Chapter 6

Damon's POV 

 "It worked!" My mom squealed in delight as soon as I opened my eyes. 

My head hurt so bad, and so did my body. 

It felt like I was in boiling water. 

The last time I opened my eyes, it was to a team of doctors and nurses, this time, it was just the nurses. More strange is the fact that I wasn't stretched out on a bed like I was before, I was in a pool of water. 

 "What is going on, Mother?" I croaked. 

 "You're alive." She said, her eyes glistening with tears. "You made it, my love." She added. 

Everyone else was crying, but they didn't look as happy as she did. 

 "Why is everyone crying?" I asked her again. 

 "You have to rest, Damon." My mother replied, hushing me. "You do not have the strength for this." 

 "I feel better." I replied to her. "Stronger too." Even though my voice which was coarse and rough didn't back my narrative, I really did feel better. 

 "That's great." Mother said. "We'll have you transferred upstairs as soon as the doctor confirms you are stable enough." My mother frantically ran her hand through my wet hair. 

 "Why am I in a sacred pool?" I asked my mother. 

For years, I'd heard about this room, but it'd been off limits to Dathan and I, but the ambience, feel and features of the room added up enough for me to arrive at that conclusion. 

 "Emily." My mother answered, swallowing hard. 

 "What happened To Emily?" I asked. My fear heightened. I knew something was up. "Where is Emily?" I asked my mother again. 

Her eyes rested on some other part of the pool, and I followed it. 

Emily sat, unaided by giant rocks like I was. Her eyes were shut close, she looked like she was in perfect peace. 

 "She made her decision." My mother answered my unmasked questions. 

 "How could you do that?" I screamed, and all the other nurses turned their attention to us. They'd been previously occupied looking at Emily. "How could you let her sacrifice herself? I'm Alpha, I can pull through." My voice, which sounded like it had an extra layer of baritone, boomed through the dark room, with only one little window for minimal sunlight illumination. It's hard to believe that such a room with primitive conditions existed in the grand palace of Alpha Damon III. 

 "I did it for you." my mother explained, "We cannot afford to lose you." She added. 

I took her hands off my head, and she gasped sharply. 

 "You really would go to any length to fight for what is yours?" I asked her. 

 "Leave us!" My mother commanded all the other women who were in the sacred room. 

They filed out obediently, with Nala, the palace's favorite chef, trailing behind. 

 "You're a kid." My mother replied to me finally, getting off her knees, and straightening the black dress she had on. 

 "And so is Emily." I shot back at her. 

 "You are fighting a lost battle, Damon." My mother said, looking at Emily, who had begun to slide sideways into the pool. 

She was in the most uncomfortable of positions. Her neck must've hurt so bad. But that's only if she was alive. 

 "Are you going to keep doing this?" I asked my mom, getting up from the pool. 

The insane strength and power I felt was tapped from Emily's innocent wolf. 

 "If by 'this', you mean saving the kingdom your promiscuous father left in my hands after dying such a horrible death, leaving me with the two boys, then yes!" My mother yelled back at me. "That's the end of this conversation." 

 "It's not until I say it is." I replied to her. "I know you're overstressed, and you had to step up after father's death, but that is no excuse for the way you go about things. I am twenty two, and I've met my wolf. I will now meet with the council to discuss my coronation as Alpha. Where is Dathan?" I asked my mother. 

She looked at me. Her face bore a look of confusion. Surprise, annoyance, disgust. 

 "You will do what I say you would." She shot at me. 

 "Is this you contributing to a conversation you said was over?" I asked her, laughing sarcastically. 

The Awakening Bond ritual had to be done without clothes, so I threw my clothes on. The ward gown I had on when I insisted Emily and I were put in the same ward in the palace. 

I thought my first transformation would annul the effects of being wounded by a hybrid. It wasn't until I put Zathen's soul to the ground, burying him in one of the shallow graves designated to the servants, that I began to feel a searing pain run through my head. 

I had just enough time to make it to the palace and see Emily, before I collapsed, my last words were that I wanted to be with her. 

 "I am Luna, a female Alpha since your father passed, I can do whatever I want to." My mother replied. "I thought it was too early, but since you want it, here it is. All the doctors and nurses who attended to you have been sworn to secrecy. You will mention not a word of your transformation to anyone, not even Dathan. You are twenty two, and still quite young for this business. The humans want a part of the oil sector of this economy, the wolves want a slice of our power and dynasty. Things will remain as they are, till you turn twenty-five. On your twenty fifth birthday, we will stage a transformation somewhere public, maybe on a pack meeting day. By then, I shall have selected you a bride, a strong Luna who would rule alongside you. Have a nice day, Damon." My mother said, and walked out. 

I looked back at Emily, who had sunk totally, into the pond. 

Damming every tradition and custom, I jumped into the pool, and took her out. 

Her body lay limp in my hands, her head thrown back, like it wasn't the girl who'd stood up for me to Zathen.