Chapter 47: ⁴⁷: going back

The strength seemed to drain from my legs. For a moment, I felt as though I could no longer remain standing.

That cursed dagger... It hadn’t only taken my wolf away from me. If the curse wasn’t cured in time...It would take my life as well.

"What are you saying?!" Damian’s furious voice shattered the heavy silence.

Before I could react, he stepped in front of me, instinctively pulling me behind him as though shielding me from the very words Master Mayeel had spoken.

His entire body was tense.

"If there was a threat like this, my grandmother would’ve told us," he snapped, his eyes blazing with anger. "Are you working with that bastard Harry?"

He took another step forward. "I’m warning you... if you’re trying to deceive us, the first murder I commit in this pack will be yours."

His voice was so cold and filled with fury that my eyes widened in shock.

"Damian!"

I immediately grabbed his arm and pulled him back before he could move any closer to Master Mayeel.

"What are you doing?" I scolded, placing myself between the two of them. "Master Mayeel would never do anything to hurt me."

I looked up at Damian, my expression firm despite the exhaustion weighing on me.

"Be respectful to him."

Damian just froze. For a few long seconds, he remained silent before finally letting out a frustrated breath.

He slowly stepped back and dropped into the nearby chair, running both hands through his hair before burying his face in them.

My head pounded relentlessly. Everything was happening too fast. First, I had learned that the curse inside me would eventually kill me. Now Damian was making it even worse and the dull ache in my abdomen seemed to grow stronger with every passing minute, making it increasingly difficult to ignore.

Once the room fell quiet once again and I was certain Damian wouldn’t say anything else, I turned back toward Master Mayeel.

"I’m sorry, Master Mayeel," I said sincerely. "Please don’t take his words to heart."

A painful tightness settled in my chest. I understood why Damian had reacted the way he had. He was just as shocked as I was.

He wanted to believe there had to be another explanation. But... That still wasn’t the way he should have spoken to the man who had cared for me since I was a child.

"It’s alright, my child," Master Mayeel replied gently.

He glanced toward Damian, who still sat with his face hidden behind his hands. "I don’t blame him." A faint, understanding smile crossed the old man’s face. "He was only worried about you."

I nodded quietly.

Taking a slow breath, I tried to organise the storm of thoughts racing through my mind.

"Master Mayeel..."

I hesitated before speaking.

"I came here believing that if I revealed myself to the pack, Harry wouldn’t be able to keep his position as Alpha, even if he’s illegally holding my Alpha Tally."

I looked into the elder’s eyes, searching desperately for hope.

"But now... Do you still think I should do that?"

Master Mayeel sighed deeply.

The sadness in his eyes was enough to make my heart sink before he even spoke.

"My child..." He slowly shook his head. "Doing that now would be nothing short of suicide."

His words struck me like a physical blow.

"Even if you stood before every member of the pack and told them the truth, they wouldn’t be able to help you."

His voice grew heavier. "Harry has become far too powerful for you to confront at this moment. He commands a vast army."

The room fell silent.

"And you..." His gaze dropped briefly before returning to mine. "...no longer have your wolf."

Those final words echoed painfully through my mind. For the first time... I truly understood just how impossible my situation had become.

I couldn’t help but clench my fists. Pain and helplessness swirled inside me with every word Master Mayeel spoke.

The worst part was... I agreed with him.

Dealing with Harry was no longer as simple as I had imagined. The moment he had allied himself with those mysterious dark magic users, everything had changed. He wasn’t merely a traitor anymore.

He had become someone I couldn’t hope to defeat in my current state.

"If you ask me," Master Mayeel said gently, "your priority should be finding a cure for the dark magic flowing through your body. Only then would I advise you to think about bringing Harry to the justice he deserves."

He stepped closer before resting a gentle hand on my head.

The familiar gesture reminded me so much of Dad that, for a brief moment, the storm raging inside my heart seemed to quiet.

"I’m powerless to heal your wounds, my child," he continued softly. "But my instincts tell me that you will overcome these trials."

A warm smile appeared on his weathered face. "And one day... You will reclaim everything that rightfully belongs to you."

His unwavering faith made my chest tighten. Every word he spoke was filled with hope. With belief, belief... in me.

Instead of easing the burden on my shoulders, it only made me feel the full weight of everything that had been taken from me.

"I’ve never told you this before, my child..." Master Mayeel said after a long pause.

He drew in a slow breath, as though weighing every word carefully. "...but your birth was meant for a great purpose."

I stared at him in confusion.

"Alpha Steven always tried to keep you away from your destiny because he wanted to protect you."

His gaze softened. "But destiny is inevitable. No matter how desperately people try to escape it..it always finds its way."

A strange sensation stirred deep within me. It was unlike anything I had ever felt before.

My heartbeat quickened, and an inexplicable pull settled inside my chest, urging me to ask more.

A great purpose? A destiny? Had Dad been hiding something from me?

Questions flooded my mind all at once. What was this destiny? What had Dad been trying so hard to protect me from?

"Master Mayeel..." I began, unable to suppress my curiosity any longer. "What did Dad—"

"Master Mayeel!"

A loud voice suddenly echoed from the other side of the door.

"Why are you still awake?"

The sudden knocking made all three of us freeze.

The pounding on the wooden door grew louder, echoing through the quiet room.

"It must be the guards," Master Mayeel whispered urgently. "They’ve probably become suspicious."

His expression immediately turned serious. "Quick! Both of you, hide in the inner room."

Without wasting another second, Damian grabbed my wrist, and we hurried toward the adjoining room that served as Master Mayeel’s bedroom.

The moment we stepped inside, Master Mayeel quietly closed the door behind us before locking it from the outside to make everything appear completely ordinary.

The room fell silent. All we could hear were muffled voices drifting in from the other side of the door.

Master Mayeel was speaking to the guards.

I stood there anxiously, my eyes fixed on the closed door, silently praying they wouldn’t search the room.

A moment later, Damian gently pulled me farther away from the entrance, making sure we stayed out of sight in case the door was opened.

"Are you sure..." he whispered, lowering his voice almost to nothing, "...that he was telling the truth?"

He subtly nodded toward the door so I would understand he was referring to Master Mayeel.

I looked at him and nodded without hesitation.

"Yes."

There wasn’t even the slightest doubt in my mind.

"Master Mayeel is the most respected elder in our pack," I whispered back. "He would never lie to me."

I knew the kind of man he was. He had watched me grow up. He had stood beside my father through countless hardships and had always treated me as though I were his own granddaughter.

I trusted him completely. But as I looked at Damian, I understood why he remained cautious.

Unlike me, he had only just met Master Mayeel. In a situation where betrayal had already cost me so much, it was only natural for him to view everyone with suspicion.

"Okay... even if he’s right," Damian said, his eyes darkening with restrained anger. "Then why don’t I go tonight and kill that bastard myself?"

His voice was cold, every word laced with fury.

"It’s already driving me insane knowing that the person responsible for everything you’re going through is still out there... breathing."

My eyes widened. The seriousness in his expression told me he wasn’t joking this time. He truly intended to do it.

"No, Damian!" Without thinking, I grabbed both of his arms. "You are not doing anything like that!"

Fear tightened around my heart at the mere thought of him confronting Harry alone.

"Didn’t you hear what Master Mayeel said?" I continued desperately. "Harry isn’t just the Alpha of our pack anymore. Things are much more complicated than that now."

I tightened my grip on his sleeves. "I’ll never allow you to put yourself in danger because of me."

My voice trembled despite my best efforts to remain calm. There was no doubt that I wanted justice. No one wanted Harry to pay more than I did.

I wanted to reclaim everything that had been stolen from me.

But...

Not at the cost of someone else’s life. Especially not Damian’s. He had already done so much for me. I couldn’t bear the thought of him getting hurt because of a battle that should have been mine.

"But, Athena..." Damian looked at me, disbelief filling his dark eyes. "After coming all this way... are we really just going to leave? Just like that?"

His words hung heavily in the silence between us. Slowly, I released my grip on his arms. My hands fell limply to my sides as I lifted my gaze to meet his.

For a brief moment, neither of us spoke.

Then I took a slow, steady breath.

"No, Damian." My voice was quiet, but unwavering. "I won’t leave just like that."