Chapter 12 - Mistakes

Damon’s P.O.V

For once in my life I was ecstatic. I had found my mate, my true love. It felt as though Sam was running circles in my mind, playing those sweet moments we had together on re-run. ‘Sera’ Sam whispered with delight, a perfect name. I touched my lips remembering the way her sweet smell and taste had lingered on my tongue. Such a passionate and longing kiss. I couldn’t wait to tell my father, pretty much screaming through our mind link I had finally found my Luna as soon as her mother had taken her away. Luck was on my side as he was already at Diamond Lake pack. He was speaking to her father the Alpha now to plan our ceremony.

“Of course she is of Alpha blood, she is perfect.”

Sam sounded smug in my mind thinking about her beauty again. He was right of course, she was nothing like all the other women we had before. A pang of regret washed through me thinking about the times I had spent with others, would she hate me if she knew? What if she had been with someone else? Sam and I both growled in jealously at that thought. A knock on my car window broke the spiraling thoughts. I opened the door to see Carlos’s large fame blocking out the moonlight.

“Damon, I’m surprised you came to get me.”

His expression was of amusement, chuckling to himself.

“I assumed your mate would be keeping you busy”

I growled frustrated as Carlos smirked, raising his eyebrow suggestively.

“No, it’s a bit complicated so I’ll have to take it a bit slow.”

I gritted my teeth not wanting to admit to anyone she had not claimed me in return. Sam huffed his pride wounded, I assumed at first she was human. It was common knowledge that the Luna was not one of us. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that she, my mate, was a wolf. Her scent was too amazing not to be. My father was ecstatic with the pairing, he apparently was grinning from ear to ear telling anyone that would listen. It made me smile in return thinking about that, since mother had died he barely smiled at all. Carlos was still chuckling as he got into the passenger seat.

“If you say so… anyway, I can confirm there will be 8 of the 10 packs attending this year”

I was always surprised at how quickly Carlos went from friendly to business.

“Have you informed Alpha Darren?”

“Don’t be daft Damon, of course, I told your father”

Carlos’s tone was agitated as I smirked at him,

“Well don’t get snappy at me Beta. How was I supposed to know?”

“Because it is my job to report directly to Alpha Darren boy, I told you just now as a curtsy.”

He growled at me as his agitation turned to anger as I questioned his motives.

“Now Carlos, I’m only playing. Lighten up!”

He huffed before turning to look at the window giving me the cold shoulder. I never had got along with Carlos, I found him too serious and boring. Yes, he made an excellent Beta but he was as dull as they come. When I took over I wasn’t sure if I would keep Carlos in his position or find someone better suited for company.

I started driving towards Diamond Lake’s territory when a loud bang sounded as my car flipped into the side of the road. I groaned looking at Carlos. He was knocked out cold with some blood dripping from a cut on his head but otherwise, he seemed okay. I unbuckled my seatbelt shaking in rage as the sweet aroma of vampires hit me. Of course, it was vampires. 

“Carlos wake up!”

I seethed through my teeth shaking him violently. I could smell at least 3 vampires and knew I was outnumbered. Yes, in my beast form I was faster and stronger but that was not a match. Vampires possessed speed, strength, and magic. You could not tell what sort of magic one had until they used it. I heard manic laughter approaching as I shook Carlos harder but he was out cold. Sam growled in frustration trying to devise a plan of attack but we both knew a fight would end in our death. I quickly unbuckled Carlos before dragging him out of my car, I would have to run with him on my back somehow. The vampires were about the reach us and I realized we didn’t have time. I let Sam take over as we shifted into my beast form gripping Carlos’s shirt with my teeth dragging him towards the territory line. All territories were protected by witch’s magic from vampires as they held a grudge against us.

“Aww gross it’s just a pup”

A female’s voice spoke, she was extremely thin with wispy dirt brown hair covering most of her face. She laughed at my growl before calling to her comrades,

“We can’t eat this one! Daryl you fuck. Why did you slam their car?”

The one she called Daryl stepped into view, he was a brute. As tall as Carlos with bigger muscles. The best way I could have described him was an older motor-cycle gang member. He grunted in response to the girl before smacking his chest.

“No matter Angel, it will be good practice for Charlee.”

The third member, Charlee was behind him and I froze. She was a small child, had to be no older than 8. She smiled brightly at me her sharp fangs glinting under the moonlight.

“Daddy is it time to play?” Her voice almost sounded normal, like a sweet innocent girl would but had an edge to it that would send shivers down anyone’s spine. I hastily dragged Carlos as fast as I could towards the territory line, it couldn’t have been 100 meters away I could make it. Before I could react I felt my body get kicked into the air, landing with a loud crunch as my back legs snapped. Sam whimpered in agony as I looked around for my attacker, the little one named Charlee was standing near Carlos grinning. She bent down to his bleeding skull sniffing it before gaging.

“Daddy he doesn’t smell yummy”

I could see her frowning in disappointment at Daryl as the woman (Angel?) laughed.

“Yes darlin’ these ones are not for eating, they are for killing.”

Daryl spoke fondly to the child, pride swelling in his chest as he pointed to me.

“That one there, you need to kill him. He’s a bad dog”

The women chuckled as Charlee grinned at me. I tried to get up but my legs had not yet healed, the pain caused me to collapse. As she approached me I let out a warning growl, I didn’t want to harm a child but if she left me no choice… well I would take her life for mine. She stopped far enough away from me that I could not bite her, smart. Our strong jaws were probably the only weapon we had against vampires. She pouted at me as if I was being naughty before she shook her finger,

“Bad doggy.”

She balled up her little fist and hit me on the nose, breaking it. I ignored the agonizing pain as I bit down hard on her arm, she screamed in pain as her father ran to me. I dug my teeth in swinging the child into him with enough force to fling them both far back to the road. The woman glared at me with hatred and blood lust before running back to see her child’s injuries. Sam smiled smugly, we may die but at least I got a hit in. I laid down waiting, unable to run on 2 broken legs all I could do was try and maintain strength before their next attack. I would make sure at least one of them would die with me. I let images of Sera play through my mind, a sense of joy overcame me as well as sadness knowing we would never get to meet her again. I wallowed in my thoughts for a while waiting for the vampire's return. I waited too long. I looked around wondering why they had not attacked me, I was weak and easy prey. I saw a man that felt familiar staring down at me from the road. He said nothing to me but approached Carlos, I growled as a warning but he chuckled at me. I heard him mutter something in the ancient tongue and I relaxed, he was a witch. There was no reason he would attack us and I assumed he would be healing Carlos. I whined at him as he left Carlos and walked back to his car, he turned and nodded to me before opening his green car door and driving off. Carlos groaned opening his eyes and jolting up as he took in our surroundings.

“What? Fuck?”

He touched his skull feeling the warm blood that was dripping from his wounds before his eyes met mine. I remained in my beast form, Sam was struggling to maintain it due to the immense pain in our body. Carlos seeing my injuries quickly scouted the area before returning leaning over me.

“I don’t know what exactly happened Damon, but there is a vampire corpse on the road. A biker-looking dude.”

He breathed sharply looking back towards the road before back to me.

“Shift so I can carry you to Diamond Lake, you need their pack doctor to brace your legs.”

I nodded as Sam retreated to my mind, the transformation was incredibly painful. I fought the urge to blackout as I pulled myself onto Carlos’s wolf's pack, realizing I had never even asked for his wolf's name I grunted a thank you through our mind link.  For once in my life, I felt as though I was a true child. Powerless and yet thankful for Carlos and that familiar stranger.