Damon
My hands struck the rough surface of the old, dried-out tree, each blow driven by a fierce anger that echoed in every breath I took. The cool air felt heavy as I envisioned Romin's face, the person who caused the profound sorrows I had experienced in my lifetime. Losing my mother, father, and unborn child burdened my heart—a sad tune that played continuously in my thoughts.
I could feel the warmth of my blood mixing with the dirt under my tightly closed fists, but the physical pain was nothing compared to the torment engraved in my spirit. Each hit on the tree represented the revenge building up inside me, an unstoppable storm searching for a way to release the pain dwelling in my chest. How long would I keep training nonstop? I didn’t know. All I wanted was to make myself stronger so I could seek justice against Romin for all the vile things he had done to me and my family.
“Boss, Ryan’s back. I think he's got something,” Gary, one of the trackers of the Wild Fang, uttered. Since my dad died, the leadership of the group was transferred to me. His men were more than willing to let me lead them, as they also shared their version of torment experienced at the hands of the fake Alpha of the Blood Rose Pack.
“Tell him to meet me inside Dad’s tent,” I answered. Gary left carrying my message as I went to the stream to wash off the sweat and dirt mixing up on the surface of my body.
I scooted down, watching my reflection being distorted as I scooped the cold water onto my face. The refreshing feeling I felt was a momentary escape from the lingering pain present in my body since the day of the attack, yet I couldn’t help but be thankful for the distraction it provided. I continued to do this until I felt another presence at my back. It was Ashford.
“Damon, we need to talk,” he stated. I paused for a moment before answering.
“About what?”
“About your wife.”
“What about her?” I asked nonchalantly. Ashford scoffed, bewildered by the way I responded.
“Look, I know that you are grieving the loss of Roman and your child, but that didn’t give you the right to neglect Serena. She is grieving too. The least you can do is be there for her.”
Hearing that, I growled and immediately grabbed his collar in anger. “Are you telling me that I am a bad husband?”
“Of course not. What I am saying is, how long are you going to neglect Serena? How long are you going to ignore her pain? Serena needs you. She cannot survive this alone.”
I continued to stare into Ashford's eyes, sensing the weight of truth in his words. He was correct; my intense focus on the idea of killing Romin led me to spend less time with Serena. I understood she needed me now, but how could I support her when I couldn't even support myself? I am a wreck after that attack. I couldn't provide her with what she needed at this moment because I didn't have it within me as well.
How could I give her something that I do not possess?
“Look, I cared for you and Serena as both of you are my friends. All I want is for your relationship to be better, as I could see that this issue had been taking its toll on both of you.”
With that, Ashford walked away, leaving me to ponder in my thoughts. So, I finished washing myself and prepared myself in meeting Ryan.
I entered my Dad’s tent that served as our meeting place. I saw Ryan, fresh from his mission, as well as other leaders of our group, stood up to greet me. Ryan and a few of our men went to the Blood Rose Pack to spy on Romin, hoping to get some invaluable information that we could use against him.
“Tell me about your mission,” I started the discussion. Ryan nodded and began to deliver the news.
“Our men inside the Blood Rose are bringing in more men that will fight for our cause. The most notable one being the head of Agriculture.”
“So, Council Ed was fed up with Romin’s bullshit, eh?” I smirked. For us, it was a major victory. Us having an ally inside the council members of the Blood Rose meant that we are one step closer to our goal.
“But, there’s more,” Ryan exclaimed. He took a deep breath before continuing. “We just heard that his bride-to-be is pregnant.”
“Pregnant?! No! No!!!!”
My hands squeezed tight and slammed the table upon hearing the news. The words felt heavy, making it hard to breathe. A bitter taste filled my mouth hearing that Romin’s whore, Tori, was bearing his child. It was like fate was playing a mean trick, mocking me at every turn.
I felt anger rising inside me, like a storm ready to burst. The man I hated the most had achieved what I couldn't. Romin, the proud fool who wanted a child to carry on his name, now celebrating the upcoming arrival of his own. Meanwhile, I had to face the harsh truth that I would never get to see my child born into this world because of him.
Thinking about that, I lashed out in anger, throwing everything I got my hands into. Ryan, Gary, and some other wolves attempted to stop the raging anger surfacing on me.
“Let me go! I will kill that jerk! I will kill him!!!”
Ryan tried to put sense on me. “Calm down, Damon! You will have your chance. But now, you need to control yourself. If you act recklessly, everything we did to bring Romin down will be put in vain!”
Hearing that, my breathing steadied. Slowly, the tension I felt inside my body had settled down. Now is not the time to be emotional. Ryan was right; I would have my chance on enacting my vengeance. But until then, I would need to be patient.
After all, a fruit that was ripe from the tree was the sweetest of all.