the dark days (book one of the darkness saga)

Chapter 21 - Haunted

Chapter 21 - Haunted

- unknown timeline -

His dark figure was looming behind me. I dare not look back as I run down the dark hallway.

I stumbled, skidding my knees on the floor before falling forward on the ground. The impact on the wooden floor burst my upper lip. Cold hands grab my ankles, pulling me towards him.

Cold hands crawled up my legs, leaving a trail of burning flesh. I screamed from the pain as I smelled my own flesh burn.

Dad stop, please, I screamed out

I was screaming as he pressed his cigarette butts on my leg. I relentlessly try to kick him away.

But you never could, could you? The menacing voice calls to be from the end of the hall.

Stop fighting it. Kill him. The voice continues.

Dark clouds stir once again around me. The cloud takes form. My eyes widen as it lunges at me.

I tried to scream but the air is drawn out of my body.

Kill them!

I wake up panting and disoriented, sweat dripping down my forehead.

The dreams are getting darker now. I'm reliving darker moments of my life I have chosen to forget.

I sit up and grip the comforter tight, still wheezing.

Tears roll down my cheeks as I try to catch my breath.

How I wish Xavier was here.

I call out to him in my mind.

Xavier? Nothing, Where are you? He has always been there.

- 5 years ago -

I would wake up screaming and Xavier would already be awake. His soothing voice will call out to me as I try to catch my breath.

“Alex? It's alright. I'm right here”. Slowly from behind he would slide his arm around my chest.

He was like my anchor as I lose myself to the overwhelming pain.

Breathe, he repeated as he slowed his breath, his warm chest pressed on my back, his arms supported my weight.

Consumed by the pain I would start screaming. I let out all my anger as I screamed.

All the pain from the years of abuse from dad always overwhelms me. No particular memory in mind, just the memory of pain.

It isn’t true what they say that it passes, that over time you will learn to deal with it.

That’s a bunch of bullshit.

You learn to pretend.

To pretend to be like everyone else.

Pretend it doesn’t hurt you anymore.

And when you start believing your false pretenses, that's when It comes back as fresh as the day as you first got hit.

The memories fade, but never the pain.

Xavier holds me tighter, not daring to let go, as I screamed out all the pain inside of me.

I would keep on screaming until I can't anymore. When no more voice escaped me, Xavier tighten his arms and cradled me as I sobs into his shoulders.

The warmth of his deep breaths soothed me before he planted soft kiss on the back of my neck.

The warmth from that one singular kiss can ignite a fire inside me. Which burns through the thick haze of pain.

Then as I start to feel the warmth of his chest on my own.

My vision clears.

The pain subsides.

- present time -

Xavier! I need you. Please come back to me! Tears fall on my cheeks.

I look out the window and see the sun rising over the horizon.

Deciding I can’t go back to bed, I grab my phone to tell Justin that I’ll join him as he goes to training today.

Watching Dameon and Justin in their element, and maybe learn more about their world—the werewolf world—would be a nice distraction from the endless voices in my mind.

I massage my temples. I hate this part after each night tremor. I hate having to push down the pain and the bad memories. I hate that I have to keep them hidden, deep in my mind. But it's the only thing I know that I can do to deal with them. Because if I linger in them a little too long, I know that I will drown in them.

I shake my head and jump out of bed and into the kitchen. If there's anything that would wake my system up, it's some chocolate coffee.

I put on the espresso maker and realize it's going to take a while; my freezing bones can't wait. So I run back to the bedroom, grab a comforter, and wrap myself. Just in time for the coffee to finish brewing. I return to the kitchen and add three scoops of chocolate powder as my sweetener.

The sweet smell of coffee mixed with cocoa was already starting to lift up my spirits. I smile as I take a sip.

I leave the kitchen and head to the porch. I sit on the first step of the porch, take another sip and watch the sun rise.

After our heated argument yesterday I told Dameon I was staying back in the cottage. He didn’t approve at first, but I stomped on my way here, slammed the door on his face and locked it.

A few hours after Dameon left, Justin came over with dinner and some extra clothes I could wear for our walk this morning. Justin promised to show me the field where they trained younger members of their... what was it? Pack.

I snickered. Imagine that? Werewolves are real.

I still can’t wrap my head around it. There was nothing to learn off the internet except folklore and movies. But one thing that the internet got right is that werewolves were hot, especially the Alpha.

I had to quickly erase my browser when I typed alpha, all those hot shirtless men.

I started laughing by myself as I remember having to delete my browser history because of all the pop-ups of websites of shirtless, hot men. All because I had been searching "alpha".

I stopped laughing when I noticed a figure on the other end of the clearing walking towards me. I already knew who it was, it was obvious with the swagger of his stride as he approached.

Of course, despite yesterday's heated argument, my stupid heart still flutters.

“Lexie” Dameon called out. “I'm...”

I raised my hand to motion him to stop. The comforter on my right shoulder slides off. I shivered as the cold air hits my bare skin.

“N..no n..ne.need.” I scooted a bit to make space for him on the porch steps and patted on the porch step, mouthing, "Sit."

Dameon sat next to me. Instantly I no longer felt cold. Dameon was a walking heater. I nudge his shoulder with mine.

“Still friends?” He whispers.

“B..be.best o..of”

Dameon grinned with that annoying, sexy smile. “What was so funny?”

Taken by surprise, An god-awful snort escaped me. My eyes widened as I blushed from embarrassment.

Could he read my thoughts? I was suddenly mortified, abashed at my thoughts of websites with shirtless men.

Stupid internet, never researching werewolves online ever again! I scolded myself as my cheeks became more red.

“Now your all flushed!” He eyes me. “Hmm, was it something naughty?”

I buried my face in the quilt in embarrassment. God, he can read my thoughts! Is this a stupid werewolf thing?

“M-mi...mind l..li..link?” I had to ask.

“How would you know about that stuff?” his expression changed.

Oh no, Xavier warned me not to tell Dameon about the our mind-link. I had to make Justin swear not to tell Dameon when he figured it out.

“J..ju..jus..Justin” I quickly reply.

“Oh! Okay.” He looks at me as if he wants to ask more but was stopping himself. He shifts his sitting position for a second.

He nudges my shoulder. “I don’t have to read your mind to know that when you're embarrassed, it is usually because it's naughty!”

Dameon knows this for a fact as he was there that fateful day I started noticing the opposite s*x. Whenever he caught me looking ever so intently towards a teenage boy he calls me out about it. I would be so embarrassed that my cheeks would be red as tomatoes.

He always knew when I was thinking nasty thoughts. I used to think it was because he was more experienced with girls and the whole dealing with raging teenage hormones. Come to think of it now, I think it has something to do with him being a werewolf. Just like how he's always so warm.

He and Xavier were werewolves. What other beings could be there?

“You're now having a conversation with yourself. Am I right?" I didn’t realize Dameon has been staring at me this whole time. He eyes me as he waits for a response.

“W-we.were.. werewo..werewolf”

“That I am.”

I tried to open my mouth again to say something, but Dameon places his thumb on my mouth. Rubbing my lower lip as his index finger cups my chin.

God, the sensation from his finger on my lip was driving me wild. His finger on my lip sending hot flashes down my body.

“I’ve rehearsed this in my head since forever. So allow me to answer all the questions you have in your head, and I would gladly answer more. But let's start with the pressing ones.”

“I didn’t tell you anything because I didn't know it myself. I only knew when I turned 17. Xavier...”—he gritted his teeth at saying his name—“he knew what I was. He told me. I didn't believe him at first of course, but with all the changes that has been happening to me, his explanation made the most sense. It was all so confusing, and I wouldn't forgive myself if I'm not able to control myself around you. So I had to leave. It's different when we were little, I was so sure what I am. Versus knowing at anytime I could uncontrollably shift. When it happens, there's no time to prepare, to control the raging emotions inside."

He gets a pained look on his face. “And seeing you the night that bastard got arrested. I wanted to rip him apart. I lost control when I found out, and I beat some random thug and almost killed him. If not for Xavier’s dad. He was there to stop my rampage. I couldn’t..." He shakes his head. “I couldn’t take the chance of losing control around you. So I left. And now I wish I didn’t.”

“By the time I could control myself, I was too late. I’ve lost you to him.” he slides his thumb down my chin.

I look away, flush and conflicted. “I... l l..lo..love ... h..him,” I whisper to myself.

“I know.” I was surprised by Dameon’s response. I didn’t realize he heard me.

“Werewolf. Super hearing?“ he smirked as he pointed at his ears.

I roll my eyes as I let out a giggle.

“It was never my intention to take you away from him. I was ok with loving you from afar. As long as you were happy. But after...“—he draws circles with his thumb on my chin—“after having you here, having you with me. My feelings got the best of me. And for that I'm sorry. I'm sorry if you feel like I'm making you choose.”

“But I am not sorry for loving you or telling you how I feel” his eyes darken for a second. He draws his hand from my chin. As he bit his lower lip. He draws in a deep breath before speaking.

“How about this? I’ll back off. Let's just go back to being Lexie and Dameon. And let’s see where that goes. I meant what I said when I told you I’ll wait for you.” He looks at me as he grabs the coffee mug I was holding.

“Yum, my favorite.” he takes a sip.“ I'm glad you still remember how to make it.”

I didn’t even notice him taking the mug. I didn’t notice anything else but the sincerity in his voice. A sincerity that washed over me, causing every cell in my body to ignite with passion.

A passion burning for Dameon.