Twelve
The sun was well into the sky, casting the different colors of the fabrics of the tent across the floor.
Damien woke up in the soft fur bed he fell asleep in, not realizing where he was at first. He hadn't gotten the chance to take a detailed look since he was so tired the night before.
The floors were adorned with decorative rugs depicting all kinds of different patterns. One in particular was a deep red with golden patterns that had what looked like tribal wolves woven into what appeared to be flower petals.
The walls had different furs hanging from wooden poles, all from all varieties of animals. In the corner was a small area someone could make coffee and enjoy a good book.
All together it was very homey.
Jill was already awake, letting Damien sleep after the late night they'd had. As his vision became clearer, he began remembering the events of the previous night. Damien remembered how close he was to making love with her only to be suddenly ripped away. Honestly, it seemed like a pattern in their history together. They rarely were alone when they wanted to be.
He’d seen the lycan children weaving in and out of the tents. Their mothers talked in both wolf and human form like they were speaking the same language.
Damien’s heart ached at the pain in Jill’s voice when she spoke of the situation her people were in. She’d mentioned the odds of the little pup he’d held living to reach a year old were slim to none.
Jill walked in with some breakfast, sitting down on the ground in front of Damien. “Good morning. I hope you rested well.”
“It was okay. Thank you for breakfast.” Damien replied, his voice sullen.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Just needing some coffee is all.” Damien lied to avoid worrying Jill. From the raised brow on her face he was pretty sure she didn’t believe him.
Jill kissed his cheek. “Try to eat. I'll take you home after you've had time to get some food.”
She got up to go meet Holt and Kain about trying to get Damien some clean clothes. Much to Damien’s dismay, he might have to settle for wearing Gabriel’s again.
****
When they pulled up to the house, Damien hesitated, staring out of the window towards the wooden door he’d gone through so many times. Only now it was almost intimidating. He still had no idea how he was going to explain Jill or where he’d been.
Sighing, he got out to head up the wooden stairs leading to the door.
Jill stayed in the car. She knew this was already hard enough for Damien. Her kind didn't reveal themselves to strangers too often unless the situation called for it.
“!” Charlie hugged his son close to him. “Where have you been?”
“Sorry, dad. I know it's been a while. I've been staying with Kain. Where he lives doesn’t have the best cell phone service. I did text you though.” A sense of guilt filled Damien for keeping his father in the dark but he thought it would keep him safe.
Charlie patted his son's shoulder. “Right. You did but still, I’m going to give Alex a piece of my mind the next time I see him.”
Oh man. Damien thought. Once again his dad was going to go after poor Kain for something he did.
“Leave Kain alone, pops. I was the one who stormed out. I shouldn’t have spoken to you like that. It was wrong.” Damien scratched his head, nervously before continuing. “I was going to wait until Christmas for this but since she’s here, I want you to meet my girlfriend.”
Charlie's eyes grew wide with anticipation as Damien walked them back outside where Jill stood leaning against her car. “Dame. She's beautiful.”
Jill shook slightly. A small knot of nervousness formed in her stomach. She'd been uneasy at the thought of introducing herself to Damien's father. She'd been alone for so long, she'd almost forgotten how to act casually around humans.
“I'm Charlie Pierce,” Charlie extended his hand. “It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss?”
“Jillian. Jillian Styles.” She shook his outstretched hand.
“Well Jillian, I have no idea how my son managed to get such a gorgeous woman but I'm glad he did.”
Damien playfully shoved his dad. “Jill is the one I’ve been seeing all this time. She was the one who picked me up after the accident with the truck.”
“I was going to ask how that happened, Dame. The truck was in bad shape. I’m glad Jill was there to help you,” Charlie’s jovial mood turned severe. “I know you told me you fell asleep at the wheel but there were indentions on the step rails resembling human hands. A man from what our crime scene unit could tell.”
Damien looked over to Jill, silently asking her for help.
“I saw those indentions, Charlie. Rocks roll down those hills all the time. The side of the ditch Damien drove into was full of them. Maybe they were responsible?” Jill answered as though she’d rehearsed the line.
No telling how many times she’d had to make up excuses for vampire attacks throughout her life.
“That could be. No reason to think about it now I suppose. I’m just glad Damien found someone to care for him. His mother and I tried everything we could think of.” Charlie took Jill's hands in his, revealing them to be rough and cracked from the trials he'd had to face in his life.
“Take care of him, Jill. I am so thankful for you. Would you like to come in? I'd love to learn more about my son's girlfriend.”
“Sure. If you don't mind though, I'd like to change clothes.” Damien chimed in, catching a devious chuckle coming from the gorgeous woman beside him.
Charlie and Jill sat in the living room drinking hot coffee after Charlie built a fire to heat the room against the cold outside.
“They say we're about ready to get our first snow of the season. I can't wait! It'd be nice to enjoy the decorations covered in white powder. Of course, it's one of my busiest times of year since so many people tend to get stuck,” Charlie laughed at his own story. He often got called out to get folks out of their cars after being buried in snow. “I know I shouldn't be laughing but some things you just can't help. How about you, Jillian? Do you live close?”
Jill didn't really have a place she called home. She was mostly nomadic unless she was spending time at Gabriel's gym or staying with Kain. On rare occasions she had been known to stay with Holt.
“You could say that. I work as a private investigator. Sometimes for your office. When I'm not working I tend to spend my time at Solstice to kick box. The owner there is a personal friend.”
Damien came downstairs, freshly showered and happy to be in his own clothes, settling on a black t-shirt shirt and jeans.
Jill's heart fluttered in her chest when his scent hit her nose. That rich, spicy, dark musk she spent so many moons pining for brought about an overwhelming heat inside of her.
“What'd I miss?” Damien sat next to Jill on the couch, throwing his arm around her shoulder.
Jill smiled, leaning her head against his chest. Her hand came to rest on his leg, rubbing the muscle underneath his jeans.
“Nothing much. Jill just told me what she did as a job and where she liked to work out. Dame, I’m afraid we’re going to have to cancel our camping trip. The town needs me here.” Charlie leaned forward, the look on his face serious, his mouth and eyes flattening into a thin line.
“Why? What’s going on?” Damien asked, feeling both relieved that he didn’t have to go and concerned about the look on his father’s face.
“There have been some strange things going on around here lately. Livestock have gone missing from some of the local farms. A few people too. We hadn't found anything to point us to the problem yet but I want you to be careful.” Charlie took a drink of his coffee.
“How many?” Damien asked, the feeling of unease and nausea settling in his stomach.
Jill paid close attention as the two men exchanged words. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end as she fought not bare her fangs. A low growl rose in the back of her throat.
“So far not many people. Just mostly animals. We did find a few carcasses torn all to hell. Maybe a wolf, coyote or something got to them but until we know what's going on, be very careful.”
Jill got deathly still. Her gaze was so intense it would burn the wall if it could. She stood up suddenly, her fists clenched at her sides.
Once again her kind had been indirectly accused of the carnage plaguing the town when she knew exactly who was responsible.
“I have to go. It was a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Pierce.” She said as she grabbed her jacket and keys, heading back out to her car.
Damien got up quickly and followed closely on her heels until they reached the door.
“Jill, what's going on?” When she didn't stop, he reached out to grab her wrist. “Don't you dare close me out. Tell me what's bothering you.”
Jill took a deep breath, releasing it slowly to calm herself. She turned around, reminding herself that nothing happening was Damien's fault.
Gently she placed her hand on his face, softly rubbing it. “I'm sorry, Damien. I have to leave you for now. I have to tell Kain, Gabriel and Holt what's going on. Stay here with your dad. Don't go outside after dark and don't let anyone into your house you don't know. By now, I know you can tell what a vampire looks like.”
Placing her hand on the back of his neck, she guided him down so she could kiss him. Pain and fear filled her at the thought of leaving him alone but she had to get the news to the alphas.
The vampires were moving faster than they initially anticipated. They needed to act.
She stood in the open door of her car, staring up at Damien on the porch, fighting a battle inside. Her people were being threatened. She had to be sure they were taken care of. Damien was her lover. He was still human and vulnerable to attack. It was hard to choose.
Jill got into the car and started, mouthing “I love you” to Damien on before driving off.
****
The sun was hidden behind thick clouds that looked like they offered the promise of snow later in the evening. The wind definitely was cold enough to support the frost. It whistled like an angry banshee heralding the coming of the chaos and war.
Jill got out of her car, the cold wind biting against her coat as she pulled it up to shield her cheeks.
She walked up to Gabriel's gym, meeting Scott at the door. “Scott, I need to speak to Gabriel and Kain, now. It is the utmost importance.”
Scott didn't say anything as he led Jill to where Gabriel and Kain were sparring against each other in a room with mats covering the floor designed for such exercises.
Upon seeing her, they stopped. Their breathing heavy from their work out. Their hard bodies covered in fresh sweat. Their hair dripping small beads onto the floor.
“Jillian, how are you? I take it things went well with Charlie?” Kain wiped his face with a towel, getting a drink of water from his water bottle.
“They went fine, Kain.” Jill’s voice held the sternness she often had when she was fighting.
Both alphas looked at each other.
“Doesn't seem like it. What's got you so worked up?” Gabriel wiped his face, putting the towel around his neck, shaking the sweat from his dark hair.
“Charlie mentioned some disappearing livestock and mangled corpses from the farms outside of town. A few people have gone missing too and they're blaming wolves. We all know what happens when humans become paranoid about things like this. We often end up as the poor souls to get hunted and killed for it. It appears Lilith has started making her move but it wasn't what we thought. So far Charlie and the local police have been able to keep it quiet. If it escalates, there'll be no way they can keep it hidden.”
Gabriel landed his fist into the nearest punching bag, a deep growl rolling up from his throat as his fangs extended. “Damned parasites. Why can't they just let us live in peace?”
“My guess is their end goal is to attack us openly. Lilith riles up the town and makes them panic. The humans go on some witch hunt forcing us to stop hunting which will have devastating results on our pups. It seems the ruling nobles of the coven don’t like having to share space with us.” Kain’s arms crossed his chest as he propped his hip against the wall in open frustration.
He continued. “Either way, they have started moving so we have to move. Staying still could get us killed.”
“Okay. Kain, tonight, send out a howling call. Let Holt know that in seven moons, we convene at his camp. We're going to need some help. Alone we can't stand against the coven, not all of us can fight. I don't expect those around here who are just trying to live their lives to give them up. It wouldn't be fair to them. Gods damn it all!” Gabriel punched the punching bag again only this time it was hard enough to send it flying into a mirror, cracking it.
“Jillian, stay close to Damien. Lilith still wants him, there's no doubt in my mind. She'll even kill him to keep you from having him if she can.” Kain advised Jill, earning him a hug around the waist.
“Thank you. I'll stay in howling's touch Kain, I promise.”
“I know.” Kain kissed her forehead. “Luna watch over you, Jillian.”
“And you, old friend.”
****
Damien sat on his couch, his foot tapping nervously against the floor as he thought back to the look on Jill's face. He wanted to go with her, to support her through whatever it was she felt she needed to run off to Kain and Gabriel for.
“Dame!” Charlie’s voice from upstairs drew his attention.
“Yeah.”
“Take the trash, out will you? I have to finish putting this desk together.” Charlie had chosen to set up an office in one of the spare rooms so he could bring work home with him if he needed to.
The moon was in full view. The trashcans were outside and Damien promised Jill he wouldn't go out after dark.
“Well, shit.” He said, upset as he got up. Heading into the kitchen he packed up the trash and recyclables to take out to the cans.
Careful to pay attention to everything around him, Damien made his way out to the trash cans at the end of the back of the house.
He'd gotten finished putting the recyclables in the can when he felt a hard hit against the back of his head. He hit the ground, dazed.
As he fought to stay conscious, he heard voices talking above him.
“Finally. Bind his hands and put him in the trunk . Make sure he's blindfolded and gagged. We don't want him calling for help in case there are any dogs around.” One of the voices spoke, his accent thick with either a Russian or German undertone. It was unclear which it was.
The only thing Damien remembered before the darkness took him was the blindfold over his eyes and the sting of ropes as they harshly bound his hands. His shoulders aching in protest.