Damon's POV
My fist crashed into Jake's jaw so hard that he flew backward and hit the ground with a thud.
"Get up!" I roared, my wolf clawing at my insides. "If you can't handle one punch, how will you protect this pack?"
Jake wiped blood from his mouth and stood up, fear in his eyes. "Sorry, Alpha. I'll do better."
I wanted to hit him again. I wanted to hit everyone. The anger inside me was like a wild animal trying to break free. I didn't know why I felt so angry today, but I couldn't make it stop.
"Again!" I barked.
Poor Jake raised his fists, but I could see his hands shaking. The other pack members watched from the side, talking to each other. They thought I was being too tough.
Maybe I was. But an Alpha had to be strong. An Alpha couldn't show weakness.
I threw another punch, but this time Jake ducked it. Good. At least he was learning.
"Alpha Damon," a voice called from behind me.
I turned to see Beta Marcus walking toward us. Marcus was my best friend and second-in-command. He was one of the few people brave enough to stop my training.
"What do you want?" I snapped, not in the mood to talk.
Marcus looked at Jake, who was still bleeding. "Maybe that's enough training for today. The pack has other things to discuss."
I wanted to argue, but Marcus was right. I was being too rough. The anger inside me was getting out of control.
"Training is over," I stated to everyone. "Get back to work."
The pack members spread like leaves in the wind. They were probably happy to get away from me. Sometimes I hated how they looked at me - like I was a monster they had to obey.
Marcus waited until we were alone before speaking again. "What's wrong with you today? You nearly killed Jake."
I rolled my shoulders, trying to loosen the tight muscles. "Nothing's wrong. Jake needs to be stronger if he wants to live in this world."
"This isn't about Jake," Marcus said softly. "Something's eating at you. What is it?"
I started walking toward the pack house, not wanting to have this talk. Marcus followed me like he always did.
"When are you going to find a mate?" Marcus asked suddenly.
I stopped walking so fast that Marcus almost ran into me. "What did you just say?"
"You heard me," Marcus said, crossing his arms. "You're twenty-five years old, Damon. Most Alphas have found their Luna by now. The pack needs a female head."
"The pack has me," I said through tightened teeth. "That's enough."
"No, it's not," Marcus shot back. "The pack needs balance. They need someone gentle to soften your rough edges. They need a mother figure."
I laughed, but there was no happiness in it. "You think I need some weak woman to make me soft? You think I need someone to 'fix' me?"
"I think you need someone to love," Marcus said simply.
Those words hit me like a punch to the gut. Love? What did I know about love? My parents died when I was fifteen. I became Alpha when I was barely eighteen. All I knew was duty, responsibility, and keeping my pack safe.
Love was a luxury I couldn't afford.
"I don't need anyone," I said strongly. "Love makes you weak. It makes you make stupid choices. I've seen what happens to Alphas who put their mates before their pack tasks."
"And I've seen what happens to Alphas who shut everyone out," Marcus responded. "They become cold and nasty. They push everyone away until they're totally alone."
His words stung because they were true. But I couldn't let him see that.
"This conversation is over," I said, turning away.
But as I walked toward the pack house, something strange happened. A warm feeling started growing in my chest, right where my heart was. It felt like someone was tugging on an unseen rope inside me.
What the hell was that?
I stopped walking and pressed my hand to my chest. The feeling got stronger, pulling me toward the trees. It was warm and pressing, like something important was calling me.
"Damon?" Marcus asked, noticing I had stopped. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," I lied, but the pulling feeling was getting harder to ignore.
I tried to focus on pack business instead. We had border patrols to plan. We had alliances to keep with other packs. We had— The pulling feeling yanked at my chest so hard that I actually took a step toward the forest.
This was ridiculous. I was the Alpha of the best pack in the region. I didn't get distracted by weird thoughts.
"I need to check the border patrols," I said to Marcus, glad for an excuse to walk around.
"Want me to come with you?" Marcus offered.
"No. Stay here and make sure the pack doesn't burn down while I'm gone."
I started walking toward the training grounds, but the strange feeling in my chest kept pulling me toward the trees. It was like my body wanted to go one way while my brain wanted to go another.
I forced myself to focus on my tasks. I watched the border guards practice their lines. I checked the protection around the pack house. I studied reports about rogue activity in the area.
But the whole time, that warm pulling feeling never went away.
As the afternoon went on, the feeling got stronger and stronger. It was starting to drive me crazy. I couldn't focus on anything else.
Finally, I gave up trying to ignore it. I walked to the edge of the training ground, where the forest started. Maybe if I just looked into the trees, the feeling would go away.
That's when I felt it.
Someone was watching me.
My wolf immediately went on high alert. Every instinct I had starting screaming that there was a stranger in my territory. But it wasn't the standard feeling of sensing an enemy.
This felt different. Personal.
I scanned the tree line with my improved vision, but I couldn't see anyone. Still, I knew someone was there. Watching me. Hiding in the dark.
The warm feeling in my chest suddenly flared up like fire.
And in that moment, I realized what was happening to me.
It was my mate link.
Somewhere in those trees was my fated mate.