He asked his voice full of confusion and shock. "You mean. He can’t recognize his destined mate either?"

I nodded. "I only learned about it today. Apparently everyone in this pack... or perhaps even throughout the entire Starlight Empire... knows about it."

A faint smile touched my lips, though it carried no joy. "You know I was sixteen when Father first told me about my curse. He warned me that even after turning eighteen, I might never recognize my true mate."

"Back then, I didn’t care. I believed Harry would become my mate anyway." My gaze lowered. "But as I grew older, no matter how deeply I loved him. One question never left my mind. What if he wasn’t my true mate? And why was I the only one in the whole pack carrying such a curse?"

"I wasn’t even allowed to ask anyone about it. It felt suffocating." I slowly clenched my fists. "But now I know I’m not alone. There are others carrying the same curse. That means this isn’t some meaningless misfortune. It exists for a reason.I believe Father knew that reason. Perhaps that’s why he never allowed me onto the battlefield, despite knowing exactly how strong I was."

A new determination settled inside me. "Now that I’ve found a clue I have even more reason to continue this plan."

Damian remained silent. His fists were tightly clenched at his sides. I knew he still hated this decision. But sooner or later...He would have to accept it.

I had already made up my mind. I will definitely do what I had come here for

Alpha Kael Dreven would become my weapon.

And if becoming nothing more than his breeding vessel was the price for it....

Then I would pay it without hesitation.