Blessing of Luna (Wolfgods Book 1) Page 6

  Damien whipped his head around to look at her. His eyes raised in a mocking array of confusion. He spoke half-chuckling. “Vampires? Like 'I vant to suck your blood', vampires?”

  “Yes, though I've never heard them speak that way.” Jill knew humans had come to mock vampires throughout the centuries in both literature and the movies.

  Some of the changes were so laughable, Jill rolled her eyes at the idea that humans thought they understood anything about vampire culture.

  “Come on Jill, there's no such thing. If there were, why in hell would they want me dead? What would I have that could possibly threaten a vampire? I've never even met one until you showed up.”

  “They fear the soul inside of you, Damien.” Jill felt the sting of blame in his words. She couldn't deny the possibility of her interaction being the reason the vampires located him so quickly.

  “Wait, what? The soul inside of me?” In all the time Damien knew Jill, she’d made him suspicious about the night visits. He never imagined it would link to something having to do with vampires.

  A thought occurred to Damien as he directed his attention to the floorboard in front of him. His hands grew cold and clammy, his fists tightening into balls on his knees. “If those men were really vampires then what the hell are you to be able to kill them?” Damien asked, raising his eyes to look at her.

  Jill kept her eyes on the road, staying silent. Her sensitive ears focusing on the rapid heartbeat in Damien’s chest. Her greatest fears were quickly becoming realized despite her efforts to avoid exposing him to the darkness of their world.

  Stopping in front of the gym, Jill sighed deeply, preparing herself for whatever Damien might say in response to what she was about to tell him.

  “Listen to me carefully. The soul inside of you is known as the soul of a Purifier. To a vampire like Demetrius, it is a threat which must dealt with no matter what it costs him. Since they have become aware of your existence, you have to be very careful. Do not go out after sunset and never let anyone into your house neither you or your dad don’t know. Vampires can't enter anywhere they aren't invited.”

  Jill paused to get out of the car and made her way over to the passenger’s side door, opening it to help Damien out before continuing.

  “Nobles can enter without being welcomed but it tends to injure them. They don't usually get involved personally in anything unless it's a social event calling for their presence. They also have humans working for them as well. You have to be skeptical of everyone, even the ones closest to you.” Jill’s eyes almost glowed, holding Damien’s gaze.

  “Jill!” Gabriel marched up to his car once they pulled up. His hair was dark and fell just to the middle of his neck. His body was built like a lean mixed martial arts fighter with well-developed muscles that bulged when he flexed them above his head. His shoulders were broad with a copper tone to his skin. Exotic with a slight accent, Gabriel was definitely someone a woman would drool over.

  “Hello, Gabriel.” Jill replied, exhausted from the night’s events.

  Damien felt the burn of jealousy when Gabriel wrapped his arms around her. His hands moved down to her lower back in the most sensual way Damien had ever seen. His hands lay flat rubbing her ass as though he were her boyfriend.

  Damien had to turn away, scoffing as Jill kissed Gabriel's cheek. Her hands resting on his hips.

  Gabriel's attention turned to Damien, placing his hand on his own hip. His other one still holding Jill close to him. “So, this is him? I have to say, he looks more like a vampire.” His laugh was mocking and deep. “You can do better in your choice, Jill. Maybe one of your own kind?”

  Jill shoved him off. “Like you? Give me a break. You wouldn't fare any better than Kyle or Ray in the ring. My den still open?”

  “Never doubted your skills, Jill. Just not sure this one's worth risking so much for. Seems like a real pussy to me.” Gabriel replied, poking fun.

  Damien growled. Who was this guy? He'd just insulted him personally on multiple levels.

  “Fang off, Gabriel. He's had a rough night. Now is my den still available or not?” Jill's apparent lack of patience made Gabriel raise his hands in surrender.

  “It's still up there. I keep my promises. You keep your standing, you have a room. So far, with how you've been fighting, I don't see that going anywhere anytime soon.”

  “Good. Now if you don't mind, I have to get this poor thing off of his injured leg. Kyle’s orders.” Jill grabbed Damien's hand and pulled him into the gym. His eyes met the ferocity of Gabriel's as he went passed him.

  When he stepped through the doors there was a huge variety of workout equipment in the main room where some of the most ripped guys Damien had ever seen pounded the punching bags, sprinted on the treadmills and lifted weights.

  Each one stopped to watch as Jill pulled him through the gym. Some with a look of disgust on their faces, others almost laughing at him.

  Even the women seemed inhumanly strong in build. Most of them were attached to their choice of man. Neither one hesitating to hug, kiss and touch openly in the same manner Gabriel had Jill when she walked up to him.

  Further through the halls, there was another large room containing a fight cage where two guys were going at each other in ways so violent it could get them sanctioned.

  Wait, were those claws and... fangs?! Damien shook his head, blocking out the thought. There’s no way.

  “Jillian.” The voice came from a man Damien recognized as Alexander Kain, the bartender from the bowling alley. He was shirtless and covered in sweat like he'd just gotten done with his own round of fighting.

  “Kain. Just get finished wiping the floor with Scott's tail again?” Jillian asked, half chuckling as she spoke.

  “As are most of my nights when I decide to come, to my greatest dismay. He's hell-bent on taking my place as alpha. Says I can't cut it anymore.” Kain laughed, taking a drink of water from his water bottle. The gesture mocking his opponent’s blatant accusations.

  Alpha? Damien had so many questions he didn't know where he would even start. He'd known Alex for a while, sometimes exchanging words with him when he waited his turn to bowl.

  To see him outside of work like this was confusing. It seemed like he knew Jill on a more personal level.

  Kain briefly turned his attention to Damien. “Good to see you outside of work, Damien. Must say that was one sun's hell of a game you bowled the other night. You have some skill. Perhaps consider joining a league?” He turned his attention back to Jill after taking in Damien’s current state. “I'm taking it those injuries are from a vampire attack? If so, he's lucky he got out alive. I hope you have a plan, Jillian. Have you considered turning him?”

  Jill let go of Damien's wrist, getting in close to Kain's face. “That is never an option, Kain. Not as long as I can help it. You know damn well we live a cursed life. The vampires are growing in number while ours are falling faster than we can make pups.”

  “It was just a suggestion. I will honor your request, old friend. However, he might be safer if you did.” Kain replied, hugging her. “I apologize if I angered you, Jillian. I just don't want to see you hurt. It ripped my heart apart to see my childhood friend hurting as badly as you were back then.”

  Jill returned his hug, reassuring him that she understood. Their touch was sensual in nature as well. From what Damien observed so far, to almost everyone in the gym, this public display of affection seemed as though it were normal.

  “Damien, what's wrong?” Jill asked, her head tilted in curiosity.

  He hadn't noticed how flustered he’d gotten. He turned his attention away, making both Jill and Kain chuckle.

  “Better take him to your den, Jillian. I think he's a bit overwhelmed.” Kain walked off, ignoring the jeers Scott was giving him from the opening of the men's locker room.

  Jill led Damien up a flight of stairs into a long hallway toward a room with a golden plate mounted on the door labeled with her name and the title of “Cage Cha
mpion.”

  She hadn't even closed the door all the way before Damien backed himself against the wall as far away from her as he could.

  His heart pounded in his chest. His eyes widened with a mix of terror and disbelief.

  Sighing, Jill proceeded strip down to her panties and bra like Damien wasn’t in the room.Her body was beautiful. It was perfectly toned and built like any one of the women he'd seen downstairs.

  Damien felt his good knee get weak as Jill pulled out a pair of black shorts with pink stripes down the side and a black spaghetti strap shirt.

  Her long dark hair, she pulled up into a ponytail, stretching her arms above her head. However, it was the array of different scars on Jill's shoulders, back and hips that grabbed Damien's immediate attention. They served as the proof of what she'd said about her fighting was true.

  There were some he swore she couldn’t have gotten from cage fighting. They looked more angry. Almost like whatever inflicted them intentionally tried to pull huge pieces of flesh off of her body.

  Turning her attention to Damien, she sat down on the couch, crossing her gorgeous long legs. “I can imagine your mind is swimming with any number of questions. If it makes you more comfortable, you can sit on the bed to prop your leg up and I’ll stay over here on the couch to talk.”

  Damien couldn't move. He was too hypnotized by the Aphrodite sitting before him almost naked. A mix of fear and sexual interest battled inside of him as he fought not to stare.

  Seeing he was paralyzed, Jill sighed, getting up to help him. She set up a pillow to rest his leg on while still making it easy for him to sit or lay down comfortably.

  “Here. You need to get off of your leg until it heals. I’ll stay away to give you space. I gave you my word I would answer your questions and get you home in the morning and I will.” She gently led him to sit down on the bed, propping his leg up for him. “If you're worried about what your dad, Rob or Chelsea will say, I'm sure I can help with that too.”

  Damien had to work to pull his thoughts together in his mind to get a sense of clarity. “Okay, what the hell have I stepped into? Who were those men down there? Why did they touch you like that? And how the hell did you know I was thinking about what to tell everyone when I got back to my house?”

  Jill's hand on his face made him stop. “Easy. You're going to have an anxiety attack at this rate. Maybe you should get some sleep. I'll answer what I can on our way to your house in the morning. Your mind will be fresh and you can quiz the sun's hell out of me.”

  “Sleep?! How the hell am I supposed to get any sleep after what I've just seen?! No way are you getting out of this, Jill!” Damien replied, beyond angry at all of the secrecy.

  He had no idea how he was going to get calmed down enough to sleep with the storm of confusion in his brain. Let alone in the presence of a woman with the ability to take on two armed vampires.

  “Okay, I'll answer one question, then you're getting some rest, got it.” Jill replied in surrender, seeing Damien was set on getting an answer out of her.

  Damien had so many he couldn't choose just one so he blurted out the first one that came to his mind. “Why did those men touch you like that?” The coy smile on Jill's face froze the rest of his words in his throat. “What?”

  Smoothly she got into his face. Her thigh landed between his legs, pressing against his groin. A heat ran up his body as he felt her eyes searching his. Her thumb ran the length of his lips, flicking his lower lip in play.

  “Why the sudden worry about who touches me or how? Are you jealous?”

  A hard lump formed in Damien’s throat. The deep tone of silken seduction in Jill’s voice drove him into a desire he never thought he could feel again.

  With as much effort as he could, he tore his eyes from her and quietly replied. “No, it's just...I've never seen it before between two people who aren't involved with each other. Are you sleeping with them?”

  Jill burst out laughing. “That is such a human thought. No Damien, I'm not sleeping with any of them. For my kind, touch like that is normal. It promotes closeness and loyalty. It's never sexual unless we're courting or with our mates.”

  Jill’s usually icy green eyes darkened with a primal lust. She leaned in so close her breath blew hot in his ear as she spoke. “Then it gets so hot no human could watch without getting embarrassed.”

  Damien couldn't help the rise of the goose bumps on his skin. The reaction completely contradictory to the growing heat in his groin. His heart continued to pound inside his chest like a drum.

  Jill ended her flirting, pulling away from him. “Now, sleep. We'll talk more in the morning. I can see in those gorgeous eyes of yours you still don't understand. I promise you will.” She smiled the soft smile Damien was used to, turning off the light. “If you need me, I'll be on the couch. You will be safe here, I promise.”

  Damien watched Jill as she walked over to the couch. Every movement so graceful and sensual he had to avert his eyes against the growing feeling of desire inside of him.

  Stretching out to lay on her side, Jill had to fight back a smirk at the internal struggle her handsome roommate was going through. She rolled over to face the couch, wrapping up in a plush blanket with a body pillow.

  Damien turned over to the side of his good arm, trying to avoid staring at Jill's back as his heart beat rapidly behind his ribs. The growing heat in his body made him clench his teeth against the memories trying to escape the recesses of his mind.

  He fought sleep as long as he could before it eventually took him. The subtle hint of betrayal lingered in his chest. Jill hadn’t told him about the danger he was in and he’d nearly paid for it.

  Jill waited until she heard him breathing deeply before she got up and walked over to the bed, scooting the chair up beside it.

  The bruises Damien sustained had already started healing up and fading. It didn't surprise her. Lucius had been able to heal minor injuries like bruises almost overnight. No doubt the fracture and the break would be healed within a couple of days.

  Jill couldn’t help but feel horrible at the circumstances he’d undergone to get introduced to her world. She tried so hard to take things slow with him. “I’m sorry. I never intended for any of this. I know you must be so angry at me, probably a bit betrayed,”

  Leaning down next to his ear, Jill continued. “Damien, you don't understand. I will do anything to keep you safe. Anything to have you as mine.” A single tear fell from her eyes, landing on her knuckles on the edge of the bed.

  Chapter Four

  Damien couldn't focus the following day. He'd woken up in a strange place. The events from the night before hazy as he tried to sit up.

  The moment he felt the sting in his leg, everything slammed into the forefront of his mind. The fracture in his shoulder had healed to a manageable level of discomfort. He took his arm out of the sling and unwrapped the tight bandages responsible for making sleep difficult.

  He sighed. It'd been this way since he got his first paper-cut in kindergarten. There was no blood and the cut healed right up in front of him as if he'd never gotten it in the first place. He'd looked around at his fellow classmates to see if anyone saw, grateful it went unnoticed.

  The sudden onset of a purely disgusting smell almost made him gag. He sniffed his shirt to realize it was him. Figures. What’d I expect to happen after getting thrown into a dumpster? He wanted nothing more than to take a shower to get clean and clear his head.

  A unwanted flinch ran through his body when the door suddenly opened to reveal Jill holding a plate of breakfast.

  “Morning. I see your fracture healed up already. That's good.” Jill set the plate down in front of him, backing off quickly once she saw he was still mad.

  When Damien didn’t reply, she continued. “Kain made it. He's pretty handy in the kitchen. He asks you to tell him how you like it.”

  Damien didn't look at her.

  The fact remained, she hadn’t told him about the very real danger
he’d been in the moment they began talking. Instead she’d dodged his questions and ignited a fire of sexual arousal inside of him he hadn't been able to suppress.

  “I’m...not hungry. Tell him I said thanks anyway.” A loud growl from his stomach gave his apparent need for food away, making him curse under his breath.

  “Damien, I know this is all new to you. I promised I would tell you what you wanted to know and I will but I wanted you to rest. Your mind was in a state of panic last night. I needed it to be fresh and open to hear what I was going to say.” Jill took a fresh cup of coffee, sitting it down next to him. Her own mind preparing for the flood of questions he was likely to assault her with. “I suppose I should probably go with the obvious first question humans like to know. I believe it’s ‘what are you’?”

  Damien didn't much appreciate her taunting tone but nodded.

  Hesitantly, he took a bite of a pancake Kain made, surprised to find it pleasantly fluffy.

  “Well to your kind I guess you would label us as...” She shuddered, making a blech sound with her tongue and mouth. “Werewolves, wolf-kind, loup-garoux, shape-shifter...I can go on. We prefer the term lycanthrope or lycan for short.”

  “Lycan? As in, capable of turning into a...” His memory went back to the large wolf he'd seen in the woods. Its behavior made more sense to him now that Jill told him. “That was you.”

  “Bingo and yes, I did want to eat you but not in the ways you were thinking.” She gave a seductive smirk that made Damien avert his eyes, making her quietly laugh. “You can still have that photo if you want. I just wasn't keen on sticking around with Rob dropping in like that.”

  Shock began setting in the more Damien asked. “Kain...and Gabriel...are they?”

  “Yes.”

  “This whole place...it's full of...”

  “Yes. Anything else?”

  Damien's head started spinning. Vampires...and now werewolves...

  For all he knew, he was in a drug induced coma somewhere. He rubbed his eye with the heel of his hand. “Oh, man. This isn’t happening.”