CHAPTER 118: 118 - A PROMISE

118

~Damon’s POV

The morning light was sharp when it slipped through the narrow gap in my curtains, cutting across my face. I groaned, rolling over and pulling the blanket tighter around me. I’d chosen to sleep in my room last night instead of the shared family quarters. I wasn’t in the mood to deal with my brothers, not their questions, not their snide comments, and not another round of pointless arguments.

I stared at the ceiling for a while, listening to the faint sounds of the pack house waking up, footsteps in the hall, doors closing, the faint clink of dishes from the kitchen. My chest felt heavy. I didn’t even want to go to the council meeting today, but skipping it would only give Kael and Rowan more room to run their mouths.

After a few minutes of dragging myself through my morning routine, I headed to the council chamber.

The air inside was... different. Tighter. Heavy. The elders were already seated around the long table, their faces calm but their eyes sharp. I knew they felt it too, the tension that had been brewing between me and my brothers. You could almost taste it in the air.

Kael was sitting at one end of the table, his jaw clenched but his expression calm enough to pass for polite. Rowan sat a little further down, leaning back with that smug, lazy posture of his, like nothing in the world could rattle him.

I took my seat slowly, my eyes flicking between them. No one said a word about the tension. No one asked why we hadn’t been seen together much lately. The elders just... carried on.

One of them cleared his throat.

"Let us begin," he said.

The meeting dragged on, though not for long. They skimmed over the issues, border patrol, supply distribution, and a few trade agreements with neighboring packs. I could tell they were intentionally keeping it short. They didn’t want to be caught in the middle of whatever was going on between us.

Just when I thought we were about to wrap up, Rowan shifted forward in his seat.

"There’s one more thing," he said smoothly, his voice carrying across the room.

I narrowed my eyes. I didn’t like that tone.

Rowan turned his attention to one of the elders, not just any elder, but Belinda’s father, our beta. The man straightened slightly, probably wondering what Rowan was about to say.

"We’ve decided," Rowan began, "that it’s time to make things official. Belinda will be crowned as Luna at the next full moon."

The words hit me like a punch. I blinked at him, my mind struggling to catch up.

"What?" I asked sharply.

Rowan didn’t flinch. He kept his eyes on Belinda’s father.

"She’s already been by our side, fulfilling most of the duties. It’s time to give her the title."

My voice rose. "You’ve decided? Without me?"

Kael finally looked up, his gaze cold. "It’s not like you’ve been around much lately, Damon. Someone had to make a decision."

"That’s not your call to make alone," I shot back. "We’re supposed to discuss things like this together."

Rowan leaned back again, still calm, too calm. "We did discuss it. You just weren’t here to listen."

I laughed once, bitterly. "Don’t twist this. You never mentioned a thing to me. Not once."

Belinda’s father shifted uncomfortably, his eyes darting between us. "If I may..."

"No," I cut in, pointing at Rowan. "You tell me why you thought it was okay to announce something this big in front of the council without even asking me first."

Rowan’s jaw tightened. "Because we’re tired of waiting for you to make a move. You’ve been dragging your feet, Damon. The pack needs a Luna."

I slammed my hand on the table. "The pack needs leaders who respect each other’s voices, not ones who make backroom decisions!"

Kael’s voice was colder now. "You’re acting like a child."

I turned on him. "And you’re acting like a dictator."

The room went quiet. The elders sat frozen, clearly uncomfortable but unwilling to interfere.

Belinda’s father finally spoke again, cautiously. "Perhaps... we should step back and talk about this privately."

But Rowan ignored him. "This isn’t about you, Damon. It’s about the pack. And whether you like it or not, Belinda has earned this."

I shook my head slowly, my anger simmering under my skin. "This is about power, Rowan. Don’t dress it up like it’s some noble act."

Kael stood suddenly, his chair scraping against the floor. "We’re done here."

I stood too, my eyes locked on his. "No. We’re far from done."

Rowan raised his hand, signaling for calm, but his voice was firm. "The decision is made. Next full moon, Belinda becomes Luna."

My chest tightened. "Not if I have anything to say about it."

Kael smirked faintly. "Then you’d better start showing up for more than just arguments."

I clenched my fists, every muscle in my body tense. The elders were whispering now, probably deciding whether this was about to explode into something physical.

I stared at Rowan, my hands curling into fists before I even realized it.

"She’s your pick, not mine."

Rowan slammed his palm on the table. "This isn’t about your pick! You’ve been avoiding your duties, picking fights with everyone, locking yourself away in that personal room of yours like you’re not even part of this family, and running after that useless human. We needed to act."

I leaned forward, my voice rising. "You needed to act, or you just wanted to push me out? Is that what this is? You’ve been waiting for a chance to do it."

Kael glared. "Stop making this about you."

"How can I not?" I barked. "You’re talking about crowning a Luna without my input. That’s my future too, whether you like it or not."

The elders shifted uncomfortably, their eyes darting between us. One of them cleared his throat. "Perhaps we should...."

"Stay out of this," I snapped, and my eyes went back to Rowan.

Kael stood, his voice booming. "You’ve been nothing but a thorn lately. And now, when we’re trying to make progress, you show up ready to fight us like we’re enemies."

I got to my feet too, leaning over the table. "Maybe I wouldn’t be fighting you if you had discussed this with me. Or have you both forgotten I’m just as much an Alpha as you are?"

Rowan’s lips curled in a cold smile. "An Alpha who runs after a human? You’ve made your choice, Damon. And so have we."

"I’m not agreeing to this," I said firmly.

Kael crossed his arms. "You don’t have to agree. The decision is made."

The air grew heavy. My wolf clawed at me from the inside, growling at their arrogance. "You think you can just push this through without me?" I said, my voice dropping low.

Rowan’s tone turned deadly. "We don’t think, Damon. We know."

"I’m not leaving," I said finally, my voice cold. "You can plan your little coronation if you want, but I’m not stepping aside. If you think you can force this without me, then be ready for a fight you won’t win."

Kael’s eyes narrowed. "Is that a threat?"

"It’s a promise."