12 Chapter Twelve

"Ahh…Oh damn it!" her screams could be heard through the door as she lay on the hospital bed.

"Come on sweetie you can do it." Her mother tried to encourage, but it wasn't working.

"Shit." Rina yelled as another wave of pain tore through her small body.

"Ma'am I think you should step outside." advised the doctor.

"She stays!" Rina said through gritted teeth making it clear there was no room for argument.

"Okay now…just push slowly-not so fast or you might tear." the nurse instructed.

"Another push, come on…that's it I see the head it's almost over." the doctor encouraged her.

With one last push Rina slumped down exhausted from the birthing.

A loud wail burst within the birthing room.

"Congratulations it's a boy!"

"I knew it," Rina replied weakly before falling into a light slumber hearing her little boy wail once more.

------------------------------------------

"Hmm…" her body felt heavy, the weight of the drugs began to wear off, she could feel her legs again. Rina cracked her eyes open before shutting them again. She heard her mother cooing.

Her eyes slanted open again, Debria rocked the newborn while Kacien and her grandfather made faces at the baby. A smile spread over her lips as she witnessed the endearing love shown to her child by her loved ones. Her mother finally looked up and smiled.

The strained stress lines around her eyes had lightened. It was the first time in a long time Rina had seen her mother express a genuine smile.

"Hey sleepyhead, how are you feeling?" her mother asked.

"Mmm…I can't believe I fell asleep. I'm fine, can I see him?"

"Oh, of course!"

Debria gently placed the newborn in Rina's awaiting arms. Rina pulled the soft blue blanket away from her son's face to discover that her son wasn't a human nor a half breed but a pure blood demon at least from what she could tell. Rina thanked the Gods wherever they were that her son's claws still didn't develop enough for the nurse's to take notice. But she could make out faded markings on her son's face, arms, and hips. She wasn't sure what they meant.

She then looked over her son. He had ten fingers and toes and a head full of silver hair with a tint of blue in it…

'Just like his father.'

Then she noticed his eyes started to open and gasped. He had her eye's with the addition of golden specks in them.

"He has my eyes." Rina whispered.

"That's the first time he opened his eyes." her grandfather mentioned.

Surprisingly, he was taking it quite well considering his great-grandchild was a demon and she knew how he felt about demons.

"What are you going to name him Rina?" Kacien asked.

"I think I'm going to name him Nathaniel."

"Cool,"

"Can we go home now mom? He is healthy and so am I."

"I'll go ask the doctor Rina." her grandfather responded before leaving. Her mother and brother followed, giving her some privacy to feed her son.

"Nathaniel… the heir of the Western lands…and my son." Rina whispered as she gazed at his features he was absolutely beautiful and his father knew nothing about him.

Nathaniel's eyes brightened, he purred as his mother gently smoothed down his thick bed of hair.

____________

Fury clawed through him. Over seven months since his last blood rage occurred and he still felt empty inside, like a hollow shell. He could not shake this feeling like something was missing but still he knew not what his beast did. The damn beast hadn't made an attempt to reconnect with him since then.

Centuries earlier, when he was just a child his beast won control. He could only remember bits and pieces of what happened to him, scattered images going through his mind. But this time it seemed his beast was determined to hide what it did, giving Damien all the more motivation to try and find out.

____________

Damien raked his fingers through his long hair pushing it away from his face. Muffled voice increased as he came closer to the door. Once he entered all stood to greet their Lord. Damien simply nodded his head and continued to his seat and faced his counsel and advisors.

"My Lord, the first agenda we must discuss…"

The topics blended together as he focused within. A low growl entered his mind, his beast had once again awakened. But there was no rush to take control, he simply viewed the meeting as Damien looked on.

"Now there is the discussion we have avoided for too my my Lord." one advisor spoke.

Damien tilted his head to the side. "Go on." he waved his hand.

"My Lord you have yet to take a mate."

His beast lurched forward and let out a vicious growl in his mind. Damien blinked at the unexpected response.

"At this time I have no interest in taking a mate."

"The Eastern Lord has many daughters and even nieces for you to pick from. A strong alliance between the two Lords would be most fruitful."

"Enough, I tire of this discussion. Is there anything else we need to discuss?"

"No, my Lord." the advisor bowed his head and sat back down.

"What of a concubine my Lord?" another suggested.

His beast rattled in its cage, howls pierced through his mind.

"Meeting adjourned." Damien stood and left the room before anyone could approach him.

He sighed as he walked towards his private balcony, Jesa played in the private garden and picked a few flowers. Damien sighed as his mind took him to darker thoughts.

His beast's aggressive reaction was troubling. Just the suggestion of female candidates to take as a mate or for just pleasure, his beast would howl in rage and growl venomously in his mind at whoever suggested the idea. It had taken him a great deal of control to actually not do what his beast had in mind.

It took every grain of sanity to control his beast. This had never happened to him, he was a demon of great control. The thought his beast that reacted to base instincts rather than logic would rule his mind enraged him.

The only thing Damien remembered that night was not by sight but smell. The aroma was so familiar yet he could not put his finger on it.

"I will find out soon enough I promise you." Damien stated, his words dripping with venom.