Chapter two : Damon’s Ascension

The sun rose over the Silver Crest Pack grounds. Birds chirped but Isla barely noticed. Her hands shook as she carried the trays of food to the hall. Today was Damon’s ascension ceremony. She had hoped that after today, he would banish her. Maybe she would finally be free.

But deep down she felt a cold dread. Something in the air felt different. The pack members were tense. Whispers ran like wind through the hallways. Even the elders looked uneasy.

Damon entered the hall, robes flowing, chest high. He was taller, stronger, more dangerous than ever. His dark hair fell over his eyes, and he did not smile. His eyes scanned the crowd and then landed on her.

Isla froze. He looked… furious.

“You,” Damon said slowly, almost to himself. “Why are you even here”

“I… I am serving” Isla said softly, keeping her head down

Damon’s lips curled into a smirk. “Serving, yes. That is all you are good for”

She flinched but said nothing. She had learned that speaking too much only gave him more power.

The elders gathered at the front. They chanted, their voices low and strong. Energy hummed in the hall. Isla felt her chest tighten. Something pulled at her, stronger than anything she had ever felt.

And then it happened.

The mate bond snapped fully. Heat and energy rushed through her body. She gasped. Her hands trembled. Damon stumbled, his eyes wide and fixed on her.

“No… this… this is impossible” he said, voice low and shaking

“You are his mate,” the eldest said. “It is written in the bond. It cannot be broken”

Damon’s face turned red with anger. “I… I don’t… I won’t accept this”

“You have no choice,” another elder said. “An Alpha cannot reject his mate without consequences to the pack”

Isla wanted to speak but her throat was dry. Her hands curled into fists at her sides. Her heart pounded. She did not understand what had just happened but she felt it deep inside. Warmth. Power. A pull toward Damon she could not fight.

Damon looked around at the pack members. “Ignore this mistake” he barked. “Nothing is happening here”

Whispers grew louder. Some members stared at Isla in shock. Others looked at Damon with curiosity. No one moved. The tension in the room was thick.

“Step forward,” the elder said. “The bond must be acknowledged”

Isla’s legs felt heavy. She stepped forward slowly, head down. Her stomach twisted. Damon’s eyes burned into her, full of disgust and fear.

“I am not… not his mate” Damon said loudly, his voice echoing in the hall. “This… this is a lie. I refuse”

“You cannot refuse,” the elder said. “The law of the pack is clear. Your mate bond is real. Your rejection will bring disaster”

The room grew silent. Isla felt every eye on her. Fear and shame ran through her, but beneath it, a strange calm. Her wolf stirred inside, bound but alive. It whispered strength to her.

“You… you don’t understand” Damon said, pacing. “I… I can’t have you”

“Then the pack will suffer,” the elder said. “Do not force disaster for your pride”

Isla swallowed. Her throat felt dry but she finally spoke, quiet but steady. “I… I don’t want this either”

Damon stopped. His eyes flicked to her, searching for weakness. He did not see it. He only saw the bond, the pull, the undeniable truth.

“You will live with me” he said, voice low and full of anger. “But do not think this changes anything”

The pack members shifted uncomfortably. Some looked away. Some whispered. No one challenged the elders. No one challenged the Alpha. But everyone knew that Isla was no longer invisible.

After the ceremony, the hall emptied slowly. Damon did not speak to her. He walked with other pack members, ignoring her completely. Isla followed quietly, keeping her distance. She did not want to make him angrier.

“You will regret this” Damon said over his shoulder without looking at her

“I… I will survive” Isla said softly, though he did not hear her

That night, she sat in the corner of the hall sweeping the floor. The bond pulsed inside her chest. Warmth and energy that made her shiver. She touched her chest, fingers trembling.

Why was this happening? Why was she his mate? She had no wolf, no power, nothing to fight with. Yet something inside her told her otherwise.

Damon’s voice interrupted her thoughts. “Stop staring at me like that” he said, cold and sharp

“I’m not staring” she whispered

He leaned against the doorway, arms crossed. “Everything about you is wrong. This… this bond… it’s a mistake”

“You call it a mistake but it is real,” Isla said quietly. Her voice had more strength than she expected

Damon’s eyes narrowed. “Do not think you are strong. You are nothing”

Isla looked at him, steady. “Maybe. But I survive”

He laughed, a short harsh sound. “Surviving is not enough”

“I know,” she said softly. “But it is all I have now”

Damon turned and left without another word. Isla watched him go, her chest heavy with the weight of the bond. She had hoped for freedom today. Instead, she was trapped. Bound to Damon.

Her wolf stirred inside her. Bound but not gone. Waiting. Watching.

Isla clenched her fists. She would not break. Not now. Not ever.

The pack might see her as weak, a mistake, a shame. But the wolf inside her whispered a promise. One day she would show them all. One day Damon would see her true strength.

For now, she endured. For now, she survived.

And tomorrow, the Silver Crest Pack would wake knowing that the Alpha’s mate was no longer invisible.

And Damon… Damon would have to face her, whether he wanted to or not.