Lyla's POV
"Do you Alpha Damon take this oath of allegiance this day before the goddess to become the leader of this pack?"
Damon was silent for more than seconds looking around the crowd of people that had gathered outside the packhouse to attend this 'inauguration'.
I had planned on not attending but my curiosity got the best of me. So, I stood up from the bed, walked out of the room wearing one of Damon's long white shirts and a short to get mixed up in the crowd.
The moment I walked in, I sighted Damon at the front, he was standing on a podium in front of an older man and Tunde was right behind him. Our eyes met immediately and I quickly retreated to hide behind someone.
The sudden whispering of the crowd brought me out of my thoughts. Damon hasn't yet responded to the question he was being asked and that brought about the confusion of the people.
"Alpha," the man who had asked the question called out.
Damon frowned at the man before I saw Tunde placing his hand on Damon's shoulder and squeezing it lightly.
"Yes," he replied, his voice higher than usual. A loud squeal of joy emanated from the people.
I frowned when a knife was brought out and I watched in horror as Damon's palm was slashed open and at that moment every member standing at that event walked towards the podium.
One by one, they stand in front of Damon, smile on their faces as the older man will slash their palms with different knives for each person and they'll place them on Damon's palm and chant some incoherent words.
I was supposed to be disgusted by the act but I wasn't, I was mesmerized especially when this white and pink globe forms around their jointed palms. The globe was brighter when it was Tunde's turn and I couldn't help the smile that lingered on my face when Tunde smirked at the scowling Damon.
Everyone seemed calm and satisfied about what was going on except Damon who looked forced and angry about everything.
"Hey, you're the new girl," The words and a tap on my shoulder made me turn to see the blondest of all blondes that I've ever seen in my entire life, smiling at me.
"Hi, I think I am" I replied smiling back at her.
"I'm Ashley by the way. Sorry if I startled you"
"No, you didn't. I'm Lyla" I introduced myself.
"It's so beautiful up there, we've waited our whole lives for this" she was talking to herself but when I turned to look at her, she smiled.
"For what?"
"For Damon to stop being so stubborn and become the Alpha he was supposed to be"
She suddenly raised my palm to her face and looked up at me with wide eyes.
"You haven't taken your oath," she said, confusing me.
"What oath?" I asked.
"Oath of allegiance to the Alpha. You understand, right?"
I didn't but to avoid any unnecessary attention to myself, I nodded.
"Good. Now go up there and take your oath" she pushed me slightly by the shoulder.
"I can't" I refused.
"Of course you can. Wait, are you scared of sharp objects?" I couldn't reply without embarrassment.
"Don't worry, it won't hurt. Look, mine is healed already. It won't take up to five seconds for yours as well to heal. We're werewolves remember?"
Wait! What!! They're werewolves. I mean, I've had the assumption for a while but her words confirming it just now made it more confusing.
"I can't really….."
Ashley didn't let me finish my words before she pushed me by the shoulder towards the podium. By the time I got to the small staircase leading up, I froze.
"Don't be scared, he wouldn't kill you" Ashley whispered to my ear.
Almost the same time, Damon whipped his head my way and frowned upon sighting me.
"What is she doing here, Ashley?" Tunde whispered loud enough for the two of us to hear.
"Hey to you too brother" she replied, grinning. I tried finding the similarity between these two people and see how they're related but I couldn't find any.
"Are you high again?"
"I'm normal," Ashley hissed as she responded.
"Do you know what you've done by bringing her here? She's human, idiot"
Ashley gasped at the revelation.
At that time, the whole crowd was looking at us, some were scrutinizing me with their sharp eyes while others were waiting to see what would happen. I guess all of them are probably wondering about what a stranger was doing in their territory.
A human for that matter.
"I'll take her back" Ashley announced as she grabbed my hand.
"You can't. If you take her back, the people will have questions"
"But she can't*....."
"Enough Ashley, we'll talk about that later" Tunde growled at his sister before he pulled me up the podium to where Damon was.
Damon's eye was still fixated on mine and I couldn't take my eyes off him either. He nodded at Tunde as if he said something to him just now.
The priest asked me to stretch out my hand. I hesitated for a minute, really not ready to see my blood.
Damon held my hand with his other hand and pulled it out towards the man.
I hissed in pain as soon as the knife cut through my skin lightly. Damon held my wounded palm and placed it on his.
As soon as both palms touched, his huge palm engulfing mine, it was as if stars aligned around our hands. This time or wasn't globes; it was stars. I looked around me and I couldn't stop blushing and smiling as the stars multiplied in numbers.
I looked back to see Damon staring at me with amusement. He wasn't smiling but his eyes were smiling.
"Congratulations Alpha," Was the word that came out from the crowd in my confusion.
Damon removed his palm from mine and the stars disappeared. I pout in disappointment but stopped when Damon brought out a handkerchief and tied it around my opened wound.
"Thank you," I whispered and he nodded, avoiding my gaze.
I walked down the podium to see Ashley blushing like a red tomato as soon as she saw me.
"You're his mate," she squealed.
"His what?" I asked.
"Mate" she repeated.
"I don't know what that is," I replied.
She was silent for a while, thinking about something.
"I don't know how to explain this to you but I'll try, see, a mate is someone who you wanna do that stuff with"
I furrowed my eyebrow, "What type of stuff? Drugs?" I asked suddenly
She glared at me "The stuff couple d…."
"I think you've said enough Ashley" Tunde interrupted.
"You're no fun, Tunde,"
"Good for you to know that. At least I don't go about smoking like a drug lord"
"Maybe you should get yourself a microphone and speaker so you can announce to the world that your sister is a junkie," she said glaring at her brother.
"Don't mind my silly stepbrother, he's too protective for his own good"
The difference between her and Tunde was clear and ever since I learned she was Tunde's sister, I'd wondered how.
"Someone has to protect you or else you'll end up in jail before you're twenty, silly"
Ashley pulled her tongue out at her brother. He threw his hand on her hair and scattered the perfectly brushed down blonde hair, gaining a scream from Ashley who was fighting off her brother.
The hair at the back of my neck suddenly stood as I felt someone watching me, when I looked around, no one strange was there. No one, in particular, was looking at me. I turned back to the scene in front of me and laughed at the two siblings bickering at each other.
"Let's go" A voice suddenly whispered in my ear. It was Damon standing right beside me.
He gestured for me to walk right in front of him. Without waiting for me to do that, he walked off.
"Goodnight Ashley, Tunde," I said, waving at the two siblings.
"Goodnight Lyla," They both chorused.
I quickly walked faster so I could catch up with Damon as he hustles away from the people. He looked at me as soon as I stood beside him right in front of the elevator. I smiled at him and he looked away.
As soon as we got into the elevator, Damon backed me into the wall. His eyes stayed locked on mine, searching my soul. I took that moment to wrap my hand around his waist as I kept on looking at him.
I fisted my hand together at his back as his hand went up to touch my cheek. The moment our skin came into contact, I closed my eyes to enjoy the feeling until I felt his lips on mine.