Half-Blooded | The Dark Child Prophecy Series [✔️]

Chapter 50: Howl

Twenty minutes later, I noticed Jason nod to Thomas and the redhead jumped into action. He headed up the steps of the platform again to motion to my aunt and uncle. Eris smiled at him and nodded. She turned to Jason a few seats away, smiled again, and bowed her head in respect. When she stood, Alphonse followed suit. He looked at us kids and, like trained soldiers, we got to our feet.

I waited for Eris and Alphonse to step down the dais before I turned to follow just behind Nikolas and Sarita, Gabriel and Krystal in front of them. Thomas fell into my shadow dutifully. I glanced over my shoulder to see Jason stand up on the dais and the wolves in the room were at attention again. When I reached the large double doors, I paused, standing off to one side to watch.

"Serenity, c'mon, you don't need to be here," Thomas murmured as he stepped around behind me.

"No, I want to see this," I answered him. "If you can't stay, go ahead. I wouldn't blame you. Influenced changing hurts."

Thomas sighed, and I rolled my eyes discreetly. I watched as the diplomats and alpha families began to get out of their chairs to stand on the ballroom floor. Jason undid his tie and slipped out of his jacket; the other men in the room began to do the same. He raised his head and closed his eyes, breathing in deeply as he undid the buttons of his shirt and vest, and they slid to join the tuxedo coat on the floor of the dais. I inhaled as I felt the moon high pull through him, making my muscles shudder.

I clenched my jaw when he released his dominance on the room, my hands tightening into fists. There were howls of excitement and barking as some began to melt forward onto all fours, changing into their wolf bodies. I looked up to see Vraal standing in front of his seat, watching. He grinned and I caught sight of who he used to be, when Victoria was alive. More voices rose into a full melody as they continued to change. My inner wolf fought to be let out, and my shoulders tensed as the darkness slipped into my throat. I hadn't fought to keep control in a long time.

"Serenity," Thomas warned softly, and I could hear the strain in his voice.

"I'm coming," I whispered, turning away to go upstairs. I gripped Tom's arm and pulled him with me as I tried to block out Jason's alpha influence. "C'mon," I told him as I pulled him towards the steps.

He shivered and I squeezed his forearm tighter. Thomas sighed as we began to ascend the steps. "Thank you," he murmured.

"For what?" I asked as I used my free hand to hold onto the banister.

"For cancelling out his dominance," he answered me.

I frowned and looked up at him. "Sorry, I don't follow," I said as I picked up the hem of my dress.

"With your influence matching Jason's, you can choose whether or not it overpowers his. You let your composure filter into your influence and that allowed me to stay in control," he explained, gesturing for the doors to the alpha floor.

"Oh," I answered, my eyebrows rising. I noticed Canaan waiting outside the double doors, standing in an at-ease position. One of Eris's guards stood on the other side. "That's a good little piece of information to know."

He chuckled and opened one of the doors for me to go inside. "You're learning. It just takes time to know the parameters of your abilities."

I smiled at him and nodded to Canaan as I passed, heading for the other end of the corridor. "Seems like it's an unending train of new experiences," I said. I slipped between the next set of doors as we reached them. The second hall had two more guards in place who hadn't been there before. I frowned, surprised.

"Jason made a comment to me when he and Alpha Kipling finished talking to Alpha Bellamy and Longstaff," Tom added, as if knowing my sudden worry. "And I think it's a smart move for now. Just for tonight and tomorrow. After the coronation celebration, we'll be able to go back to our normal procedures when the pack alphas leave."