Chapter 7: The Alpha Losing Control...

Damon’s POV

“Alpha… you seem a little bit distracted. Is something wrong?”

The words from one of my pack elders hit me, sharp enough to snap me out of whatever haze I had drifted into.

I blinked once, then again, my brows pulling slightly together as I dragged myself back to the present.

Right.

The royal court, where a meeting had been going on for about an hour now.

I slowly lifted my head, my gaze moving across the room, taking in every face like I was seeing them for the first time.

My elders and chiefs were seated on one side, backs straight, eyes fixed on me with a mixture of concern and quiet confusion on their faces.

Across from me, my sister Danica sat with her legs crossed, an amused look on her face as her fingers tapped lazily against the armrest of her chair.

Damn.

I clenched my jaw faintly.

This wasn’t like me.

I wasn’t the kind of man who lost focus. Not once. Not ever. For years, I had ruled this throne with precision, with control so tight that nothing slipped through.

But today…

My teeth tightened.

Today, my mind kept slipping, zoning out like some inexperienced pup who couldn’t sit through a meeting.

And it was because of one person.

Her.

That feisty, blonde-haired she-wolf. The first woman to look me in the eye and speak back to me, where other women trembled.

Heck, just the thought of her sent another painful jolt straight to my cock, a sharp and unrelenting ache I had been dealing with ever since she was brought before me in the study and Rowan scented her, he had'nt been himself.

And me? I had been losing my damn mind ever since. Just like now.

It didn’t make any sense, because we didn’t even know what she was to us yet.

Back then, the moment I saw her, I had felt that inexplicable pull in my chest. For a moment, a foolish, hopeful part of me had thought I had found her—my mate.

Even though I knew it was impossible.

Even though I had been told my whole life that I would not find my mate unless I marked her. But then Rowan had gone still for a second, and then he called her…

Mine.

But that had been it. Nothing more. No pull. No bond. No connection that screamed mate.

So what the hell was this?

Why did she get that reaction out of us? And most importantly, why was she still in my head, messing with it so much that, for the first time in years, Rowan was not even interested in punishing a defaulter because—it was her.

“Rowan…” I gritted under my breath, my fingers pressing briefly against my temple as a dull pressure built there.

Just like the ache in my groin, he was still persistent, aching and restless, making it hard for me to focus.

Even though it had been over an hour since we left her, he wouldn't stop pacing inside me like he was losing his damn mind.

Like he would go crazy if we didn't go back to her, to continue inhaling that sweet vanilla scent of hers that had somehow managed to cling to our head.

 That though it had been long since we scented it, we could still smell it as if she were right here with us in this hall.

Oh Selene.

“You need to calm down,” I muttered inwardly, my jaw tightening as I tried to restrain him. “This is no time to be acting out of control. You want a taste of the she-wolf? Fine. That comes right after this meeting. But for now, we focus.”

Hell, that had been the only thing on his mind since we saw her.

And back in my study, when she stood there, looking at me without an ounce of fear, talking back like she didn't care who I was…

It had taken everything in me not to give in to his demands. Not to grab her, pin her down, and claim her right there and then, just to shut both her and Rowan up.

There was a beat of silence for a few seconds like he had let the matter drop but then—

*No. I want her now. Period.*

The growl in his voice made something in me snap.

My teeth clenched hard enough that I felt it down my spine.

F**k.

I hated when he got like this.

So stubborn, irrational, and completely out of control.And I hated even more that it was because of some random she-wolf.

But I didn't fight my way to this throne just to let a beast drag me around because of a woman who I wasn't sure was my mate.

“You know what,” I muttered, my eyes darkening slightly as I leaned back into my seat. “You are going to stay still until this meeting is over.”

I paused, letting the warning settle.

“And if you decide to keep acting like a bastard…”

My fingers tightened against the armrest of my chair.

“Then I will do the one thing you hate. I will punish the she-wolf. And you won't get anywhere near her.”

I finalized, putting all seriousness into my voice now, because as a matter of fact he was the one pushing all of this.

He was the one getting obsessed.

Left to me, she was just a random she-wolf who had broken the rules, and I was ready to punish her for it and the earlier he understood that I was still in control here, the better for him.

Silence.The silence that followed afterwards was instant. Rowan went completely still inside me. So still, like he hadn't been raging earlier.

I let out a slow breath through my nose, immediately feeling control slipping back into my bones.

Rolling my shoulders once, I straightened, then faced the court again, my expression settling back into something cold and controlled.

“Pardon my distraction, everyone. Now let’s proceed with the meeting,” I said, my voice firm and steady as it carried through the hall.

Immediately, one of the elders stood, a scroll already in his hands. I watched as he unrolled it, his fingers slightly stiff.

“The first issue on our list concerns a man accused of stealing from a trader today.”

At that, two guards stepped forward, dragging a man between them.

My eyes flicked to him.

He looked half dead already. Tattered clothes. Bloodied face. His steps were uneven as they forced him down to his knees.

“I am sorry, Alpha,” he rasped, his voice trembling as he struggled to lift his head. “I promise… I won't do it again…”

The elder continued without emotions. “The court requests that you decide a suitable punishment for him, Alpha,” 

I stared at the man again.

This should have been easy.

It always was.

But instead of thinking about punishment…

My mind slipped again.

Blonde hair. Defiant eyes. That sweet vanilla scent.

My jaw tightened sharply.

“Rowan?” I cautioned, my voice low inside my head.

*Not me,* he replied, almost amused. *Seems even you cannot stop thinking about her.*

My fingers curled into a fist.

What the hell?

This...this was getting out of hand.

“Alpha…” the elder spoke again, more cautiously this time. “It appears you are not in the best condition. Perhaps we should adjourn the case...”

The other elders all nodded in agreement, though unease was obvious on their faces.

I exhaled slowly, my chest rising and falling, once again I tried to forced myself back into control.

“No.” I declined.

The word came out firmer than before, and I felt grateful. The earlier I learned to control both myself and Rowan, the better. Otherwise, my elders would start seeing me as weak.

“We are not adjourning anything. This case will be handled now.”

I shifted my gaze and let it fall on my sister.

“And you, Danica… you will handle it.”

The moment I said that, a collective gasp moved through the elders.

I saw some of them shift uncomfortably in their seats, others exchanging worried glances, but I ignored all of it and focused on Danica instead.

Slowly, a smile spread across her lips. Sharp cruel and pleased as she rose to her feet with an ease that made the man on the ground visibly stiffen.

Hell, I did not know why I chose her, but I knew I wasn't in the perfect state to decide anything yet.

“Alright, brother,” she said smoothly, her eyes glinting. “Thanks for the opportunity.”

Her gaze then dropped to the man, and I noticed the way her lips curved just a little more.

The man looked worse now, paler than before. His breathing had gone uneven, like he was seeing death flash before his eyes.

And I understood why.

Of course, everyone knew how cruel Danica could be, crueler than me and for that they feared her more than they feared me.

“Well, since his offense is stealing despite knowing the penalty for it,” she began, her voice calm, though I knew it was the calm before the storm, “I hereby sentence him to death by hanging.”

Silence dropped over the room the moment she delivered her verdict. The silence was so heavy that if a pin dropped, it would be heard.

The man froze on the spot, his mouth opening slightly like he wanted to beg, but no sound came out. Sure he must have realized how pointless it was. Danica dosen't go back on her words.

His faint cries were the last thing we heard as the guards finally dragged him away.

And once again silence returned to the hall. No one spoke for a while until, seconds later—

“And next on the list,” the elder continued, though his voice sounded tighter now, “is the issue of Lady Danica and the Katherina girl.”

The moment her name was mentioned—

Something inside me shifted. A sharp pull I didn't understand.

“…Yes. So what about her?” I leaned forward slightly, my fingers pressing into the armrest as I asked slowly, my voice coming out lower than before.

I didn't like hearing her name like that.

Cold.

Like she was just another case.

“Yes, brother. Given what she did, I have made my decision,” Danica cut in, already stepping forward again.

There was a look in her eyes now. Something dark.Something cold.

And for some reason, it sent a strange chill over me.

“For what she did I have decided that the b*tch should be burned alive in the town square,” she said, her voice ringing clearly through the hall. “For all to see. For all to know that Danica is not to be toyed with.”