Bound by faith the rise of a rejected mate

Melissa's POV

Tension permeated the pack's atmosphere. Guards patrolled the boundaries, keeping an eye out for any indication of Raven's rogues, while warriors honed their weapons. However, I was more focused on Damon than on the preparations.

He had his knapsack draped over his shoulder when I discovered him on the forest's edge. His jaw was clenched, his expression fixed.

"Are you going to leave?" My voice cracked a little as I asked.

With sadness in his blue eyes, he looked at me. "I can't remain here, Melissa. Not in this manner. Observing you with him. He gave a headshake. "It's excessive."

With shaking hands, I took a step closer. "Please, Damon. Don't leave. You must be here for me. You are needed by the pack.

He turned his head away and chuckled bitterly. "Do you? Or do you simply want me to be there as a fallback, someone you can turn to when Dennis gets too difficult?

"That is untrue!" My chest tightened as I insisted. "Damon, you are significant to me. I'd rather not lose you.

For a brief period, his eyes softened, but the pain remained. "Melissa, you must determine your true desires. However, I can't wait around while you make up your mind.

A voice sliced through the tension like a razor before I could reply.

"What's happening here?" Dennis came closer, his face stormy, and his powerful voice echoed.

Dennis narrowed his eyes at the sight of Damon's luggage and shifted his gaze between me and Damon. "Are you going to leave?"

Damon's tone was cold as he snapped, "Not that it's any of your business."

Dennis took a step forward, gripping his hands. "I am in charge of everything in this pack, especially Melissa."

"Stop it, you two!" I stepped between them and yelled. "Now is not the moment for this!"

Dennis turned away from me, his eyes fixed on Damon. "You're fleeing because the reality is too much for you to bear. Melissa is and will always be mine.

Damon retorted, "That's not your decision to make." "And perhaps she wouldn't be doubting everything at this moment if you weren't so conceited."

"Enough!" My voice reverberated around the clearing as I screamed. The two men froze, staring at me.

I inhaled deeply, attempting to calm my pounding heart. Right now, this isn't about us. The pack is the focus. Raven will destroy us before we can even defend ourselves if we don't cooperate.

Dennis took a step back, but his jaw stiffened. Damon nodded grudgingly, but his face remained reserved.

Damon finally stated in a hushed voice, "I'm staying." "Not for you, though."

I nodded, tired yet relieved. "That's sufficient for now. We need to worry about more important things.

As the sun started to drop, the attack occurred. With their snarls resonating through the trees, a band of outlaws rushed across the eastern boundary.

A scout yelled, "Rogues!" and the pack immediately began to move.

"Go to your places, everyone!" My voice broke through the commotion as I screamed.

Already, Dennis and Damon were commanding squads of fighters, their disagreements temporarily set aside in the face of peril. I coordinated the defence while remaining close to the middle.

"Behind you, Melissa!" Lucas yelled, and I quickly turned to stop a rogue from attacking. As I fought him off, my claws automatically reached out and slashed through the air.

It was a short but furious struggle. We were able to force the rogues back without suffering many injuries because they weren't as well-organized as we had thought. I still had the unshakeable impression that this was only the beginning.

As we gathered, Dennis bitterly remarked, "They were testing us." "Observing the strength of our defences."

My chest tightened as I nodded. "And they know now."

The wolves gathered around the fire after the combat. Everyone knew that the actual battle was still to come, therefore the atmosphere was tense.

My thoughts were racing as I sat away from the others. Both Damon's words and the image of Dennis's intense stare replayed themselves in my mind.

Dennis's voice pierced my mind, "Melissa." He took a seat next to me, looking grave. "I acknowledge my faults. I had been overly arrogant and possessive. But just now, I need your trust.

With a troubled heart, I gazed at him. Dennis, it's not only about trust. The pack's best interests are at stake. And I believe that's what I should be concentrating on right now, not us.

He scowled but gave a slow nod. "I get it. Just... please don't ignore me entirely.

Despite feeling like my heart was being split in two, I nodded.

A little later, Damon came up, his face unreadable. "I'm not leaving," he stated plainly. "For the time being."

I smiled slightly at him, appreciative but still torn.

A scout, with a pallid face, dashed into the clearing before I could finish speaking.

His voice trembled as he panted, "They're coming." Raven's supporters are congregating close to the border. There are hundreds of them.

The pack gasped, and I felt sick to my stomach.

"How much time do we have?" Dennis demanded, his eyes full of terror but his voice firm.

"Not long," said the scout. "A day at most, maybe."

I got up, my hands shaking but my determination unwavering. Next, we get ready. We are united no matter what.

However, the prophecy's weight was pressing down on me more forcefully than before as I observed the faces around me, their eyes clouded by doubt and fear.

Raven's threat also reverberated in the back of my mind like a menacing pledge.

A vision flashed before my eyes as the fire roared behind me and I gazed into the dark forest: Raven leading an army of shadows, the sky blood-red, and the pack dispersed, vanquished.

Could I stop it with my strength?