the dark days (book one of the darkness saga)

Chapter 15

Dameon POV

- present time -

Justin has successfully gotten my hopes up. Deciding that I would seek out Lexie after my conversation with him, I was beaming with excitement.

“Do you know where she is?” I ask

“Hold your wolf, Alpha. Wait for her to come to you” Justin laughs at my eagerness.

“I hope so” my excitement was causing me to stir. But I could tell something was up.

When we were younger, on the rare times we fought, it would always be Lexie who would seek me out to make amends. She would employ Xavier’s help as she plotted how to catch me off guard.

Am glad she found that friendship in Justin. As I knew, I was their worst friend to her now. With me wanting to either profess my love again or kiss her the everyday second I am with her.

Yeah, I am an extremely lousy friend, especially since I wanted to be more than her best friend.

Yep, dam, lousy friend.

“Trust me,” Justin breaks my internal monologue, “Besides, in the meantime, I got you covered.” Justin winks at me. I knew what he meant, implying he could proxy for me with Lexie since she had formed a bond with him. Justin could be a little flirt, mainly since he hasn’t found his mate yet, but he was harmless.

Throwing him a book from my desk, he catches it without looking at it. “I’m just kidding! You know I’ll never do that, Alpha.” Justin nods as he starts laughing again.

You better! - I mind linking him.

We bantered until we were interrupted as the door suddenly opened. Lola enters the room and watches Justin and me for a second before sitting at the edge of my desk.

Shifting the hem of her already short skirt higher as she crosses her legs, “So let me guess. You both are here discussing the helpless tiny human again, aren’t you?” She sneers.

“Careful, Lola,” I commanded.

“Sorry, Alpha.” She bows her head slightly, “No offense, but I’m just stating the obvious. Since she arrived here, she’s broken her leg twice! I mean, talk about helplessness. Not to mention she is so short.” Lola was tall and well built. She could be a swimsuit model, but instead, she is strong enough to be captain of my soldiers.

After Alex got married, I drowned myself in alcohol and Lola when I was so lost. She knew that my heart only belonged to one person, but she still accepted me. I even almost considered taking her as my Luna.

I could never deny Lola the chance to find her mate. If I made her my Luna, she would be forever bonded to me, the pack. However, Lola never accepted why I had to break up with her.

Despite keeping our distance, I was not oblivious to her advances. I was aware she was extra flirty, especially whenever Lexie was around. I knew what she was doing. Still, I indulged her harmless flirting.

Partly because I regretted hurting her, I couldn’t marry her, knowing my heart belonged to someone else.

“Well, that what you called her “tiny helpless human” has managed to get two big bad Alphas wrapped around her tiny fingers” Justin raises his eyebrow and looks at me with a smirk.

I knew what he was implying. Half of me found it funny how Lexie had me and Xavier wrapped around her fingers when she was only half our size.

The other half of me was jealous that I had to share her in the same sentence with Xavier.

Justin gets up and pats me on the shoulder before heading out.

If you want things to move forward with Lex, you will need to end this “Lola situation” once and for all - Justine's mind links me.

I hated it when Justin was right.

Lola shifted on the edge of the desk. “How are you?” She sounds sincere. I am grateful Lola kept our friendship even after I broke her heart. Yet Justin is right; indulging her flirting would only send Lexie the wrong signals.

I need Lola to accept that we can be nothing more than friends.

“Could be better.” I lean back on the chair, focusing my eyes on her. I notice her hike up her skirt, revealing more of her already exposed thighs.

“You could be much better, you know.” She lifts a leg and puts it in between my legs. “You forget I could make you feel all sorts of better!”

“Lola, please. I thought we both agreed to remain friends.” I push her leg off.

“Damn it, Dameon, you’ve never said no, even after breaking up. Don’t tell me this has something to do with your little human? Last time I checked, she already belonged to someone else.” Lola leans towards me, “..and you belong to me.” She leans in to kiss me.

I look away, avoiding her kiss.

“Look, Lola. I’m so sorry that I hurt you. I shouldn’t have led you on… Even after we broke up. I will forever ask for your forgiveness, but we can’t be anything more than friends” I stood up and placed my hands on her shoulder.

I couldn’t be mad at Lola; it was partly my fault she was in this state. Justin had warned me about this, and I didn’t listen. I owe Lola for breaking her heart and causing her so much pain.

I cup her face. “You will always have a special place in my life. What you and I had was special to me. I’m sorry I hurt you, but it is over.”

Lola leans towards me and starts kissing me. Taken by surprise, I lose my balance and fall back into the chair. In one swift catlike move, Lola mounts me as she continues to kiss me.

Before I could push her off, I heard a mug break. Lola and I part, and I see Lexie standing by the door. Her cheeks flush, and her eyes are brimming with tears. She turns around and rushes out of the office.

Fuck, this is precisely what Justin warned me about.

Beta help! - Do I mind linking, Justin.

What the f**k did you? - Justin's mind linked back, and was half screaming at me.

“Lexie!” I push Lola off as I chase after her. Reaching the corridor outside my office, I couldn’t find her.

Damn it! I told myself, shouting at myself, you know when to mess up, Dameon. I felt panic rise as I realized that I couldn’t find her. I remember that she had a broken leg and won’t be able to get far. Collecting myself, I track her scent to her bedroom. The door is locked. I gently knock on the door.

“Lexie, please let me in. Allow me to explain.” No answer. I try again; I hear the window break. I kick the door open.

Was Beta the f**k as you? - I was practically screaming in my mind to Justin.

A few moments later, Justin runs up the stairs. “What’s wrong?”

“She’s gone,” I tell Justin; I look at the bedsheets and turn the rope tied on the bed post dangling out the window. Outside, the cold wind diffuses Lexie’s scent. I can no longer trace her.

“Where the f**k are you, Lexie?” I whisper under my breath.

Later that night -

It’s past midnight, and Justin has not returned with any news about Lexie. I am f*****g losing my mind pacing around the living room.

It was Justin’s idea to go on his own. Assuring me that since Lexie trusted him, it would be better if he found her. If it was me

Lexie might just run away. Besides, this was karma for all the times he warned me about Lola.

Despite my protests, I agreed.

This was my fault, I knew what Lola was doing all this time, but I still allowed it. Regardless if I broke off with Lola, I should have been a gentleman and turned down each advance.

Where the hell is you, Justin - I mind linking him. But it’s been an hour, but he blocked me off completely.

Fuck, it is going.

Grabbing the car keys from the counter, I turn to face the front door.

I was frozen in place as Justin stood by the front door. He was holding Lexie, who was unconscious in his arms. Her knuckles are covered in blood. Blood spatter all over her arms and torn hoodie.

“f*****g hell, Lexie.” I rush to her side, growling as I grab her from Justin. Her breathing was steady. Despite being covered in blood, she looked peaceful, as if she was sleeping.

“It’s not her blood” Justin catches his breath.

Confused, I look at him.

“It’s not her blood,” he continues, “I found her in an alley behind the downtown pub. She was next to two men..” before he finished, I cut him off.

Noticing her sweater rip from the neck up to her chest..“Did they f*****g touch her?” I growl, consumed with the thought.

“I don’t think so.” Justin continues.

“What do you mean you don’t think so. You let them go? ...Where are these f*****g animals? I’ll kill them myself!” I could feel my wolf wanting to come out and rip apart the men who tried to take advantage of Lexie.

Justin shook his head “Alpha. They are dead; they were dead before I arrived. They were beaten to death,” Justin catches his breath.

it was a s*******r. - his mind linked me; Justin had a look of terror I’d never seen before.

Lexie was lucky she was spared - he continued.- I couldn’t smell another wolf or any other scent but hers and the two men in the alley. But I didn’t spend enough time there. As soon as I saw her, I grabbed her and left.”

My eyes focus on Lexie’s bloodied knuckles as I try shaking a memory off my head, unsuccessfully:

18 year old -

Xavier used all his strength to pull Lexie off her dad; he lifted her and fell a few feet away. Her Dad lay on the ground, bloodied, barely breathing.

“f*****g hell Alex, you’re bleeding,” Xavier shouts as he motions for me to call the police. I pulled out my phone, fumbling at the keypad as I dialed. After a call p, I watched from the front door as Xavier As pulled out a broken bottle from her leg.

“Hang in there, Alex! I’ve called the police.” Xavier tried to assure her as he applied pressure on her leg.

Her Dad stirred a bit, and my eyes refocused on him.

Lexie cries out to Xavier, “His, alive! He's alive! No, he can’t be alive! I need to kill him. Don’t you understand? He needs to die!”

Before I knew what I was doing, I was pounding her dad's head into the ground. I lifted him and threw him to the wall.

“Dameon!” Xavier’s dad, Alpha Jacob, grabs my arm. “Enough, son. There is nothing more than humans can do. If he dies, there is no justice.”

“His death is justice” I was seething with anger.

The next thing I heard was Lexie screaming in pain. Her screams turned into sobs as Xavier just held on to her tighter.

My possessiveness took over; I wanted to be the one holding her. Nobody should be holding what was mine.

I only saw red as I lounged at Xavier. Alpha Jacob blocked me and pushed me to the other side of the room. My back hits the front door. Before I could get up, alpha Jacob was right in front of me.

“Dameon, control your wolf. This is not the time to be fighting over Alex.” He used his Alpha tone on me.

But being an Alpha myself, I didn’t work on myself. Instead, I attacked him. They were taking what was mine.

Alpha Jacob being older and better trained, was able to subdue me. When Lexie stopped sobbing, I returned to my senses.

I only felt shame for attacking the only people who were like family to me. I hung my head low.

Lexie opened her eyes and whispered, “Xavier, don’t ever leave me!”