Alpha's wolfless Luna

Chapter 5.: Welcome home

“Welcome home, Damian.” Alpha Dagon opened the mind-link to Damian once he crossed the borders of the territory and his presence appeared in Alpha’s mind. Dagon expected good news upon Damian’s arrival, with an excitement boiling inside of his veins, relentlessly awaiting the return of the runaway girl.

“Thank you, Alpha. I came to give you a report.” Damian replied to him, his inner voice expressing the expectancy of punishment for bringing bad news. Dagon didn’t need to hear the report anymore. The tone of Damian’s voice during this terse conversation told him everything he needed to know.

Animalistic growls echoed through the entire area, carried miles away on wind into the wilderness, echoing across the mountain towering above the pack at north. Damian stopped for a second as the growl of his Alpha reached even to him, despite being several miles away from the pack itself. For a brief moment, he hesitated, but running away wasn’t an option for him. Damian was a Beta of the Nightfall Bloodhound pack. The pack of strong and proud warriors. He didn’t fear the battle, he didn’t fear death so there shouldn’t be a reason to fear the Alpha. He failed the task Alpha gave him and he returned, knowing the punishment would be inevitable.

Damian took a deep breath before he picked up his pace once again, heading straight to the pack. It didn’t take long before he arrived at the wall which separated the inner part of the pack territory from the outside world. The border which was f*******n for the majority of the population to cross. Only those trusted and strongest were allowed to cross this border. To get to this side of the wall.

The guards behind the wall opened the gate shortly before Damian arrived, patiently awaiting him to enter so they could close and seal the gate once again. Alpha must have informed them about his arrival, which was nothing surprising. Damian slightly lowered his pace as he arrived at the square in the middle of the small town.

Alpha’s castle was right at the foot of the mountain to the north, partly carved right into the mountain itself. Damian lifted his eyes, looking at the majestic monument, which he didn’t see for the past half a year. Nothing had changed during his absence, yet he felt the weight of the place, the domineering power of his Alpha coming from the castle.

The guards standing in front of the main door to the castle handed a bag of clothes. Damian shifted on the spot, putting on the clothes which were granted to him directly from Alpha. No one else would prepare the clothes for him right after he arrived. Damian knew exactly it was a silent invitation Alpha sent him, expecting the full report about his failure.

Damian refused to let his Alpha wait any longer, knowing that every passing second fed the anger and wilderness Alpha felt.

The hall leading to the reception room was long. Longer than Damian remembered. Maybe it was because of his long absence or because of the shame with the guilt he felt inside, slightly unwilling to see the Alpha. Servants at the end of the hall announce Damian’s presence and open the door for him. Alpha sat in his chair, right at the end of the huge room. They were alone. Dagon dismissed all servants since Damian failed to bring her, he feared to feed the servants the hope of successfully escaping slave.

“Half a year and yet you are still coming empty-handed.” Alpha's deep, rough voice echoed through the room, bringing a chill down Damian’s spine. The weight of his words pushed him to his knees, although Dagon didn’t use his Alpha tone yet.

“Please, Alpha, forgive me for my incompetence.” Damian spoke loudly and clearly, keeping his tone under control. He knew he made mistakes and expected nothing else than punishment from his Alpha, but he faced it with dignity and strength for which Alpha cherished and respected him.

Dagon stood up from his chair, heading straight toward Damian. Each step echoed in the room like thunder. The atmosphere got darker as Dagon slowly walked towards Damian, stopping only one step in front of a kneeling Beta.

“Stand up.” Dagon used his Alpha tone, knowing Damian would most likely refuse to stand up and face Alpha since, for anyone else, it would mean direct death. Damian had no other choice but to obey Alpha’s order. He didn’t look into Alpha’s eyes, realizing he was flying over the room, crashing into the wall behind him. Damian heard only a c***k of the bones the moment the wall stopped him, which kept echoing through his ears together with a high-pitched whistle. The pain filling every corner of his body pushed him slowly down onto the ground. His mind went for a moment before he heard his Alpha’s voice again.

“Stand up.” Alpha ordered again. Despite the pain filling every muscle, the burning sensation slowly eating Damian from inside, he stood up, supporting himself over the wall before he took one hesitant step forward, hoping he would end up again on the ground. Step by step he walked back to where Alpha stood only to be sent back flying once again. The second blow is even stronger than the first one.

Damian ended up on the ground, coughing blood as he held his stomach. He burned from inside as the blood from ruptured veins and organs kept flooding his body from inside. Damian knew those injuries weren’t fatal. Unless Alpha pierces his heart, cuts off his head or uses silver or wolfsbane, he would recover.

Dagon didn’t give the third order. Damian began collecting himself before Dagon could even open his mouth. This was the second blow, and Damian knew what that meant. He needed to withstand the third one, the last one, for his punishment to be over. Only a few of the warriors survived the punishment of three hits, but this was the second time Damian faced this punishment.

The blood poured down his face from the head as he landed on the wall. He heard the c***k of his skull from the impact. The sound echoed in his ears together with a high pitch whistle from the contusion caused by the impact.

Dagon looked at his Beta, strolling back to his place right in front of the Alpha. His legs barely hold the weight of his body. He got weaker over the past half a year, Dagon thought to himself.

It took only a second for Damian to stand in front of the Alpha before the third and last blow landed, sending him flying across the room for the third time. His cracked skull, which couldn’t heal over the short time, cracked completely, covering Damian’s entire head in blood. His breath became shallow as his lungs burned, unable to properly inhale from the blood filling his chest as well. Damian was burning inside. The fire eats alive despite his wolf doing his best to heal the most critical injuries first, while trying to protect his partner from death.

Dagon stood firmly, calmly as he inhaled and exhaled deeply. He observed Damian for a second before he linked to the pack doctor and ordered him to come immediately to the reception hall. He took another deep breath, before his steps carried him over to the Damian.

“You did well. Once your wounds are healed, I expect a full report.” Dagon told him, placing the hand on his shoulder. Just as he was about to stand up from Damian's bleeding Damian, the Doctor entered the room, rushing straight to Damian. He didn’t have to ask what was going on. The fresh wounds on his body spoke for themselves. The doctor had known these injuries very well, but until now, Damian was the only one surviving this punishment.

“Treat him well.” Dagon ordered the doctor. Doctor only briefly replied, giving his full attention to Damian, who seemed to be in a critical condition. From the dark bluish marks on his belly the doctor knew Damian had inner bleeding. He had a deep wound on his head. The only thing he could do right now was to puncture his lungs, to suck the excessive blood and give his body the chance to take a breath, which he desperately needed. The other wounds would heal by itself over a time.

Once the basic procedure was done and Damian could finally breathe freely, the doctor let two other guys from his clinic enter the room with the stretcher to bring Damian to the clinic. Dagon watched the full scenery in front of him before he returned to his chair, speaking no other word.

His mind went back to the time when he punished Damian for the first time. She was his responsibility. He was supposed to keep her locked in his room on her eighteenth birthday. A present which Dagon gifted to himself. Despite her impure blood, her beauty was mesmerizing, but what attracted him more was her spirit. Deep inside, she was a warrior. During the five years of her s*****y, her humiliations, she never wavered. She had always stood firmly on her two legs, ready to challenge anyone in the pack, including him. He looked forward to breaking her spirit, forcing her into submission. The day she reached her eighteen, she was supposed to be taken by him, but Damian lost her and let her escape. Just as he was about to get her, she escaped through his fingers. That was the first time he punished Damian this way. He put his frustration into his punches, venting his anger through the punishment, but Damian stood firmly on his ground despite being hit three times. Not like today. Over the past half a year, he grew weaker from running around instead of training his body, as he usually did, before leaving the pack.

It took about three hours before Damian appeared in front of his Alpha once again, kneeling on his knee while showing his respect towards Dagon. Dagon waved his hand, asking Damian to come closer so they could talk.

“How are your injuries?” Dagon asked, with no emotions in his voice. He cared about him. Damian was the only person who could be eventually considered a friend of his, but Dagon showed no kind of positive emotions in his voice. He expressed anger and disappointment, but according to the rules of the pack, showing worries or care meant weakness. Such emotions weren’t supposed to be felt.

“All healed, Alpha.” Damian answered him in the same monotone voice. Dagon said nothing else after this, waiting for Damian’s full report. It took a second for the servant to bring the map which Damian asked for so he could show Dagon the locations where they found her. Dagon’s excitement grew stronger realizing this girl wasn’t just an ordinary human. She was smart. Smart enough to play with the group of werewolves and their senses. Dagon asked Damian to tell him every single detail they came across while pursuing her. Although he wished to get her hands on her, he as well had to admit she was special. The only thing he regretted was her lack of having a wolf. She would do as Luna with such abilities. She could give him strong pups.

“She is heading north. Although not directly, her steps lead her north.” Dagon connected the first and last place she was seen at. Her steps led her to nearly every possible direction, but despite all that, she always headed north.

Loud sigh escaped Dagon’s lips reading the map further to the north. It took only a second for Damian to catch up, seeing the territory of another pack on the map. If the girl continues in this direction, she will eventually end in their territory. The only pack which could compare to Nightfall Bloodhound pack in numbers and strength and as well the only pack they couldn’t attack.

“What shall we do then?” Damian asked, nervous from reading the name of the pack written on the map.

“Get ready for a trip. We are going to visit an old friend.” Dagon said sarcastically before he slammed his fist on the map, exactly on the spot where the other pack was marked.