“Shit, Kain. I don’t think Clydesdales can kick this hard.” Damien rubbed his cheek with his hand, looking at his palm as though he might be bleeding.
“The problem is you aren’t anticipating anything. You should read every movement of your opponent’s body and predict what he is planning on doing before he even thinks about it. The body tells on itself before it acts. Learning to read these indications is key to staying on top in battle.” Kain threw another punch at Damien only to miss him. “Good. Let your instincts guide you and you either won’t get hit or you can lessen a blow. Now. Again!” Kain threw his kick. This time faking Damien out and throwing his elbow into Damien’s chest.
Damien bent over. His lungs burning as he tried to catch his breath. “Okay… that was so low…”
“Anticipate, Damien. Read. Only then will you be victorious in battle and in hunting.”
The rest of the afternoon went by with Damien being kicked around over and over again. As he tried to get up from having his legs taken out from under him, Kain stood over him. The look in his eyes intense.
“I’m not letting you sleep until I see a change in how you’re fighting. Nathaniel will try every dirty trick in the book. You have to be ready or do you want to be his pack bitch for the rest of your days?”
Oh, hell no he didn’t. Damien felt a sense of unbridled determination flood his body. There was no way in hell he was going to show his belly to someone as low on the pole as Nathaniel.
A sudden jolt inside had him dodging almost every hit Kain was throwing at him. What’s going on? It’s like I can see what he’s going to do before he does it.
“Very good.” Kain held back his last hit. “You are ready. Tomorrow we go back so you can face Nathaniel. I am very honored to have been able to teach you.” Kain bowed to Damien, earning one in return.
“Thank you, Kain. You’ve done so much for me. I don’t know if I can ever return the favor.” Damien lowered his head towards the alpha in respect.
A pat on his shoulder had him looking back up. “You don’t need to. You are my friend, Damien. My best friend. I would gladly do it all again. Get a late evening nap. We will hunt tonight and take it back to the camp in the morning. No doubt Holt may need some more supplies.”
Napping sounded really appealing so Damien curled up on his makeshift sleeping bag and fell asleep. Jill. I’m coming back to you. Just a few more hours.
Chapter Twenty-Six
The following morning Kain and Damien made their way back to the camp in their wolf forms.
Almost immediately, Damien found himself getting slightly uncomfortable at the looks on each of the faces of the lycans in the camp. Gasps erupted across the small crowd joining whispers Damien could barely hear. He shook his head whimpering until his eyes landed on the one woman he’d longed to see since he’d been gone.
Jill walked through the crowd, her beauty radiating from her with such intensity, Damien felt his breath ripped out of his lungs. It was as though he’d never seen her before. Her beautiful green eyes lit up as she walked up to him. All time seemed frozen. Every movement exaggerated in his eyes as he admired her beauty. She stopped in front of him, falling to her knees.
“You’re so handsome,” Her arms wrapped around his neck, her cheek resting against his shoulder. The softness of his fur brought about a heat of desire inside of her. The powerful scent of pine and male musk infiltrated her nose. She leaned back to look into his eyes, her own full with sweet seduction. “I’m happy to see you.”
Damien whimpered as he nuzzled into her, his huge paw on her back. His heart filled with joy at finally getting to feel his mate’s warmth once again next to him.
The pain and disappointment he’d suffered melted away in this moment when her soft, raven hair met his cheek. His arms wrapped firmly around her, not wanting to let her go. Finally. Finally I have her in my arms again.
“Kain’s back!” A young pup in his human form was soon joined by multiple others as they ran over to Kain, weaving in and out of his legs. He struggled not to trip while dragging a pack of supplies to Holt.
Jill covered her mouth against a snicker as Kain whimpered after nearly face planting from a pup under his front leg. She turned her attention towards her mate. “Come my love, I yearn for your affection. May I have some of your time?”
Damien’s heart raced. A nervous lump forming in his throat at the saucy, frozen green bedroom eyes he was staring into.
His body grew hot as he watched Jill sashay her hips back into their tent. She stopped only briefly, looking over her shoulder as she pulled one of the spaghetti straps of her shirt down, disappearing behind the cloth door.
****
Once inside, Damien stretched his arms and legs out against the stiffness. His hand on his shoulder while he rotated it.
Jill sat in nothing but her shirt on the edge of the bed, her hands sitting on the edge between her spread legs. Her eyes roamed over her lover’s body, savoring every defined muscle as it grew tight and loose with his movements.
The sweat glistened off of his perfect skin, now toned a light copper from the change. His hair dark as the night sky clung to his skin from the sweat yet still beckoned to have her fingers grip it tight while they made hot love.
Unable to contain her desire any longer, Jill held out her hands to beckon her lover forward.
Damien smiled, walking over to stand between her legs. Jill hugged Damien’s thigh, her other hand running slowly up his abdominal muscles to his chest. The tattoo of the cross on his hip seemed to plead for attention. Briefly she leaned down to softly lick it, causing his skin to tingle under her tongue. She sighed as she pressed her cheek against his stomach, caressing his leg and butt cheek, savoring the toned muscles she felt under her fingers.
“You have such a nice ass, babe.” She looked up, curious as to what his reaction would be. Usually he was shy in regards to such open flirting but this time he seemed almost content.
A slight crooked grin curled over his lips. His eyes cocky at the look she was giving him. This sudden change of behavior combined with the aggressive way he made love, thrilled Jill to her core. It made him even more appealing.
The light scratching of her nails over the skin of his stomach made Damien shiver against the warmth of her cheek.
Jill lay back on the bed, her hunger for him growing beyond her ability to control. Her hands ran up his bare arms.
The heat of his body made Jill arch her back, moaning. She wanted him and she wanted him now. “Make love with me.”
Damien crawled up on the bed, careful to scoot Jill up with the strength of his forearm between her legs until her head rested on the ornate pillows. He lowered his mouth to Jill’s, kissing her while his hand ran down her side to her thigh to guide her leg up to his hip.
The tip of his erection had just found her swollen, wet opening throbbing with need only to be interrupted by a searing pain in his chest.
Damien clenched his teeth, hissing through them. His hand gripped his chest. His heart raced in his ribcage.
The very bones of his ribs felt like they were on fire. He struggled to hide the discomfort from Jill, attempting not to worry her. He got up from the bed, trying to catch any amount of air into his lungs that he could.
“Are you okay?” Worried, Jill got up off of the bed to go to Damien’s side.
“Fine, sweetheart. I’m just…needing some fresh air.” Damien got dressed before he left the tent, not giving Jill a chance to respond.
He hated himself that he was so close to taking her after being apart only to have to suddenly stop. He needed to find Kain to tell him what had happened.
****
Damien looked around at the camp. Each lycan still had some kind of strange look on their face.
He found Kain talking to Holt in regards to the reasons as to why the females had come back from the mountain caves.
“Glad you made it back in one piece, Damien. Not everyone who trains with Alexander Kain c
omes back in such good condition. Sun’s hell, some of them don’t come back at all.” Holt laughed, his thick accent making it hard for Damien to understand some of the things he said.
Right, if you only knew, Holt. He was right about training with Kain. It had been sun’s hell. I don’t think I’ve landed on my ass so many times in my damn life.
“I’m not that bad, Holt. Stop scaring the boy.” Kain chuckled as he took a drink of whatever hot beverage was in the metal cup he had.
“Kain, I need to talk to you.” Damien turned to Holt. “Holt, weren’t the females supposed to be in the caves? What are they all doing here?”
“You.”
“Huh?”
Kain gagged on the drink. It was if he recognized the lack of wording Holt used so he clarified the alpha’s rather vague statement. “What Holt means is you give them hope that the war will soon end. They want to remain close.”
“Is that why they’re looking at me like that?”
Kain nodded. “Yes. They have never seen a white lycan. The only other one is the Night Father himself. It gives them hope that they may get the peace they have longed and prayed for.”
Damien stumbled back. This was all going too fast. Just a short time ago he was going to school for a bachelor’s degree and trying not to get killed by vampires. Now he was some sort of symbol of hope?
“You were wanting to speak with me? Is it something you would like to talk about in private?” Kain spoke, appearing to sense his friend’s nervousness.
Damien shook his head, trying to focus. “Yes.”
“Holt, would you excuse us for a moment, please?”
Holt nodded to Kain, making his way back to his tent, instructing lycans as he went.
“Now what is it, Damien?”
Damien didn’t know how to start. “I felt the pain again. It hurt so bad this time I got nauseous.”
“It is the dark god. He knows the hope you are bringing back to us. It’s making him angry. Do not let him dissuade you. It is what he feeds on.”
“What if I fail, Kain? I mean, it hadn’t been a few months and now I’m some kind of symbol? I barely just learned how to change into a wolf. What if I can’t handle all of the pressure?”
“Shouldn’t be a ‘what if’ from a pussy like you,” Nathaniel’s arrogant voice pierced through Damien’s ears. He rolled his eyes as the narcissistic alpha stopped in front of them. “Well, well, well, if it isn’t the newborn and his man crush. Hope I didn’t interrupt you girls but if my memory serves, I have a nose to plant into the ground,” Nathaniel shoved Damien in the chest. “I’m surprised you even bothered to show back up.”
Just as Kain was about to speak, Damien held out his hand to stop him. “That’s enough. I’ve had it with your stuck-up attitude. Someone needs to put you in your place, Nathaniel. You want me, here I am.”
Nathaniel burst out laughing. “So that’s how it is? You’re gone with this washed up hazbin for five short days and now you think you’re strong enough to handle me?” Nathaniel got into Damien’s face. His bare chest bowed up. “You’re nothing but a newborn. A pussy who thinks he’s got balls now that he has his baby fangs. If Jill hadn’t saved your ass as much as she did, you’d be a dead man. I’ll wipe the floor with you and then shame Kain for failing in your training.”
Kain stood silent, smirking. Almost anticipating the outcome.
****
Kain stood in the middle of the ring while lycans of all ages and kinds gathered on the outskirts. Damien stood face to face with Nathaniel in a circle of trees. Some jeered at Nathaniel while others took bets on how long it would be before Damien started begging for mercy.
Damien had to silence the crowd in his mind or he wouldn’t be able to focus. He knew Nathaniel was much more experienced. He looked at Kain. The pride in the alpha’s stance reassured him of his teacher’s faith in him.
“Alright, you both remember what’s at stake for this fight?” His eyes met Nathaniel who scoffed at him. “Nathaniel, if you lose, then you are henceforth banished with your beta and will forfeit the alpha title to Damien,” Kain looked at Damien, his eyes full of trust. “Damien, if you lose then you will join Nathaniel’s pack and submit to his authority as alpha.”
A shutter ran through Damien’s body. Surrendering to Nathaniel was one thing but shaming Kain was completely different. I won’t lose. I can’t lose. He took a deep breath, taking the stance Kain taught him.
Nathaniel smirked, lunging at Damien with impressive speed.
Damien didn’t move, keeping his eyes closed. He felt the forest around him, the soft bite of the cold breeze as the day turned to evening. The sounds of the lycans around him cheering and booing the fighter they supported.
If I fall here, I would have let them all down. They’re counting on me. Jill, Kain, they’re counting on me. Gabriel, my dad, Rob. Damien opened his eyes just in time to side-step Nathaniel’s punch. His body completely relaxed as he effortlessly dodged the lycan’s blows.
“What the hell?!” He tried lunging again with the same result. He began panting. His teeth clenched in anger. “There’s no way you can be this good this fast! Kain’s a nobody!” Again and again he swung and kicked only to miss.
Eventually Damien grabbed Nathaniel’s fist, gripping it tightly in his hand. “He’s not a nobody, Nathaniel. If he was, you wouldn’t be trying so hard to dishonor him. Your problem is you’re hiding all of your uncertainty and low self-esteem behind a false sense of power and confidence.”
Damien borrowed Kain’s legendary round-house kick, his heel finding its mark against Nathaniel’s jaw. The force sent the alpha skidding on his heels across the ring. He lunged at Nathaniel, taking him into a submission hold to the ground.
“When this is over, you will apologize to Kain for disgracing his name and to Jill for demeaning her like you did. Got it?”
“Fuck you!” Nathaniel gasped as Damien tightened his hold. He struggled to free himself, each attempt proved useless. “Fine! I forfeit!”
Damien let Nathaniel go, rising to his feet. The defeated alpha huffed and puffed on the ground on his knees.
“Well done. Very well done.” Kain patted Damien’s shoulder. “I have nothing more I can teach you. You are now an alpha in your own right. Congratulations.”
Me? An alpha? Damien’s eyes widened in surprise. “Kain, I don’t want the title. I’m not ready. Actually,” Damien’s words were cut off as Kain walked over to Nathaniel, towering above him.
“The rules stand, Nathaniel. You are hereby stripped of your alpha title and sentenced to be banished with your beta to the mountains.”
Nathaniel clenched his teeth, growling through them and glaring at Lune who stood up against a tree shaking his head.
“Wait!” Damien’s voice rang out, silencing the crowd.
Kain turned to watch as Damien made his way over to the kneeling lycan.
He reached out his hand. “No. It’s not right. I don’t want the title.”
“What?”
“I don’t want the title. What I do want is your help. We already have too many enemies as it is. We don’t need to fight amongst ourselves,” Nathaniel looked at Damien’s hand. “Will you help us?”
Damien saw Nathaniel’s eyes soften as he took his hand. “Yeah.”
Kain nodded. His grin as wide as Damien had ever seen it. “A wise choice. For a newborn.” Kain chuckled, earning a playful shove from Damien.
“This from a ‘hazbin’?” Damien smirked thinking he got the better of the older alpha until he once again found himself flat on his back. Okay…still…so wrong…
****
The fight left Damien’s muscles sore on so many levels. When Jill offered to give him a back rub in the hot springs he never knew existed just a short hike up the mountains he was quick to agree.
“Ow.” Damien cringed as Jill messaged his shoulders, trying to get the knots out of them.
“You are such a big baby sometimes. That was amazing by
the way. You fought so beautifully and gave Nathaniel mercy when he clearly didn’t deserve it.” Jill rested her cheek against Damien’s shoulder. “You really are so amazing, babe. You continue to astound and baffle me. You have such a pure heart and soul.”
“I’m not special, Jill. Everyone expects so much out of me. I don’t have a clue what I’m doing or what I’m supposed to do.”
Jill’s hand running down his chest to his stomach combined with her warm tongue licking his neck froze the words in Damien’s throat.
“You aren’t alone. You have the respect of every alpha in the packs present. Our people love you. Our pups adore you. Why is it so wrong for them to see you as a symbol of hope?”
Damien hadn’t thought about it the way Jill described. The Purifiers were supposed to be symbols of hope according to what she told him.
Jill’s hot breath in his ear sent trembling chills down his spine. “My love, I’m with pup.”
Water flew in Jill’s face as Damien shot up out of it. His eyes wide, his chest heaving with anxiety.
Jill shook her head trying to get the water out of her face. “I was late so I had Kyle take a test. It came back positive. Damien, I’m pregnant.”
****
Silence lingered between them for what seemed like hours.
Jill watched as Damien paced the floor of their tent, his hand running over his face multiple times. “Damien…are you angry?”
Damien stopped pacing. His hand ran the length of his face prior to glancing over at Jill. His heart felt like a rock in his chest capable of falling through his body to the ground. She was looking at the floor as she did when she felt he would reject her.
To comfort her, he dropped to his knees in front of her. Using his finger and thumb on her chin, he raised her head. “No Jill. I’m not angry. I’m actually really excited. It’s just I don’t know the first thing about being a father; let alone to pups.” It still felt weird to call them that. His thoughts shifted to the upcoming war and the probabilities Jill had given him about pup mortality.
Blessing of Luna (Wolfgods Book 1) Page 25