Damian pov:
It's been two months since I found out that Sofia was my mate, and things have been...interesting. She's still stubborn and unforgiving, but I can't blame her. I've been trying to make it up to her, teaching her how to fight and protecting her from those who would seek to harm her.
Josh and Mark have been helping me train her, and I've assigned two of my most trusted warriors to keep an eye on her when I'm not around. My mother has also been working with her, teaching her the basics of being a Luna and preparing her for the role she'll one day take on.
I know things haven't been easy for her. Vanessa's been making trouble at school, and her mom's been...well, has been threatening her to reject me. But I've put a stop to that. I've commanded Vanessa to leave Sofia alone, and I've told her mom to stay away from her. It's not ideal, but it's necessary.
I've been taking Sofia out on dates, trying to get her to open up to me, to trust me. It's slow going, but we're getting there. My wolf, King, has been speaking to her wolf, Lily, and they're starting to become close. That's a start, right?
As I walked into her house, dinner in hand, I could feel the tension in the air. She was doing her assignment, trying to focus on her schoolwork, but I knew she was thinking about everything that's been going on. I can feel her worries through our bond.
Hey, what are you doing here?" she asked, not looking up from her book. "You know you can't keep barging into my personal space."
I chuckled and sat down beside her. "Relax, baby, there's no personal space when you're my mate. Besides, I brought dinner."
She smiled, and I felt a flutter in my chest. We're getting there, I thought.
We talked for a bit, and then I told her that I was going to start training her in wolf form, starting tomorrow morning.
Just as I was telling her this, the pack alarm blared to life, signaling that we were under attack. My instincts kicked in, and I jumped up from my chair.
"Stay inside and lock the doors," I ordered, my voice firm but gentle. "I'm going to station two warriors outside to guard you. Don't leave the house, no matter what."
I shifted into my wolf form, King, and ran towards the source of the attack. Who would dare attack the Blackwood Pack? We're one of the most powerful packs in the werewolf kingdom and also part of the Royal pack, and we've made it clear that we're not to be messed with.
As I ran, I saw Josh and Mark running beside me. We joined the fight, tearing into the rogue wolves that had come to attack us. I was furious who would dare threaten my pack,
As we fought, I noticed something off. The rogues were fighting with a precision that seemed...unnatural. I glanced at Josh and Mark, and they seemed to have noticed it too.
"King, what's going on?" I asked my wolf,
Vampires," King growled, his voice like a rumble in my mind. "They're hiding in the shadows. Rogue vampires, working with the rogue wolves.
I felt a jolt of surprise. Wolf and vampire alliances were unheard of, let alone rogue vampires and rogue wolves working together. Something was very wrong.
I linked my warriors, my voice clear and commanding. "Vampires in the shadows! Stay alert, some of you stay in wolf form, some shift to human form and I mindlink our high Elder to summon Daggers for us immediately.
The warriors responded instantly, some shifting to human form, daggers at the ready, while others remained in wolf form, teeth bared. Mark stayed in his wolf form kava, his massive body a blur as he tore into the rogues. Josh shifted into his human form, his dagger flashing silver as he took down a vampire lurking in the shadows.
I shifted into my human form, my dagger gripped tight in my hand. The air was thick with the scent of blood and sweat as we fought. Rogue vampires emerged from the darkness, their eyes glowing red in the night. I felt a surge of adrenaline as I fought, my dagger slicing through the air.
But as we fought, I couldn't shake the feeling that this was just a distraction. A distraction from what, I didn't know.
And then, it hit me. My mate.
"No," I growled, fear clawing at my chest. Nobody knows about her, not even our parents. I'd made sure of that.
But what if...what if this was about her?
My distraction cost me. A rogue vampire lunged, its fangs biting down my shoulder. I felt the searing pain of its bite, the venom spreading like wildfire through my veins.
I fell to my knees, screaming as the venom burned through me. My vision blurred, and I saw black spots dancing before my eyes.
Sofia..." I whispered, my voice barely audible.