“Damien, if you had gone after her then whoever was responsible for turning her would have either killed you or taken you to Lilith. This isn’t your fault. This is what they do. It’s always been this way.”
Damien pulled away, turning around. “Are you hearing yourself? You’re doing exactly what you’re accusing them of doing. I’ve learned so much about the lycans. However, lately, I’ve had a nagging inside of me to try and find out if the vampires are just as sick of losing loved ones as you are.”
The words Kain told Jill ran across her mind. Purifiers were the peacekeepers between the two races. He’s doing what he was sent here to do. You cannot interfere with that.
“I hope you’re right, Damien. I really do. I need to sleep though. I hadn’t gotten much since the incident with the pup.” Jill replied, hopeful that there were peaceful vampires in the world.
“Okay. I’m going to go talk with Kain.”
“Damien.”
“Yeah?”
“Will you stay here tonight?”
Damien smiled, nodding before heading out of the tent.
Chapter Twenty
Damien waited until he was sure Jill was asleep before taking out his phone. He knew she would be angry at what he was about to do but he needed to try to reach Chelsea without Jill around.
He opened his contact list to scroll down to Chelsea’s cell phone number. God please let her still have the same number. Damien sent the text asking her to meet him.
A reply came shortly after agreeing to meet him alone at a place known to the townsfolk as the Lookout.
“You are going then?”
Damien looked over to see Kain leaning against a tree.
“I have to. I need to know if she’s really gone.”
“You realize this could be a trap. It is cloudy outside, Damien. Vampires aren’t as affected during overcast days. What is there to stop Chelsea from harming you?” Kain asked, a sense of concern laced his voice.
“Nothing. She won’t trap me, Kain. I don’t know how I know, I just do.” Damien put his phone in his pocket, walking towards his bike with Kain on his heels.
“I won’t stop you, Damien but I will tell you I don’t like this. We wouldn’t be able to help you.”
“You won’t need to. Just make sure Jill isn’t too angry when I get back.” Damien retorted, getting on his motorcycle. The engine roared to life and he headed out onto the main road towards the Lookout.
Damien sat on his bike looking out at the mountain range in front of him. The view always took his breath away. The woods spread out as a green sea. In the distance the clock tower at the top of the town hall peaked just over the canopy. A hawk’s call could be heard ringing out across the landscape.
The sudden chill up his spine alerted him to the vampire who had once been his friend. Chelsea rested her hands on Damien’s shoulder, her cheek leaned against his arm.
“It’s messed up isn’t it? We’re supposed to be going for college degrees, getting jobs, falling in love, and getting married.” She purred, kissing his shoulder.
“Chelsea, you don’t have to obey the vampires. You can choose to stay who you were.”
“Damien, that time is over. I like being with the coven. Becoming a vampire opened my eyes to just how pathetic humans are. Look at me, Dame. I’ll be beautiful forever while you age and die. I have power that I never would have gotten as a human. You are so much more powerful than even you know, Damien. Come with me. Let Lilith change you and stay as handsome as you are now.”
“Right, and have my heart and blood frozen inside of me in return. I don’t think so. Chelsea, this isn’t you. I refuse to believe that you’ve become nothing more than a heartless monster.”
“Then you’re in denial. Tell me Damien, why did you choose that dog? You never even knew her until that day at the school. What makes her so special to you?” Chelsea spat, pinning Damien against his motorcycle.
“Jill completes me, Chelsea. You always talked about soul mates and meeting the ‘one’, remember? When our eyes met, I just knew. I knew Jill was my soul mate.”
“And yet here you are. Unchanged. Dying with each second while she remains young. Please, Damien. You’re a temporary thing for her. Once you’re gone, she’ll run to Kain and you know it.”
“Is that Lilith talking or you?” Damien replied, unshaken by the threats involving Kain.
“It doesn’t matter. She won’t get the chance to change you.” Chelsea’s eyes darkened with the shadows of the vampire.
Damien found himself held tightly against his motorcycle, his back aching from how far it was being forced to bend.
“I told you. I will see you dead before I see you with her.”
Just as Chelsea was about to sink her teeth into Damien’s throat, a single ray of sunshine pierced through the clouds, burning her so badly she jerked back almost shrieking in pain.
Damien took the opportunity to start up his motorcycle to head back to Holt’s camp. His heart hurt from the realization that Chelsea was gone. His once gentle friend was replaced by a vindictive, jealous vampire.
****
Jill woke to find she was still alone. The moon had risen well into the sky, yet Damien was nowhere in sight. She got up and got dressed, heading out into the main section of the camp to meet Kain.
“Kain, did Damien stay?” Jill asked, nervous.
“He did. He’s in my tent, Jillian. I told him to sleep there tonight.”
“What? Why? Let me see him, Kain.”
Kain didn’t move, his hand on Jill’s shoulder kept her in place. “Jillian, he needs to rest. He’s developing quickly and adjusting to changes not even he understands. I recognize you are worried. You love him but you need to give him time. Let him sleep tonight. You can see him in the morning.”
Jill was upset but knew that Kain always had her best interest at heart. She worried about Damien but loved him enough to give him the time he needed.
Instead of going back to sleep, she decided to go hunting to relieve some of the stress.
****
Damien woke up at the crack of dawn to find most of the lycans, even Kain still asleep.
He walked down to the small pool with the waterfall to splash some of the water in his face. The cold morning breeze made him shiver despite how warm he felt from the thick blankets.
“Good morning.” Holt said, cheerfully.
“I've never known you to be an early riser.” Gabriel joked, resting his elbow on Holt’s shoulder.
“Morning Holt. Gabriel. What’s up?” Damien replied, shaking the excess water off of his face.
Holt handed Damien a thick jacket. “Nothing. I hope you liked the gift Galeck and Yuna gave you.”
Damien didn’t say anything. He wasn’t really one for over the top décor.
Upon seeing the look on Damien’s face, Holt let out a boisterous laugh while Gabriel choked back his own.
“Don't worry, we know how you feel. Yuna likes to overdo some things since she's a bit better off in the human world. We tried to tell her you'd react this way but she didn't listen.” Gabriel said, his voice cracking.
Damien felt overwhelmed the minute he'd seen the inside of his tent. He didn’t have the heart to tell either alpha he’d spent the night in Kain’s tent.
“Holt, I want to ask something of you.”
“You are free to ask anything of me. Well, as long as it doesn't put the pack in danger. What can I do for you?” Holt replied, still trying to stop laughing.
Damien could see Gabriel nodding his own silent agreement.
“The vampires are targeting my friends and family. Chelsea’s visited Rob twice trying to turn him against me. I'm concerned about their safety. I know you already have so much to handle with the war coming up but I'm asking for your aid in protecting them. I couldn't live with myself if either one of them were hurt without even telling them what was going on.”
Holt looked at Gabriel as though they were trying to come up wi
th a plan.
“Spence can watch over Charlie. He's already in the station. I believe Leah is already there as well. It would be when he was at home that would be the problem.” Gabriel offered. Spence was a member of his pack and already worked at the station.
Holt's mate, Leah was the secretary at the station so Charlie would be safe with the two lycans during the day.
“I can watch over Charlie. It would allow me to repay an old debt. Besides, I gave you my loyalty and trust, Damien.” Kain walked up behind the three of them, shocking Damien at how tired he looked.
His dirty blonde hair was a mess. His usually bright green eyes had become darkened by the deep purple circles shadowing them. A haze seemed to cloud the irises of the alpha. The darkness familiar to Damien the longer he stared.
“Kain, you look tired. What happened?” He asked, his eyes wide with worry.
“Nothing for you to concern yourself with, my friend. I will watch your father when he's at home. It's the least I can do.” Kain replied, patting Damien’s shoulder. He gave him a tired smile before stretching and heading to his own tent.
“Now if you don't mind, I am getting some sleep. Call on me only if you need, Gabriel. Otherwise, I will throw the nearest rabbit I have at your big head.”
Gabriel tilted his head, holding up his hands in surrender. His eyes closed. “No problem. I shouldn't need anything today, Kain. No one will bug you. I think they want to live longer than that.”
Kain waved him off, walking away. His shirt was torn and tattered like he'd been in a fight, thin lines of blood flowed down his back.
Damien hadn't remembered seeing them before, his curiosity peaked at what it was that Kain could be hiding. “Gabriel.” Damien asked only to be cut off.
“Don't ask. In time, you'll come to learn more. It's best you don't ask him about it. He'll tell you when he's ready, if at all.” Gabriel replied, his voice no longer holding a hint of the laughter he’d exhibited earlier.
Damien felt saddened. He'd looked up to Kain as a mentor since he'd been introduced to a side of him he didn't know from the few exchanges they'd had at the bowling alley.
“Anyway, I'm impressed, Damien. You seem like you're almost glowing with a confidence I've never seen in you before. It's really something.” Holt tried to lighten the mood, nearly breaking Damien's shoulder. The pat on his back so hard it almost knocked him forward a few times.
“Thanks, Holt.” Damien said through clenched teeth as he rubbed his shoulder where Holt had been patting him, trying to get the stinging to stop.
When Damien returned to their tent, Jill was still asleep. He walked over to her, sitting down beside her.
“Good morning.” Jill’s voice was tired but more beautiful than the singing of birds as they woke with the rising sun.
“Morning. I'm so sorry for waking you but I have to get home. My dad is off today and wanted to spend some time with me. I promised him we'd get the tree up for Christmas. Jill, I have to tell him what's going on. Even if he doesn’t believe me, I have to tell him something.”
Jill sighed, stretching out under the soft, silk blankets. “I knew this was coming. I guess as long as we can make him understand that we aren't the ones ripping sheep to shreds it's worth it. Do Holt and Gabriel know?”
“Yes. I spoke to them before coming to you. They're going to help watch over my dad and Rob,” Damien replied. He couldn’t help but think about how bad a shape Kain was in. “Jill, I saw Kain this morning. He looked really roughed up. Do you know what's going on?”
Jill lowered her eyes, giving him the answer he was looking for. “I only know what he told me. It's not my place to tell you. All I can say is, in our world, there are a few of us more in touch with the gods than others.”
Damien's heart froze for a brief second as he recalled how Barghast looked at him in his dream. How at times he still felt as though his body were engulfed in flames. How Kain had known it wasn't a dream but a vision. Could it be that Kain had the same encounters?
Once Jill had gotten dressed, she took Damien's hand. “Come on, your dad is waiting to see you. Don't worry about Kain. He's a wise old wolf and cunning as sun's hell. He'll be fine.”
He wanted to believe her but Damien's growing concern for his friend wouldn't let go of him as he stood up to go with her.
****
Damien's heart pounded behind his ribs as he leaned his forehead against his hand on the glass. He had no idea how he was going to make anything he was going to say sound any less insane than it did to him.
How on Earth was he going to make his dad and Rob understand that everything they thought was nothing more than myth and made-up Hollywood drama was actually real and going on beneath their feet?
He'd told his dad that his injuries from his encounter with the first two vampires were because he slipped off of the steps in front of the hospital. He was lucky his dad actually believed him.
“Breathe, Damien. I'm here with you. We'll make them understand. Charlie is your father, he's already proven he's willing to stand by you after you were hit, remember? I'll be right by your side.” Jill reassured him by rubbing his arm to get him to calm down.
When they got into the house, Charlie's laugh could be heard from the living room. Another voice Damien recognized as belonging to Rob responded to his dad.
From what Damien could tell, it appeared as though they were telling stories about when he, Rob and Chelsea used to run around the house. Most of the time it was from Chelsea thinking she had cooties. Those were easier days before all of the madness.
“Well, speak of the devil!” Charlie said, boisterously laughing. “I see you brought Jill with you. Welcome back! Thanks for texting me last night, Dame.”
“Yeah, sure dad. I've come home to keep my word for that father-son time you asked for. Still want to put the tree up?” Damien replied, a bit vexed at his dad’s choice of words when they walked in.
“Of course. I’ll go get it out of the shed.” Charlie kissed Jill's hand.
Damien sat down next to Rob. “Hey, Rob. Still mad?”
Rob smiled, punching him in the arm hard enough to make him wince. “There, now we're even. C'mon bro, you know guys never talk about their problems. They just punch each other and move on.”
Putting up the Christmas tree was relaxing as Jill sat with Rob enjoying some of Charlie's hot cider while Damien helped his father.
“So, did he really paint the entire bathroom?” Jill asked. She couldn’t help but chuckle. Charlie told her about how he'd caught Damien in his underwear painting the bathroom with his mom's makeup.
Damien got so embarrassed, he rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. Great, now that’s all she’ll see the next time we’re having sex. Thanks, old man. He thought, grinding his teeth. His head lowered.
“Sure did. It was the funniest thing. He was only seven. We hadn't even had him a year. It was adorable because he said it was supposed to be a thank you for saving his life. We just couldn't get mad at him after that. Sarah just melted.”
Jill snuggled into Damien's chest. “That's sweet. You have a very big heart, babe. It's beautiful.”
Wanting to change the subject to avoid further embarrassment to his pride, Damien cleared his throat. “Rob, Dad, there’s something you need to know.”
Rob and Charlie looked at each other then back at him.
“Okay, what is it, D?” Rob spoke up first.
Just as Damien was about to go on, a knock on the door took his and Jill's attention.
Charlie started to get up only to have Jill stop him.
“I'll get it. Stay here. Damien, don't let them get up.” Charlie looked at his son, confusion radiating in his eyes at how serious Jill suddenly got.
Jill opened the door to meet Kain. He looked more rested than Damien said he had earlier that morning. Less tattered and more like himself. “I'm sorry I'm late, Jillian. I’m Charlie’s personal watch. I got here as soon as I could.”
“It
's okay, Damien. It's Kain.” Jill called over her shoulder as she let him in.
“Good grief, it's cold.” Kain shivered so Jill led him into the warm living room, letting him sit by the fire.
“Alexander Kain. You haven't changed a bit. Maybe matured a little but I'm glad to see you again.” Charlie shook Kain's hand. “Still working at the bowling alley?”
“Yes, though my time there is a bit less nowadays. It's good to see you, Charlie. I take it Spence is still doing what he can to help you at the station?”
Damien got confused. His dad knew Kain? How in the world had he not wondered why Kain still looked the same though he'd been gone ten years?
Kain noticed how Damien was staring at him. “Oh, I'm sorry, Damien. Yes, I know your father very well. I was younger then but Charlie came in quite often when Clint was going through his phase of rebellion. It was a time we became very acquainted with one another.”
Damien didn't reply. It wouldn't make sense to him no matter how much Kain tried to explain it. He was just happy to see Kain seemed to be feeling better than he was earlier when he'd been worried sick about him.
“Anyway, dad, Rob, there's something I have to tell you. I can't explain it in any way that doesn't sound crazy so here it goes. I know who’s been responsible for the disappearances. It's not wolves.” Damien said, knowing he probably sounded crazy.
The sudden ring of Kain’s phone once again diverted everyone's attention.
Good God, I give up. It’s almost as though I’m not even supposed to say anything. Damien thought, dropping his head into his hand.
The look of terror in Kain's eyes combined with the fact that he was slowly rising from his seat on the floor had Jill hurriedly standing.
“We have to go.” Kain thanked Charlie for his hospitality, grabbing his coat and walking towards the front door.
“Alex, what is it?” Charlie grabbed his shoulder. “I'm the police chief. I need to know what's going on?”
Blessing of Luna (Wolfgods Book 1) Page 20