A fire burned inside of Damien, making him angry. As much as he hated to admit it, he knew Nathaniel was right. If he didn't stand up now then he couldn't let himself step on the battlefield and hope to be useful against a vampire.
“You know what, asshole. I'll accept your challenge.” Damien said, getting back into Nathaniel’s face.
Kain smiled in respect for Damien's choice. “Very well. The rules of combat stand. Nathaniel, since you have disrespected the honor of what it means to be an alpha, your title will be what is at stake.”
“Fine. If I win, Damien has to hit his knees and surrender to my authority as an alpha and join my pack,” Nathaniel replied, an arrogant smile curving on his lips. He thumped Damien’s forehead with a flick of his finger. “Got that? Once I plant your face in the dirt, I want to see your belly in submission. No more hiding behind Kain.” He shoved past Damien, laughing.
“That guy really pisses me off. The hell is his problem?” Damien asked Kain, still upset.
“Nathaniel is Lune’s younger brother. He is an arrogant pup. He did not have to fight to earn his title. He took it in a hostile takeover of Sombra's pack after he passed away. Perhaps if he learned more from Sombra he would not be the way he is. I will train you myself, starting tomorrow. He is right, you need to change. I can teach you how. You will need to hunt as well. Meet me by the pool at sunrise. I suggest you rest up, you will need your strength.” Kain walked back to his own tent, zipping the door closed behind him.
****
“Damien, you've been acting strangely since this morning. Is there something wrong?” Jill rested her cheek against Damien's back. Her fingers tickled his skin as they ran down his shoulder, following the path to his hip.
“Nathaniel challenged me to a fight. As much as I hate to admit, it has me nervous. Kain says he's going to start training me but Jill, what if I can’t do this? They all have such high expectations of me as a Purifier. Kain actually bowed to me.” Damien couldn't help the nervous feeling welling up inside of him.
All of a sudden it seemed like everyone's expectations of him reached new heights. He was terrified of letting them down.
Jill kissed his shoulder, letting her hands run down his back and sides around to his stomach. “Don't worry about any of that. We aren't expecting you to fight this war alone. If Kain is training you then Nathaniel won't be a problem either. He's one of the strongest lycan fighters we have. For now,” Jill spoke low and hot in his ear as her desire for his attention grew. “Let me enjoy your company. Let me pleasure you.”
Damien felt chills go down his spine as her hands slid up the front of his muscle shirt. Her nails lightly tickling the muscles of his abs up to his chest. He raised his arms, letting Jill take his shirt off, raising up on her knees behind him so she could plant kisses on his neck and shoulders.
“Come up here with me. I want to get between those gorgeous legs of yours.” Jill backed up on her hands and knees, her finger beckoning Damien to join her on their bed. Her back arched and eyes half-closed in a seductive fashion. Her hair fell across her face, down her shoulders.
She wore only her underwear, licking her lips as she enticed her lover.
Damien rubbed his face. Jill’s favorite crooked smile curled along his face as he crawled up to her.
After leaning up against the makeshift headboard made of pillows, Jill nestled between his legs, resting against his bare chest. His hand felt warm as ran across her cheek, down her neck. Their lips met in a loving kiss.
“You're so beautiful. I honestly don't know what I did to earn someone so beautiful and strong.”
“You existed. That’s enough for me,” Jill reached up to pet Damien's face, her eyes dreamy as she stared into his. “Your eyes are like jewels. I don't think I've ever seen eyes as deep purple as yours. It's like Tenebris made you for me.”
Damien ran his hand up under her shirt, silently begging her to take it off. She obliged, granting him access to remove her bra before kissing her shoulder. His fingertips slid down her arms in sweet appreciation of her beauty.
Jill craned her neck, her pleasure soaring as his hands ran over her skin. The feeling of his lips on her neck and breasts made her heart beat harder. Her breath grew heavy with heated passion.
Everything she had done to win his love led up to these glorious moments when all else happening around them faded into the background. His love seeped into her with each touch; each gentle kiss on her body.
It wasn't long before Damien had Jill on her back, their clothes laying in piles on the floor. The late winter afternoon brought about a snow chilling the wind. It drove them under the blankets of their bed as a shield. Their arms and legs entangled.
Jill let out a soft gasp as she felt Damien slide into her from behind, the suddenness of his entry didn’t allow her body time to adjust around him. He went so deep into her she felt the sting of pain in her hips, making her wince. She unconsciously tried to get away from him only to have him hold her firmly against his hard body.
Damien's finger rubbing her tender flesh made Jill’s pleasure surge. Her body longed to give him all he wanted to take with each thrust into her tender opening. She was so wet. His rich, deep, sexual scent intoxicated her to the point she became drunk on his love.
Damien held Jill’s hip firmly to keep her still. His other hand held her throat, turning her head so he could plant loving kisses on her jaw.
Jill’s nails dug into Damien’s thigh the closer she got to her orgasm. Small gasps and whimpers escaped through clenched teeth with each profound thrust.
He rolled them over so Jill was on her stomach, his body pressed against her while making love to her as if it were the first time.
Jill had to bite down on the pillow to avoid crying out against the pleasure flooding her body. Her nails dug into her lover’s arm as he took her.
The sudden arrival of her orgasm made Jill’s muscles pulse around him, taking him deeper into her. His own orgasm made him dig his teeth into her shoulder, his hand holding her hip so tightly he knew it would bruise but he couldn't stop himself. He wanted her to take all of him into her womb.
When he finally released her, Jill stretched out her back to loosen her muscles against the strain. She felt slightly nauseated at having to handle everything Damien had to give her.
“Sex is always so hot with you, babe.” Damien kissed her neck, his tongue lapping up the sweat on her shoulder. “I have to admit you surprised me. I had no idea you were able to get so aggressive when making love.” Jill snickered, out of breath.
She wanted more. More of his attention, more affection, more love making. “Would you lie on your stomach for me?”
Damien lay down next to her, smiling as he crossed his arms to rest his chin on them.
Jill lay down on top of him. The curve of her stomach met his back, fitting her pelvis in the curve just above his butt. Her feet caressed his calves and thighs. She let her hand stroke her lover’s throat, softly kissing his jaw before moving up to his ear to nip it.
It was more than she could have ever imagined. The love she felt for Damien was deeper than it ever had been with Lucius.
To her, everything they had been through was worth this one moment. She was going to savor it, savor him until he had to leave her to meet Kain.
Chapter Twenty-Four
The next morning found Damien up and out of bed before the sun rose above the horizon. It was the day he was leaving with Kain to start training with him in preparation of his upcoming fight with Nathaniel.
Even though it wasn’t something Damien looked forward to, he knew it was the only way he was going to get the overly narcissistic alpha off his case.
Since he woke up from his encounter with Barghast in his mind, everyone in the camp had been referring to him as “my lord” and bowing. It made him feel strange, afraid he may let them down in the end.
Damien made his way down to the pool that Kain asked him to meet only to find he was alone.
&
nbsp; “Kain?” He started looking around.
“I’m here.” Kain came out from behind a large boulder that served as a barrier to the pool. His mid-length dirty blonde hair was a disheveled mess. His shoulders marred with new gashes resembling claw marks.
The usual purple circles under his eyes were so dark, his emerald green eyes were almost lost in their darkness.
“Kain! What in God’s name happened?” Damien asked, running to Kain’s side to help support him.
“It’s alright. It looks worse than it feels. Are you ready to begin your training?” Kain held his hand up to stop Damien, walking as though nothing was wrong. He held onto his usual pride and confidence despite how much pain he had to have been in.
“Kain, we don’t have to do this. You look like you’re not feeling well.”
Stopping mid-footfall, Kain spoke over his shoulder. “Damien, trust me. I will be fine. There is no way in sun’s hell I’m letting you forfeit to someone like Nathaniel. Now come with me.”
The rest of the walk went in silence. Damien spent most of the time staring at his friend’s back. It was covered with a mix of old healed scars and new fresh gashes down the length of his back. Some even wrapped around his hips.
It was the same on his chest and arms. Whatever it was doing this, it was obviously trying to kill him.
Kain led Damien through the forest until they reached an open meadow. The grass was as soft as bamboo sheets; green and fresh like it had just been watered by the spring rains.
A fading mist weaved in and out of the grass, dissipating with the rising sun. The air was brisk and cool in contrast with the winter back at the camp. It smelled like fresh lavender and jasmine. The sun shone warm above them.
It felt like it was a different world.
Lying far in the background was a ring of mountains. The horizon masked them purple and pink with the sun peeking over the ridges.
“Kain, what is this place?” Damien asked in awe, taking in the landscape.
His eyes came to fall upon a large circle of stones shaped liked large ovals. Carved into each of them were different symbols, almost like the runes that Rob showed him in some of the PC games he played.
“This is one of the oldest temples to our gods built when we arrived here. With the arrival of man, we had to flee from this place since they built a settlement so close by. Surprisingly, they haven’t found it. It is believed that as if by some power or magic, it’s hidden from the eyes of man. The perfect place to train a new lycan,” Kain took the remains of his shirt off, hanging it on the branch of a nearby tree. “Damien, tell me something. Why have you not tried to change yet?”
“I’m not sure I can. I haven’t felt any different since Jill bit me,” Damien replied, his fists clenched tightly against his sides. His chest tightened as the nervousness at what he was about to say filled him. “To be honest, I think I’m afraid to. I’m not sure why.”
“Fear and uncertainty,” Kain lowered his head, slightly sighing and half-chuckling. Damien’s eyes met Kain’s. “That’s all I heard.”
Kain took a thin piece of tattered material out of his pocket, making his way over to Damien. “Tie this around your eyes. If fear is what is blinding you to your true potential, then it is that fear we must eliminate first. To a human, darkness is the most terrifying entity so it is darkness that you need to face.”
Hesitant but trusting Kain, Damien tied the makeshift blindfold around his head, instantly blinding him from the beauty around him. Chills ran up his spine as uncertainty met uneasy anticipation at what Kain’s intentions were.
“Now that your eyes have been taken out of the picture, it is time for you to see the world the way we do. Lycans rarely rely on sight since we hunt in such darkened conditions and often have to see our prey even before it is visible.” Kain laid his hands on Damien’s shoulders, gently guiding them down.
“Relax your mind and body. Feel everything around you. The breeze, the grass, the rustling of the leaves. Hear the sounds of the birds, the padding of deer hooves in the distance. Then will you understand what it feels like to see the world. Only blinded can you truly see the beauty of Gaia.”
Damien tried hard to focus as he was being instructed, his body tensing as he tried to force his new senses to adapt.
Disappointment leaked its way into his mind, making him feel as though he was failing just as he feared he would.
“I…I can’t do this. I knew I couldn’t meet everyone’s expectations. I let them down. I let you down, Kain.”
“Stop trying to resist. Your whole life you have been led to believe you needed to pretend to be something you are not. Stop trying to be human. You are not one. You never were. Up to this point, I have been easing you into this but it is time I was honest. I will break you, Damien.”
A short gasp escaped Damien’s throat, his heart beating faster as he fought hard to keep a hold on his trust that Kain wasn’t going to hurt him. “Break me?”
“Yes. I will break you but I will rebuild you into something stronger. I am not as patient as Jillian when it comes to training someone. There is a reason why Gabriel reacted the way he did when I told you I was going to train you. You won’t be going back to Jillian until you are trained.”
****
At the end of the day, Damien was on his knees, exhausted and upset at his repeated failures.
“I can’t do this, dammit!” He slammed his fists into the ground, grinding his teeth at the fact he wouldn’t be able to get back to his mate’s side because he couldn’t get his head on straight.
Kain knelt down beside him, his hand resting on his shoulder. “Easy. You are much stronger than you think you are. I promise you, by the time this is over, you will come to realize it yourself.”
The full moon rose above them, signaling the arrival of the night. The soft breeze whispered through the trees. Owls hooted in the distance while loons called gently from the lakes.
“I have to hunt now.”
Damien’s head shot up, surprised. “You’re leaving me here?”
“Of course. I told you, did I not? What better way to train your instincts than being forced to use them. If you get tired, sleep in the center of the stones. You will be safe there. I will return in the morning.”
Kain shifted into his wolf form, shaking his muscles against the discomfort of the gashes.
Damien was in awe at the large sandy haired wolf standing before him. He felt strange inside. Like something was trying to get out.
It wasn’t until his eyes met Kain’s in his full wolf form that he felt a burn in his chest. It was different from the burn inflicted on him by the dark god. This one felt comfortable. As if it was meant to be there.
Kain lifted his head, howling to the moon. The sound echoed against the trees and the range of mountains around them. The aura surrounding him filled with a primal power.
Kain’s eyes once again met Damien’s, almost smiling. He turned and sprinted off towards the woods.
****
Alone, Damien wandered through the woods in search of something he could have for dinner. His stomach was so empty it hurt, making him feel nauseous. The headache he’d developed after Kain left him began throbbing behind his skull. The burn he felt earlier still nagged him inside.
He was so dazed, he lost his footing, sliding down a steep incline. Rolling across broken branches, sharp rocks, wet leaves and dirt, Damien landed in a small brook.
Tired and hungry, he felt content just lying there. His spirit felt weakened. His hope crumbled that he would ever come to understand anything about himself.
Barely able to stand, he forced himself to his hands and knees, crawling out of the water only to fall to his stomach.
Jill. I’m sorry. I failed you. I failed Kain. I failed everyone.
Damien closed his eyes, furious. His thoughts turned to Jill. Her warm body snuggling alone in their bed back at the camp. How worried she must be. How he longed to be next to her, making love to her, kissi
ng her soft lips. The heat of her body as her pleasure rose beneath his fingers and lips.
A soft howl rose above the wind’s shrieking wails. The sound familiar and comforting. I love you. Come back to me soon. It was Jill’s howl.
Determination overtook uncertainty as Damien forced himself to his feet, ignoring the pangs of hunger and exhaustion to make it back to the circle of stones Kain told him to rest in.
Damien only barely made it back when the sun began to rise behind him. The first night a horrible reminder of just how little he knew about his new abilities.
He fell to the ground, curling up to try and catch some sleep before Kain came back. Jill’s words on the wind served as his only comfort against the cold of his wet clothes and broken spirit.
The smell of something cooking woke Damien up from his exhausting, restless sleep.
Kain sat by a newly lit fire with a small black pot hanging on a makeshift spit while fish roasted on a grill grate. It smelled wonderful. Damien’s stomach growled so loud, Kain turned around.
“Well good morning. From the looks of you, I’d say the first night didn’t go so well.” He let out a slight chuckle.
“Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up. You make this look so easy,” Damien sat down across from his friend, his eyes locked on the dancing flames in front of him. “Kain, I don’t know if I can do this. Last night, I didn’t feel anything but a slight burn inside after I stared into your eyes.”
“That’s a start. The wolf inside of you must be something if you can’t see him yet. Usually most of us are able to change as soon as the pain disappears.” Kain handed him a bowl of the stew he was cooking and two roasted fish.
Curious, Damien broached the subject he’d long been curious about since Jill mentioned it. “Kain, have you ever changed anyone?”
Kain stopped what he was doing. His eyes locked on the flames and the bubbling stew in the pot. “Yes.”
“Where are they?”
Kain closed his eyes, sighing. “I…had to kill them.”
Blessing of Luna (Wolfgods Book 1) Page 23