Blessing of Luna (Wolfgods Book 1) Read online

  A sharp pain accompanied the sudden snap of the bone as Damien’s rib was broken as though it were a twig. The sudden onset made Damien sick to his stomach as he cried out in agony.

  “See? I snapped your rib as though it were a pencil. You can have the best healing ability in the world. If your heart undergoes too much trauma it will give out. Such is the fragility of humans.” Stoker smirked.

  Damien was hurled through the air, once again landing on his side. His hand went to his ribcage as he fought the urge to scream in pain.

  Stoker picked up a thick branch off of the ground, using his foot to splinter the end into a sharp point. “I wonder how many times I can stab you before you die. The power of a Purifier has to be worth something. Rumor has it you healed a broken leg in two days. That’s impressive. Almost like one of us.”

  Damien couldn’t move. His side hurt like hell, his head pounded, and his stomach churned. His heart was beating so fast he felt like he was having a heart attack.

  “Relax, Pierce. From the sound of your heartbeat, this won’t last much longer.” Stoker mocked. He walked over to Damien and used his foot to roll him onto his back.

  Stoker raised the stick above his head, bringing it down with such force it went through Damien’s side into the ground beneath him.

  Damien screamed in pain.

  “Don’t worry, you won’t die too quickly. I wanted to make sure I had time to drain you dry before your heart gives out. Your blood is definitely worth something from what I’ve seen tonight,” Stoker’s voice was lighter than it had been, almost as though he were actually impressed.

  “I see why Demetrius finds you a threat. You can take some damage. Rest in peace knowing I actually complimented you. I don’t ever do that,” Stoker bent down over Damien, painfully yanking his head up to expose his throat. “Now why don’t you be a good boy and lie still while I drain your blood.”

  Damien closed his eyes in preparation for the pain of Stoker’s fangs when he suddenly heard the vampire grunt as he was hit by something. Something big.

  His eyes opened to see Jill's huge black form standing on all fours above him, growling at Stoker. Relief filled his heart before the loss of blood took his consciousness from him.

  Stoker kicked the debris away, dusting his suit. “So I was wrong. Looks like I got carried away with playing.”

  Jill bared her fangs, snarling with anger. When she arrived to find the wreckage of the truck, she followed Damien’s scent through the woods.

  The wound from the tree branch slammed through Damien’s side caused his blood to flow in a steady stream to the ground. Time was short. The encounter would need to be ended quickly or he would die.

  The lycan positioned herself protectively over Damien. She knew from her past encounters with Stoker, the vampire would use Damien as leverage to get a hand up in the fight.

  “It’s too bad really,” Stoker took a handgun out of his pocket, loading the magazine with a clip Jill could see was full of silver. “Shame to waste all that good blood.”

  He pointed to gun at Jill. “Are you sure you want to risk so much for this human?”

  Jill snapped at him. She crouched low to the ground, her body served as a shield between the vampire and Damien. She would make sure she was the only one hit with the bullets when Stoker emptied the clip.

  She looked down at the handsome man beneath her. Her heart pounded like a kettle drum. She was determined to keep him alive. I won't let him hurt you anymore. Please just hang on.

  Stoker laughed the whole time as every ring of the gun sent new stings of pain into her body. Jill could feel herself weakening but she couldn't move. If she did, Damien would be at Stoker’s mercy.

  Bang. Bang. Bang. The bullets rang out of the clip over and over until the click of an empty clip could be heard.

  “Hm. Oh right, you’re immortal. That’s upsetting.” Stoker got into Jill’s personal space and proceeded to hit her over and over again.

  Each strike made her whimper. Her legs trembled from the poison of the silver inside of her body. Her blood bubbled and steamed from the holes in her flesh. It fell to the ground in smoking droplets.

  Luna, please let the sun rise soon. I'm losing strength mother, please. Help me protect the man I love.

  Jill’s prayer had been answered. The sun peaked over the hedges forcing Stoker to step back.

  “Fine. I'll end this for now. You got off lucky, dog. Next time, he's not going to live though our encounter, I'll make sure of it.” Stoker sprinted off, following the night to avoid being incinerated by the sun’s light.

  Jill’s breath was labored when she shifted into her human form. She took the branch in her hands and pulled it from Damien’s side. Her heart aching as he cried out in pain with each agonizing inch.

  “Shh, it's okay. It's okay. It’s out.” She said as she ran her hand through Damien’s hair.

  Jill knew what she had to do. She could heal Damien but it would mean she would have to lick the wound. The curse that bound her to the world in her saliva would keep him from dying but doing so would bind her to him.

  Taste was a part of a lycan pairing. The sharing of blood was as sacred as sex. It allowed mates, close friends and loved ones to speak to each other. To feel each other’s pain. To see each other’s past.

  When Damien started shivering, she knew she didn't have a choice, she would lose him if she didn't act fast.

  Using her grown claws, she tore his shirt open, lowering down to the wound. Her tongue took the sweetness of his blood into her mouth. Her eyes began to glow. The feelings of fear, pain, and confusion mixed with love, fullness and affection so strongly it almost overwhelmed her.

  The flow of his blood through his veins was so clear it was she were looking at a cat scan. She could hear the softness of his breath as it moved in and out of his lungs.

  Jill pulled back, her breath heavy. Her fingers dug into the Earth, her teeth clenched as she tried to handle the bond forming between them.

  Every memory he ever had slammed into her mind in a confusing whirlwind of images.

  Part of him now belonged to her and she wasn't going to stop until she had all of him.

  The gaping wound closed, leaving no trace.

  Lifting him gently in her transformed jaws, Jill started walking back to Damien’s house.

  Chapter Seven

  Jill barely made it to Damien’s house, relieved his father wasn’t there so she wouldn’t have to answer any unwanted questions.

  The silver burned inside of her. The effects of the new bond still manifested in her mind.

  Her breathing was labored against the fatigue as she struggled to use what was left of her unnatural strength to drag Damien to the bathroom to get him out of his bloody clothing. She lay him down gently on the floor. The tile on the floor began to blur, a sign she was losing the battle with unconsciousness.

  “Kain,” Jill’s words were hushed as her breathing became shallower. Sweat began falling from her brow. “I have to call Kain.”

  She pulled out her phone to dial Kain’s number.

  A brief silence on the other end indicated an answer. “Jillian, did you find him?” the lycan asked, concerned.

  “Kain, we’re at Damien’s house,” Jill took a breath to keep talking. “Please hurry.”

  Before Jill lost consciousness, she made her way to Damien, laying her cheek on his chest. Greatly weakened against the poison of the silver inside her veins, she blacked out.

  Outside, the rain began to fall, the thunder alerted the town to the arrival of yet another storm. In time winter would come to transform the angry rains to soft, comforting flurries of snow.

  Jill opened her eyes to find she was staring into the lights of her room in the gym. She had no memory of how she got there but was grateful when Kain had gotten her message.

  Damien lay beside her. His shirt had been removed. His ribs wrapped up from the shoulder down to his stomach.

  “I am glad you’re awake,
Jillian.” Kain’s relieved voice broke through the haze of Jill’s mind.

  “Damien?”

  Kain sat on the bed next to Jill. “He lost a rather large amount of blood but it appears he’s going to be fine. His body is repairing itself perfectly. Worst case, he might just be tired as sun’s hell for a few days. Whatever you did saved his life. You need to rest. I’ll help you recover tonight at moonrise.”

  Jill forced herself to sit up. The anger at the situation still fresh in her mind. “It was Stoker. What am I going to do, Kain? The vampires are getting more aggressive.”

  “Don’t worry about that now. You need to rest. I about burned my hand when I lifted you. You are full of silver.” Kain held up his burned hand. The wounds were fading but still evident.

  “I’m sorry, Kain. Tonight, we can go behind the gym. I don’t want to do a full recovery in front of him just yet. He hasn’t even seen me transform. I don’t want to overwhelm him.” Jill replied, concerned and tired.

  “Jillian, you need to stop being so concerned with hiding who you are from him. I spoke to him briefly when you went to get his truck. He’s more open than you think. From what he’s been through, I think seeing you transform is going to be the last thing that bothers him. Show him and let him decide. I think you will find you’re pleasantly surprised.” Kain smirked, his eyes laced with certainty and hope.

  “Okay. You’ve never steered me wrong, old friend. I’ll see you tonight?”

  “Of course. Sleep well.” Kain replied, nodding. He closed the door behind him, leaving them alone.

  ****

  True to his word, Kain met Jill in the evening at moonrise. Damien hadn’t stirred all day. Dr. Langston dropped by from time to time to administer pain medicine as needed and to check the bandages.

  Kyle insisted he was present at Jill’s recovery as a physician so he stood next to Kain, watching. “It’s amazing. Damien’s healing ability is more than we could have ever imagined. His rib was almost completely rejoined and the muscle in his side gave no indication it was even punctured. In all my years in medicine, I’ve never seen this. Not even in our kind.”

  “Kyle, we don’t understand the Purifiers. No one does. We can’t hope to comprehend their power or what they’re capable of. Damien’s still asleep. I can only imagine what he would be able to do when he awakened,” Kain replied, still calm despite Kyle’s obvious excitement. He turned his attention to Jill. “Ready?”

  Jill made an annoyed groan. No she wasn’t ready. Full recoveries hurt like sun’s hell and had to be done in human form which made it worse.

  “Gods damn, these things sting!” Jill yelled. Her blood bubbled slightly where the silver poisoned it. If she hadn’t been immortal they would have killed her. Despite that, it didn’t make the experience any less uncomfortable.

  Kain nodded, a crooked smile formed across his face. “Good luck.”

  “Thanks.” Jill replied, less than thrilled at what she was preparing to do.

  Jill flexed every muscle in her body, her eyes softly glowing. Her back arched. She growled a wolf’s growl, her fangs growing as her nails dug into the soft, wet soil.

  The bullets slowly emerged from her flesh. Each dropped to the floor like hail stones during a storm. Her bones ached from where they’d splintered. Her blood was on fire from the sting of the toxins.

  The moon’s light through the clouds gave her just enough energy needed to heal the wounds left behind. The whole process left Jill so exhausted. She had her tongue hanging out of her mouth panting.

  “That is never…a pleasant experience.” Jill said, sitting on the ground while Kyle came over to check on her.

  Kain shook his head. “I can imagine it isn’t. It has been a while since I have had to do one.”

  “This is getting out of hand, Kain. We’ve been lucky so far but what happens when luck runs out?” Jill asked, slightly defeated.

  Kain sighed. “Jillian, the easy thing for you to do is something I know you don’t want to do. If your sun’s hell-set on taking him as your own, then protecting him is a part of the deal. Yet another reason why we usually don’t go after one of them and keep to our own kind. I know you are going to find a way.”

  “Kain, Jill’s going to be okay. Are you doing alright?” Kyle asked.

  “I’m fine, Kyle. Damien may need another look before you leave. Thank you for your concern.” Kain replied, smiling.

  Kyle walked back into the gym to go check on Damien before he left.

  “See you inside, Jillian. I believe Gabriel is making dinner tonight. Should be interesting to say in the least.” Kain joined Kyle, slightly chuckling at his own joke.

  Jill knew Kain was right. She looked up at the waning gibbous in the cloudy sky. Half the face of her mother looked back at her.

  Mother, I need help. I care for this man so much but I feel I can’t protect him on my own. I’ve bound myself to him in the most sacred of ways. Please. I need a miracle.

  ****

  Damien opened his eyes to see the ceiling fan blades spinning. The ball hung at the end of the longer chain clinking against its shorter neighbor. The soft whirr of the motor seemed distant as he tried to clear the fog from his eyes.

  He had no idea how long he'd been out cold but his body ached from laying down.

  As he tried to rise up, he felt so weak and drained he settled on rolling over to find Jill lying next to him. She had no blanket. The only cover was her athletic shorts and a sports tank-top. One would never think she was capable of taking on vampires with how she looked to him now. Vulnerable and tired.

  “You really do care for her, don’t you?”

  Damien rolled over to stare straight into the intense gaze of Gabriel as he sat in the chair next to the bed, his arms across his chest.

  “I do. I never thought I could care for anyone this much anymore,” Damien replied.

  Gabriel leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees. The muscles in his arms combined with the fact that he was now face to face with Damien despite sitting reminded him of their obvious difference in size.

  “You must really be special to her too if she’s willing to go to such great lengths to protect you. Has she shown you, yet?” The annoyance in Gabriel’s voice was evident.

  “Shown me?” Damien replied, partially confused, and yet agitated at Gabriel’s obvious attempts to size him up.

  “By the way you’ve just responded, I’m guessing she hasn’t. That’s usually what breaks the deal when one of our kind tries to love a mortal,” Gabriel leaned back, his arms crossed behind his head. “When she does, that’s the ultimate test. I hope you pass it.”

  “Honestly, Gabriel, I can’t tell if you’re trying to help me or insult me. What I can tell you is based on what I’ve seen, I don’t think seeing Jill becoming a giant wolf is going to be a deal breaker.” Damien replied. He ignored the jealous alpha and got up to put his shirt on.

  “To be honest, I have mixed feelings. I know she cares about you but at the same time, I don’t like having to save your ass every other day. Jill means a lot to many of us in this gym. Ask Kain. Jill saved him from Rayes and his band of jolly wolf killers. It’s getting upsetting to see her hurt so often.” Gabriel stood up and headed towards the door.

  He stopped and spoke over his shoulder without turning around. “Damien, look, as much as you may care for Jill, I think you should end this thing between the two of you. It may sound harsh but an alpha’s first duty is to make calls to protect his pack. I’ve always considered Jill a part of my pack. That being the case, I’m asking you to think about what’s best for both of you.”

  Damien couldn't respond. He just stood there baffled at the pain-filled intensity of Gabriel’s words.

  Kain came in with a plate of food shortly after Gabriel left. “Glad to hear you're awake. I took the liberty of making you something to eat since you have been unconscious for four days.”

  Damien avoided looking Kain in the face, angry at what Gabriel said.<
br />
  Sighing, Kain sat down in the chair that Gabriel had. “Alright, what did Gabriel say?”

  “I’m not even sure I should tell you.” Damien replied, his sarcasm sharp and cutting.

  “Damien, no one knows Gabriel Locke better than I do. He’s stubborn, hot-tempered and doesn’t always think before he speaks. What did he say?”

  “He said I should end things with Jill. I wanted to think that somewhere there was a general concern but it sounded like he was jealous.”

  “I see. Damien, do not concern yourself with what Gabriel said. He’s worried. To Jillian, you are her world. It makes her nervous when she can't be next to you. Especially since the vampires are getting more aggressive. It scared her to death when she thought she might not have made it in time to save you from Stoker's wrath,” Kain replied, sighing, almost saddened. “The wound Jillian healed, may I see it?”

  Damien lay back down on the bed to let Kain guide his shirt up so he could feel under the wrapping where the branch had penetrated all the way through. The muscle had no indentions or indications it had been pierced, just as Kyle said.

  “Amazing. The muscle isn’t sore?” Kain asked, curious.

  “No. I heal fast but something this severe usually leaves some soreness or a scar. Something.” Damien didn’t know how he’d healed so thoroughly.

  Kain lowered his head. “I see. Damien, there really is no one else for Jillian anymore.”

  “What?”

  Kain's disappointment was evident as he clasped his hands tightly, his forearms resting on his knees. His jaw tightening. “It is not my place to say but when Jillian wakes up, you should make it a point to ask her.”

  Kain left the room. The visit left Damien with more questions to ravage his mind than when Kain arrived.

  A slight stir next to him alerted him to Jill waking up.

  “Morning.” Her voice was drained and tired. She stretched her body out all the way down to the tips of her toes, groaning at the action before sitting up.

  Damien winced at the sight of the multiple scars on her back and hips. “Morning, Jill. Can I ask you something?”