Chapter 5 Nicole's Scheme

Damian's POV "You need to rest now," Alec, my wolf, reminded me again in my mind. The fatigue from constantly working had begun to affect him as well. I could hear the agitation in his voice. "The Darkflame pack's Alpha is about to die. His successor is a pup who'd just come of age. Alec, I must seize this chance to conquer their territory," I explained calmly. Alec fell silent for a moment before responding, "You shouldn't do that, Damian." I countered, "The Blackwood pack needs to expand. This is our best opportunity." "Not like this. The vampires are stirring. They've already attacked the Silverpaw pack. Nobody knows when they'll start a war against the werewolves. What we need now is unity and not conflict," Alec disagreed firmly. He sounded serious, as though he were reminding me how laughable my current priorities were. "Shut up, Alec," I said darkly, suppressing my anger. No one wanted to lead the Blackwood pack to flourish and prosper more than I did. So what if there were vampires? Our pack had thrived next to their territory for decades, and we had always torn apart any trespassers from their side. I was the strongest Alpha in history. Under my leadership, my pack would be the strongest wall that would defend all werewolves against those vampires. Alec sensed my fury and said nothing further. He was my closest companion, and I had never intended to lash out at him. Nevertheless, I couldn't bow down and apologize to him due to my pride as the Alpha. Feeling irritated, I reached up and pinched my nose bridge in frustration. Then, I let out a long sigh and called out, "Aurora, bring me a cup of hot coffee." No one responded. My patience slipped away quickly. I frowned and called out again, "Aurora!" Hurried footsteps sounded. I was about to scold Aurora for taking so long to come over. However, it was a maid who came in. She looked puzzled as she said, "Alpha Damian, were you calling for Ms. Snow? She's still in the Forsaken Forest serving her punishment. She isn't home." Upon hearing her words, I finally recalled that I had severed my mate bond with Aurora five days ago and sent her to live in the Forsaken Forest for a week. That forest was filled with Rogues and vampires. Aurora, on the other hand, was a hybrid who had not even awakened her wolf. As her image flashed across my mind, I suddenly realized that perhaps my punishment of her had been too harsh. "I'm going out for a bit," I said to the maid, rising to my feet and stepping out of my study. It had already been five days. Aurora should have learned her lesson by now. There was no need to make her stay in that hellhole any longer. The moment I stepped through the front doors of my manor, a surge of powerful energy rippled through my blood. This could only be… the Silver Wolf! Could it be Aurora? "Give me the car keys," I ordered, feeling a sudden sense of urgency rising in me. I was just about to get into my car when a small voice called from the side, "Are you going out, Damian?" "Nicole?" I turned toward her and saw her pale face. I asked worriedly, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" Nicole responded with a faint smile. "My wolf awakened for a moment earlier. It drained a lot of my energy, so I feel terrible right now. Could you please stay with me?" I froze for a moment before laughing internally at how foolish I had been. Nicole was living in my manor. The awakening Silver Wolf had to be her. Why did I even think of Aurora? That half-breed had never been the Silver Wolf. I must have grown too accustomed to years of lies. "Let's go inside, shall we?" I said softly, wanting to comfort Nicole. She smiled and replied, "Alright." The maid brought juice. It was Nicole's favorite. I had specifically ordered the house help to always have fresh juice ready for her. Sure enough, Nicole's eyes lit up when she saw it. The affection in her eyes deepened as she looked at me. "It's been so many years. I thought you would have long forgotten what I liked," Nicole gushed. "I won't forget. I remember everything about you," I said patiently, offering sweet words as I reached up to smooth her hair. I caught sight of the faint white mark of her wolf on her neck. "How do you feel now? I'm sure your wolf is perfect," I remarked. Nicole nodded and said, "Yes. She's as beautiful as the legendary Silver Wolf." Hearing that, I felt pleased and asked in a warm voice, "Did she tell you anything? Has she said anything about when you will take your wolf form?" Nicole lowered her eyes weakly. "She didn't say. She just told me that before I become the Silver Wolf, I will be very weak and need plenty of rest." "I'll assign more maids to look after you. They'll take good care of you," I promised. "No, Damian. I don't need more maids. They may resent you if you do that," Nicole said softly, shaking her head and reaching out to hold my fingers with her delicate hand. She looked up at me with clear, innocent eyes. "Let Aurora take care of me. Just her will do. I believe she knows how to take good care of the Silver Wolf." Well, that was for sure. Aurora had spent such a long time pretending to be the Silver Wolf and received so much special care. With that in mind, I didn't hesitate at all and nodded in agreement. "When Aurora returns, she will be your maid."