Chapter 267: Final Verdict
The second the food slapped Damon in the face, his head jerked back a little and his eyes instinctively squeezed themselves shut. It landed smack dab in the middle of his cheek, sliding down just a little since the mashed potato was mixed with a little bit of my saliva and a hell lot of gravy.
Silence filled the room other than a sharp hiss that came from me. I watched while chewing my bottom lip as Damon slowly reached up and wiped the food away, his eyebrows knitted tightly together as his lips curdled into a disgusted sneer.
As he reached for a tissue paper, I cleared my airways, coughing lightly a few times while keeping my eyes trained on him.
"Sorry," I muttered under my breath. "You caught me off guard there. I think I might’ve heard you wrongly― what did you say again?"
"That depends," Damon said with a deadpan. "Are you going to spit in my face a second time?"
He stared questioningly at the spoonful of mashed potatoes I had already prepped and scooped, an eyebrow raised. I quickly sat my plate down.
"Of course not," I said. "That was an honest mistake."
"Then you heard me just fine," Damon said. He wiped his hands on the tissue with a little more force than what was needed, nearly tearing the napkin in the process. "Blaise and I have decided― we’re sending you to Thunderstrike."
"But―"
"And there’s no room for argument," he said, firmly cutting me off. "It’s for your own good."
This was as good as throwing me into the lion’s den. Not everyone in Thunderstrike was elated that their alpha had been dethroned and replaced by his son. Even more were annoyed by the fact that this decision was a result of an external vote― Fangborne’s and Hornstead’s, to be specific.
Our two packs were the main reasons why Thorton and Dahlia Elrod had been replaced as the ruling members of the pack and Darach was shoved in place. I wasn’t sure how Milo was faring there, seeing as how he was the son of Hornstead’s alpha, but surely I would do worse than him.
For one thing, Milo at least had the title of Alpha Burke’s heir. If they did anything to him, it was as good as going to war with Hornstead, something I doubt Darach would advocate. Any fool who dared to try would most likely be kicked out of Thunderstrike and cast away as a rogue.
What about me? Most of Fangborne’s members didn’t even like me!
Worst of all, Dahlia Elrod might’ve been stripped of her title but she was definitely still a member of Thunderstrike. That gave her perfect access to do whatever she wanted with me whenever she wanted. I couldn’t expect Milo to be my babysitter, and it would be a near-impossible task to get someone else to help without Damon and Blaise around.
I hated how useless I was without them.
"It’s not a permanent thing," Damon clarified after a moment of silence, cautiously watching my expression. "Only until we find the hunters and vampires behind this. There shouldn’t be that many of them since they’re mainly based in Everhaven and the human towns around this specific region."
"How long will I be there then?" I croaked. I began to mindlessly peel at the dead skin of my fingers, digging into my own flesh until it became raw and painful.
"Weeks," Damon said. "Maybe months."
"Face it, Damon, it could take years to properly sift out all of the hunters and vampires!" I cried out. "Even then, that doesn’t make this pack any more tolerating of me. Leaving them to fight my battles would be additional salt to the wound."
Not only that, I wasn’t willing to part with Blaise. It was one thing to be unmated and apart, and a completely other topic to wear their marks on my skin yet be parted from them.
Just thinking about it was starting to cause my heartbeat to rise significantly. I could feel sweat beginning to head across my forehead and all over my palms, turning it clammy and moist.
In addition, this wasn’t even just about Blaise.
I swallowed the bile in my throat, turning my gaze to Damon. He was staring― he had been staring ever since he broke the news, most likely watching to see if I would have any drastic reactions.
It was crazy how the passage of time could change so many things. Just not too long ago, all I wanted to do was to escape Fangborne and escape Damon. Now that he was willingly sending me away, I didn’t wish to part.
Damon straightened a little, his eyes widening with surprise as his lips parted just the slightest. I wondered if he could feel the longing I felt for him through our bond. If he did, it would explain why he looked as though he had just been struck by lightning.
His eyes softened as he took a step forward, closing the distance between us.
"Harper, I―"
"No," I said, "I understand. It’s fine. You don’t have to explain it to me."
He pursed his lips and I took this chance to continue. Braving a smile, I looked up and met his gaze. His blue eyes, piercing and cold, seemed to have a shimmer of warmth in them. It cracked through the frost of his irises, seeping out into me through our connected gazes.
"I get it," I reiterated. "This is also the best for Fangborne. Me being here would be endangering the lives of the pack members, since the vampires and hunters have made it very clear that it’s me they’re after. As the alpha, that’s a risk you cannot take. They might not even know I’ll be at Thunderstrike if we’re swift about it, and even if they do, perhaps Hornstead would be willing to shelter me. The fae have protected their people well for generations."
Damon swallowed. "Blaise and I will escort you there personally. We’ll also assign you a guard."
"A guard?" I echoed before scoffing in self-mockery. "Who would be willing to leave home just to watch over me?"
"It seems like you’ve already gained the recognition of at least one average pack member," Damon said. His lips stretched into a small grin. "I’ve overheard that he seems to be very fervently hailing you as ’Luna’."
