Miracle Child to Save Them All

Shadow Man

Damon POV

“Whats going on here?” I boomed in full Alpha tone. Every wolf winced at the power in my voice. I made eye contact with my Gamma, or third in command, Tony, in his large grey wolf form. 

SHIFT. I commanded and watched as he bowed his head, crouching down low and rising again as a man. He pulled on a pair of basketball shorts from a nearby bin, we kept them all over the grounds to make it easier, as he started to speak..

“Alpha, Beta, we tried to link you..”

“Don't blame them Alpha Snow.” Came from the shadows. The voice was weak and frail, an elder. But, what kind of elder? I sniffed the air, knowing that if I couldn't identify the scent when we arrived I wouldn't be able to now. “I have shut their minds off outside of your territory. I can’t have anyone finding out I am here.”

“Who are you? Why are you here?” I asked, calmer than I expected. 

“I am of no importance. What I have come to tell you is all that matters.” Something in the voice felt so familiar.. “To you I am but a mere shadow man.”

Shadow man was right. I couldn’t make out a single feature, he was just a shadow for all I could see.

“Out with it then. You are trespassing on my territory, I could kill you for that.” I was trying to think of what creature could mask themselves so completely, even to an Alpha. A witch? I hadn’t seen or heard of any witches in quite awhile, since before tales of the self proclaimed vampire overlord began when I was a child. It didn’t take long for him to live up to his self given title as he had all but a handful of vampires following him within a few short years. My grandma told me the witches had seers that saw what the overlord had planned for the magical realm and they went into hiding knowing they couldn’t win. 

Vampires had glimmer magic too. The thought caused a growl to escape from deep within my chest, my wolf was fighting to have control. But I needed to know what this shadow man had to say.

“You must find the child before Malachi.”

“What child? Who is Malachi?” His vagueness was already irritating me. Did he mean the miracle child from the prophecy?

Yes, I heard in my head. The voice calmed me instantly. Grandma? 

“He lives in the human world with his father and mother. A town called Lake Elsinore, no more than an hour from here.”

My head was spinning not knowing what to ask first. A human? What help will a human be in this war? How was I supposed to get a human child from its parents? How would I know this child when I saw it? As I looked to the figure to ask, the clouds I hadn't even noticed above the pack house dissipated, letting the sunshine in and the shadows were gone and the figure with them..

Who the hell was that, my wolf growled. I wish I knew but there was something so familiar about them.. My wolf nodded in agreement.

All the warriors around me had shifted to their human forms and were pulling on shorts whispering about what just happened. Asking questions about the child that could get them killed if the vampire overlord were to hear. 

“Warriors!” I called to the increasingly loud crowd, drawing all eyes to me and installing silencing them all. “None of you are to concern yourselves with that message. Report to the training grounds immediately for a vamp defense refresher.”

As the warriors headed to the training grounds I linked my council to meet me in my office and headed inside and up the stairs. The first floor of the pack house was set up similar to a main building at a college, you walked into a big foyer with a big dual staircase leading up to the second, third and fourth floors, there was a big living area with huge flat screens and comfortable couches in blues and browns, there was a large library off the living area, down the main hall was a cafeteria and kitchen bigger than the one they had at USC, and there was a wing with conference rooms and guest rooms and of course the pack hospital which consisted of 20 medical rooms, 3 surgical suites and 5 birthing suites. As I went to head up the stairs I stopped and headed to the library instead. 

I wonder if grams’ old books and journals are still here..

I was making way to the back where all the older historical books were kept and linked the guys to meet me here instead. 

I already knew none of the books there contained anything about this supposed miracle child. Vampires had come in and taken anything even remotely resembling that prophecy. But how had I never thought of Grams’ chest before? Only a Snow can open it. 

“Damon, please tell me you know what the f**k is going on man.” Came from Jax.

I turned to see my council walking in, it consisted of Jax, my Beta, Tony, my Gamma, Axel, our warrior’s lead trainer and Stefan, our resident elder, though he was a young 325. 

“I was hoping you guys could help me figure it out.” I chuckled a little hoping to ease some of the tension.

“The only reason I am here today is I do not know much of this miracle child prophecy, no more then you all know, that the child is destined to unite werewolf and vampire kind, thus saving our world.” Stefan was one of the few elders to not be killed off or forced into hiding. The vamp overlord really doesn’t want it to come true. Or maybe he hopes the child will never be found because no one knows what they are looking for.. 

Except for the shadow man of course.. My wolf reminded me.

“What about the shadow man? Could anyone get a scent of any kind? Does anyone know what creature can hide so easily?” I asked the group.

“My first thought was witch.” said Axel. “But I don't want to get my hopes up that they still exist and are trying to help us.”

“Can witches even do magic without that overlord guy’s watch dogs knowing? Witches helping hunt witches, it's sick.” Tony almost spat. 

“Is that who Malachi is?” As the words left Jax’s mouth I realized he has to be right. Who else would be after the child if not the overlord? 

“What's with the old chest?” I had completely forgotten until Tony pointed it out.

“Hopefully it’s some answers. It's my Grams’ and I know she knew a lot about this prophecy. All the books were taken in the vamp attack ages ago, along with her, but they couldn't see or get inside this trunk.”

I knelt down and reached for the lock, I remember there was no key, so I hope I can get it open.

As I thought the word open the lock popped open in my hand. A wide grin spread across as I looked up at the guys.

Inside the trunk were various journals and photographs, a few pieces of jewelry and dagger. I started handing journals to the guys instructing them to start searching for any mention of the miracle child..

I couldn't help but start sorting through some of the photographs. There were photos of my dad on his 102nd birthday, that was still 23 years before I was born. My parents always said they wanted to enjoy married life before having children. 107 years sure seems like a lot of enjoyment I chuckled to myself. Most wolves welcomed their first child within the first 6 months of mating, now that mating age is 21 and a wolf's gestation is only 5 months, though pregnancy can be prevented, the love a mate bond creates often results in wanting to manifest it in a child of their own. My mother called it an ancient survival instinct, numbers strengthened the pack and she was Alpha female to the strongest one around, so children could wait. 

A photo of my dad with a tall pale man caught my eye. My dad couldn't have been older then I am now in the photo, did they have cameras then? I’d have to look it up. But he looked just like me today. Was that man next to him a vampire?! His red lips and huge red eyes confirmed it. Why was my father with him? And is that a child clinging to its leg? The vampire's hair had gone white like most vamps and his skin void of any pigment but the child still looked like him, with his dirty blonde hair and big blue eyes..

“What do you have there?” Asked Stefan, pulling me from my daze.

“I’m not sure. I think it’s my dad.” I said slowly. “And a vampire and its kid? Maybe?”

Everyone in the room’s eyes darted to me with that. I know I sounded crazy. Vampires can’t reproduce. They are dead. Maybe he had it before he was turned? But he didn’t look like a young vampire here. Not young enough to have a kid who couldn't be more than 5 or 6.

“Vamps don't have kids, man.” Came from Jax

“Yea, isn't it against their law to turn a kid?” Added Axel. 

“I don't think the kid is a vamp. He just looks human.” I stated.

“Let us see.” They chimed. 

I handed the picture to Jax and as he pulled it closer to his face I saw writing on the back and snatched it back from him..

“Hey..” he started but I just waved my hand at him and started reading..

‘Victor, Malachi and Chester’

“Malachi? That's the guy the shadow figure mentioned isn't it?” Tony asked. 

Is this the vampire overlord? Next to father? I could feel my wolf's rage. I.. I don't know. But I am going to find out..

Just as we all dove into the journals I let out a loud scream of pain. It was like my first shift but ten times more painful. But I wasn’t shifting. What was happening?