Damon: The A'rouk Brothers: A BBW Paranornal Page 16

  “That’s fine with me. Running through the hallway has me weak as a baby.”

  He leaned down and kissed her forehead.

  “It was Warrior who showed me what to do in the end. He moved on my body, but Elandra never paid attention to him. I still had a weak hold on you. Right before you died I brought you to me and hid you in warrior. I needed to leave just enough of you inside of your body to make your death look real. I hoped, I didn’t know for sure that if you were still tied to your body that you would end up going into a state of stasis as opposed to dying.”

  “How did you manage to live?”

  “When you died, I joined you in Warrior. It was no lie, I died when you did all that was left of me was an empty shell.”

  “What about your soul?”

  “You are my soul when you entered Warrior you took that part of me with you.” He chuckled. “I left the Darkness a little surprise. I wish I could have seen its face.”

  “It was priceless.” Dante walked into the room. “I enjoyed it immensely.”

  “Dante I remember you now. Oh, I forgot who Nicolas was. Will he ever forgive me?”

  “He’ll forgive you,” Damon assured her.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Drawing blood.”

  He went over and placed it on a slide and soon he had Damon’s blood on the screen along with a copy of Mick’s.

  “They’re the same. The Darkness DNA has been neutralized.”

  “Welcome to curse free living.”

  He walked to the door. He stopped but never turned around.

  “Damon, River.”

  They turned to look at him.

  “Forget.” He walked out the door and never looked back.

  *~*~*~*

  “Let’s go over this again.”

  “River looked at him and laughed. “I told you I don’t know what happened. I never saw The Darkness, so I can’t tell you what it looks like.” She smiled at Nicolas who questioning them one more time, but all of Damon’s brothers were there.

  Each of them had a look on their face that said they were trying to learn anything that might help them. She understood, which was why she kept answering the questions. Damon told her when Mick found his mate they all thought it was a miracle, something that wouldn’t be repeated. Now that he had her they were all weary, all wondering who would be next. They remembered when the Dares mated. There was no way to tell whose mate would show up next.

  She could feel the tension and the excitement in the room for herself.

  “Damon, what do you remember?”

  Nicolas was doing the questioning because he was neutral. They thought he might ask the questions they forgot to ask.

  Damon stood and stretched. They were all at his house outside enjoying the sun and the waterfall. River was sitting by him, and Jaz was sitting next to Mick. The other females were in the house they would be out soon. Brook was going to deliver any day. It was perfect, if only he could remember.

  “I remember what you know Nicolas. I remember Elandra taking me the first time. Beating me, burning me. When he came, the last time the minions had River and I didn’t have a choice but to go. It gets fuzzy after that. I remember being eaten alive but only because you told me about my skin and the poison.”

  “Why don’t you remember what happened when you were back here?” Julian’s voice was filled with frustration.

  “It’s war.” Mick stood up. “I think we aren’t meant to remember. It’s something we have to go through on our own.”

  “It sounds like when you take a test.” Rena came out carry a large dish. “In school you take tests, but you’re not allowed to help each other. They call it cheating and the test get thrown out. You either take it again, a harder version or you receive a zero for it.”

  “I don’t like it our lives aren’t tests.” Raphael paced wondering where his female was.

  “I agree.” The Dares said, but each was remembering what he went through to call his female his mate.

  Damon stood and took River’s hand. He led her through the house until they came to their room.

  “Nicolas will be chasing us.”

  “I spoke with him. He agrees we are well enough to be on our own for a few hours.”

  “I was beginning to believe we would never be alone again.” She walked up to him and kissed him.

  He kissed her before he gently pushed her to sit on the side of the bed.

  “I feel like I did this whole thing wrong. From the mating until now. I love you River, and I know that customs were important to you once upon a time.”

  He went down on one knee and brought out a box and opened the lid. “Will you marry me?”

  Inside the box was a beautiful ring made out the stone he showed her earlier.

  “Yes! Yes!” She held out her hand, and he placed the ring on her finger. She slid down to the floor with him and hugged him close. “It’s so beautiful, thank you.”

  “You’re beautiful the ring is just a ring.” He picked her up and placed her on the bed. “I love you, River.”

  “I love you, Damon.”

  She opened her arms, and he went into the only home he wanted to call his forever.

  Other books by the author

  Love Me Harder Series

  Aran Book 1

  Niko Book 2

  Sergey Book 3

  Nicolas Book 4

  Hale Book 5

  Alexei Book 6

  Ash Book 7

  The A’rouk Brothers

  Mick Book 1

  Alien Mates Series

  Soul-Bonded to the Alien Book 1

  Rylan’s Heart Book 2

  Gabe’s Destiny Book 3

  Colun’s Passion Book 4

  Joaquin’s Saving Grace Book 5

  Dragon Mates Series

  Alexa’s Dragon Book 1

  Nadia’s Dragon Book 2

  Skye’s Dragon Book 3

  Shifters on the Run

  Tane’s Mate Book 1

  Connect with me

  You can find me at my website

  I’m also on Twitter at @serena789books

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  Extra’s

  When I wrote this story, I started it to many times to go into until I finally found the beginning that you read.

  Now I have several alternate beginnings and some of them are very good, in fact I love them they just weren’t right for this story. I have added them below if you are interested. It will give you an interesting perspective of the characters and allow you a different and maybe an even deeper look into them.

  If you look closely you may discover somethings you don’t know.

  Extra

  This is the first alterate beginning I wrote

  Prologue

  River swam it was the one thing that gave her joy. The peace of swimming slid over her freeing her body allowing her mind to soar. She was free sailing the wild seas like her brothers, the whales, or her cousins the sharks. Nothing could stop her.

  Her eyes closed and she turned in dizzying circles repeatedly. She thought back to the first time she left her home and walked on dry land. She met them, the people of her home, the ones she kept safe even though they couldn’t live in the water like her. Her mother was beside her as she told River of the duty she had to the waters. Little trickles of water as well as massive bodies of water. She watched over it; she was the guardian. She was the spirit of the Earth, more human her mother said than the human’s that walked the planet because she knew something they didn’t.

  Think River she ordered, what do you know that the humans don’t know. River, she reprimanded herself. You’re as human as they are what sets you apart is the knowledge you have forgotten. Think River!

  Sadness flowed over her. The knowledge she carried inside herself was gone as if it never existed, but she knew better. She would have to retrieve it. She swam towards the surface
when she felt it the bite of a manacle around her ankle. She panicked as the memories of centuries of torture poured back.

  She was held prisoner by the enemy of her people, a threat to the Earth. No one will ever find you River; they taunted her pointing out her weakness, we will win the Earth, this planet you think you protect will be ours. Lifting her foot, she clawed at the manacle, trying to rip it to shreds; she knew even as she tried that it would never come off. It would slowly pull her back down until she was so deep that she could only breathe for minutes and then her body would die, and she would lie helplessly along the bottom of the ocean until life was restored only to live the process over again. Day after day, year after year she fought, her human spirit drove her to try even when the odds were against her.

  She begged for help, for someone to deliver her from her watery grave even as she tugged at the manacle believing against hope that one day, maybe today, she would rip it free from her ankle.

  Her hand felt hot; she looked down to see the manacle glowing becoming warmer. She stuck her fingers down to touch it, but a voice warned her to stop. The manacle fell from her ankle; she was free. She wanted to rejoice, but the voice talking to her told her to head for the surface. She didn’t argue or fight with the voice she swam, harder than she ever had before.

  She felt them, the beings who desired to keep her captive for all time. They laughed when she died and kicked her body when she was unable to defend herself. There, excited thoughts ran through her head. There was the surface of the water. She shot out the water and the dolphins looked on with envy at her gracefulness.

  She was the only one left of her kind, and she would do what she was born to do. As she slid back in the water, she broke the surface again and began to swim to shore. With every stroke the fear that she would feel a cold tentacle grabbing her ankle pulling her down to another watery grave made her go faster. She never turned around never looked backward, that would slow her down. Because she never looked she didn’t see the male with the ever-changing eyes who shielded her from the fury chasing after her.

  Land. Her body rolled on shore with the tide. She picked herself up and dragged herself further ashore until she was far enough away from the water that she knew they couldn’t reach her here. Finally, she dropped and looked at the surface of the water that was calm. She made it, now to find humanity.

  She walked going over the things she would tell humanity; the wisdom she would impart. The more she walked, the less she remembered until the only thing she knew, was her name. My name is River she repeated before she passed out on the beach.

  *~*~*~*

  Dante stood over her taking her in. She didn’t look like much, and she didn’t feel like much. Could he have miscalculated rescued the wrong female?

  He shook his head and hoped she was the right one. She had no chance of surviving so why was he trying? He didn’t know maybe he believed more in his brother than he did the winds of chance. With a small move, he transported them both to the doorway of A’rouk Medical Facility. His body changed into the very old man that owned this place. He snapped, and the staff came running.

  “An innocent woman is left lying on our doorstep, and you walk past her,” he raged. “I will know your names and who your superiors are. I want her treated, spare no expense and the best doctor this facility has or consults with had better be on her case by tomorrow morning, or I will be back.”

  The ran into each other to get what he wanted, done. Now all he needed to do was sit back and wait for Damon to get a call. He blended in with the shadows and watched as they took care of her. He felt her eyes on him. She was hopeful and panicked at the same time.

  When she finally laid in the hospital bed, he whispered to her. “I’m not the one for you little one,” before he faded away.

  Chapter one

  Damon stretched before he left the bedroom heading towards the kitchen. It had been crazy in his house for the last several months. Mick and Jaz were finally back in their house, and Ash and Brook went with them. Ash decided that Brook needed to spend time around Jaz; it made her happy and as her pregnancy progressed Ash was all about making his mate happy.

  He walked into his spacious kitchen. It needed to be with five brothers who may show up anytime with the desire to cook. He had three stoves and two large fridges. There was a long table in the middle of the floor and a huge window behind the sink that looked out giving a glimpse of the waterfall and mountain on his property.

  “Dante.” He said as he walked to the fridge. “I wasn’t expecting to see you. Are you staying for breakfast?”

  Dante had been locked away recently when he asked what he was doing, Dante’s reply was research. That by itself gave Damon chills; then there was the way his brother kept staring at him as if he expected Damon to break out into some new song and dance. His brother’s behavior was bothering him, but he knew there was nothing to do until Dante came clean about what was happening.

  “I’m staying.”

  “Anything you’re in the mood for?”

  “Steak, eggs, and potatoes, but I’ll settle for whatever your cooking.”

  Damon stopped to stare at Dante, but his brother was ignoring him. Once when they were all together, talking about the impossibility of their lives, he had asked Dante if he ever dreamed.

  After a few minutes, Dante had replied. “I have one dream, I’m sitting in the kitchen, and before me stands a female so beautiful my heart beats out of my chest, but I can’t see her. The sound of her voice calms my soul, and she places before me a plate filled with steak, eggs, and potatoes. At that moment, I was willing to destroy the world for a chance at one minute of bliss.”

  Dante didn’t make references to that day; the fact that he just did sent a tingle down Damon’s back.

  “Well,” he said brightly. “You are stuck with a simple breakfast of sausage, eggs, and toast. If you want more, I suggest you come and cook it.”

  Dante laugh, “Have these months taken so much out of you that I need to cook?”

  He was teasing, but Damon was thinking about it. He felt empty like a part of him was missing. Last night he spent the night searching in his dreams looking for the missing piece of his soul. He knew better than anyone that this was as good as his life was getting. He made short work of cooking breakfast. He sat at the table with Dante and ate in silence. His brother didn’t seem to want to talk, maybe Dante like Damon simply needed the company, the comfort of family.

  Damon turned his head curious when someone rang his com. Dante was clearing the table, so he had no reason not to answer. He could talk without a phone to his brothers, so he never used it. It was there so he would blend in with the humans when he was around them.

  “Hello.”

  “Is this Dr. A’rouk?”

  So much for small talk or pleasantries, Damon thought, although he did prefer to get down to business.

  “Yes.”

  “This is Dr. Atil with A’rouk Medical Facility. We have a patient here who simply appeared on our doorstep last night. We’ve spent the night trying to help her but she appears to die then wake coughing water out of her lungs. All the scans we do show there is no water in her body, but this happens once to twice an hour. I was wondering if you would come evaluate her?”

  Damon knew Dr. Atil, a serious doctor. She dedicated a large portion of her life to helping others. They had worked together before, and he respected her. If she said she didn’t know what was going on, then it was bad.

  He turned his head to look at Dante who was washing the few dishes they used. Dante turned to look at him feeling Damon’s eyes on his back.

  “Are you going to go help?” Dante asked.

  Damon took a deep breath; he was watching Dante because he suspected a trick. Something Dante was behind, but his brother was so calm that he felt bad for suspecting him.

  “Dr. Atil, I will be there as soon as possible.” He cut the frequency and asked himself why he was willing to get involved in a new case. Dr.
Atil was an excellent doctor; he knew she would discover what was going on with the patient.

  Lately, he found himself watching the human population and how they treated those that were different from them. The females that were destined to be important to his family were hunted and almost destroyed on more than one occasion, and he was tired of the death that lay in the hands of others.

  Dante’s placed his large warm hand on Damon’s shoulder. The heat he radiated sank into Damon’s body, and the love of family reassured him. Damon was running on lack of energy. He needed to have his physical needs met, but the thought of going to sin city made him cringe. He would go tonight he assured himself after he helped the female in need.

  Damon stood and gave his brother a quick brotherly hug. “I need to go change and then evaluate a female in our facility. I’ll look in on Brook when I come back.”

  “All right,” Dante disappeared while Damon headed out the kitchen.

  The fact that he walked to his room instead of willing himself there was another indication that something was going on inside of him. Maybe he needed a vacation? His lips curved as he thought of the time spent on the beach with his family. They stayed for over two weeks; that’s when the feeling of emptiness first touched him.

  There was a moment when he searched the calm surface of the sea that he had expected to see something life changing. The pressure of what was there sat on his chest cleaving him in half calling to him. Julian was the one that stopped him from throwing himself into the water. It felt like a spell was broken.

  He shrugged his shoulders trying to get rid of the heavy weight that sat on them. A noose felt like it was closing around his neck. Damon took the time to take a shower; he needed the cascading water to help him clear his head if that was possible. He’d tell Dante when he got back that he was leaving for a few days. Not too long he still had patients to watch over, but they could survive without him for a couple of days.