Shifters

Chapter 40

Everything became numb within a second, the silence rushed into Damian's ears like a train without brakes. He turned away, unable to understand the words, it was like a foreign language, and yet, it was the dread of the impending horror finally upon him.

"You're lying." He muttered.

"No, and I'm glad for it. They deserved to burn."

"Dad!" Kayla gasped.

"But, Raul said he told--"

"Raul was unconscious when I launched the attack, a lot of blood was spilled before he woke up and begged me to reconsider, explaining how your brother paired with the hunters, and you were so 'noble' in rushing to save my daughter to prevent this very thing. But you see, Kevin is still Serius, and I had specifically promised that if anyone in your pack hurt a Pelisian, I'd burn you all to the ground."

Damian took a shaky breath, still unable to believe. The cold, nothingness he felt hurt him more than the anxiety that had been boiling within. "Our law states that the moment a wolf betrays his pack, he is forever disowned. He's unprotected by us, as well as not liable to us. We should not have paid for his crimes."

"Well, as far as I was concerned, Kevin was as much Serius when he joined the hunters as when his ugly ass was born."

Damian glared at him, not for the insult, but for the haughtiness of Anthony. "Ancient lobain laws, set by Bermuda herself, clearly state that Alphas must confer together before warring their packs against each other! You and my father would've established Kevin as a common enemy!"

"Sometimes, Ancient rulings have no place in modern justice." Anthony sighed as if growing bored.

"Do you hear yourself?" Kayla squeaked.

She was invisible in the exchange between the two males, and it scared her. She didn't know her father anymore, the noble, fair leader was gone. In the amber eyes she shared with him, there was no remorse, and no registry for her in them, only cruel triumph as he seared through Damian's spirit.

"You should hurry back to your side. A few survived and they've been wandering around aimlessly for a couple days. I've never seen the effects of no alpha, it's quite pathetic." Anthony assured with a heartless tone.

Damian's eyebrows knitted together in confusion for a second, his shock made him slow in processing everything. Then his entire face spread out, and his chest began to rise and fall with acceleration as he put each piece together.

"My father--?

"Dead. He's finally with your mother, in hell."

"NO!" Damian snarled, and he charged forward, blinded with sharp tears, his jaw tilted for a throat to bite and rip through. Anthony sidestepped him, dragging Kayla with him and using his elbow to give a small push, and Damian's momentum did everything else to send him sprawled on the floor.

He whipped his head back at them, his lips curled over his huge spiked teeth, panting loudly like a wild animal. The pupils in his viridian eyes had shrunk to the point of a pin.

"Look at you, succumbing to your ancestor's savagery. You're all a disease."

"You provoked me! Anyone would have reacted!"

"A sensible lobain alpha would be thinking of his pack. Not his hurt feelings."

Damian exhaled, twisting his head to the black, flattened side of the valley. The home he'd been raised in. He scrambled to his feet and raced toward it, without looking back. Anthony watched with a pleased smirk, taking notice of the cowardice Damian seemed to have by scampering off like a mouse to his hole. Kayla swiped his hand off her shoulder, not minding the claws she'd let out and causing four fresh scratches on her father.