by Nicole Grane
Chapter 31: Damen’s Offer
Marcus had informed me that Charlotte and Sarah were taking a brief holiday to go visit their families. This of course was a ruse he’d concocted to ensure their safety. Not to mention he didn’t want to have to explain why we were suddenly being overrun with wolves.
We said our goodbyes after dinner. Charlotte had made a mouth watering roast that had enough leftovers for a week’s worth of meals.
Marcus had told her that he would be taking me on a little trip the day after tomorrow, so she needn’t worry about us eating.
I left Marcus and Raymose in the library to finalize their plans. I couldn’t stand to listen any longer. Despite Marcus's reassurance, Raymose was still uneasy about their numbers—which of course added to my level of tension.
I walked slowly up the staircase and down the long hall. The castle was quiet. No Charlotte clanking about in the kitchen. No Sarah humming along as she did her chores. The house felt dead, and I didn’t have any life to add to it.
I found myself standing in the center of my bedroom looking around me. I suddenly felt very alone. The room was filled with so many memories of past and present—I couldn’t bear to think of being here without Marcus. I shook the image away; I couldn’t afford to dwell on it.
I sat myself down in a chair by the window and looked out across the lawn. The sunlight had all but disappeared. I cracked the window open a little and let the night breeze waft in. I sat back, closed my eyes, and tried to relax. I breathed in deeply—a familiar scent met my nose. My eyes popped wide open. I jumped up, throwing open the window. I leaned out as far as I could, straining my eyes as I searched the darkness.
“There you are . . ..” I whispered as I saw him standing by the garden, not fifty yards away. I considered my safety for a moment. He wouldn’t hurt me, would he? He obviously wanted to see me. It was at great personal risk that he came—especially tonight of all nights.
I turned and moved quietly as I snuck downstairs and out the doors. I ran as fast as I could through the darkness. The moon’s light was directly overhead and lit my way beautifully. Damen was standing near the roses. He had picked one and was extending it out to me.
I approached him slowly. My hand shook a little as I took it from him. “Thank you.” My voice was suddenly hoarse. Perhaps this hadn’t been a good idea to meet him alone after all?
“I’m afraid its beauty pales next to yours,” he said as he circled me slowly.
I could feel my heart begin to race. I was uneasy having Damen so close to me. Any other woman would welcome such a handsome, well-spoken man paying her attention. I, on the other hand, found it unnerving. Damen looked at me with such desire, such absolute longing. The tension was unbearable.
“You must want to know why I’ve come?” He moved closer still, the heat of him pressing upon me.
“Damen, you shouldn’t be here.”
“Yet you rushed out to see me.” He grinned.
“Marcus and Raymose are inside; if they catch you . . .”
“Are you worried for my safety?” He touched my cheek with the tips of his fingers, caressing it. “You do care for me, don’t you?”
I gave him a dry look. “What do you want Damen?”
“I wanted to see if you were foolish enough to have stayed. To have ignored my warning.” He shook his head, a look of pity hung on his face now. “You think you can save him, don’t you?”
I didn’t answer.
“Do you honestly think you’re strong enough to fight alongside him? Would he be such a fool to let you try?”
“I won’t let him die!” I yelled, tossing the rose back at him.
His eyes lit up. I’d given him his answer.
“He needs me. He . . . just doesn’t know it yet.” I’d said this a million times to myself already, but somehow saying it aloud to Damen made it seem foolish. Who was I trying to convince, really? I shifted uneasily.
“So much time has passed . . . yet nothing has changed.” His voice was condescending.
“What are talking about?” I folded my arms across my chest.
“You’ve walked this path before . . . have you not? And here you are yet again, ready to sacrifice your life, and that of your unborn child’s, in the hopes to save his? He is not worthy of it.”
I glowered at him. He cut me to the quick and he knew it. “You took that life, not me. And Marcus was saved,” I reminded him curtly.
“A tragedy that will not be repeated,” he snarled. “He cannot be allowed to live when he hunts us so freely!” I could see the hatred in Damen’s eyes.
“Well then we have a problem, don’t we?” My voice sounded unlike my own. It was strong and confident. “You’re not going to touch him.”
He laughed wickedly, his eyes gleaming like diamonds in the moonlight. “Are you threatening me?”
I took a short breath, taken aback by the direction the conversation had turned. “Yes.”
He sneered, his yellow eyes full of malice. “You think you can stop me?”
“If I had to.” The words slipped between my lips. They weren’t as strong as I’d hoped—confirmation that I doubted myself. “I feel stronger every day.” I held my chin high.
“True. With each full moon your strength grows . . . but not enough for what is to come.”
I scoffed.
“Let it begin then.” I had no time to react. He grabbed my shoulders and threw me like a rag doll across the ground. I skidded to a stop, landing on my newly bandaged arm.
I cried out in agony.
Damen had already closed the gap between us, yanking me violently to my feet. I winced as his fingers dug deep into my jaw. “You cannot win . . . not as you are,” he growled. “Soon, you will beg me to turn you.” He tossed my body effortlessly, sending me into one of the garden statues. It toppled over, breaking my fall. “Imagine what Aidric will do to you,” he mocked as he stared down at my quivering body.
“You can break every bone I have Damen . . . I won’t let you hurt Marcus.”
Even in the limited light, I could see his fury wash over his face. His chest heaved in and out as he made his way over to me. “Marcus's fate has been decided,” he snarled. “As has yours.”
I’d somehow found the strength to pick myself up off the ground. My body felt like a shell—not even my own. It ached from head to toe. Every inch screamed with pain. Yet, a small fire had lit within me. “I won’t let you turn me,” I stood my ground. “I’d rather die than become a werewolf!”
“And so you shall.” His foot connected with my chest a second later, my breath escaping me on impact. He snarled as he moved toward me.
I lay on the ground several yards away, gasping for air. My vision too blurred to see him clearly.
“I have the power to save you,” he sneered, “and your child.” He baited the hook. “If I turn you now, your heart will still beat.”
“No,” I cried. Had it come to this? My life would be spared if I agreed to let Damen turn me completely . . . my soul for immortality? The baby would live . . . a life for a life. There had to be another way.
I stared up at him, my body . . . too sore to move. “You’re not the only one who could save us,” I choked, spitting blood from my lips.
His laugh was chilling. “You’d rather be a vampire?”
“Is it possible?” My voice edged on desperate.
Damen’s expression grew more sinister, as if that were even possible. “You think the vampires are going to welcome you—an abomination like the child that grows within you?” He dropped down beside me, his face pressed hard against my neck, as he inhaled deeply. “Blood doesn’t lie,” he breathed into my ear. “You. Are. A. Werewolf.” He lifted me into his arms then flung me to the side, taking out a small wooden arbor with my body. I cried out in agony. I thought all the bones in my body had broken. By all rights, they should have. But I could hear things snapping back together.
“You said you loved m
e,” I sobbed, trying to rise to my knees—I fell back to the ground, disoriented. “How can you kill me when you love me?”
“I do love you!” he roared. “It’s because I love you that I must do this! I’ve waited far too long for you, Phoebe.” His mind was absolute. Damen looked upon me, his expression wild, his patience was spent—he was through ‘playing.’ He wanted me—now! “You won’t come freely, but you will concede,” he threatened darkly. A low growl came from behind his teeth.
“Damen—” He had me by the throat, his fingers cutting into my skin.
“Can I offer immortality to you now?”
“I don’t think you want to continue doing that,” a voice spoke coldly—I recognized it at once. Thank God!
“Raymose . . . what a surprise.” Damen pressed harder against my throat. “You may want to step back old friend; there’s an awful lot of blood,” Damen said with a grin.
I gasped for air. “Damen . . .” My voice was barely audible.
“Let her go!” Marcus hissed.
“I don’t think I can do that,” Damen laughed without humor. “Now that you know I’m here, I can hardly leave unscathed . . . and I have so much work ahead of me tomorrow . . . or should I say today!” He added cheerfully, ignoring my gurgled pleas. “Besides, Poor Phoebe here wouldn’t stand a chance against two vampires. It would be cruel of me to let her go. As I said . . . there’s an awful lot of blood.” There was a twisted pleasure in his tone. He was enjoying their torment at my expense. I struggled beneath him, my fingers desperately trying to pry his hand away from my throat.
“Hasn’t centuries of reflection taught you that you can’t win her affection by beating her to death,” Raymose hissed, he was inching toward us, his black eyes deadly.
“I won’t lose her—not again!” Damen threatened. His grip on me tightened, nearly causing me to blackout.
“She’s not yours to lose!” Marcus spoke through gritted teeth. He circled us, slowly, waiting for an opportunity to strike. “Let her go—now!”
“Not a chance,” Damen snarled as he positioned me between them. His teeth were too close to me—a fact Marcus was all too aware of.
Marcus's eyes met mine. I could see the pain in them. It almost mirrored my own. “You’re killing her!” he screamed.
“Not her! Just the child you so foolishly created. I’m prepared to turn her.” He tightened his grip around me. “Her body will heal.” He pivoted so fast; his forearm now crushed into my throat. I gagged. My fingers desperately tried to pry his arm away.
He began backing up, trying to put some distance between them and us. My feet struggled to keep up. They slipped, causing me to choke myself even further.
“I warned you before not to ask me to spare its life again,” he breathed into my ear.
Marcus moved closer. His black eyes fixed on Damen. “I will kill you.”
“You will try.” Damen let out an unholy roar, his body exploding into a giant wolf.
I fell from his grip—Marcus caught me before I hit the ground. I managed to see Raymose colliding with Damen a second later.
Marcus shielded me as he crashed through my bedroom doors, holding my bloodied body in his arms. He laid me down on the bed, his eyes wide with fear.
I curled up into a ball, not caring if Death came for me. I’d welcome him. “It’s ok Marcus, go . . .” I choked on the blood in my mouth.
His crimson eyes wandered over my body—he hadn’t realized how bad I was. I could see the torment on his face. The eternal fight that burned within him now—there was too much blood.
He shook his head. “I’m not leaving you.” His voice was barely recognizable. He closed his eyes, composing himself. He knelt down beside me. His hands shook as they reached out to me.
“I’m still alive,” I half smiled trying to put up a brave front for him. I couldn’t bear to see the pained look on his face. I could endure anything but that—and I had.
Sharp pains were shooting throughout my body. It felt like there was an internal battle going on within me. My bones were trying to heal themselves, and it was just as painful as the attack itself. I cried.
“He nearly killed you,” Marcus hissed.
I coughed, spitting up more blood onto the pillow. “I hadn’t noticed. Maybe if I’d spent less time clear cutting the trees with my body, I would have picked up on that.”
“I will kill him,” he vowed, “If Raymose hasn’t beaten me to it already. I will break every bone he has harmed of yours before I let him die.” There was no mercy in his voice.
“You’re going to have to get in line,” I groaned. Marcus could never know the reason behind Damen’s sudden physical attack on me. I knew Damen was trying to teach me a lesson. A painful lesson—that I was in no way equipped to handle the fight I’d so adamantly decided on against Marcus's wishes. It was his twisted way of showing me how much he cared—and I would return the favor—somehow. I wasn’t going to let Damen stop me. No one was going to take Marcus away from me, not as long as I had a breath in my body. I’d fight.
“There’s something more . . .” Marcus's tone was implying. “Something you’re not telling me.”
I forced a pained smile. “No.”
“You’re an awful liar, Phoebe.”
Marcus jumped up onto the bed abruptly, shielding me protectively, just as Raymose came rushing through my balcony doors.
I clutched my heart, hoping to keep it in my chest. I couldn’t handle much more excitement right now.
“Easy Marcus, it’s just me,” Raymose said as he put his hands out like he was slowing traffic.
“Raymose . . .” Marcus's voice was gruff. “There’s a lot of blood . . . perhaps you should leave.”
Raymose’s eyes lingered over me. I could see the red swirling through them. His nostrils flared as he inhaled deeply. “I won’t harm her,” he promised. His voice was strained like Marcus's. His blood red eyes met mine. And although I knew it caused him great pain to be this close to my bleeding body, I knew he spoke the truth—he’d never hurt me. Raymose had seen me worse, much worse.
Marcus eased himself slowly off the bed, watching Raymose carefully—his faith was not as strong as mine. “Did you kill him?”
“No. He fled. I followed but he wasn’t exactly alone,” Raymose said casually as he took a chair beside the bed.
“The army is here already?” I could hear the tension in Marcus's voice. His hands fisted at his side.
“The army is here,” Raymose repeated darkly.
Marcus walked over to the window and peered out. “How many of them are there?”
Raymose’s eyes met mine again. He forced a smile for me. The anger behind it showed he felt like doing anything but smile. “I’d say around eleven hundred or so . . . a little less than we’d planned,” he spoke to Marcus. He took the corner of my blanket and wiped away the blood from my lips. “I’m sorry you suffered.” There was real torment in his face.
I took his hand and squeezed it gently.
“How far away are they?” Marcus continued on with his questions like a soldier mapping out a plan of attack.
He smoothed the hair from my forehead. “We have two hours at the most.” Raymose’s eyes moved to Marcus now. “We don’t have enough time to move her.”
I winced at the thought. I could actually hear my bones popping back into place. The sound was sickening.
Marcus growled under his breath.
“Can you trust Richard to get her through? You know Luther has hunters coming in from the east as well as the south . . . perhaps I should take her myself . . .” Raymose’s tone changed to a possessive one. His eyes were fixed on me. “We can’t afford either of them running across her scent.”
Marcus's eyes grew dark. “She is not your responsibility, Raymose. She’s mine!” Marcus was on his last nerve. “I trust Richard with my life.”
“Yes, but can you trust him with hers?” Raymose growled back at him. “The window
is very narrow. And she will always be my responsibility,” he added darkly.
Marcus glowered at his friend, cutting him a look that made me shiver. “I trust him with her life,” he clarified, his faith unwavering.
Raymose nodded. “Luther must be informed that the werewolf army is assembling. I must go to him now. I’ll return within the hour.”
Raymose rose from his chair. His gaze, once again, settled on me. “Stay safe,” he whispered as he bent over and kissed my forehead softly.
I gripped his hand. My eyes were full of fear—for him.
“I will,” he winked, answering my unspoken words.
“You’d better see that Richard gets her to a doctor Marcus; she’s lost too much blood.” With that, he turned and left the room.
Marcus looked at me uneasily. I knew he agreed with Raymose.
“There isn’t time!” I forced myself to sit up straight.
“Phoebe, lie down.” His tone was firm.
“I’m fine,” I moaned, trying to gingerly get up from the bed.
“But the baby isn’t!” he snapped.
I froze—taken aback by his sudden hostility.
“Fear not.” His voice softened. “Richard will lead you safely while Raymose and I head them off. The Moon Hunters are already in place, and Luther’s army is not far. You will be able to sneak out undetected.”
“What about you and Raymose?” I breathed. “How do you expect to fight so many on your own?”
“The important thing is that you get away—”
“No! That’s not the important thing. I won’t let you do it. It’s suicide! After they kill you two, they’ll be after us anyway. The four of us together—”
“NO!” It’s a miracle Damen didn’t kill you just now! Aidric won’t hesitate. You’re a marked woman.” He motioned to my stomach.
“Then I guess I’ll have to kill him first!” I warned.
Marcus's eyes narrowed. “You’ll kill him?” His tone was every bit as condescending as Damen’s had been. “Aidric is not just a werewolf. He is massive, at least twice my size. We’ve never been able to get close to him. Never! How do you think you’re going to kill him? You can barely move!”
I pushed myself to my feet, wincing silently at the pain. “You’re not going to scare me Marcus. Damen already tried that.” I averted my eyes. Marcus had keyed in on my slip of the tongue. “Aidric is threatening my life, my family . . . I won’t run away from him!” I could feel the old Phoebe’s strength rising up within me. “Besides, he’d find me, even if I did.”
Marcus smashed his fists down in frustration on a nearby table, bringing it to the floor—I couldn’t help but jump. He had my face between his hands before I’d had time to collect myself. “You will go wherever Richard takes you! DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?”
I cowered away from him as he shouted the words. Marcus had never fixed such a venomous stare on me. He had reached his maximum limit of indulging my ideas on protecting myself. I could hear my heart beating loudly. It echoed over my breathing that had stopped momentarily. I was too scared to move. He looked as if he would crush my skull between his hands if I so much as whispered an argument. He wasn’t Marcus anymore . . . he was the monster I feared.
“Wherever Richard takes me,” I breathed, tears streaming down my face. He released me abruptly. I staggered back, never taking my eyes off him.
I jumped again when the door opened with a knock.
Marcus continued to glare at me. His eyes were cold and unforgiving.
“Forgive me Sir, but Mr. Raymose has asked that you meet him by the stables—Miss Rose!” I could see out the corner of my eye Richard’s mouth fall open at the sight of me. I turned my head away; I didn’t want him to see me this way—broken and afraid.
“I’ll be right along Richard. Would you give us a minute?” Marcus spoke coldly. He still hadn’t taken his eyes off me.
“Of course, Sir, I’ll be waiting outside.” Richard bowed and backed out of the room slowly, watching me as he went.
“Phoebe,” I shied away from Marcus as he reached out to touch me. He paused and lowered his hands “You’re . . . afraid of me.” He looked devastated. “After all this time . . . I’ve made you fear me.”
My eyes were downcast. It was true. Marcus was no longer just a man to me . . . he was a vampire, a monster, and my heart broke.
“Be well, My Lady. I hope that one day you will find it in you to understand that I only want to protect you.” He bowed his head. “I’ll have Richard see to it that you have everything you need. You will want for nothing. You . . . will always have my heart.” He turned toward the door.
My breath caught. He was leaving. Marcus was leaving. Memories, of a Marcus long ago flooded my mind: Memories of him heading off to battle, and Phoebe, unwilling to stop him. She knew his duty. She’d loved him for it. She loved him so much that she hid her pregnancy so he might have a clear head. I knew that now without question. She wasn’t reckless . . . she was proud. And she was strong enough to put his life before hers. She loved him as much as I did.
I held my stomach. I knew Marcus loved me. That was never a question. But the truth was Marcus scared me—more than I’d ever let myself admit.
Say something stupid! My mind was screaming inside my head. YOU’RE LOSING HIM! “Marcus!” The strength in my voice surprised me.
He paused with his hand on the doorknob. He did not turn around.
I could feel the tears falling from my face. My heart screamed loudly, aching for him. I loved him. Nothing else mattered right now. Not Damen or Aidric. Not Luther or the war outside. I loved Marcus with all of my heart and I couldn’t bear to be without him—ever. I wasn’t going to let him go without him hearing me say it once more. “I love you.”
He turned the knob and slowly opened the door. He moved through the doorway, his hand still holding the knob tightly.
“I’ll find you . . .” I called after him, “ . . . if not now, in another life. We’ll be together again.”
He hung his head.
“Marcus . . .”
He turned around. There was sadness and an indescribable fear that hung heavy in his eyes.
I tried to stand taller. With each passing moment, new life breathed into my broken body. “I love you,” I repeated.
He appeared in front of me an instant later, taking me up in his arms. I ignored the pain of it. His lips collided with mine, not bothering to take care of the blood that still lingered on them.
I could feel the instant spark that had always connected us. I pulled him closer, kissing him desperately, as if this would be the very last time our lips would touch; the very last time we might hold each other. He shared my desire and I suspected my fears as well—
Too soon he pulled back; his soft brown eyes looked adoringly into mine. A smile once again touched his eyes. I breathed in deeply, taking in his scent, burning it into my memory for all time.
He brought my lips to his once more, kissing them one last time before he turned and left the room—taking my heart with him.