Chapter Three

Damon had been running for miles through the dense forest in his wolf form. He finally reached a ridge then shifted and sat on a large rock. The rough, uneven surface beneath him dug into his palms as he leaned back, but he enjoyed how his bare skin prickled under the warm rays of the midday sun.

The town of Midnight Falls was sprawled out below him, its quaint buildings and winding roads blended seamlessly with the wild forest surrounding it.

In the distance, Damon could see the shimmering waters of a river and imagined how good the cold water would feel on his heated skin.

The view was breathtaking, but the quietness surrounding him only amplified his feelings of isolation. For the first time in his life, Damon felt truly alone.

He resented his family for forcing this kind of fate on him.

He resented the Ultionem for turning him into something he never wanted to be.

He resented Casimir for…a few reasons.

But most of all, Damon hated himself for becoming an aggressive, self-loathing mutant. If given the choice between the ancient sleep or becoming a freak, Damon would have chosen the sleep.

Being a Frost had always been a source of pride for Damon. He came from a lineage of fierce and respected wolf shifters, but now he no longer felt like a true member of his own family.

With a sniff, he pressed his thumb and middle finger into his eyelids, trying his best to hold the tears back.

"Fuck, since when did you become a crier?" he murmured.

All he wanted was to be his old self again, but now he didn't even know who that was anymore. He didn't even know where he belonged in his strange new reality or even what to call himself.

A wolf shifter hybrid? A wolf shifter/vampire/winged beast/demon/shadow elf/dark fae amalgamation with unknown powers surging inside of him?

Okay, maybe that one was a bit too wordy.

But he hadn't just lost his sense of identity. Damon no longer felt like Jaytee's twin. His brother didn't have five-foot feathery wings or a set of fangs. And he definitely didn't thirst for blood.

Honestly, it was Casimir who he agonized over the most. Damon felt like an emotional train wreck where the warrior was concerned.

Despite his conflicting feelings toward Casimir, Damon still felt their deep connection. Yet every time they were near each other, Damon's aggression magnified, and he lashed out at him.

"Oh my god." Damon laughed through a few fallen tears. "You are a goddamn mess, you pity-party-throwing asshole."

He sniffed and wiped at his eyes. Then froze as a seductive aroma drifted toward him, causing his throat to tighten with a powerful thirst. Sweat. Human. Most likely a hiker.

Then came the sound of a rapid heartbeat. The rhythmic flow of blood through their veins beckoned to him like a siren's song, mesmerizing and impossible to resist.

Give me your word you will not feed from anyone or anything besides me.

Casimir had been right, and now the hunger consumed him entirely.

Slowly rising to his feet, Damon breathed in deeply, pulling the delicious fragrance farther into his lungs. His fangs lengthened as he craved the taste of warm, pulsing blood.

No! Clenching his fists, Damon squeezed his eyes shut and released a long exhale, fighting the internal struggle raging inside of him. His shifter conscience pleaded with him not to harm the innocent, but his vampire impulses screamed for him to give in and feed.

Damon's eyes snapped open when the heartbeat grew closer. His stomach twisted with hunger as his throat squeezed tighter.

In that moment, nothing else mattered except sinking his fangs into soft, giving flesh and satiating his need for blood. With a steady, glowing hand held out in front of him, Damon created a thick fog that spread outward, cloaking his approach and disorienting the hiker.

Her sweat mixed with the dampness of the fog created a sickly-sweet smell that made his mouth water.

Damon's breath quickened, and his heart beat faster as he reached a shaky hand toward her. She was so close he could practically taste her fear as she spun in confusion.

Just as he was about to grab her, something large and powerful slammed into him with a deep, menacing snarl. With a bone-crunching thud, he collided into a nearby tree.

Springing off the tree and crouching defensively, he scanned his surroundings.

Through the thick fog emerged three massive wolves, their honed muscles rippling with power and aggression as they advanced steadily toward him.

Their heads were lowered in a menacing stance, their sharp canines bared for attack and their ears pinned back in anticipation of bloodshed. His father and brothers circled him like a pack of savage predators, their threatening growls rolling like thunder through the air.

With his humanity pushed aside by his vampire instincts, Damon was willing to do whatever it took to get past the wolves and feed on the human.

No one would stand in his way, even if it meant killing all three of them.

Kalen shifted into his human form, his muscles bulging with tension. "This isn't you, son. Since when do you attack those weaker than you?"

"Step aside or I'll feast on your blood instead." His tongue flicked over his razor-sharp fangs.

Kalen's face collapsed in devastation, clear heartbreak in his blue eyes. "Don't force my hand, son. Please…fight this."

Jaytee and Jax snarled, the fur along their spines bristling.

Dropping to one hand, Damon curled an arm over his stomach. His insides felt like they were on fire. He just wanted to fucking die. "I can't!" he cried out in agony.

"Yes, you can!" Kalen's voice was thick with tears.

Power flowed along Damon's skin as his wings shot out. He arched his back, lifted his head toward the sky, and released a gut-wrenching scream.

Then he launched himself at Kalen, his mind consumed in a red haze. Kalen rolled with Damon on impact, both sliding across the forest floor. They bounded to their feet and exchanged fierce blows, but somewhere in the haze, Damon knew his dad was only defending himself. Kalen wasn't delivering lethal strikes.

Jaytee and Jax rushed forward, shifting mid-run to tackle Damon. They tried to pin him to the moss-covered ground, but his adrenaline-fueled aggression gave him immense strength as he struck back with deadly force.

This had become less about feeding and more about survival, but Damon would feed if he found an opening. He struck back relentlessly, slamming his fist across Jaytee's jaw before flipping over and releasing a forceful kick to Jax's sternum.

When he saw Jaytee's exposed neck, Damon tried to sink his fangs deep. With a sickening crack, his twin landed a powerful uppercut that sent Damon flying into a nearby boulder.

A battle cry ripped through the forest as Casimir stalked toward Damon with rage burning in his piercing eyes. Every muscle in his body was taut and chiseled, the guy closing in on him like a fierce warrior ready for battle.

Damon lunged at him, claws and fangs at the ready. Mid-air Casimir caught him around the throat and drove him to the ground, his neck muscles corded, his features dark. "You will not force me to submit to you!"

"If you let him feed from you right now, he'll rip your throat out," Jax shouted from behind them. "He's in bloodlust."

"Leave us!" Casimir bellowed at them while glaring at Damon. "Did I not warn you this would happen, stubborn wolf?"

"Mutant," Damon shrieked. "A fucking bloodsucker! I hate all of you for what you did to me! I wish I had never been pulled from that sleep!"

Damon heard the quick intake of breaths and knew his family was still there.

"Leave us," Casimir said more solemnly to the men behind them.

With a swift flip and roll, Damon managed to break free from Casimir's loosened grip. Power surged through his veins, forcing back his thirst as his pain and rage took over. " I hate you, Casimir! I wish you'd never come into my life!"

"Tell me why you are always so angry with me!" Casimir bellowed. "Why do you hate me so much?"

"Because you sealed our bond when you combined your blood with theirs. I felt it even before I opened my eyes! You deprived me of the most intimate aspect of our mating!" His voice caught as he continued in a hoarse whisper. "And now I will never experience the joy of merging our souls as one."

A flicker of shock flashed across Casimir's face before it gave way to agony, his blue eyes filling with tears. "The ancient vampire placed you in a deep slumber, nékah . If it weren't for the powerful leaders using their blood to awaken you, you would have been lost forever."

"But why did you have to volunteer?" Damon choked out through his tears.

"You're my mate, Damon. I knew this the moment I arrived for the battle and saw your wolf lying unconscious. It was my greatest honor to help bring my mate back from the darkness." Casimir's throat tightened. "I'm deeply sorry for depriving us of intertwining our sacred bond during our intimacy."

"Do you know what hurts the most?" Damon angrily brushed away his tears. "It may have been an honor for you, but for me…it feels like a betrayal."

He shot into the sky, unsure how he suddenly knew how to use his wings, but he didn't care. He screamed out his torment and anguish until it felt like it fractured his very foundation.

A dark portal suddenly appeared right in front of him. Before Damon could figure out how to stop, he was pulled into the darkness and disappeared into the void.

* * * *

The keeper stood in the dimly lit chamber with one arm crossed over his chest. His eyes were closed as he rested his fingers on the bridge of his nose, as if trying to quell a headache. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly before addressing Panahasi.

"You performed…the mayotenz …on a shifter." His voice was low, his tone heavy with incredulousness and anger.

Panahasi stood calmly next to the keeper, unfazed by his simmering rage. "He needed a key to get out of Vicino's sleep, so we provided one," he stated matter-of-factly.

"For…a shifter." The keeper's jaw visibly tensed, and a faint tick started in his temple. "And then"—he blew out a frustrated breath— "you had to rescue him from Jaden…because the wolf's pain…called Death to him. Do I have that right?"

"Nailed it," Panahasi said solemnly, looking down at Damon's sleeping form lying on the dusty couch. As soon as he'd yanked Damon through the portal, he'd had to render the wolf shifter unconscious.

His pain had been broadcasting so intensely it had started a frenzy among the lost souls in the underworld.

The underworld was a desolate wasteland inhabited by souls who had not earned their way into paradise. They would roam the wastelands for all eternity.

And they had a particular fondness for tortured souls like Damon's. If Panahasi hadn't knocked him out, they would have descended on the keeper's chamber in swarms. But even though Damon slumbered, his anguish still pulsed from him, just not as strongly.

He'd also had to dress Damon. Most shifters stripped before they shifted, so Panahasi had just summoned the wolf's clothes to his body.

The keeper dropped his hand and glared at Panahasi, an ancient fire blazing in his eyes. "Did you forget the crucial detail that only those who already possess powers can withstand the mayotenz without going insane?"

"It's been a few millennia since it was last performed," Panahasi argued in frustration. "His twin's mate had just died, Vicino had unleashed an army of resurrected vampires, and Damon's"—he gestured toward the couch—"own mate had just arrived on-scene to help kill the horde of zombie vampires."

The keeper narrowed his eyes as he stabbed a finger in Panahasi's direction. "You created the damn vampire race."

Panahasi arched a brow. "And you created the entire universe."

"Does that mean everything that goes wrong is my fault then?" The keeper smirked sarcastically. "Nice try. Should we just destroy everything and start over?"

There were days when Panahasi was sorely tempted to do just that. He couldn't even remember the last time he'd taken his mates on a vacation or had any time for himself. His responsibilities filled his life twenty-four-seven.

Not only did he command twelve powerful demon warriors but he also held a seat on the Ultionem council—a fulltime job itself. He also ran around putting out fires while trying to balance time for his mates.

"Tell me there's an undo button." He wished one of them had remembered the vital detail about the mayotenz before they'd unleashed hell upon the poor wolf. And then they had simply walked away, thinking their job was done.

He was honestly shocked Damon hadn't already gone completely insane.

The keeper walked over to one of the gazillion bookshelves that lined the walls of the cobweb-infested chamber.

Panahasi glanced toward the shelves filled with various jars and containers holding all kinds of bizarre items—from hissing smoke that slithered like serpents to jars of what looked like troll snot.

There were also skulls and candles dripping with wax placed haphazardly on top of tomes, scrolls, and piles of yellowed, dried parchment that seemed to be waiting for a spark to ignite.

But then again, who would the fire even harm in this place? Everyone here was already dead. Except for those sentenced to the underworld as punishment for some heinous crime.

Still, no matter how many times he traveled there, Panahasi always thought it a creepy-ass room.

"What has been done cannot be completely reversed," the keeper intoned solemnly, his voice echoing off the stone walls of the cavernous chamber. He returned to Panahasi's side with a tome the size of Manhattan.

With a thud, he dropped the massive book onto the table in front of him, sending an avalanche of dust into the air as papers and scrolls drifted or rolled away.

Panahasi coughed and waved his hand in front of his face to clear the haze.

"You really need to hire a cleaning service, Aldrin." He looked down at his clothes and gritted his teeth in annoyance when he saw he was covered in a layer of dust.

The keeper looked up at him, unbothered by the dust storm. "Do you want to assist the wolf, or should I fetch some dusters and glass cleaner?"

Panahasi resisted the urge to point out there was no glass in the underworld. Just endless amounts of dust and dark souls.

As the keeper opened the book with a flourish, the one side of the heavy tome slammed down on the table, causing even more dust to rise up and choke them. He had done that on purpose, the devilish bastard.

"You know I can read your thoughts," the keeper said while casually skimming through pages.

"We agreed over ten thousand years ago that you would stay out of my head."

"Here we go." He tapped his finger on a particular page. "I can bring his aggression level back down to normal level…for a dominant wolf shifter, remove the power surge you so lovingly plugged into him, then impart upon him instant knowledge on how to control the mess you men have unleashed inside him."

Panahasi knew he was never going to hear the end of his mistake.

"No, you're not," the keeper stated firmly, giving him a piercing glare. "You are Life itself, imbued with immense powers. Of all the Ultionem members, you must be the most careful in how you wield your powers... or misuse them."

Glancing at the couch, he watched as Damon stirred slightly. "His bond with his mate was sealed with the mayotenz . A great deal of his anguish stems from being denied the experience of sealing it himself with Casimir." The weight of his mistake hung heavily on Panahasi's shoulders. "Is there any way to reverse the bond so they have to perform it themselves?"

That was what crushed him the most when he'd found out what they'd accidentally done to Damon. It was a sacred moment between mates, a bonding performed only once to seal their souls, and they'd been denied the chance to experience it together.

And there was nothing the Ultionem members could do to ever make up for taking that away from Damon.

"If we attempt to separate their souls, we'll permanently sever their bond completely," the keeper replied regretfully, sorrow evident in his eyes.

Panahasi rubbed at his chest, feeling a tightness that mirrored the heaviness in his heart. He couldn't fathom severing his bond with Casey or Drake. His mates were essential to him, grounding him and keeping his heart beating.

Walking to the couch, Panahasi hunkered down and rested his elbows on his knees and his chin on his folded hands as he watched Damon sleep. "I am truly sorry to the depths of my soul, wolf."

Damon would know the truth. Panahasi closed his eyes as the wolf's pain pulsed against him. It wasn't Casimir who had deprived his mate of the bonding experience. As soon as the magic had touched Life's blood, the mayotenz had sealed their souls.

It was the addition of his blood that had stolen their most precious moment from them. Panahasi was the unwitting villain, not Casimir.