The Beast's Possession

**Killian

pov**

After the call with Jonathan, I sprung into action, fearing to waste any precious second of time. Kayson took Bane's pack members to the conference room and ensured they were given warm blankets and food. Soon, I joined them all, nodded my greeting at the scared wolves and took my seat at the head of the long wooden table, scanning the tired faces gathered around.

Across from me sat the refugees - three women and two men. Their clothes were torn and dirty, their faces pale and drawn with exhaustion, yet their eyes burned with a fear I'd rarely seen. Kayson stood by the door, his arms crossed in front of his chest. His presence alone was enough to keep the tension in the room. I took a slow breath and leaned forward, lacing my fingers together. "You're safe here," I began, keeping my tone as steady and calm as I could. "No one is going to hurt you. But I need to understand what happened and why, of all the places, you chose to come here."

The group exchanged glances. Finally, one of the men, a wiry young warrior with a gash on his cheek, cleared his throat. "It started a while ago," he whispered, his voice weak. "The Alpha wasn't himself. We all noticed it." "What do you mean?" I pressed.

The man shifted in his seat, his gaze darting to the others as if searching for support. "He'd always been strict, but he was fair. Respected. Love, even, Then, it was like something changed overnight. He became cruel, unpredictable. People started suffering. No one was safe, even Beta Zion. No, scratch that, Beta Zion got the worst of it and now, the guards are saying Zion is dead."

"We heard the screams," one of the women interrupted. Her voice trembled and she wrapped her arms around herself as if to comfort herself. "He was dragged to the cells and never came out. Alpha... he killed Beta Zion. Tortured him to death."

The room fell silent for a moment, her words settling over all of us. I exchanged a glance with Kayson, his jaw tight. Turning back to the group, I kept my voice calm. "You're saying Bane did that?"

"It wasn't him," another woman said quickly, her dark eyes wide with horror. "Not really. It was something inside him. Something that took over and now it controls our Alpha."

My stomach twisted, but I kept my expression neutral. "Explain."

She hesitated, her hands twisting in her lap. "I don't know what it is. But it's not him. His eyes... they turn black, like ink. And his voice changes. It's deeper, colder. And when he's like that, it's like he's not even human."

The first man nodded, his jaw just as tight as Kayson's. "It's like he's possessed. And I believe it's not just him. I think it's spreading. The guards closest to him, they're different now too. They're meaner, more violent and they'll do anything he says, no matter how. Maybe it's not a disease or anything of sorts, maybe they're affected by Alpha's behavior, all I'm saying is the pack is changing and it's not safe to stay there anymore."

I leaned back in my chair, processing their words. Possession. An unknown entity. Black eyes. My mind flicked through the rumors I'd heard over the years, whispers of something dark in Bane's bloodline. I'd dismissed them as stories, exaggerations meant to tarnish a rival Alpha. But now, fuck, now it seems the rumors might have been the truth all along.

"Why did you leave?" I asked, even though the answer seemed obvious.

The second man, older and broader than the rest, spoke for the first time. His voice was rough, his tone bitter. "Because we had no choice. Staying meant death. Or worse."

"Worse?" Kayson finally spoke up.noveldrama

The man nodded. "He's using people. For what, I don't know. Experiments, maybe. Whatever it is, no one survives it. We couldn't stay and wait to be next."

I rubbed a hand over my face, trying to make sense of their words. Over the years, everything I heard about Bane and his bloodline - nothing involved infecting and dragging down others. It was only about him. So, why are they telling me it's worse than that?

"And you're certain it's an entity?" I asked.

"Yes," the first woman agreed. "I've seen it. It's like a shadow, clinging to him. And it's getting stronger."

"Stronger how?" I pressed, leaning forward again.

She shuddered. "The longer it's inside him, the more it spreads. Like it's feeding off him. I think that's why the guards are changing too. It's infecting them."

"Infecting them," Kayson repeated, his voice low. He shook his head, his expression grim. "This sounds like something out of a nightmare."

"It feels like one," the older man said. "But it's real. And it's not stopping."

"What about the rest of the pack? Surely someone's trying to resist, to fight back."

The wiry man shook his head. "Most are too scared. Those who tried to resist - they're gone. Either locked up or dead. And now, the rest are too afraid to speak out. He makes examples of anyone who crosses him."

Their words pressed down on me like a load of bricks. I glanced at Kayson again, his face mirroring the unease I felt. Turning back to the group, I tried to keep my voice steady. "One last question," I started, scanning their faces. "Have you heard anything about the source of this so-called shadow? Anything at all?"

The older man's face darkened. "There's a story about Bane's family. His bloodline. People say it's cursed. That something evil has always followed them. Most of us thought it was just a tale to scare pups around the fire. But now," he shook his head. "Now I'm not so sure."

The younger woman spoke up next. "There was a healer once. An elder. She said something about the shadow being tied to a promise. Or a deal. Something made long ago, before Bane's time. She tried to warn people, but no one listened. They thought she was crazy."

"Do you believe her?" I asked.

The woman hesitated, then nodded. "I didn't at first. But after seeing what happened, yes. I believe her."

The room fell silent again. I sat back, my mind racing. The rumors I'd dismissed for years suddenly seemed far less ridiculous. If there was even a shred of truth to them, this wasn't just about Bane or his pack - this could affect us all. Bane, led by that entity, might go to war.

"Alright. You've done the right thing coming here. We'll keep you safe."

The group nodded, relief clearly evident on their faces. As Kayson stepped forward to escort them to temporary rooms, I remained seated, staring at the table while the words replayed in my mind: Cursed. Possessed. Black eyes.