Page 63 of Forced Alpha Bride
“No,” I answer. “We aren’t going to war.”
“Damon,” Mitchell says, getting up and coming over to us. “I understand, I really do. You feel like they are part of you because your father came from there. But did you know him?”
“No,” I answer.
“Did you live there at all?”
“No.”
“Then I think you need to consider the possibility that we know more than you,” he says. “We have been in conflict with Valentine Creek for generations. We know what we’re talking about, and a good leader would take this into account.”
“My uncle was from Valentine Creek,” I tell him. “He raised me after my mother died. Did you know that?”
“No,” Mitchell says, his face blank.
“He told me a lot of things about the feud. Things maybe you don’t even know.”
“A mad old man living in the middle of the woods,” Regina scoffs. “You’re really going to take his word?”
“Regina,” I say, turning to her as she strides towards me. “Don’t push. The town has taken a hit. A lot of people are mourning, and we need to rebuild—”
“What we need is to attack!” she yells. “We need to finish them off, once and for all, before they can come at us again.”
“Even if I wanted to do that,” I answer, controlling my anger with difficulty, “there’s no one left to send out. Everyone has been on duty all night, and I’ve told them to rest. We can send scouts out in a couple of hours at best.”
Regina shudders as if I just struck her and takes a few steps back. “I trust you’ll organize a time to debrief and reassess,” she says. “I want full communication, and I expect action to be taken by the end of today.”
Looks like Flint might not get his six-hour nap.
“It will be done,” I say, looking around at the elders. Their expressions of deep sadness move me. Even Regina’s anger has an effect on me. Suddenly, I don’t feel so sure about my intended course of action.
I wanted to walk into Valentine Creek and offer peace… but what if they really did do this? I’d be betraying everyone. My friends, my pack, and Winnie.
Chapter 19 - Winnie
While I watch Damon talking to the council, a cold knot of fear in my guts slowly starts to bleed out until I’m frozen from head to foot.
What is going on right now?
I expected Damon to immediately mobilize. For the investigation, if not a full-on attack.
People are actually dead, and he’s not going to send out warriors?
The cold horror inside me starts to dissolve as fiery nerves shoot through my stomach, sending electric shivers of anxiety running over my skin.
We’ve slept together. I’m stuck with him now!
I can’t draw air into my lungs, and the world spins around me a little as I realize Damon might be a villain. And now not only am I chained to him forever—he has full control of Gryphon Eyrie.
What have I done?
Damon and Regina are still facing off, and I’m a step behind Damon, so I can’t see his face. But I can see Regina, and she looks so completely furious, I wouldn’t be surprised if she called the alpha’s challenge right then and there.
And who would I support? Do I want to stay married to Damon?
“We cannot wait, Alpha,” Regina says, her voice stern. “Maybe you don’t understand the urgency of the situation. If you don’t want to organize an attack, then perhaps I can understand,given that we have been weakened, but you must begin your investigation immediately.”
“As I said, I’ve just sent the others to rest—” Damon replied.
