DAMIEN“I don't even know what to pack,” Natalie snaps as she looks through her wardrobe. “Do I pack for warm weather or freezing weather? What about food? Should I pack a camp bag or will that be provided for me? Why can't they just be specific for once?!” she snaps.I turn in silence from my position of resting on the wall -at a far corner of the room- to look at Fredja, who is sitting on one of the couches.“Well, answer her,” I say.She sends a small glare my way before turning back to Nat.“I am sure your meals and accommodation will be provided,” she says. “As-”“How sure of that are you?” Nat asks, cutting her off. “Did she tell you that? And why isn't she talking to me? Why you? No offense, but I am the one going for this training, you would think that the communications would be with me, for at the very least to comfort me!” “I don't know why she is reaching out to me instead. Bear in mind, this is also new for me. Let's try and be understanding.”“Understanding? Me? You kno
DAMIEN.“Damien? Damien? Damien!”Natalie’s voice snaps me back to reality and I am startled to see her standing right in front of me.“Are you okay?” she asks, her eyes shining with concern and her hands cradling my face.“Yeah…I uh…” I take a breath to clear my throat before continuing. “I guess it just finally hit me,” I say as I take her hands in mine. “That you are actually leaving. I just got you back from a deranged which and now you are going into a place I gave no reach. No control. No power. I am not sure how to handle that. What if I… what if I never see you again? What if I lose you?”“You won't. I swear you won't,” she says, her voice ringing with determination and fire. “I am going to come back to you. We are going to defeat Void and we are going to have our happily ever after. We deserve that much.”“Yeah, we do,” I reply quietly as I pull her into a gentle kiss before taking her into a hug.“We will leave you two for now,” I hear Fredja say. “I will come call you when
DAMIEN.“Damien.”The voice is low and gentle as if the person didn't want to startle me from my position. Still standing there.In the cave.Lost in thought.“Damien.”With a sigh, I turn slowly to see Lucas standing a small distance away, his eyes bright with concern.“What?” I ask, my voice muted.“Damien, it's been hours. You need to come inside. Inform the pack.”“I can do that tomorrow,” I tell him as I turn back to the spot where she had vanished.“No. It has to be done today. You are the Alpha, you don't have the luxury of sulking. We have things to do. And I doubt Void is not biding his time either. He will be planning too.”“Lucas-”“The Lun- Natalie, despite her unwillingness, still left to do what is necessary. For us. For the world. For you. You have to at least meet her halfway. We have to be ready for when she comes back. Whenever that is.”I close my eyes against his words.They ring with truth but I still chafe at it.I don't want to leave.I don't want to go out th
DAMIEN.“Alpha, it's past two. You need to go to bed.”I list my head to see Anya standing at the door of my study, dressed in her pajamas and hair tied back in a scarf.“Anya. What are you still up?” I ask, my voice low and tired.“I came to check up on you. I had a feeling you won't be in bed. Again. This is the third time in a row. You need to sleep, Alpha.”“I will. I just have a lot to see handle1 before Alpha Maddox arrives.”“Those files will still be there in the morning,” she says as she walks into the room. “As well as more additions to them. You denying yourself sleep won't change that. Besides, you need to be at your best - sharp and agile - for the discussions you are going to have.”“I know, Anya. I know. I just can't…”“You can't sleep without the Luna,” she finishes for me.“I can't,” I admit. “I really can't. Both of our rooms feel so empty. So wrong. Staying there just reminds me of her absence. But don't worry, see,” I tell her as I gesture towards the couch -laden
Hello guys.So, someone reached out and told me about their confusion with the characters, so for reference's sake, I am going to highlight them here. Apologies if this is inconvenient to the rest of you.Alpha Damien Varón- Alpha of the Varón pack.Natalie Storm / Lyria Kairen - the descendant of the moon goddess and Void.Lucas and Maya- childhood friends of Damien and strong warriors.Anya - a friend of Damien’s late mother and basically a maternal figure in the pack.Fredja - a powerful witch and leading coven mistress.Alaric - vampire, still mysterious and unknown ties with the moon goddess.Alpha Harvey MaddoxAlpha Cain SvenAlpha Steven KaneWillow and Alpha Tobias - are dead.Void - unknown evil deity but immensely powerful.Pan - werewolf of the Varón packHope that clears it up, so back to the story.DAMIEN.“...Also, Alpha Maddox is here.”“already?” I ask, surprised as we begin the walk back to the mansion. ‘He was supposed to arrive at the end of the week.”“Well, maybe
DAMIENPOW!SMACK!The sounds of sparring echo in one of the training rooms as I land another hit on Lucas.Harvey had left not too long after our conclusions to convince the other Alphas -which is a huge load off for me. The idea of brown nosing people is still unappealing to me, regardless of the reason.In the well lit training room, the air hangs heavy with anticipation as Lucas and I continue our face off. The space is expansive, with high ceilings that seem to stretch into darkness above us. The walls are lined with floor-to-ceiling mirrors, reflecting our every move as we circle each other. The polished wood floor beneath our feet is worn smooth from countless hours of training, marked with scuff marks and scratches that tell the stories of past sparring matches.In one corner of the room, a small alcove holds a rack of training equipment—padded gloves, punching bags, and agility cones—all waiting to be used in the pack’s quest for improvement. The only other features in the
DAMIEN.“...When did you even leave?”“The same night Maya left,” he answers as he turns to leave. “I am just getting back now. Didn't you notice?”“No. I have been a little preoccupied lately. With Natalie gone and communicating with Ha-”“Natalie is gone?” he asks, interrupting me. His ice blue eyes are even more startling with their intensity. “Gone where? When did she go? Was it because of Maya? What happ-”“Calm your titties. One question at a time,” I say, already out of breath from the onslaught of questions.“Okay. Okay. Where did she go?”“I don't know.”“What?! What do you mean you don't know?”“I mean I don't know the exact place she is. All I know is that she went to the word of deities,” I tell him.“Oh, I see. Her training has begun.”“Yes, it has,” I affirm. “What did you mean by ‘Was it because of Maya?’ What do you know?” I demand“Nothing.”“Wow. You are a terrible liar.”“Look, it doesn't matter anymore. The good thing is that she left on her own. So there is no fo
DAMIEN“Oh, come on!” The exclamation rings out from one of the pack members as he collapses to the floor thanks to the maneuver g of his spar partner.“You cheated!”“Did not! You are just slow?”“You-”“Enough.”The voice cuts through the clearing, causing us all to turn to face him.“Let's take ten.”As soon as Alaric signals for a break in the training, exhaustion washes over the pack members like a tidal wave. We collapse onto the grass, gasping for breath, our bodies trembling from the intensity of the workout. I wipe the sweat from my brow, feeling the burn of exertion in my muscles.“Thank the goddess,” I pant. “The man is a demon.”It is the third day of training and my muscles are screaming at me in protest.I thought I was good. That my training was up to par if not one of the best.Boy, was I wrong.Alaric has broken, crushed, and destroyed all of my previous acclaim with his own regiment of training.If I was a weaker, insecure man, I would have already called it quits.