Chapter 26: Because you're my mate

As Damian burst into the small clearing, his eyes fell upon Luna in the midst of a heated fight. Her new pack was doing their best to fend off a group of vampires, but the battle was fierce. He could feel his own adrenaline pumping as he watched the fray.

Suddenly, a huge vampire started charging itself towards Luna, and Damian acted on pure instinct. With lightning-fast reflexes, he lunged forward, tackling the vampire and sending them both crashing to the ground.

The movement was so fast that Luna couldn't place who it was, even with her heightened senses.

She turned in time to see a figure leap into the fray, fangs drawn. The figure was tall and muscular, with long dark hair and piercing green eyes. Luna gasped in surprise as she recognized her blood bonded mate, Damian.

'Damian?' she asked in shock.

Damian had led a group of vampires into battle. Luna felt a surge of relief and gratitude wash over her as she saw him fighting alongside her packmates.

She had never seen Damian fight before. She had heard stories about his skills, learnt about his prowess but had never witnessed them firsthand.

The battle was fierce, and Damian was in the thick of it. He fought with a ferocity that Luna had never seen before. He was a skilled vampire, and his skills were evident in the way he fought.

Damian's fighting style was unlike any Luna had ever seen before. He was fast and agile, and he seemed to be able to read his opponents' movements. He was also very strong, and he was able to easily overpower his opponents.

Luna couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration for him, proud to have him as her mate but a sense of dread also washed over her. She quickly disposed the thoughts and joined the others in the battle.

Together, the wolves and vampires fought fiercely, their strength and determination driving the remaining vampires back. In the end, Luna and her pack stood victorious, but not without cost. One of her packmates lay dead, his body still and lifeless.

Soon, Luna and Damian sat on the edge of the field, watching the sun set over the horizon.

"Care to tell me what you are doing here?" Luna asked, her voice tired.

"If I told you, you wouldn't believe so why bother?" Damian replied, his voice equally tired.

"Try me" Luna responded, wrapping her arms around herself.

"I'm here because you're my mate," Damian said. "I felt like you needed my help, needed me close and here I am."

"I don't need your help," Luna said. "I can handle myself."

"Maybe you can," Damian said. "But maybe you shouldn't have to."

"What do you mean?" Luna asked.

Damian didn't say anything for a moment. Then he sighed and looked up at the sky.

"I have to get going," Damian finally said, standing up and stretching a tensed muscles.

He walked away to join Williams together with the rest that tagged along, and Luna watched him go. She knew that she was still angry with him, but she also knew that she was grateful for his help. And she knew that, in time, she might come to trust him again.

************************************************

The night was dark and misty, shrouded in an eerie silence that only the supernatural creatures of the night could appreciate. In the midst of it all, Jacob stood alone at the rendezvous point, waiting for the group of vampires they had sent out.

He leaned against a tree, his arms folded, and his eyes fixed on the darkness that enveloped him. As the minutes ticked by, Jacob began to feel a growing sense of unease. The vampires should have returned by now.

He wondered if they had failed in their mission, or if they had been taken down by the pack. His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps, and he turned to see a group of vampires approaching.

Jacob walked towards them, his eyes scanning their faces for any signs of victory or defeat. But what he saw was a mixture of confusion, fear, and frustration.

He asked them how it went, and they started to explain that the werewolf pack was stronger and more powerful than they had anticipated. They had suffered losses and barely made it out alive.

As they spoke, Jacob noticed a movement out of the corner of his eye, and before he knew it, Isabella whooshed in.

She was a sight to behold, her long, jet-black hair cascading down her shoulders like a waterfall. Her eyes were as red as blood, and her skin was as pale as snow. She was a stunning creature, but the look on her face was anything but pleasant.

Her eyes were flashing in anger. She was a vampire of great power and influence, and Jacob knew better than to cross her. In the blink of an eye, she had two vampires by the throat, pinning them to the ground.

"I thought you were the best for hire," Isabella hissed, her voice laced with venom. "It was an easy task. Take out the pack and spare Luna."

One of the other vampires still standing replied, "If it was an easy task, you should have done it yourself. Moreover, no one told us we would be fighting against the Night Lord Damian himself."

Isabella's eyes widened in surprise at the mention of Damian's name, and she released her grip on the two vampires she had pinned to the ground. Jacob watched as her anger turned to fear, and he knew that something was not right.

"Damian?" Isabella asked, her voice trembling. "What was he doing there?"

The vampire who had mentioned Damian's name stepped forward, his eyes fixed on Isabella. "He came out of nowhere, leading of group of other vamps," he said. "He fought like a demon, and we barely escaped with our lives."

Jacob watched as Isabella's expression turned from fear to rage. Isabella knew that Damian, her master mustn't find out her involvement in all these or all will be for nothing.

"Enough," Jacob said, stepping forward. "We need to regroup and come up with a new plan. Luna is still out there, and we need to find a way to get to her without facing Damian."

The other vampires nodded in agreement. They knew that Damian was a powerful vampire, and they didn't want to face him if they didn't have to.

"Damian might try tracking you all..." Isabella said to the vampires, "... so try laying low for a while. We'll handle stuffs from this end.

The vampires nodded and disappeared into the darkness, leaving Isabella and Jacob alone. They stood there for a moment, staring into each other's eyes, before Jacob finally spoke.

"We need to get back. We'll meet later to discuss the next phase of our plan."

Isabella nodded, and together, they disappeared into the night.