Chapter 21. The Storm Within

Aria’s POV

The night was unnaturally quiet. The air was dense with smoke and filled with the smell of steel and unease. From my window, I saw torchlight across the training grounds, warriors honing their blades, readying themselves for a war that never should have been my responsibility to start.

But it was.

Every clang of metal seemed to echo like a heartbeat, and every distant howl served as a reminder that Damon had drawn blood over me, over an omega who had already brought too much pain and destruction.

He’d sworn a blood oath for me.

I placed my hand on the cold glass, watching my trembling reflection under the faint moonlight. I couldn’t grasp why he would jeopardise everything, his pack and his peace, for someone damaged, marked by another Alpha.

The door opened with a creak behind me. His scent, pine, storm, and a deep, grounding warmth, preceded him, making it difficult to breathe. Damon entered, clad in a black coat, with shoulders squared and jaw clenched. The burden of leadership seemed to envelop him like armour.

“You should be resting,” he said quietly.

I turned around, unable to contain the words burning inside me. “You’re getting ready for war because of me. How can I find rest?”

His gaze flickered to mine, sharp, unreadable. “This isn’t because of you, Aria. It’s because of him. Because he doesn’t know when to stop.”

“You made it about me,” I said, voice shaking. “You took an oath in front of the whole pack! They’ll follow you into battle, they’ll die for you, and it will be because of me.”

He closed the distance between us in three slow steps. “No,” he said, his tone low, steady, dangerous. “They’ll follow me because I’m their Alpha. They’ll fight because Zac threatens their home, not because of you.”

I shook my head. “But he does this because of me. Because of the child. Because I didn’t die when he threw me away.”

The words escaped my lips before I could hold them back. I felt a wave of shame heat my cheeks, but Damon kept his gaze steady. He looked at me, his face mysterious, a gentle pulse of his wolf lingering just below the surface.

He reached out, brushing a strand of hair from my face. His touch was gentle, so at odds with the violence outside. “You didn’t cause this, Aria. He did. His pride. His lies. His greed. You’re not the reason he’s coming, you’re just what he wants to use to feed his ego.”

I wanted to believe him. Goddess, I did. But guilt sat like a stone in my chest. “If you go to war with him… if something happens to you…”

“Nothing will happen to me.” His voice was calm, but his jaw tightened when he said it. “I’ve already lost too much to let him take anything else.”

That stopped me. “Lost?”

He hesitated, then looked away, eyes shadowed. “My father. My brother. Everyone I ever cared about was taken because I hesitated. Because I thought mercy mattered more than strength.” His voice dropped lower. “I won’t make that mistake again.”

I stared at him, the fierce Alpha who terrified everyone, and saw, for the first time, the man beneath. Broken, scarred, and just as haunted as I was.

My throat ached. “You don’t have to keep proving yourself, Damon. Not to me.”

His gaze snapped back to mine. “It’s not about proving anything,” he said softly. “It’s about protecting what’s mine.”

The words hit like a lightning strike. My heart thudded painfully. “You can’t keep saying that,” I whispered. “I’m not yours.”

He took a step closer. “Then tell me you don’t feel it. Tell me the bond doesn’t pull at you the way it does me.”

I opened my mouth, but no words escaped, as the truth itself was burning silently between us.

The bond throbbed like a heartbeat, vibrant and electric. I sensed his anger, fear, and hunger. It scared me because a part of me yearned to respond.

“Damon…”

He exhaled, brushing his thumb across my jaw, lingering there for a second before pulling away. “I can’t change what I’ve sworn,” he said. “But I’ll keep you safe. No matter the cost.”

Then he turned around, and I was left standing there, my heart pounding in my chest, feeling a mix of surprise and nervousness.

By morning, the pack was already on the move. Wolves filled the courtyards, their armour shimmering in the cold light of dawn. Orders rang out--Rowan giving commands as patrols headed to the borders. The atmosphere was tense and almost unbearable.

I stood on the balcony, observing them. Each warrior’s face reflected a quiet vow to fight for their Alpha, Damon.

And all I could feel was helplessness.

A soft knock pulled me from my thoughts. Mara, one of the younger healers, stepped inside. “Luna,” she said hesitantly. “The Alpha asked that you stay in the lower quarters until he returns.”

“Returns?” My heart twisted. “He’s leaving?”

Mara nodded. “Scouts reported movement beyond the borderlands. Zac’s army. The Alpha rides to meet them.”

I felt the world tilt. “When?”

“He’s already gone.”

I didn’t wait. I ran. Through corridors, past guards who called my name, until I reached the gates, already sealed.

“Let me through!” I shouted, pounding on the bars. “Please, I need to see him!”

Rowan appeared on the other side, his expression grim. “Aria, he ordered you to stay inside. He doesn’t want you anywhere near the battlefield.”

“I don’t care what he wants!” My voice broke. “If something happens to him--”

“Then you’ll feel it,” Rowan said softly. “You’ll know. The bond will tell you.”

That only made the fear worse because I would feel it--every wound. Every heartbeat fading.

I pressed my forehead against the cold iron, breath shaking. “He shouldn’t be doing this for me.”

Rowan’s voice softened. “Maybe he’s not doing it for you. Maybe he’s doing it because you’re the first reason he’s had to fight for something that isn’t power.”

The words sank deep. I wanted to believe them. I wished Damon weren’t merely another Alpha attempting to prove his dominance. However, my heart was unsure what to do with hope anymore.

Hours felt like days. The sky shifted from grey to black, and the wind carried the smell of blood well before the messengers arrived back.

Every nerve in my body tensed, my hands trembling as I paced the room. My wolf was restless inside me, growling softly. Something felt off.

Then it hit me.

A sudden, stabbing pain tore through my chest, not physically, but through the bond. My knees gave way, and I struggled to breathe. I gasped, clutching at my chest as if trying to pull him back with willpower.

“Damon…”

I could feel him. Rage. Pain. The sound of snarling wolves. The scent of smoke and blood.

And then, underneath it all, fear.

Not for himself. For me.

“No,” I whispered, shaking my head. “No, please…”

The connection flared again, then dimmed.

Cold terror crawled through me. I didn’t need anyone to tell me what had happened. I already knew.

Damon had been ambushed.

And the bond, the one I had fought so hard to deny, was echoing his name deep within my soul.