Chapter 34: Chapter Thirty-Four

"I don't care what you need to do. FIND. HER. NOW!" Damien screamed at the group of men standing in front of him, his eyes blood-red and quickly turning bright purple, signifying his temperament would only get worse. It had been less than an hour since Sinclair absconded with Bast, but Damien had a full fledged manhunt underway for her.

"Lucifer, we will find her. Please, calm down." I said as I patted his shoulder, trying to calm him down. If Damien went fully into the innate phase, I feared he would not recover from it. The last time it happened, he'd nearly killed that poor girl. I knew from prior experience, the horrendous things Damien would do, for the sake of Bast. I could imagine what he would do to anyone who came to him with anything other than Bast's scent trail.

"Calm down, Sam? Is that what I need to do? My woman was taken by that recreant prick!" Damien roared as he turned to face me. I bowed my head and took a step back, trying to show him I didn't want to fight. I wasn't a small man, but Damien was nearly twice my size, and had decades more experience than me. It would not be smart to incite a fight with him, especially when he was seconds from going innate.

"I understand why you are upset. But if you go innate, how long will you last until you go recreant, Lucifer? I am not saying this for the sake of those men. I am saying this for your sake." I said, staring back into his eyes, growling. "What will become of Bast, if we find her, and you are too far gone?" I asked, jabbing my finger into his chest to enunciate my words. As I spoke, I watched Damien's eyes slowly revert to blood-red, allowing me to feel some relief.

"When we find her, you mean." Damien said after a few moments of silence. He attempted to smile, but failed as his eyes began to cloud over, no doubt thinking about Bast.

"Of course." I said, pulling him into a hug. We stayed in our embrace for a few moments before I pulled away and led Damien into the library, directing him to sit next to me on the couch. We sat in silence for a while, both of us lost in our own thoughts.

"I cannot think of what I will become, if my love is taken from me." Damien mumbled, his eyes downcast as he thumbed through pictures of her on his phone. He scrolled through a few dozen pictures before he landed on one he'd taken weeks ago. Bast was sitting on a swing set, her long black hair flowing freely to her waist, her green eyes bright as a sunny meadow. She had a cheerful smile on her face, showing her nearly perfect white teeth, and deep dimples.

"Did she make a decision?" I asked, trying to force myself to stop staring at the picture of Bast. I could not deny her beauty, and found myself jealous of Damien on multiple occasions. Her selfless and caring nature was something long-lost in our current age, her beauty is something many men desire, but few will obtain. I truly am happy for Damien, but wish I had someone like her in my life.

"Yes, last night. She wanted to stay." Damien responded, his lip twitching slightly as he recalled the night prior.

"So you've nothing to worry about, brother. She wanted to stay, so she will fight until she is with you again." I said, unable to contain the spark of hope I had. If Bast hadn't made up her mind, or decided to leave, I would have doubted her return. But knowing she accepted Damien fully, I knew without a doubt that she would fight until her dying breath to be with him again. I just hope that dying breath wouldn't be before we could rescue her. "I must say, I didn't think a human was capable of fighting the way she does." I added, shaking my head as I thought about it.

"She doesn't seem to understand that she is a human, against a vampire. She has absolutely no chance of victory, but she will not be deterred." Damien responded with a laugh, his eyes returning to their normal shade of blue.

"Her inability to accept defeat, will undoubtedly be the thing that brings her back to you."

"Her kind heart, and fighting spirit, will make her a vampire queen like no other."

"I thought she didn't want to be a vampire?" I asked, cocking my head to the side as I looked at him curiously.

"She will, eventually. Of that I am sure." Damien said, trying to hide his impish grin.

"That may very well be." I agreed, standing up as a group of men returned from their search.

The three men walked into the doorway of the library and bowed to Damien and I, before the one in the center took a step forward.

"Sir, we were instructed to find you if we picked up the scent trail?" The man asked, looking down at Damien's feet to show respect as he spoke.

"Yes. Where did you find it?" Damien asked as we both stood, and walked out of the front door trailing the man.

"It is about twenty miles northeast. I instructed a man to standby where we first pick up the scent. But I must say, it is faint. The recreant we are chasing must have been traveling at his top speed, for a while." the man said, standing to the side as he pointed us towards the correct direction. "Sir, if I may?" he asked, bowing his head once again.

"Say what you must." Damien growled, ushering the man to speak quickly as he was impatiently waiting to go towards Sinclair's scent trail.

"The human girl he took hostage... Are you sure she is still alive? The speed he was traveling, is much too fast for the human body to bear without some sort of protection."

I snarled at the man and lunged at him, tackling him to the ground. "She is alive. Do not speak such nonsense again. Now lead us to the trail, at once. We've no time to waste."