Damien - The Beginning

Chapter 1 - Hayes and Rose

Warning: This book may be a little too dark for some readers. There's self harm, grief, suicide, and murders. If at any point you feel like you cannot continue this one, I want you to know that you can still read the last two books in the series. Fake Dating My Beta Mate, and The Vampire King's Hybrid Mate. Each book is stand-alone.

There was a mild chill gently hanging in the forest air, and hardly any moonlight seeped through the thick canopies, making everything particularly dark. The only other source of light was the glow of his eyes, a beautiful azure glow, caused by the grumbling of his stomach. Hayes stood absolutely quiet, his ebony fur helping him camouflage with the night, quietly listening to the soft rustling of the leaves. His prey was in front of him, grazing at the small shrubs, while its heart was beating rhythmically, absolutely calm and peaceful.

Ansel let out a soft growl, but Hayes shot him a look, asking him to remain silent. Hayes knew what he was doing, after all he was a professional at the task. And when he knew the time was right, he pounced onto the oblivious animal, immediately digging his claws into its skin. The deer screamed in agony, struggling to get free, but Hayes had it pinned under his large figure. He could sense his prey's fear, he could hear its heart hammering in panic. It felt like music to his ears, before Hayes clawed the beating heart out, devouring it in an instant, silently watching as the deer became completely still, its body becoming limp.

He stepped away from the dead animal, allowing Ansel to eat the rest, while he ran through the forest, rushing to his favorite spot. He shifted into his human form, the transition complete within seconds. Staring at his reflection in the clear water of the lake, he observed how his eyes gradually stopped glowing, returning to the ordinary crystal blue. He wiped away the blood from his lips, before he knelt on the ground, splashing the cold water onto his face and body.

- - - -

"So how was your hunt today, Hayes?" Monica questioned, seductively wrapping her arms around Hayes's neck. Hayes smiled awkwardly, internally cringing at her advances. He detested women who tried to seduce every man they found. And Monica was one of them. He was disgusted by her.

"Great," he replied, removing her arms from his neck. "You have any idea where Rose is?"

Monica's suggestive smile disappeared within a second, a scowl taking its place.

"You mean that slut you've been trying to have s*x with?" She spat, distaste clear in her tone. Hayes smiled down at her, but the smile didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Well here's the thing, Monica," he said softly, using his index finger to brush away a strand of her hair behind her ear. "I don't really believe in slut shaming, but if I had to, I don't think Rose would make it onto my list. You, on the other hand... You would make the mark, don't you think?"

Monica's eyes narrowed into slits, and she clenched her jaw.

"You're a real son of a b-"

Hayes caught hold of her arms and slammed her against the wall before she could finish her sentence. His eyes flashed a bright blue, as he grabbed her chin.

"You say whatever you want, to me. Not to my mother. Do you understand?" He growled. He saw the fear in her eyes for a short moment, before it vanished as soon as it had appeared.

"I see you like to play rough," she teased, making Hayes clench his jaw.

"Get the hell out of my face," he said, before stepping away from her. Monica chuckled in amusement, still daring to wink at him before she left the room.

Psycho, Hayes thought to himself.

He took a deep breath to calm himself down, before exiting the room as well. He walked around the pack house, his eyes searching for the one petite blondie, whose tanned skin and clear grey eyes seemed to make his heart beat faster. The one thing that frustrated him more than anything else in the entire world, was the fact that she wasn't his mate. He hadn't found his yet, neither was she dating anyone. Yet, the two weren't meant to be.

The sound of a laughter echoed in his ears as he passed by one of the gaming rooms, and he halted instantly. He could recognize that melodious laugh anywhere. Hayes smirked, walking backwards to the door, before he entered the room.

"Hello, ladies," Hayes smiled, addressing all three of the women in the room, yet his eyes were stuck on only one of them. She didn't even bother to glance at him, but by the way her wide smile slowly diminished into a minute one, he knew that she was aware of his presence.

"Well, hello Hayes," Gretel greeted him back with a smile of her own.

"What are you ladies up to?" He asked, walking up to them.

"Just chilling," Delilah replied.

Before anyone could say anything more, Rose tried to walk away from the group, trying her best to avoid Hayes. However he was quick to block her way, stepping in front of her. Delilah and Gretel exchanged a look, before casually leaving the room, not uttering a single word. Even most of the pack members shipped Rose and Hayes together, despite knowing that they weren't mates.

"Where do you think you're going?" Hayes questioned, his tone teasing.

"Excuse me," Rose replied, her gaze stuck on the floor. "I have something to do." She tried to leave again, but he moved with her, blocking her way. She tried a third time, and he blocked her way again, all the while a huge grin on his face.

"What's your problem, Hayes?" Rose snapped, now looking up at him.

"I don't know, you tell me," he shrugged.

"Let me go," she whined.

"Rose, Rose, Rose," Hayes smiled. "If I wanted to let you go, I would have already."

"What do you want?" She sighed, folding her arms across her chest.

"Why are you avoiding me?" He asked, stepping closer to her. She took one back, frowning.

"I'm not avoiding you," she stated.

"We both know that you are," Hayes replied. "I wanna know why. Is it because of my confession?"

"Yes, Hayes. It is because of your confession. I don't want to get involved with a werewolf when I'm not one. I'm not even your mate," she replied.

"So what if I'm a werewolf?" Hayes questioned, taking two more steps closer to her.

"You won't understand!" She replied, stepping away, but her back hit the wall, leaving no more room for her to create space between them.

"Then explain it to me," Hayes said softly, placing his hands on the wall, on either side of her.

"Just... Just get away first," Rose said softly, and Hayes could hear her heart pacing in her chest. He could sense her fear, but he didn't understand why she felt it, and thus he refused to oblige.

"I'm not letting you go. Talk to me," Hayes insisted.

"Hayes, if you don't step away right now, I'll tell my father that you tried to harass me," she threatened, looking up at him. Hayes knew she'd never do that. Hence it had no effect on him.

"Oh really?" He raised an eyebrow, challenging her.

"Y-yes," she muttered, her voice small.

"You'll tell your father if I let you go. What if, Rose," he said softly, "I cage you between my arms like this for eternity?"

He heard her heart beat quicken even more, and now her breath hitched as well. She gulped.

"Hayes, please," she whispered, "don't make this harder for me." Hayes sighed, before stepping away from her.

"There. You're free to go," he stated, sadness evident on his face. She stared at him for a short moment, hugging herself, before she huffed.

"Look. You and I have been friends since childhood. We've been close. And you're amazing. But Hayes, I'm not your mate. I can't be with you like this. It already sucks to be the daughter of an Alpha, while being a human being. I'm not one of you. I don't even belong here," she explained.

"You've been here since you were five, Rose. You do belong with us. Where else do you belong?" Hayes asked in disbelief.

"With the humans, Hayes. Like my mother did. I can't make the same mistake she did. Look what happened to her! She fell in love with a werewolf, and had a baby with him. And then when he found his real mate, the woman he actually wanted to spend the rest of his life with, he left my mother. The only reason I'm here is because my mother passed away too early. I couldn't have gone anywhere else. I can't do this to myself, Hayes, and that too knowing how everything works around here."

"Rose," Hayes whispered, cupping her cheek with both hands. "I would never leave you for anyone. I don't just like you, I love you. You've been my friend, we've been together since forever. You think I'd leave you for someone else?"

"Yes, Hayes, because that someone will be the person who has been created just for you. Your soulmate, sent to this world for you by the Moon Goddess. And she will come when the time is right. And you will leave me for her. I won't even be able to blame you, damn it! Just please, don't make this any more complicated than it already is. Let me go now," she begged, her eyebrows knitted together in frustration.

"Alright," Hayes nodded, gulping. "But stop avoiding me. Just because I feel something deeper for you doesn't mean you're going to ignore me like this."

"Okay," Rose nodded. "I'm sorry."

"Great," Hayes forced a smile, while internally he could feel his heart sink.

Rose noticed the sadness in his eyes, and yearned to comfort him. But she knew she couldn't. She had been falling for him since the moment she had laid her eyes on him, and every day her feelings had been becoming deeper and deeper. But she had no option but to distance herself from him, she could not destroy her life like that. So she quietly walked away, leaving the room with silent tears rolling down her cheeks.

Hayes took a deep breath, before gulping. He could feel his eyes change color, and he knew he needed to let it all out. He needed a distraction. So he did the only thing that came to his mind.

"Monica!"

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