Chapter One

Da mon drifted in a hazy state between slumber and consciousness as voices murmured around him. The last thing he remembered was fighting against an ancient vampire with his family by his side. The creature had used its powers and blown all four of them off of it.

But then the vampire had locked eyes with Damon, malicious glee etched on its face, and whispered a single word: sleep.

Now, he was in a state of weightlessness, uncertain where he was or what was happening. His wolf within him howled for him to wake up, but he felt trapped in this dreamlike state.

"Did it work?" a voice asked.

"We must give it time," another voice replied. "He's just been infused with powerful blood. His body needs to circulate it and absorb it."

"You'd think it would give him a surge of adrenaline," a third voice chimed in. "He should've jumped to his feet, ready to take on anything."

"But we don't know how this will affect him," the second voice admonished. "I gave a very small portion of my power to his twin, and even then, he needed assistance in defeating Vicino."

The vampire may have been defeated, but what about Damon's family? Had they survived? He desperately wanted to know. He strained to open his eyes, but they refused to cooperate.

Suddenly, he felt a pulsating energy coursing through his veins. It started off as a gentle thump, but it was growing stronger.

His wolf was no longer howling. It was now growling and snapping its jaws, twisting around as if possessed.

Then, an overwhelming thirst clawed at his throat. A burning rush that caused his stomach to seize up and spasm. Damon screamed in agony, yet no sound escaped his lips.

At the same time, a strange sensation began to tingle in his back, spreading until it felt like a million ants were crawling over it.

What was happening to him? Why couldn't he wake up, and who were these people around him?

"Son, come back to us," his dad's gentle voice pleaded. "Wake up, Damon."

I'm trying, Dad!

"Fight," Jaytee urged with a fierce growl. "Claw your fucking way out of there."

His twin had survived. But what about Jax? Damon's heart ached at the thought of losing his older brother. They may not always have gotten along over the centuries, but Damon would lay down his life for him.

"Wake up so Elvine can give you hell," Jax said with a smile in his voice, but it also sounded as if he was holding back tears. "She's been all weepy since we found you unconscious. It's kind of scary not seeing her all fired up and giving us hell."

Damon laughed through his tears. Jax was alive. His entire family had made it through the battle alive. They hadn't been slaughtered by the horde of undead vampires.

But how?

A sharp, electrifying pain ripped through Damon's body, causing him to scream and arch his back in agony. But still, no sound came out.

"Holy shit!" shouted Jaytee in astonishment. "He has feathery wings!"

"You gave him your wings, Nazaryth," the second voice stated.

"I just hope he doesn't accidentally fall off a cliff trying to use them," someone, presumably Nazaryth, replied. "Flying comes naturally to me, but it may not be as easy for him."

"It's second nature to me, as well," Elvine stated.

Damon had found the dark fairy entertaining before, but now he found her annoying for some reason. He assumed she'd protected Jaytee's mate, or his twin wouldn't be at Damon's side.

Jaytee would be consumed with despair over losing his mate.

Damon needed to get out of this limbo so he could be with his family and figure out what in the hell was wrong with him.

Power whipped through him, helping him to break through the invisible surface and finally open his eyes. Damon immediately flipped to all fours and crouched, baring fangs instead of canines. Wings he'd never had until now shot out behind him.

Except for the tall, muscular, and shirtless fae, Damon recognized everyone around him, yet his wolf perceived them all as a threat, even his family.

Panahasi held his arm out to stop Jaytee when he tried to step forward. "His wolf is in control now. At the moment, your twin cannot be reasoned with."

"Because he is a newborn and he thirsts." Prince Christian studied Damon closely. "I can see a strong hunger in your eyes, young one."

"I'll feed him," Jaytee offered without hesitation.

Damon scented the air then slowly turned his head toward the six-foot-seven warrior fae.

"He has chosen," Prince Christian stated.

"My twin chose a stranger over family?" Jaytee sounded hurt and angry, but Damon couldn't think about that right now. His thirst was overpowering everything else, and he just knew he needed the warrior's blood.

"No insult to you, wolf," Christian said. "But you cannot feed a newborn. They require more than you can give." He gestured toward the fae. "He can withstand the feeding your twin requires."

The fae's large gossamer wings fluttered softly as he moved forward, and then he lowered to one knee. " Yato, nékah." Feed, most cherished.

"What did he just say?" Jax asked.

Damon had no idea, either.

"We'll meet you inside the house, Casimir," Panahasi said then turned toward everyone else. "Allow Damon to feed for the first time in privacy."

Cautiously, Damon moved a little closer, still sniffing as he focused on Casimir's cerulean-blue eyes.

"Do not fear me, nékah. Come closer." Casimir held out his hand. "Allow me to nourish you."

Damon attacked, lunging toward the warrior and taking him to the ground. Casimir gripped him tightly and flipped them over, forcing Damon onto his back. "You will feed from only me, but you will not force me to submit to you!"

Too hungry to think rationally, Damon growled and bucked, his thirst clawing at his throat. He wanted Casimir's jugular vein. He could see it pulsing in his neck, could smell the sweet, magical blood coursing through his veins.

Casimir brushed his long, dark hair to one side, exposing his neck.

Damon whimpered.

"You may feed from my vein, but if you become aggressive, I will be forced to put you on your back again." Casimir's expression was firm as he stared at Damon. "Do not make me hurt your gorgeous wings, nékah ."

His wolf still snarled, but Damon gently cupped the back of Casimir's neck, drawing the fae down to him. He sniffed the warm skin, and the scent of the forest, the thrill of the hunt, and pure joy raced through him before he sank his fangs into soft skin.

Casimir gasped, his fingers flexing on Damon's shoulders. The fae's hard cock pressed into his stomach as Damon fed, the blood so sweet he softly snarled. As his lips crushed against the warrior's flesh, Damon pulled the fae's cock free and curled his fist around the hard flesh, then began to stroke it.

" Ceutya nétya," Casimir groaned, thrusting into Damon's fist. "I'm already close, wolf." The warrior's body writhed as Damon swallowed the delicious taste flowing from the man's neck.

"Nékah!" Most cherished.

The fae's cum erupted in Damon's fist, Casimir's cock pulsing. He breathed heavily then gripped Damon's shoulders harder.

Damon became lost in the taste, lost in the scent surrounding him, falling into an abyss as he quenched his hunger.

"Enough," Casimir gently commanded.

Not yet. Damon was too thirsty to stop. He gripped Casimir's upper arms, restraining the fae so he couldn't pull away. The fae's blood was calling to Damon, tempting him to drain the warrior dry.

"Enough!" Casimir gripped Damon's jaw in a strong hold. "Remove your fangs, nékah ."

His jaw felt as if it was about to crack, forcing Damon to retract his fangs with a snarl. Gradually, the blood began to ease his thirst. But the smell was still making his head fuzzy. Breathing heavily, he stared up into the fae's eyes. "Who are you?"

"I am Casimir Shadowlace." He tried to push away, but Damon kept a firm hold on his arms. "I don't want to leave you, nékah . But I must accompany the demon warrior and your twin into Unseelie territory to reclaim my nephew Raidh's soul."

It took a moment for Damon to understand what he was talking about. Then dread sank into the pit of his stomach. "Why doesn't Raidh have his soul?"

Sadness filled Casimir's eyes as he brushed his knuckles over Damon's cheek. "The curse has claimed his life."

"Raidh died?" Damon released Casimir then shoved the fae off of him and got to his feet. Shit! Jaytee had tried to pull Damon out of the sleep Vicino had put him in, when he should have already left to get his mate's soul back. "I'm coming too."

Damon stumbled backward when his wings began to flutter energetically. "What in the hell did they do to me?"

"In order to pull you from the ancient sleep, the Ultionem and I infused you with our blood. You now have some of their traits."

The Ultionem were powerful beings, and they'd shared their blood with him, had turned him into… What in the hell was he now? He damn sure wasn't just a wolf shifter anymore. There were feathery wings on his fucking back, the sheer weight making him stumble around.

There was also a sizzling power inside of him like his body was being nonstop electrocuted.

They'd turned him into a freak.

"You can't go with us," Casimir stated. "Your powers are too unstable at the moment."

To add icing to his shit cake, the fae standing in front of him was his mate, yet the bastard had yet to acknowledge their connection.

This was just too much to deal with. "Go help my brother," Damon snarled as he walked away.

Casimir grabbed his arm, but Damon shook off his grip and kept going, cursing when he couldn't figure out how to get through the back door with his wings extended.

"Do you need me to—"

"I don't need a damn thing from anyone," Damon snapped. He no longer felt like a part of his family. He wasn't a Frost any longer. Not when he had a circus circulating inside of him.

"I'll return, nékah ." Casimir walked around the side of the house, leaving Damon standing there seething and miserable. They might have won the battle with Vicino, but they'd also lost, too.

Damon was a mutant, and Raidh was dead.

"Just concentrate on your wings. Imagine them tucking into your back."

Nazaryth stood in the kitchen, watching him.

"You couldn't have given me another winged-beast trait?" Damon was not in a good mood but watched his tone with the Ultionem member.

"The second one might be debatable." Nazaryth smirked, the tips of his fangs showing. "Me or Christian?"

"I wasn't even aware winged beasts had fangs."

When Nazaryth walked toward him, Damon moved back to give him room so he could exit the house. "We are a race of vampires created by the gods, given wings to make us more palatable for our king."

Somebody detested their king. Nazaryth had pretty much spat the word. "So if you're a vampire with wings, and now I'm one…"

"You will be recognized as a winged beast among us." He gave a single nod. "Though I'm not expecting you to help us battle the infernus incolae ."

Damon was getting sick and tired of not understanding what people were saying. "English."

"Hell dwellers. Hounds of hell. Hellhounds. Take your pick," Nazaryth replied. "They go by all those names."

"Yeah, hard pass." Damon had never come across a hellhound, but he'd heard some pretty nasty stuff about them.

"Your zaterio is a Méityah Béskym," Nazaryth commented, seeming impressed. "Sorry. Your mate is a guardian ." He smirked. "You lucked out with mates. Casimir is an elite warrior."

Damon growled. "He's not my mate."

Nazaryth shrugged. "I've already fought that battle, so I'm staying out of yours. For now, concentrate on your wings."

The mounting aggression inside Damon was really starting to wear thin. He was normally a chill guy, but now all he wanted to do was drive his fist through Nazaryth's face.

Suddenly, Nazaryth flew backward then up, his wings flapping as he smirked down at Damon. "If you want to swing at me, you have to reach me, pup."

"Do I look like a pup to you?" Damon snarled, trying to figure out how to work the damn things. The right wing flapped, but the left one sort of drooped.

"Concentrate." Nazaryth spun flawlessly in a circle.

"I can't do it!"

"Your whining might give your wings some lift." He winked.

Damon closed his eyes and took a deep, cleansing breath, trying to purge the hostility right out of him. "You're the experienced one, not me," he gritted out.

Nazaryth flew close to the ground, as if daring Damon to come after him. "Fine, lesson over." He touched down. "If you decide to try on your own, do yourself a favor and make sure it's on level ground."

Then he took off, soaring through the air and over the forest, disappearing from sight.

"Pull yourself together. You can't act this way around your family," he grumbled to himself. "They probably look at you as a monster now."

Closing his eyes, he concentrated on tucking in his wings. Nothing happened.

"To hell with it. I'll just sleep outside." Damon's family would probably sleep better without a freak under the same roof anyway.