Pleasing the Heartless Alpha...

62. The Bartering Risks...

Damon's POV;

I never intended to be this happy. Never thought Id be with someone who could make me so happy and feel so ridiculously stupid in her presence. I was a fool to ignore what was given before me for some ego and now Im trying to make every wrong right.

I began with every bias, sexist and discriminative law I had enforced. It costed me in the millions but to loose a few sheets of paper was nothing to make up for what I forcefully broke. Trust. My Pack was always about divide and conquer, the lording Beta's making their entitlements upon on the lesser members and spreading this corrupt net of power I never knew existed. It ceased to be of course, but the amount of backlash was tiring.

There'd be times when Id not see Nora for 2-4 days. She'd call and sometimes show up to the office but Id have her ushered her quickly before another lording Beta could come barging in through my doors. It was never a pretty sight, something the mother of my children should never have to witness.

Kaden was having it the roughest after me, decapitating heads more so often than doing inquiries. The Heads were always fighting new members who challenged our authority, we feared an riot or worse but this had to come to a stop. We rallied allies in case, those who'd be in favor of our change rather then choose those street thugs. Being the biggest Pack of North America did have its setbacks and now I'd have to face them.

I kept most of it all hidden from Nora's knowledge, feeling the guilt like a stabbing pain. She wouldn't have want violence, ever, especially since it was reason her parents fell. The uprising, oh gods. Though, back then, my Pack was never apart of that fire, I cant say we weren't responsible. To stir the crowd of SilverRoses Beta Ranon was the one to spark that kernel of doubt among them, deploying spies to become members and begin it all. That traitor Gamma to lead the SilverRose into rebellion was on a direct payroll by no one other than my father. The previous Alpha of the RedBlood's wanted to gain child custody of the children and seize the land. He was going to kill them all, Nora my Mate included and had killed his best friend Alpha Nathan to gain some material land.

I cant bring myself to tell Nora. Or her brothers or anyone. When I had found the old Pack border outlines and documents did I realize they were of the SilverRose Pack and confronted Ranon who told me everything. The way he manipulated it into my 10 year self's mind was disgusting, he made it sound like I was doing a favor to my parents if I got a hold the land because it's what they would've wanted. I'm glad Kaden dealt with him, by using Leila as a mean though I knew she was resentful to Kaden about it.

Nora is the one thing left to be alive for, to risk everything for but to barter her and our twins in doing so is not something Ill do. Ever. Today marks a whole month of her pregnancy, her swelling stomach worrying me too much to think of anything else. Pregnancy could heighten a Mate's need to serve and protect and make us on the edge like no other. I swore Id lay my life down for her if need be. Heartwarming as it may be to know we'll be parents in a while, its terrifying to think she'll need to be in this Pack for me to be protect.

And what happened with Stephanie that day and her role when Nora went missing, it only made me eager to end all those low-life bastards.
...

Nora's POV;

I was famished, and in dire need of a snack. Damon was away like always, this time to train with Kaden and Hunter but made no hesitation to leave me with an army of guards. Loyal Warriors he said, some of Carter's men. I only rolled my eyes, I didnt see why he was so paranoid. Nothing major was happening, maybe besides the a few handful of laws changed but that's about it. I didnt get the fuss and hadnt bother to say anything. We even moved back to the capital for awhile he promised, something to do with the Heads committee even as I snorted at its name.