Tension Rises

Damian's Pov

Joseph and Sandra were the names of my foster parents. 

They were ordinary humans. My mum Martha, had saved them against the wish of her pack to kill humans. 

She chose to let them live and they were forever grateful to her, so when she showed up at their door with a seven-month-old child in her arms, they didn't hesitate to help her.

After their near-death experience, they were properly aware of the different species of magical beings that coexisted with them in this world.

My mother left them with stern instructions to teach me who I was, and the history of our people and she gave them strict training manuals that I was meant to follow until I gained true control of my powers. 

Even then, she had to warn them that I was nothing like they had seen before.

She explained that I was a crossbreed, so I'll be twice as fast, strong, and more special than any of our kind, that I'll always have the never-ending danger of my people always trying to kill me. 

An instruction they strictly adhered to.

My daily routine was rigid. I woke up early to train privately and I joined Joseph, my foster father at his research institute.

He was constantly studying the different species of magical beings and trying to create scientific inventions that could counter the effects of the deadly venomous bite of a Gray Werewolf. 

I spent my evenings with my pack, there were six of us. 

Chad, Kara, Jason, Jesse, and Susan. 

We worked alongside other packs to keep the State of New Jersey safe, we were particularly responsible for Jersey state. 

 We met up every evening to patrol the city and negate the attacks of Gray Werewolves in it. 

Chad was the Alpha of our group, he organised our attacks on the Gray Werewolves and our rescue missions in the city. 

He also represented us before the elders of our tribe. 

He was the most experienced out of all of us, but he was also a pain in the ass. 

He was proud, cocky and acted like the world revolved around him. 

He was traditionally engaged to Kara. 

I was only a part of this pack because I needed an access route into the Werewolf hierarchy.

It was 8 p.m. on Wednesday and the pack had arrived at our headquarters. 

We huddled up at the meeting table to discuss the latest spree of killings perpetrated by the Gray Werewolves in our city.

Chad began speaking", "Over the last three weeks, there have been multiple attacks by the Gray Werewolves in Pine Hill". 

He emphasized"."Over thirty-five people have been killed". 

"We have orders to engage with the Grays and stop them from causing more harm".

 "Do we have confirmation on how many they are?" Jason asks.

"Yes, the reports show that there are about 30 of them", Chad answered.

Jesse joined the conversation", "That's a lot more than we normally take on". 

"Shouldn't we get help from some of the other packs in the area?". 

Chad rolled his eyes in frustration and said with anger in his voice", 

"Every pack has been given a task and this is ours". 

"If you don't feel up to it, you can sit this one out". 

Jason put his head down and looked away, the room had gotten tense.

Everyone was silent and didn't want to speak up, so I got up and responded", 

"He was just asking a simple question",you didn't have to be a bitch about it".

Chad immediately turned around to look at me, he walked up to my seat and hovered above me, 

"What the fuck did you just say to me? He asked angrily

I wasn't going to back down from him, I got up from my seat and looked him dead in the eye, "I believe you heard me the first time". I replied.

Kara stepped in between both of us and calmed the situation down, she wrapped her arms around Chad and took him outside the building to cool off.

I turned around to look at the rest of the pack who were staring intently at me. 

"You know one of these days, you guys are going to have to step up for yourselves". I said to them as I took my seat

Susan, who was seated at the edge of the table and had been quiet throughout the entire meeting said", "You know he's always like that". 

"Let's just focus on the mission tonight". 

 We all nodded in unison. 

Kara's Pov

Damian and Chad had never seen eye to eye, if not for how good Damian was on the battlefield, Chad would have kicked him out of the pack a long time ago. 

I knew their argument would only end in a fistfight so I stepped in and took Chad outside the building.

He had a unique way of pissing people off, but it was still my responsibility to take care of him just like he took care of me many moons ago.

I held his hands as we came out of the building, I placed my right hand on his cheek,

 "Hey, what's going on"? I asked.

He took my hand off his cheek and answered, 

"Nothing's going on with me, you should be asking your lover instead". 

I replied calmly as I put my hand on his broad chest; 

"He's not my lover, you're the only man I want to be with". 

I knew deep down that was a lie but I also knew that was what he needed to hear now. 

 "Talk to me, I'm always here for you". 

"What's going on?" I asked again 

His anger subsided as he put his hands around my waist, he looked intently at me. 

"I've just been stressed out". 

"The elders have been on my neck all week long". 

"I don't have time to babysit those guys right now", He finally replied.

I crossed my hands over the back of his shoulders, 

"Those guys love and respect you". 

"You just have to explain things a little better to them". I said to him as I looked into his eyes.

He nodded his head in acceptance and firmly kissed me on my lips, he withdrew from my embrace and asked, 

"I'm going to go further out to have a little smoke". 

"You want to join me?" 

I modestly declined and told him I'd wait for him outside till he returned. 

Chad was a very handsome man, he had stern brown eyes. 

I remember how I used to look into those eyes lovingly years ago. 

He saved me seven years ago from a group of vicious Gray Werewolves that attacked me. 

I was already unconscious and had lost a lot of blood by the time he came.

He donated his blood to me and saved my life, a sacrifice in our culture that meant that I had now become his wife.

It was a sacred act for a Werewolf to give out his blood, our blood was our source of power and once we lost too much of it, it was almost inevitable that we were going to die. 

After he had saved me from those vicious Gray Werewolves and donated his blood to me, he felt like an angel to me. 

I practically worshipped him, but over the years, he had changed. 

He became harsher to me. 

 Ever since he was promoted by the elders as one of the regional heads of the state, he had become prouder.

The laws of sexual intimacy did not apply to the male Arctic Werewolves, they didn't have to stay faithful to their mate and Chad always seemed to flaunt that privilege right in my face. 

He had slept with more women than I could count since he mated me.

Until three years ago I thought I was comfortable with making this sacrifice.

 He had saved me and I owed him my loyalty, but Damian had changed that feeling. 

I always believed men were all the same. 

They all believed that women were their possession to have and use as they willed but he was different, he treated me like an equal.

He was nicer and more respectful than any other man I had met, there was something really special about him. 

I couldn't place what it was but I knew for sure I was desperately in love with him. 

As my mind scrolled through all these thoughts, Chad came back from having a smoke and we headed back into the building.