Chapter 199: Make An Enemy I
It was a bad idea, I didn’t need anyone to tell me that.
In hindsight, someone else could’ve probably stopped Dahlia. Even if no one did, Milo was the son of an alpha― he was perfectly capable of taking care of himself. Any rational mind wouldn’t have stood still to let an insane werewolf maul them to death, and I was at least quite sure that Milo still had some form of sanity left within him.
However, what if he didn’t? What if part of him longed to die under Dahlia’s sharp claws?
I was by no means capable of standing my ground against Dahlia when it came to physical prowess, but my body reacted before my mind could even catch up.
"Harper!"
Briefly, I heard my name leave Blaise’s lips, as well as felt Damon’s panicked gaze fall upon me. However, I paid them no mind and headed straight for Milo. I wasn’t sure where my burst of speed came from, but somehow, I managed to reach Milo just in time, pulling him out of the way right as Dahlia’s claws were inches apart from his face.
Yet, I was just a split second too slow.
I didn’t manage to completely pull the still Milo out of harm’s way. He had been staring straight up at Dahlia, his lips pressed thinly together and his eyes unblinking as if he had already given himself up to fate. When I tugged him out of Dahlia’s strike path, her claws struck against his shoulder rather than his head, her nails carving lines down his left shoulder.
Blood quickly spilled from his wound, soaking his shirt in a pool of scarlet as I stumbled with Milo’s weight. Blaise came to my side within seconds, catching me and Milo before we could crash to the ground unceremoniously.
"Harper, are you alright?" Blaise asked the moment I was in his arms, and I quickly nodded to show I was fine.
"I wasn’t in the way," I said, to which Blaise nodded. He quickly turned his eyes to Milo, most likely unable to sense any pain or lie from our bond.
Feeling Blaise’s gaze upon him, Milo took in a deep, shaky breath before he said, "I’ll heal."
"What were you thinking?!" Damon yelled instead the moment he came over. His eyes quickly scanned me up and down, only relenting once he was sure that all of the blood splattered over the floor and our clothes belonged to Milo, not me. "She could’ve killed you!"
"I wasn’t the one she was trying to go for," I said quickly.
Damon clicked his tongue under his breath but otherwise said nothing more. He turned, clenching his hands into tight fists before making his way over to where Dahlia was. Unlike when the others neared, Dahlia did not dare to move forward when Damon was the one who stood in her way.
All sorts of emotions flashed across her eyes, apparent to anyone who knew what to look for― confusion, anger, betrayal, and hurt. Yet, for every step Damon took towards her, she merely took another step back, maintaining the distance between them.
"Shift," Damon said, his words plain and simple. There was no misunderstanding of his intention. "That will be your first and last warning."
A snarl left Dahlia’s lips until she was eventually cornered back to Alpha Thorton’s side. The latter had been quietly watching our exchange the entire time, his fingers pressed against the side of his head. Once Dahlia moved close enough to him, his fingers left his temple and he cast a glare at Damon.
"You’re stepping out of bounds, Alpha Damon," Alpha Thorton said with a growl. "You’re in Thunderstrike, not Fangborne. You have no right to command any wolf here, especially my daughter."
"Then tell your daughter to stand down before I make her," Damon said in reply without even a moment’s worth of hesitation, his voice firm as he sneered down at Alpha Thorton and Dahlia.
They had been backed off the stage while Damon remained on top, allowing him the advantage of height as he glared at them like a god who was about to exact divine retribution upon them. The glow of his eyes was bright, and now that the sun had set, the entire cathedral was blanketed by darkness, except for the few candlelights that were originally meant for a romantic atmosphere.
If anything, it could only be described as haunting right now.
Alpha’s Thorton’s gaze did not soften by any means, but he surprisingly did as told.
"Dahlia," he said. And that was all that was needed.
I watched as Dahlia cast her father a displeased gaze, filled with surprise and appall. However, she still did as her alpha told her, shifting back into her human form without a fight.
Fur and claws soon morphed into milky bare skin and manicured nails. The tattered wedding dress hung on her body, not enough to cover the private areas of her body, but Dahlia did not seem to care― she was confident enough in her own skin and stood proud and tall, a glare still accessorizing her face as she stared hard at Damon then Milo, Blaise, and me.
A wolf came up from behind, bringing a robe for Dahlia to cover her dignity with, especially since half the guests were still present at the cathedral. Slowly, Dahlia put it on, making sure to lock her eyes with Damon as she did so.
"Admit it," she said, her voice hoarser than before as if she had been crying, "you still can’t take your eyes off of me, Damon Valentine."
Damon snorted. "Because only a fool would turn their backs to a mad attacker on the loose," he said. "I am not risking a claw to the back."
"I think we have concluded everything we’re here for, Alpha Thorton." This time, it was Alpha Burke who spoke.
He and his wife quickly made their way over, and while Luna Cassidy ran over to Milo first thing, Alpha Burke stood his ground right by Damon’s side.
"It seems like Thunderstrike is not a hospitable pack. You’ve made that fact quite well known in front of everyone this evening," said Alpha Burke. "If you’re planning to make an enemy out of Hornstead by allowing your daughter to attack members of the alpha’s family, perhaps the other neighboring packs present should take this as a warning; they could be next."
