His Slave, His Mate

Uncomfortable dinner conversations

I think I almost choked on the roasted meat that Damien made when I heard Gabriel's question. My hand froze on the way to my mouth. Damien, on the other hand, seemed totally unfazed by the question.

Truth to be told, I expected that he would have talked with Gabriel about me. They were supposed to be old partners or something, but I guess they don't share private information with each other like that.

I knew that questions like that would arise, because of my outlook.

I didn't have any features that are usual for one type of creature. It is usually very easy to guess what you are by the way you look. So I knew that most would question my origins, especially when I wore my charmed disguise. I think I looked so strange to most that it would be strange that they wouldn't ask questions about it.

Living in the same pack my whole life gave me the gift that I didn't have to explain who I was, because everybody knew me before even meeting me.

Well, it was a blessing and a curse at the same time, because most stories about me and my origins were bogus lies and make belief. Painting me like some scary magical creature that eats babies and drinks virgin blood. So I never had a chance to make my own way or create an image, true to my self... I was always what they believed me to be.

For most part, it was okay... well, atleast until they started to hurt me physically or verbally. But that was more like an exception than a rule. Mostly everyone ignored me, probably in respect to my grandpa or in fear that I would curse or eat them alive.

So now I have a chance to create my own story...

"I am a werewolf and a mixture of a few other species, I guess. My mother was an alpha daughter and I never knew my father, so I am not sure what my other half contains, blood vise. I guess there is a little bit of a witch in me, because I can do a few spells."

I could feel Damien's gaze locked on my face. I took him not talking with Gabriel about my past, a sign that he wanted me to decide what my story was. And a big part of me is thankful for that. For giving me the chance a fresh start.

I guess he promised me that when we made the deal and only now do I understand what he meant by it.

I lowered the fork to my plate and met Gabriel's curious gaze.

"Well, it is rare to be part wolf. Most packs would have killed you before you were even born... especially as an alpha's grandchild. Most would have killed you while you were still in your mother's womb."

I never thought about it like that.

I know that my grandfather made his life so difficult by letting my mother return home. He even let me join his pack. Actually, I think he lost his place as the alpha when I was young. Yes, he still lived and had most of the responsibilities, but the pack itself was a mess. A lot of the pack members didn't respect him after that and he got challenged over and over, until he lost.

I guess I was lost in my thoughts to long because I heard Gabriel repeating my name.

"Lilly?"

"Sorry, what did you say?"

"It's okay, I just asked if you had any training? Most witches can't do anything magical without proper training."

"Oh... well no, not really. I had one page of spells that I found in the pack library."

His eyebrows shot to his forehead when he heard that.

"Wow, your witch part had to be really strong if you can do anything at all. The most common practice for the not pure witches is to channel magic from the covenant or something in a similar area... but to be less then half a witch.... and without training..."

I could see curiosity blooming in his face.

Fuck, I should have stayed quiet. Now he will ask questions, to which the answers weren't ones that I could share.

"Maybe I can take your blood sample and trace your lineage..."

"Gabriel, you know you can't do that. If you want to do that, you will have to go through the council and then they will want to take her in as a witch. It would probably raise a problem between witches and werewolves, not to mention the fact that she is bound to me now.And even if I agreed to that, she is first a wolf and they for sure would want to take her back and you know what will happen to her if they take her back."

"She would be killed?"

"Probably not, but death would be way better than what they would do to her."

A cloud of sadness spread onto his face.

"Sorry... I will look into a way to check her lineage in less legal ways then."

"Well, if you find someone I can trust, then I will consider letting you take her blood."

"Yeah, as if you trust anybody. After all this time, I don't think you trust me even and we have been f*****g for the last ten years."

"Well, that is one of the reasons why I don't trust you. By being here you are betraying your people and stop being so dramatic about it. You knew what you are getting yourself into when you chose to pursue this relationship."

I could see that Damien's words hurt Gabriel a bit. He didn't show it, but I could see it in his eyes. Damien, on the other hand, seemed a more than little annoyed by this conversation.

After their little discussion, a silence returned to the dinner table. Gabriel, before beaming with happiness and joy, now sat there like someone kicked his puppy... or his heart. Damien sat there with his usual bored look, totally unfazed by Gabriel's hurt feelings. He either ignored them or he didn't care. Something inside of me told me that the latter one was probably right. Damien didn't seem like a person who cared about others or their feelings.

He only cared about the things that were useful for him and the feeling that Gabrel had burning in his chest wasn't one of them. And I liked that about him, I knew what to expect of him and why he took me in. There was no fake care of kindheartness on his part. Actually, there wasn't anything else other than mutually usefulness for both parties and it worked with my future plan quite well. I didn't trust Damien, but I trusted his determination to humiliate my pack's alpha.

"Are you going to stay here?"

I asked Garbriel, in a small attempt to make the whole dinner party less awkward.

"Well... no. The devil doesn't like to share his space with anyone."

Okay... I think Damien's words hurt him more than I first expected.

"Oh... so do you usually travel back and forward every day?"

"No, I come every few weeks, when he needs to feed and I need to recharge."

Why was this conversation getting verse with every sentence?

"And you? Where did he put you to live?"

"She is staying here."

Damien answered before I could even open my mouth.

I saw shock run over his face.

"I... Sorry, but I have to go."

He stood up abruptly and walked out of the room.

Now it was only me and Damien sitting at the table. Only now did I notice that he hadn't touched his plate and he was only drinking what I guess wasn't wine.

"Sorry, if I messed up your relationship with him."

Damien lifted his eye from the rim of the glass and met mine on the rim.

"You don't need to apologise. If I wanted to deny any of it, I would have and you only told the truth. Gabriel has been getting too cocky and emotional over the last few months. I waited for a good moment to let him down easily but not lose the deal we had. He is still useful to me."

I saw his true face that I knew was hiding under the fake smile he wore around everyone.

"I hope he won't expose me for coming between you two."

"He wouldn't or I wouldn't have let him leave. And you are not coming between anybody. He knows our deal and the circumstances we are under. He also knows that if he crosses me, it wouldn't be me who was going to get destroyed."

For some reason his cold cruelness was so familiar and reassuring.

"Okay."

He left me to finish my dinner not long after and I was left alone with my thoughts. The last few days were running in my mind. What a whirlpool of shitiness. From the moment I turned eighteen, my whole life turned upsidedown.

I lost everything that was familiar or close. I burned my f*****g house down and ran away with a thousand-year old vampyre.

Great.

Fucking great.

I pushed the unfinished dinner and started to clean up.

The familiar motion of washing the dishes let me zone out a bit. I checked the time and it was almost nine pm, so I guess I can go read the grimoires for a few more hours. Sure, I could take them to my room, but I don't think Damien would like that. It's better to keep them there just incase. As I saw this evening, it was not the best idea to cross him and I was walking on a think line as it is.