Damien."Where is Luciana?"I paced back and forth in front of Frank, my wolf itching to break free.It was taking every ounce of control I had not to tear into him, not to let the monster he so clearly think I was tear take over.Frank shrugged nonchalantly, his arms still crossed as if we were discussing the weather. "I don't know where she is. I haven't seen her, she was supposed to meet me here so we can do some searching for creatures like you."I lunged forward, my hands gripping his collar, lifting him up as he flailed. "You're lying." My voice was a growl, barely human, more wolf than man now. "I can smell the lie. You know something."Frank didn't flinch, even as my grip tightened. "What's the matter, Damien?" He sneered, eyes glinting. "Pick one. Do you want Elliot or Luciana?"I slammed him back against the tree, my claws extending as I fought to keep my wolf in check.Not now. Not yet."Tell me. Right. Now."He laughed, a hollow sound that echoed through the trees. "Lucian
ElliotWas he dying?My hands trembled as I watched Damien collapse, writhing and contorting in agony on the cave floor. The silver dust Zara threw in the air floated like a deadly mist, clinging to his skin, cutting through his strength as if it was nothing more than tissue paper.It all happened so fast.One minute, he was lunging towards the six feet demon, and the next minute, he had been flung to the wall like a sack of cloth.Damien clutched at his chest, his breaths shallow, desperate.Every time he tried to push himself up, he fell back, his body betraying him.The smell of burnt flesh and blood filled the space in minutes, and every second that passed, I felt Damien's pain like it was seeping into my own skin.Arghhhh.Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.He was going to die.We were going to die here."Damien..." My voice was barely a whisper, choked with fear. He was transformed halfway, a grotesque man beast with fur at all the wrong places. I could see the fight in his eyes, the way he cla
Damien.That six foot tall bitch.Pain radiated through me like wildfire, dulling my senses but not my resolve. The silver dust Luciana... Zara had used on me had clung to my skin like poison, tearing through my muscles and bones.Every breath was a struggle... until...Elliot!I wouldn't let him die. Not after what he did for me."Was that all you've got?" I snarled, forcing myself upright, ignoring the tremor in my arms as I faced her.She chuckled, her eyes gleaming in the flickering shadows of the cave. "You're barely holding yourself together, Damien. Even after loverboy over there sacrificed himself." She cocked her head, watching me struggle with smug satisfaction. "Oh, how the mighty have fallen."“You’re going to regret this."My arm no longer throbbed the pain when she sliced it open with that blade.A small mercy.Zara moved closer, her steps echoing off the stone. "I don't think I will. In fact, I've never felt so..."I didn't let her finish.I lunged forward, throwing a p
Damien.Silent.The forest was silent except for the faint rustling of leaves and the sound of my own unsteady breathing.If Zara had somehow made it through what happened at the cave and came at me now, I would rip her apart with my bare hands.Stupid silver dust.Where had she even gotten that? It had sapped at most of my strength, making it hard for me to carry Elliot fully towards the cabin. Now, he lay motionless against the rough bark of a tree, his skin pale, and his breathing shallow.He wasn't bleeding from anywhere in his body, which I was grateful for, but the ashen colour of his face was enough to send panic racing through me.I looked down at him, torn.Taking him to the cabin might be the safer option, the one that would give us both a chance to recover.But I had no idea how he had been able to do what he had done... to rip the silver dust from me and pass his strength to me.Which had left him in this state... I doubt a night's rest would awaken him. "We need a pack'
"Get. The. Healer.""Damien!"The Alpha’s arrival was like a drop of a stone into a pool, sending ripples of tension through the group of wolves gathered around us.His scent followed him... earthy and bold, a reminder of the authority he commanded here."Why wasn't I immediately informed that Damien was here?" Alpha Jaxon asked, his tone warm, cutting through the thick air.He stepped our of the shadows, tall and imposing, his face breaking into a grin, as if he couldn't see the unconscious human in my hands."Alpha Jaxon." I inclined my head, keeping my voice steady.I didn't dare move Elliot an inch, even when the weight of him strained every fiber of my muscles, I refused to let go.Jaxon’s eyes drifted to Elliot now, concern flickering in those blue orbs. "Who's this?"“A friend,” I replied, sharper than I meant. “One who needs your healer. Immediately.”His brows knitted as he took in the severity of the situation, his smile fading. He turned, nodding curtly at Markus, who had b
Elliot.The woods were dark.So dark that I could barely see my own hands in front of me, let alone the way out. Snap.The branches scraped against my skin as I stumbled forward, tripping over roots that seemed to reach for my ankles, pulling me back.This was the woods close to my cabin, but not. It smelled like it looked like it, but it wasn't it.Where was I?Panic clawed at my throat with each glance around. There was nothing here but endless trees and shadows.Something was out there.It growled. A low, rumbling sound that sent shivers down my spine.It was one thing to be alone in this woods. It was another thing to be with some creature that I couldn't see...Fuck this.I was running before I could even think about it, each step an effort as though the ground was trying to pull me down. The growl grew louder, closer, a warning of what followed me.I didn't dare look back. Because the moment I did that, it'll be on me, ready to pounce."Keep going, just keep moving." I muttered
ElliotThe pain had dulled to an ache, but the bruises on my ribs made every breath a careful, measured thing.It had been days since that time with Zara, and since the dream, but the terror of both still clung to me like sweat. And now, here I was, nestled within a pack of werewolves.A month ago, and I wouldn't have believed they were even real.I kept my head down as I walked across the clearing, pulling my jacket tighter against the cold air that seeped through the trees.Most of the werewolves here barely glanced at me, yet their silence spoke the words they wouldn't say.Or the words Damien told me already.I was a human. I didn't belong here."Hey." A rough voice stopped me, breaking my concentration on staying out of everyone’s way.I looked up to see the Alpha, his eyes dark. Alpha Jaxon. He didn't look that much older than Damien, maybe a few years close to thirty, but his eyes spoke like someone who had seen everything the world had to offer."Good morning." I mumbled, shif
Elliot. He could have made the search easy for me. But that wasn't Damien. I ran through the camp, pulling hard on the tug between us, willing it to guide me to him. Every sound seemed sharper tonight. Every shadow . And everyone around a suspect. My heartbeat thundered in my ears. I did not do my best to save Damien just to have two overgrown wolves kill him just because he brought me here. "Damien!" I called out, not caring if someone else heard me. If they were capable of helping me find him, I would make sure they helped. I pushed past tents and scattered fires, feeling eyes watching me from inside. Judging. I wasn't safe here. Never had been. I finally spotted him, standing alone near a cluster of trees as the edge of camp. His back was turned, shoulders slumped as he stared into the darkness. He gave no indication that he felt my presence. "Damien!" I staggered to a stop, catching my breath. "We have to go." He turned, his hazel eyes narrowing in confusion. "El
Elliot."Elliot, you sly bastard, how dare you spend more than two weeks outside work?" Frank's voice carried across the bustling newsroom, turning more than a few heads my way.A week ago, I thought I wouldn't resume anymore.I could have gotten a new career as an anonymous journalist.I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling the heat rise to my face as I approached my office. "Yeah, sorry about that," I replied, offering him what I could only think was my best smile. "And about the truck... I know I kept it longer than I should have. I'll make it up to you, I promise."Frank leaned against the edge of my desk, crossing his arms, with his lips turned downwards in a frown. "Damn right, you will. You owe me like five coffee runs, two lunch shifts, and maybe an afternoon of listening to my new conspiracy theories."I couldn't help the chuckle that escaped my lips. "Add a bottle of whiskey to that, and we've got a deal."That seemed to turn the frown upside down because now Frank was grinni
Damien.I wiped the sweat off my brow as I brought the truck to a stop in front of the cabin. I shifted in the driver’s seat, rolling my shoulders as I glanced out the window.The cabin looked the same as it had since we left three weeks ago, but the air smelled fresher than the one in New York, so that was a relief.Elliot stepped out of the passenger seat without a word, slamming the door shut behind him. I couldn't help but wince at the sound, watching as he strode toward the truck bed to retrieve our bags.Stiff movements, his face set in that familiar expression of quiet frustration that had become the norm for the past week.He hated me now. Without even me telling him the truth."You're welcome for the ride," I muttered under my breath, shaking my head. I climbed out of the truck and walked around to the back, grabbing one of the larger duffel bags. "I mean, it's not like I drove us all the way here or anything. Nope, just call me your unpaid chauffeur."No response. Elliot
Elliot.A week later. The trucked sat at the curb, its engine humming a low, steady rhythm that vibrated through the air.I stood a few feet away, hands buried deep in the pockets of my jacket. My breath escaped in faint puffs of white, evaporating into the cold. I kept my eyes on the truck’s worn tires, the rubber slick with mud.Anything to keep me from looking at Damien... or the shop behind me.Celeste had stopped back inside, leaving us alone for the moment. The sign above the store’s floor swung slightly in the breeze, its faint creek matching the ache in my chest.Not like the ache was new.It had been there all week. A dull, relentless reminder of everything that had happened. Ethan hadn't come. He hadn't even called to say goodbye. That was his style, though... never one for messy endings, always leaving gaps where something final should have been. But he had agreed to drop a vague excuse to our parents and sister, a flimsy excuse for my departure. He acted like a jerk, t
Elliot.The first thing I became aware of was pain.Not the sharp, searing kind I was used to from cuts or wounds to my person, but a dull bone deep ache that throbbed with every breath. It was like I was torn apart and stitched back together with a blunt needle and thread.Fucking hell.The second thing was warmth. A steady, grounding presence wrapped around me, holding me tightly but gently, like the world might shatter if it let go."Elliot," a voice murmured. It was low and raw with worry. "Come on, baby. Open your eyes. Please." Damien. That was Damien.He had come into the room the moment I woke up before everything went hazy.I tried to focus, to fight against the cloud covering my mind. My eyelids felt heavy, like they'd been glued shut, but with effort, I managed to pry them open. The faint glow of the room greeted me... okay, I was still in the same room, just with a muted light that still felt sharp against my pounding head."Damien?" My voice cracked, barely more than
Damien."Would using the crystal help neutralize the effect of whatever happened to him?"Celeste’s sharp intake of breath brought me back to the moment. Her hands froze mid-motion, a jar of dried lavender she held slipping from her grasp and shattering against the counter. The sharp scent filled the room instantly, but her wild eyes were locked on mine.The same crystal I had been against using a day ago."You can't be serious." Her voice was barely a whisper, like saying it too loudly might summon something worse.“I am,” I said, my tone firm. “Answer the question.”Her hesitation spoke volumes. The crystal was powerful. It held enough properties to kill a town filled with humans. It would have been enough to dispel a storm killing supernaturals. It wasn't a power used lightly. "You don't fully understand the power from the crystal, Damien," Celeste said with a trembling voice. "It's not meant for this kind of magic. If anything goes wrong...""Things are already wrong!" I barked
Damien.I laid still, Elliot’s warm body pressing against mine in the faint light of the room we shared now.The weight of his arm across my chest was grounding, a reminder of the bond we shared despite the chaos that had unfolded. His fur–covered arm, the claws that had replaced his human nails, and the faint twitch of werewolf instincts betrayed the very thing Elliot had fought against for so long.Monster."You're a monster, Damien."And now, he was one too.How messed up was that?I tilted my head to look at Elliot's face, now softened in slumber. The fur stretched up to his jawline, the transformation incomplete yet painfully evident.The sharp claws occasionally flexed even in sleep, as though his body still wasn't sure if it belonged to a man or beast.But all that didn't matter to me.Whether Elliot... my saviour was human, wolf, or something in between, he was still mine. What ate at me wasn't the fur or claws but the ache in his eyes, the weight of my mate's unspoken fears.
Damien.I heard the front door click shut as Ethan and Celeste ran away like their ass was on fire.Celeste’s probably was.She was lucky Elliot stopped me the moment he did because I would have choked her to death. For even attempting to put me to sleep so she could go along with her twisted plan to use my mate...Even after everything I told her.Selfish bitch. The good thing was that he stood before me now, a shadow of the man I knew, his body covered in fur, his claws flexing at his sides. Yet, all I could see was him.The strength in his stance, the fire in his eyes that refused to be snuffed out. He was beautiful. Even now.Especially now.He looked up at me, his expression a mix of uncertainty and shame. “Damien, I...” "Shh," I murmured, stepping closer. My hands found their way to his face, cupping it gently. His fur was softer than I expected, warm beneath my touch. "You're beautiful, Elliot. Always."He let out a shaky breath, his eyes searching mine. “I’m not. Look at me
Elliot.The storm was gone, but the weight of everything wasn't.My body trembled, the remnants of the wolf’s power still coursing through me like an untamed fire. I could feel its presence coiled in the back of my mind, quieter now, but still there.Watching.Waiting.Celeste and Ryan stood at the cabin door, their expressions a mixture of relief and caution. I ignored them, unable to focus on anything but the lingering sensation of the wolf’s energy in my veins.My claws flexed involuntarily. My fur... God, my fur... was still damp from the rain, clinging to my body in an uncomfortable reminder that I wasn't human anymore.That Celeste had stopped the process of whatever was going on so I could stop a storm that was killing people, apparently.Ruined me."Elliot..." Celeste started. Hesitant.I raised a hand, silencing her. "Not now," I muttered. I didn't want her excuses or explanations.Not after what she had done.My movements were slow and deliberate when I turned and stepped ba
Elliot."Wake Damien up then fix this, or I swear to whatever gods you worship... I'll rip your throat off with my bare hands."Celeste paled, her fingers tightening around the edges of her book as if it could shield her from the weight of my words. Ryan stepped between us again, trying his best to hide the fear from his face.Had something else changed? Apart from the fur and claws?"That's enough," he said, his voice edged with a warning. Like he could do anything to me. "This isn't helping anyone, Elliot."I barked out a bitter laugh, a sound that came out more like a guttural growl. "Not helping? You think this is me being unhelpful? What would you call turning someone into... whatever the hell this is?" I gestured at myself, my claws slicing through the air.Celeste's lips trembled. "I... I thought I could contain the spell. The wolf within you... it's ancient, Elliot. It's more powerful than anything I've ever encountered. It pushed back when I tried to control it. "Control it?