Chapter 34: I refuse
Damon opened his eyes slowly but he felt the sun rays pierce his eyes forcing him to close them all over again. He could hear the squeaking of birds at his window. The breathing of someone in the room below, the wind blowing, and many more.
Many more sounds surged into his ears all at once making him cry out in pain as he covered his ears with his hand. His nails dug deep into them making them bleed!
"What the hell?" Damon cried out as he curled into a ball and tried to clear his mind but those sounds didn't stop coming in.
Bang!
The door yanked open and Duke Hail walked in with a frown on his face. He raced to the bed where Damon was and grabbed the youth gently.
"It's okay, I know you can hear me. All I want you to do now is focus on my voice nothing else matters. Once you focus on my a single thing it's easier to block out the rest of tone it down. It's all a game of the mind and I'm sure you have a powerful mind.
Damon listened to these words and wondered why he was getting comforted by Duke Hail and why does the man know what was going on with him? His eyes opened slowly as everything else slowly died down.
Contrary to Duke Hail's words, Damon wasn't focused on his voice, instead, he paid attention to his heartbeat. With each beat everything got clearer, the sound around him died down and his heightened sense reduced.
He could feel the warm liquid around his ear, he could smell it, it was his blood but the wound was gone. Perfectly healed!
Damon broke away from Duke Hail's grip and casually sat on the bed. The white sheet was already stained with his blood but none of that mattered now. He knew something was definitely wrong with his body but he wasn't sure what it was.
"What is happening?" Damon asked with a frown.
This is the third time in a row he is escaping death somehow. He was truly beginning to believe that death is on his side, if not who else would be able to survive three different life-threatening events without any supernatural backing?
"I know you are a bit freaked out now by the new sensation you are getting, all over your body but I can assure you there is a logical explanation for all of it" Duke Hail said in a gentle tone.
"Cut the crap, I never said I'm freaked out. I asked a simple question, that requires a simple answer… You are either not paying attention or you really want me to repeat myself" Damon jumped off the bed with a frown.
His body felt slightly lighter and his nails looked normal and short so how was it able to puncture his skin and make him bleed?
"You are really something…" Duke Hail couldn't help but comment as he gazed at Damon with interest.
"What if I said you are a werewolf? Would you find it crazy?" Duke Hail said.
Hearing this Damon frowned but it was only for a brief moment before his facial expression returned to normal. A normal person would be freaked out when they hear something like this but after meeting death and almost dying three times, it would be really difficult to find something good enough to make him act out of character.
"Are werewolves the same as my mum told me at night before I went to bed?" Damon asked with a raised eyebrow.
According to the bedtime stories his mother and father used to tell them. Werewolves are the sole nemesis of vampires with enhanced physical capabilities and more. They are forced to become wolves during the full moon and some crazy stuff he sincerely believed she made up.
"I am a werewolf not a psychic, how am I supposed to know what she told you?" Duke Hail asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Never mind, just continue your explanation" Damon said with a frown. That was a moment of weakness. He remembered his mother and couldn't stop himself from asking the question.
Duke Hail went on to explain the basic knowledge about their lives and although he thought it was a joke at first he couldn't help but get annoyed by his discovery.
He still has his magic issues to deal with and the death issue and now this man brought along his family issue and dragged him into it.
Apparently, there are werewolves but they go by the name, blood clan. No one knows where their main base resides but this blood clan is a major threat to the entire kingdom. The Hail family is the only thing stopping it from dealing any major or lasting damage to the kingdom but recently, they have been losing people. They needed more capable and young blood to join the family.
"Fuck my life" Damon lamented without bothering to hide his emotions.
"Don't you think I should at least be given an option before being dragged into this?" Damon asked with a raised eyebrow which Duke Hail apologized for.
He didn't push the matter anymore since it has already been done. Throwing a tantrum in the castle of one of the three great Dukes of the kingdom is no different from having a death wish. Even if the Duke doesn't kill him, all members of his family may not be as calm and kind as him.
"So let me get this straight. You are our alpha and we are your Betas?" Damon asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes. The stronger the beta becomes, the more powerful an alpha is. That is why we are quite picky when getting replacements." Duke Hail said calmly.
Damon got the picture and understood how everything works. More or less he concluded he is fucked either way. From what he understands from the conversation. The Blood clan or vampires are the major problems but there are other supernatural beings within the empire and it is their job to deal with them.
They are more like the supernatural police of the kingdom.
"I refuse" Damon said instantly without any hesitation.