Damon's POV
"D," A tiny voice called out to me, forcing me to open my eyes. In front of me was a girl as tiny as her voice, she was wearing a floral print dress, her hair bouncing around her as she took off like a kite, running around a garden of flowers and laughing.
Suddenly she stopped laughing and brought out a flower from behind her, stretched it out to me. I collected the flower from her and smiled back at her for more than seconds.
"Stop smiling, Damon. You're freaking us out"
I opened my eyes at the sudden interruption. Even though my vision was blurry at first, it, later on, became clear as I saw Tunde and the pack's doctor looking at me worriedly.
"I'm not gonna die" I hissed as I sat up on the hospital bed I was sleeping on previously.
I'd woken up the previous night to unclear memories and flashes of events that I can't string together to make into one memory. Since the whole place was dark with just a faint scent of Lyla, I slept back.
"We weren't worried about that. We were worried because you were smiling"
"I didn't smile"
"Of course you didn't, Alpha" Dean, the pack's doctor sarcastically responded.
I turned to glare at Dean.
"Don't call me that," I spat.
"We don't have a choice now, Alpha" Tunde responded.
At that point, I was forced to ask about what happened. All I could remember last was seeing those tears in Lyla's eyes as I was chained down and held at the throat by that Beta.
"Where can I find that Beta?" I growled in anger.
Tunde sat in front of me, rubbed his eyes as he usually does anytime he was exhausted.
"You can't find him because you killed him," he replied.
"What?"
"As your Gamma, can I speak?" Dean asked.
"Who appointed you as Gamma? I'm no Alpha" I yelled.
It was normal for Tunde to become the Beta and Dean to become the Gamma but that'll be after I become the Alpha which will never be possible.
"Not after your father disappeared from the surface of the earth" Tunde answered.
"More like he ran away for dear life" Dean chipped in.
"What are you talking about? Wait, where's Lyla?" I asked.
"Traumatized", I guess"
"By what?"
"You" They both replied at the same time
"Someone better start talking before I lose my sanity"
I growled.
"You don't remember what happened,"
"No," I replied quickly
"After the Beta stabbed you, you shifted back but this time, you looked more powerful and dangerous. You killed the Beta, you killed Alexa and about ten of your father's men. You almost strangled Lucas to death also. I don't know how it happened but Lyla kept on crying and begging you to leave him but you didn't. I had to intervene at that point."
"Did I hurt her?" I suddenly asked.
"Do you want the truth?" I nodded
"Yes"
Fuck! Fuck!! Fuck!!
Angrily, I removed the injection from my hand and stood up from the bed.
"Where's she?"
"That isn't important right now, Damon. There are more issues…."
I didn't wait for Dean to finish his words before I pushed him into the wall and grabbed his neck in my hands and lifted him.
"Just because I never brought up that shit that you did years ago doesn't mean I've forgiven you or forgotten. The next time you dare try to question my authority, I swear to God that I'll snap your neck. Don't you dare try me, Dean? You'll regret it, I promise"
I dropped his body to the floor.
"Where is she?" I asked Tunde.
"I will answer your question only if you calm down first. You can't go out there looking like that, you'll scare the poor girl off again" Once he saw that I wasn't reacting, he pointed to the bed, "sit for a while"
"No! Where's she? Was she here?" I asked again.
He dropped his hands abruptly, meaning he'd tried his best.
"She came here last night to check up on you and yes, she's at your house"
I dashed out of the door and ran as fast as my legs could carry me out of the hospital and towards my house. Many people stopped to bow as I ran past them but I didn't care to bother about them as my thoughts and senses were occupied with a particular girl.
"Lyla," I called out as soon as I entered my house. I stopped pacing when I realized the whole house looked deserted.
"What happened?" Ruth asked.
"What's going on? Why is my house empty?"
"Beta Tunde asked us to move your things to the packhouse" she replied and I believed I cursed Tunde about a hundred times in my head.
"Where's Lyla?" I asked, dismissing the previous issue.
"She's upstairs. Be careful with her"
"Whatever," I replied as I ran past her up the stairs
"Lyla," I called out as I opened the door leading into my room.
Lyla was lying on the bed, pressing a phone and as soon as I walked in, she stood up from the bed and quickly hid the phone behind her.
How long have I been unconscious for things to be so different?
"What are you hiding Lyla," she suddenly moved back as soon as I moved closer to her.
"A phone," she replied silently and truthfully.
"Who gave that to you?" I asked
"Lucas did"
Lucas! ..
"Lucas was here" she nodded.
"When?"
"Two days ago at the arena. He left with Pearl" her voice broke at her own words. I moved closer to her and lifted her face with my finger only to see her eyes filled with tears.
I pulled her into my body as she broke down in tears. I wrapped my hands around her tiny frame and she hugged me back tightly as she sobbed hard.
Holding her so close made me realize just how much I'd missed her and also how much I can't keep her here against her wish.
"You should have gone back with them," I whispered.
She didn't reply. She only kept on crying.
"Enough with the tears Lyla. Do you need me to bring Dean over here so we could force some sleeping pills into your system?" I threatened and that did the magic.
I gently made her sit on the bed while I walked towards my closet.
"Did Tunde force you to stay?" I asked and she looked at me in confusion with those big pretty eyes still red from the tears.
She still didn't say a word. She kept on looking at me.
I walked back towards her and as I attempted to touch her hand, she moved back into the bed.
"Are you scared of me?" I asked.
"No," she whispered.
"Then, come here Lyla," I asked and she began shaking her head furiously..
"You can say anything from over there" she replied.
"Why?" I asked, my hand itching to touch her.
"It's nothing important" she refused.
"Did I hurt you back then?"
"It doesn't matter. It wasn't even you"
"It was me, okay?" She turned to glare at me and I was taken aback.
"I don't understand what happened out there"
A bulb suddenly lit up in my head and I frowned at my thoughts.
"Wait! Did you refuse to leave because you were curious about what happened or because you cared about me?" I asked.
I shouldn't have asked that question because it was obvious that the relationship I had with my mate was not strong enough for her to care about me.
"I just didn't understand what happened and I thought I deserved to know"
Fuck me already! I cursed under my breath as I turned to look at her, anger evident in my eyes.
"What do you want to know?" I asked
"Everything" she replied.
"I won't tell you anything because the moment I do, you'll walk out of that door and never look back. I'm giving you the chance to leave while I'm still asking and if you don't, you'll forever regret it" I yelled, already getting angry at the situation.
"I saw you become that big animal right in front of everyone. I think I deserve to know what that was all about"
"Don't push it Lyla" I cautioned her.
"Please Damon"
"Why do you care?"
"That animal saved me when I went outside the other night and if that was you…."
"It'll make hating me difficult, right?" I finished for her.
She remained silent as if she was confirming my assumption.
I angrily threw away the shirt I was holding in my hand and kicked at the bed several times.
"There's something we call a packhouse here and it's where most of us stay. I'll be moving there anytime soon. If you want to stay, you can go with me and if not, you can go back to your family. I won't hold you back. But if you'll stay, you'll be staying because you want to and not because you want to research about my people, I won't answer any of your questions if you do so I'll advise you to leave before I finally move"
I explained and began walking out of the door. On second thought, I turned, walked towards the door, and held her face in my hand.
"You won't see me again until you leave"
I dropped my lips on hers, kissing her feverishly. I wished I could make out with her on that bed, my body longed for hers, her smell, her scent messes up my head and I longed so much to mark her right there.
As I tried removing my lips from hers, Lyla pulled me back, kissing me gently. Even though it was hard, I still managed to separate us and walked out of the room angrily.