It's something beyond my understanding, beyond my comprehension, and I don’t want to make sense of it. Just like the other night, I'm pushing away every instinct that tells me this isn't a hallucination, even when deep down, I know something is going on.
I'm not the same Sophie I was a few days ago, and it frightens me.
In the end, only Damian is to blame for this.
Chapter 7 - Damian
My eyes fall to my arm, my jaw slack with shock as I stare at what was a gruesome injury from the demon attack the other night.
I lift my hand to touch the rubbery scar, frowning at the texture, because I've only witnessed such quick healing during the height of my reign as the alpha of Red Moon, before the demons began attacking us. With the increase in attacks came the dampening of our powers, along with the stunting of our quick healing abilities.
I just witnessed magic when Sophie touched me, as if confirming that fated mates are the key to regaining our powers. But there is still a lot of uncertainty, doubt that a human could be the key to me becoming strong again and enhancing our water-wielding abilities.
But then again, is it a far-fetched notion when it's not the first time Sophie has seemingly healed me?
Back when I woke up in the hospital after nearly losing my leg, it was Sophie's face I saw first, Sophie who cared for me and nursed me back to good health. I was able to walk again, able to function as if the demon strike that sent me to the hospital never happened at all.
What if she healed me back then, without knowing that she was my fated mate? What if the bond kicked in back then, even when I thought I was only falling for her under the guise of a fantasy I could never obtain?
The council…
The council needs to hear about this. They need to see that, despite Sophie being human, and without consummating the fated mate bond, I was still able to heal.
While I'm in shock, Sophie is too spooked to speak to me right now. I saw it in her eyes, fear written across her face.
She just witnessed my wolf power surging enough to turn her eyes red, as if she responded to my inner wolf. She needs space.
It's the least I can give her for now.
***
“My injury healed,” I say as I gesture to my arm. “I think my wolf is getting stronger again, and that means a resurgence of my power. I even tested it out at the lake, and it's looking pretty good,” I continue, pride filling my chest, because even if she doesn't know it yet, Sophie and I have proved the skeptics wrong.
“It doesn't change the fact that you've dragged a human into pack politics,” Conan grouches with a lowly snarl. “Do you really think it's a coincidence the demons were sighted down south? They're hunting your little human bride, and that puts us all in danger.”
Glaring at the dark-haired alpha through narrowed eyes, I retort, “Which is all the more reason to have brought her here, where Red Moon can keep her safe.”
“Silver Stone stands with you, Alpha Damian,” Heinrich declares. “If there's anything we've learned through all of this, it's that the theory is true.”
“There's something else,” Amos chimes in, raising his hand for a chance to speak. He's granted permission by Uncle Joel with a curt nod.
“We've been doing more digging, and it's actually no coincidence that demons were sighted in the south,” Amos says, glancing at his assistant and the rest of the research team who'd joined us for the meeting. “The Ashclaw Pack wielded fire—the only thing that could kill a demon.”
“That's why they were wiped out…” I murmur thoughtfully, and Amos agrees with a nod.
“Precisely. And we found something else.” His assistant hands him a box, which he opens up, then lifts out a single firewheel flower. “This is from the south. It's like the ground is awakening.”
“The land out there has been dormant for as long as we've been researching the area,” another member of the research team adds. “No sign of life, until now.”
“It's like the earth is responding to fire-magic awakening,” Amos's assistant says.
“That's impossible. There were no survivors of the Ashclaw Pack,” Elder Bernard dismisses.
“Perhaps the land is responding to the enemy,” Elder Mortimer offers.
Uncle Joel nods. “Or the remains of Ashclaw strewn across their land. Their ancestors are giving us a warning.”
Amos returns the bright red flower to the box. “We will continue doing research and figure out what this means.”
