Bound To The Ruthless Lycan

Chapter 12 : The Monster Tamer

"Swallow my blood, Damon! Swallow it, now!" I screamed loudly, shoving my bleeding palm deeper into his wide open mouth.

Fresh red blood gushed from the cut on my palm, soaking the giant wolf's tongue and throat.

The massive wolf froze instantly. The long black fangs pressing just an inch from my neck halted completely. His blood red eyes widened in absolute shock.

The warm, pure scented liquid poured down his throat. Damon tried to resist, his massive jaw trembling as he tried to spit my hand out, but I held firm with every ounce of strength I had left.

"Don't you dare spit it out!" I snapped, glaring directly into his wild red eyes. "Swallow it now!"

The giant wolf let out a muffled growl around my hand, then reflexively swallowed the fresh Silverwood blood pouring down his throat.

As soon as my Pureblood flowed into his system, a violent reaction erupted.

A piercing chill flared outward from the wound on my palm. The crisp scent of pine trees and snow flooded every corner of the ruined council chamber. The fragrance was so intense it overpowered the metallic stench of blood, the rot of poison, and the sharp ozone that had previously choked the room.

The murderous aura surrounding Damon vanished instantly.

The crushing weight pinning my chest slowly lifted. Damon's massive claws tearing into my shoulders loosened their grip.

"Aghhh!" Damon groaned, not the howl of a wolf, but the voice of a man enduring agonizing pain in his chest.

The seven-foot beast shuddered violently over me. The coarse black fur covering his skin began to shed and recede rapidly. The massive bones in his shoulders, jaw, and legs snapped back into their original human form with loud, sickening cracks.

I refused to run. I remained lying beneath his trembling body, wrapping my arms around his neck as the wolf form dissolved away.

"I'm right here, Damon. I'm not going anywhere," I whispered close to his ear, running my fingers through his hair as it returned to replace the wolf's fur.

The black claws wounding my shoulders morphed back into large boned human fingers. His grip, which had moments ago threatened to crush my bones, transformed into a desperate, trembling hold seeking comfort.

In less than half a minute, the terrifying monster vanished completely.

Damon lay sprawled over me in his fully human form. His black clothes were shredded to rags, exposing his broad chest slick with cold sweat. He gasped for air, his chest heaving heavily against mine.

The crimson glow in his eyes slowly faded, returning to a clear, calm gold.

"Sera..." Damon rasped in a low, husky whisper.

He lifted his head from my chest, searching my face with golden eyes full of shock and remorse. His gaze drifted down to my bleeding shoulders, torn by his claws.

"I hurt you," Damon whispered, his trembling fingers brushing the edge of the wounds on my shoulders. "I almost snapped your neck, Sera."

"But you didn't," I said with a faint smile, despite the sharp sting in my shoulders.

"Why didn't you run?" Damon asked, emotion raw on his face. "The door was locked, but you had a knife. You could have slit my throat when I backed you into a corner!"

I shook my head. Reaching out with my injured left hand, I pressed my bloody palm directly against the left side of his chest.

"My blood might be poison to your enemies' dark magic, but it is the cure for your soul," I said softly yet steadfastly.

Damon stared into my eyes without blinking, as if my words sank straight into his chest. He closed his fist over my hand resting on his chest, feeling his heart rate settle back to normal.

Suddenly, Damon's body went rigid.

His golden eyes widened. His face, previously deathly pale from the Wolfsbane poison and the exhaustion of his transformation, suddenly flushed with vibrant color.

The flow of my Pureblood through his veins didn't just quell his Frenzy. It triggered a sudden surge of physical recovery.

Damon sat up straight on the stone floor, drawing in a deep, heavy breath. The veins in his hands bulged, filled with a surge of newfound power rushing through his bloodstream.

"This..." Damon stared down at his palms in disbelief. "My strength...it all came back instantly."

He touched his chest where the lethal poison had infected him. There was no pain, no exhaustion, and even the rotting wound I had cut with the scalpel had vanished without leaving a trace.

"Your blood didn't just calm the Frenzy," Damon said, looking up at me, his breath strong and steady again. "It restored all my power in seconds."

"My family were the ancient protectors of this kingdom," I said, struggling to sit up slowly while enduring the stinging pain in my shoulders. "Our blood was created to heal and empower the Alpha, not to be destroyed by those council members."

Damon stared at the red blood still flowing from my palm, profound shock written clearly across his stern face.

Yet, the sudden surge of power jolted his human nervous system. Damon stumbled sideways, his strength abruptly giving out under the drastic shift.

"Damon!" I cried out, catching his heavy frame before he hit the stone tiles.

Damon slumped weakly into my lap. His head rested against my thighs and chest while his muscular frame lay stretched out across the ruined stone floor.

I wrapped my arms around his shoulders, stroking his damp black hair as I looked down into his face.

Damon didn't close his eyes. He lay limply in my lap, eyes wide open, staring straight into mine.

Within his clear golden eyes burned a profound, terrifying realization.

For hundreds of years, the Alpha bloodline of the Lycan kingdom had been cursed by the madness of the full moon. Every month, former Kings went wild, slaughtering their own families or dying in agony because no medicine or potion could halt the Frenzy.

But tonight, the man lying helpless in my lap finally understood the truth.

Seraphine, the woman looked down upon by the entire court, dismissed as a worthless kitchen servant was the only living cure for his ancestral curse.

"Sera..." Damon whispered huskily, his weak fingers lifting to stroke my cheek, his eyes filled with an indescribable awe. "You are the only cure for my life."