Chapter Two

Damon rolled over and curled into a ball, breathing out slowly as he fought against the thirst burning in his throat and causing his stomach to cramp with pain. He wasn't even sure how long he'd been lying in bed, but the intense pain had him sweating like crazy.

What was so messed up about this was the fact that, when Raidh had been attacked by vampires, Damon had prayed his mate was anyone but a bloodsucker. The universe had said "Hold my beer" and made Damon one instead.

On the bright side, his mate hadn't been a vampire.

He was Unseelie, a dark fae. Nice sense of humor, fate. By the way, fuck you.

Damon should have just kept his mouth shut.

But things just kept piling up. His wolf was still acting like a psycho and felt bigger inside of him, stronger, snarlier, causing Damon to snap at everyone.

It wasn't as if he was being an asshole on purpose. His heightened aggression wasn't something he could control, but it did make him feel like a ticking time bomb.

It wasn't a feeling he welcomed either. In fact, Damon desperately wanted to give Maverick and Zeus their blood back. If only it worked that way.

"Damon," Jaytee called out from the stairs. "Dad sent me up here to tell you breakfast is ready."

Thankfully, he hadn't come to the bedroom door. Damon didn't want his twin seeing him like this. He didn't want any of his family to see how bad it was getting. They'd only force him to feed.

Which presented other issues.

A growl ripped from his parched throat when he heard the sound of fluttering wings growing closer. Damon knew who it was before the oversized pesky fly flew into his room.

"How're you feeling, Mr. Grumpy Socks?" Elvine asked as Damon opened his eyes and glared at her. She was hovering just inside his bedroom, her colorful delicate wings fluttering rapidly behind her back as she snooped through his things on a top shelf.

Speaking of one of the issues.

Fae blood was magical and gave off an irresistible, alluring aroma. The first time Damon had felt its effect was when he'd met Raidh, but it had only happened once and never again with Jaytee's mate.

However, with Casimir, the temptation was constant. But even after Damon's initial feeding from Casimir, the underlying scent wasn't as potent as it had been with Raidh.

Which was strange considering anyone with fangs who drank blood couldn't resist the scent. Maybe the powers he'd gained diluted his craving for fae blood.

Fortunately, with Elvine, the scent was even less potent.

But it was still there.

"First of all, it's grumpy pants, not socks. Second, I'd be doing even better if you'd stopped checking on me every five seconds." He flipped to his back, forcing himself not to concentrate on the pulse in her small neck or how he could hear her blood rushing through her veins.

His thirst was getting worse, his focus on Elvine a little too intent. Damon felt his fangs threatening to lengthen, ready to—

"Goddamn it!" His wings shot out, sending objects flying in every direction. The mirror above his dresser shattered, and the blinds on the nearest window were ripped down.

It had been a full week, and Damon had gotten diddlysquat under control. Just two days ago he'd discovered he could create dense fog. He'd had to keep his bedroom windows open, because for hours the power kept turning on and off, filling his room until it looked as if he lived in a lowland or valley.

If he had to have demon powers, why couldn't they have been something cool, like laser eyes or the ability to make Casimir go away?

Elvine squeaked. "Those things could be used as deadly weapons, Mr. Grumpy Socks!"

"Don't you have someone else to pester?" Damon tried to stand up with his wings still extended, but all he managed to do was grunt and roll back and forth on his bed. He was ready to rip them off.

"As amusing as it is to watch you struggle like a flipped turtle, breakfast will get cold before you figure out how to get up." She chanted something in her native language, and Damon's wings immediately tucked behind his back.

"You're not supposed to use dark magic," he bit out, frustrated that he'd needed help. "House rules." Finally on his feet, Damon headed for the door.

"I think what you meant to say was thank you." Elvine pressed her tiny fists against her hips as she glared at him.

Damon actually cracked a smile and shook his head. Maybe that was a sign his aggression was finally chilling out. He'd never had a problem with Elvine in the past. It was her and Jax who were always snarling at each other.

"Use some of that magic to clean up this mess," he whispered as he walked by her, grateful his thirst had momentarily subsided.

When he heard a weird snapping sound, Damon turned around to find his room perfectly tidy again. "You couldn't have fixed the blind too?" It was back on the window, but most of the slats were torn and floppy.

"Incentive to practice getting your wings under control." She zipped past him and flew downstairs.

Damon took his time, trying to calm his racing heart. Since the Ultionem had converted him, he felt like everyone was watching him, waiting for him to lose control of his powers.

Thank goodness that hadn't happened so far.

But the day was still young.

He trotted down the stairs then groaned when he saw a bare-chested Casimir leaning against the wall, his muscular arms crossed. Damon really needed to learn how to keep his mouth shut, even in his thoughts.

This was not the morning to deal with his mate.

"Don't." Casimir gently grabbed his arm and pulled Damon to a stop when he tried to breeze past him. "You can't keep avoiding this, Damon."

"Are you seriously trying to discuss this out in the open?" Damon glanced toward the kitchen. He wasn't even sure why. Everyone in the house had heightened hearing. They'd probably even heard his conversation upstairs with Elvine.

"I wouldn't have to if you stopped avoiding me." Casimir let his arm go but still appeared ready to grab it again if necessary. "They're fully aware of your need for blood, nékah . There's no shame in it."

Gritting his teeth, Damon got in his face and hissed, "You don't get to tell me how to feel. Did someone put a circus inside of you without an instruction manual? No, they didn't. So back off!"

To be fair, Nazaryth had tried to show Damon how to use his wings, but it had been right after Damon received infused blood from seven powerful beings. That was the wrong time to try and show him how to use them.

Casimir gripped his arms and swung him around, pinning him against the wall.

This was not good.

The dark fae's magical blood was like a sweet nectar to Damon, and the closer he got to him, the stronger his craving became.

The only time he'd fed from Casimir, it had taken almost breaking Damon's jaw to get him to release the vein.

And now the small reprieve from his hunger was over. The thirst began to crawl up his throat once more.

"Why do you keep manhandling me?" Damon asked between clenched teeth, trying hard not to breathe in Casimir's scent, which was impossible, but he was determined to resist it.

"Because it seems to be the only thing that works right now," Casimir snarled. "Your aggression won't allow you to respond to my concern in a civil way."

Another need started to fill Damon with their bodies so close. There was a much deeper reason Damon was so angry with Casimir. A reason that kept him so pissed-off at the guy.

But it was impossible to deny how gorgeous Casimir was. Even though Damon was angry and heartbroken, he still felt the pull, the draw to be near his mate.

"I'm not feeding from you." Damon spoke as softly as he could so no one else could hear him.

"And if the thirst becomes too much and you attack your family?" There was genuine worry and fear in his cerulean-blue eyes. "Could you live with yourself if you drained Raidh or Elvine?"

No, he couldn't. But Casimir didn't get it. No one did. Vampires had tried to kill Raidh the night they'd ridden toward town. A powerful vampire had just tried to kill everyone Damon cared about. And that same vampire had put Damon in that ancient sleep, causing him to transform into a freak in order to escape it.

And now he'd become one of the creatures he despised. You didn't just accept that as your new reality and move on with your life like everything was okay. It wasn't.

"I need to clear my head." Damon nudged his arms. "Can you release me?"

Casimir looked warily at him. "Give me your word you won't feed from anyone or anything besides me." He spoke deliberately, his fingers tightening slightly on Damon's arms.

"I give you my word I won't feed from anyone or anything." He spoke just as low and slow.

Casimir's nostrils flared as he took a step back. "You are unnecessarily putting yourself and your loved ones at risk, stubborn wolf."

"Don't you mean stubborn mutant ?" Damon gnashed his teeth before he stormed out of the house.

* * * *

This was more difficult than Casimir had anticipated. He scrubbed a hand over his beard as his mate walked out of the house, leaving him unsure of what to do. He'd been prepared for Damon to struggle with what he'd become, but it seemed he wasn't even trying to adjust, as if his mate had given up before he even tried.

Casimir could handle aggression, uncertainty, fear, and any other emotion Damon was going through. But what was deeply frustrating was how his mate constantly pushed him away, shutting him out of his life.

That, Casimir didn't understand.

"How's he doing?" Jaytee's concerned voice broke the silence as he approached from the kitchen.

He was Damon's twin, and every time Casimir looked at him, it pained him. They were identical in appearance, yet Jaytee was so calm and easy to talk to—everything Casimir wished his mate would be.

"I'm surprised no one heard our conversation," Casimir replied, gazing at the door and wondering if he should go after his mate. Why? He would only push you further away.

"We weren't trying to listen," Jaytee said, leaning against the staircase. "We didn't hear everything, though. Since Damon was pulled out of that sleep, we haven't really talked much."

The sadness and longing in Jaytee's blue eyes spoke volumes about how difficult this was for their family. Casimir had observed the Frost men since he had been there and found them to be a family that cared deeply for one another.

They had stuck together as a pack instead of the offspring venturing out to form their own paths in life.

"What was he like before the sleep?" Casimir desperately wanted to know who his mate was deep down inside.

Jaytee's smile turned wistful. "A big goofball. No matter the situation, he always finds a way to inject some humor. There's this childlike innocence about him that I don't think he's aware of. He's loyal to those he cares deeply about and compassionate, and he isn't afraid to share his feelings." A soft chuckle escaped him. "Thinks he's charismatic, and he is, in his own way." Jaytee's jaw tightened, his voice filled with pain. "Was. That's who he was…before."

Casimir longed to meet that version of Damon. His own life was nothing but internal battle scars, so much loneliness and despair. But even if Damon was no longer that person, all Casimir wanted was a chance to get to know any version of his mate.

"Your twin sounds like an amazing man, but we have to remember he's facing difficulties right now," he gently reminded Jaytee.

"Difficulties he doesn't have to face alone," Jaytee argued, his anger and pain evident. "We're a close-knit family who support each other. We don't push everyone away when things get tough." He slammed his fist against his chest. "I'm his twin. We can feel each other's pain, and right now..." His voice broke. "Right now, Damon's pain is unbearable."

Casimir also felt Damon's pain, but it was more than unbearable. It was tearing Casimir apart. They were both suffering, but if Casimir didn't find a way to break through the walls Damon had erected between them, they may never find happiness with each other.

* * * *

"This isn't how our family works," Jax said as he listened to Jaytee head upstairs. He agreed with what his brother had said. They were a close-knit family who supported each other.

"No, it isn't," Kalen agreed. "Our attempts to talk to Damon have only pushed him further away from us. I think it's time to let our animal instincts take over."

Jax agreed. There were times when physical confrontation was the only solution to a problem. It might be viewed as primitive to some, but they were wolves, and it was not only a part of who they were but ingrained in their nature.

It was unfortunate the situation had come to that point. Jax couldn't begin to imagine what his little brother was going through, but damn if he would let Damon freeze him out. His heart was too big to become incased in ice.

"Remember when Raidh was attacked by those vampires and almost died? Damon went apeshit."

Kalen nodded. "We were all worried."

"But it was Damon who behaved the most frantic," Jax continued. "He shouted we had to do something, because he wasn't going to just stand by and watch Raidh die."

In the end, they had watched him die. Jax had felt agonizing pain when Raidh had taken his last breath. Though he couldn't feel his siblings' pain the way the twins could feel each other's, that night he'd felt Jaytee's deeply.

His dad smirked. "I'm picking up what you're putting down. We have to do something, because we're not going to stand here and watch Damon suffer."

"Exactly," Jax said.

"About time," Elvine interjected from where she was hovering close to the ceiling.

Jax had completely forgotten she was there. Annoying as she might be, truthfully, he found her breathtakingly beautiful. She was short with gorgeous green eyes, and he absolutely loved her unicorn-blue hair. But since he didn't feel the pull toward her, Jax felt it best to keep his feelings to himself. She seemed too innocent, and he didn't want to make it awkward between them if things didn't work out, especially since his family adored her so much.

"Feet on the floor, young lady," Kalen said in a firm, but gentle tone. Jax had a feeling his dad saw her as a daughter figure.

Luckily, Kalen hadn't killed her the night she'd boldly walked into the house looking for Raidh. As tiny as Elvine was, she hadn't shown any fear in the face of four deadly wolf shifters, displaying a fiery and determined attitude. Jax admired that about her.

Elvine descended and tucked her diaphanous wings into her back, blending them seamlessly into her olive-colored skin. It always amazed Jaytee how they just seem to completely vanish when she did that.

"So, what's the plan?" she asked excitedly. "I'm tired of Mr. Grouchy Socks. I want Mr. Scratchy Crotch back." She rubbed her hands together mischievously. "Do we get out the frying pan and knock some sense into him?"

Jax covered his grin with a scowl. "We want him to confront his problems, not give him brain damage."

"You're a little too eager to use that frying pan." Kalen chuckled.

She shrugged. "I want my playful wolf back. Do you think we should involve his mate? Damon seems to take out his anger on Casimir more than anyone else."

Jax had also noticed that. After Damon escaped the ancient sleep, it was Casimir who'd fed him, yet he'd been treating the fae warrior as an enemy ever since. Jax wasn't sure why, either. Preternatural looked for their mates their entire lives and didn't feel complete without them.

So why was Damon taking out his aggression on Casimir the most?

"No," Kalen answered firmly. "They have to work through their personal issues with each other. We stay out of it." He gave Elvine a stern look. "Do you understand, young lady?"

She pouted. "Yes, Dad ."

Kalen's gaze softened with affection and pride when she addressed him with that term.

Their family was growing, and Jax couldn't have been happier. He just wished he could find his mate too. His dad, as well. Kalen deserved happiness just as much as anyone else, if not more so.

Though their mom hadn't been Kalen's mate, he'd still loved her deeply. Her death at the hands of hunters nearly 150 years ago had left a profound mark on all of them.

In Jax's opinion, his dad had done an amazing job raising three wild wolf pups, turning them into exceptional men like himself.

And now they had to help guide Damon back to being the remarkable man he truly was.