Chapter Eighty-Two

***Authors Note: This is the second chapter beginning the crossover on The Matriarch and The Devil's Bride. Before reading this chapter, please read chapter Twenty-Eight of The Matriarch! I will try to make sure the books have enough description, so they don't need to be read together, but to get the full story, from both perspectives, I highly recommend reading them in the correct order. I will let you all know what chapters to read and in what order to read them. Thank you! I hope you enjoy it. -KeyKirita.***

"Those babies are scary," Samantha said, eyeing my stomach curiously.

"Why are they scary? They haven't done anything. They aren't the reason the elemental-thing came out, that's due to my parents." I responded, stretching out on the couch. "Speaking of, this is going to be a bitch to learn to control, isn't it?" I asked, turning to face Damien, letting out a sigh.

"Moreso than your vampiric abilities? Yes. I believe it will be." Damien answered, then looked down at his phone when it buzzed. "But Sinclair was able to find someone to assist you. Hmm, I didn't think he would find someone so quickly."

"Wait, I thought they were going to get blood from my parents?" I asked, furrowing my brows. *'They didn't say anything about going to get someone to help me, when did this happen?'*

"Sam and Hanna went to do that, Sinclair split off from them to go to the elemental kingdom to find someone for you."

"From what you all told me about the elementals, I'm surprised one of them agreed to help," I said, not quite sure what to feel about this. I know I need the help, as that much goes without saying. But I didn't realize they would go to find someone this soon.

"He says she will be here soon, maybe by tomorrow," Damien answered as a new message came through, then set his phone down on the table next to him. "Samantha, why don't you go to the guest house, get some rest? These next few days will be very eventful. If you would still like to learn, that is?"

"I would," Samantha said, setting down her mug as she stood. She walked around the table to hug me, then smiled softly at Damien before leaving.

"I can't believe this is happening." I breathed as I stood and offered my hand to Damien, who took it curiously, furrowing his brows as he waited for what I was doing.

"I wish I could help you, but I had no idea about it either. It still confuses me how Sinclair knew." He responded, leaning down to kiss the top of my head softly, rubbing my back. "Kitten?"

"Hmm?" I mumbled, leaning back to look up into his electric blue eyes. I felt a pang of sadness when I saw the worry in his eyes, his gaze meeting mine as he opened his mouth again to speak, but stopped himself short, appearing to be moments from tears. "Damien, what's wrong?" I gasped as I stood on the tips of my toes to put my hands on either side of his face, trying to bring my lips to his, but he wouldn't lean down to allow me. "Why won't you let me kiss you? What's wrong?"

"Do you still want this? Us, I mean." He asked softly, searching my eyes for the answer.

I blinked a few times as I watched him, unsure of what to say. I knew I still wanted to be with him, that much I did not doubt. But something about the way he asked me confused me. "What are you talking about, Damien? I'm here, aren't I?"

"I don't want you to be here, just because you feel like you have to be here, Bastet. I want you to want to be here of your own volition." He said softly, shaking his head as he took my hands and pulled them off of his face. He glared at me for a few moments before speaking again. "Are you here, only for the sake of our children? Or are you here because you still wish to be with me?"

"Damien, what is bringing all of this about?" I gasped out as I sat back down on the couch with a grunt. *' What the absolute hell is going on? Damien has never doubted our relationship like this before. Or if he has, he's never voiced those doubts before.'*

"You turned yourself in, to get away from me, on our wedding day. Am I supposed to ignore that?"

"Am I supposed to ignore the fact that almost fifty of my closest friends got slaughtered because of you on our wedding day, Damien?" I snapped back incredulously.

"So, it's my fault then, is it?" Damien asked with a scoff, taking a step back as he continued to stare down at me.

"Isn't it? Amelia was jealous because she couldn't have you and almost killed me and our unborn children! It's her fault, Damien. But you must not have made it clear enough that you weren't interested in her."

"Ah, I see. I am to blame for the actions of a crazed vampiress, then?" Damien asked, nodding as if he was finally understanding. "I am to blame for that crazy bitch not understanding simple fucking English, and continually pining after me?"

"From what I understand about who you "used to be," you would have killed her without a second hesitation if she even looked at you the wrong way." I said, putting the words "Used to be" in quotation marks to elaborate my point.

He blinked a few times when I said this, giving me the urge to continue before he could retort. "You don't think I know who you used to be? You told me once that you didn't want to tell me who you used to be because I wouldn't want to be with you anymore. But now I'm starting to believe that you wouldn't tell me, so I couldn't ask you to be that man anymore." I added, standing and walking out of the library and out of the front door. I felt like I was being boiled alive from the inside out, and needed to be outside where then wind could help me cool down.

"So, you wish me to be the man I was? The king I was?" Damien asked, following me outside, taking off his suit jacket and tossing it carelessly on the steps as he walked up behind me. "You've no idea the thing you are saying, Bastet."

"You're right, Damien. I don't, because you won't tell me!" I exclaimed, throwing my hands up in a sign of defeat. "I love you, more than I ever thought I would. I'm so fucking happy that we're having babies together, and I'm ecstatic that it's twins, which is what you wanted!" I said, trying my best to fight off the tears that were threatening to fall. "But I don't want to know the new you, Damien. I don't want to be the kind of wife that stays at home and watches the kids. I don't want to be your wife, Damien!"

Damien flinched as if I'd just shot him, his eyes going wide in a show of his pain as he gasped for breath as if he couldn't breathe. I took a few deep breaths, trying to calm myself as I closed the difference between us, grabbing him by the collar of his vest, and yanking him down, so our faces were even. "I don't want to be your wife, Damien," I mumbled again, looking deep into his eyes, pausing before I said anything more.

"I want to be your vampire queen. I want to be your partner, not your fucking spouse. I cannot and will not; stay on the sidelines while you rule."

Damien looked back into my eyes for a long few moments, searching them before he straightened his back, standing straight while maintaining our eye contact. I couldn't tell what the look in his eyes was, as I'd never seen it before, but it both frightened and excited me. "It seems that fire has ignited a fire within you, my love." He finally said, a small smirk growing on his face as he nodded. "You were always meant to be my queen and not my spouse. I wondered how long it would take for you to realize it."

I did a double-take when he said this, unable to stop myself from gaping. "What the hell does that mean?"

"Do you recall the first morning I took you to work with me when I said I'd considered stopping my pursuit of you?" He asked, waiting for me to nod before continuing. "The reason I didn't? That is because I saw a fire in your eyes when you got upset. I knew that fire would grow, and you would become the queen you were born to be. I just had to wait for you to realize it." He said, his smirk turning into a smile.

"You..." I started to say but trailed off as I didn't know what to say. So I punched him instead. This, of course, resulting in him laughing, his dimples showing as he watched me in amusement. "So does that mean you'll stop being the Damien you became for me?"

"Perhaps. I've considered it, but perhaps not, as we have children on the way. Seeing their father as the way I used to be would make them evil little things for sure. We don't know the type of power they will have, so it may not be the best course of action, as we could be raising murderous cretins, rather than powerful leaders. Which is another reason I've allowed Sinclair to remain close to you."

"How do you mean?"

"Sinclair is recreant, which could arguably be considered the second most powerful being in our world. Yet he doesn't use that power to his advantage, not in the way many recreants would, anyway. Our children seeing a man as powerful as Sinclair, who isn't a tyrant, may help keep them good rather than evil." He explained as he led me back to the porch steps, helping me sit down.

"I hadn't considered that before. Sometimes I forget how powerful Sinclair is, especially since he doesn't use that power very often. Not unless he has to, anyway." I said thoughtfully, nodding my agreement. "Isn't it weird for you? To make yourself not be the man you were before?"

"It used to be, but it got less difficult as the years went on." He responded honestly, looking down the driveway, sighing. I looked down the driveway as well, but I didn't see anything. Not until Sinclair was directly in front of my face, anyway.

"Why? Sinclair, just why?" I yelled at him, shoving him as hard as I could once I'd regained my composure.

"Because it's funny, why else?" He responded with a yawn, not moving a centimeter from me pushing him.

"I'm pregnant, you asshole. You can't do that!" I screamed, shoving him again. This time he reeled back, stunned as he held up his hands. It was too late for me to stop it from happening. I was too pissed off and shocked, and the fire inside of me came out to play, burning even taller, and brighter than it had earlier. "Oh, fuck!" I whined as I started gasping for breath, looking down at the two balls of fire in my hands.

"The woman I met earlier should be here soon, I saw her on the road earlier," Sinclair said as he and Damien took a few steps back, keeping their distance from me.

"Go and get Samantha," Damien barked to Sinclair as he watched me closely, afraid to get to close, yet still wondering if he should as he watched me.

"No, leave Samantha be. You said that lady is going to be here soon?" I asked as I tried to concentrate on taking deep breaths and focus on what Samantha did earlier, but I felt like I couldn't breathe. I was afraid of the fire that I was creating. How insane is that?

Damien said something to Sinclair in a language I couldn't understand, then nodded to him as he disappeared, or rather, ran faster than my eyes could track.

"It's okay, kitten. Just focus on your breathing, okay? You are going to be okay." Damien mumbled softly, wrapping his arms around me from behind, pulling my body to his. When I tried to look down at my hands, he would tell me, no, and just to focus on my breathing.

I was close to calming down and extinguishing the flame, but Sam and Hanna, coming back, startled me, causing me to yelp, and the flames grow to their initial height.

"Shit, I'm sorry. I didn't know Bastet was freaking out again." Sam apologized as he and Hanna took a few steps back, keeping their distance from the flames. They continued to watch in silence until Sinclair came back with Samantha, who immediately attempted to calm me down as well.

"Mimics?" Hanna snarled as she turned to face the driveway, she and Sam crouching down in anticipation as a car came up the driveway.

"What in the fuck is a mimic?" I gasped out, turning in Damien's arms to look at him.

"Disgusting dogs," He snarled, his eyes blood-red as he looked at the car, where four people got out.

"I'd rather be a dog than a blood-sucker." The man who got out of the passenger seat growled at Damien, a ripple going through his handsome face as he and Damien glared at each other. The man was Damien's height, with a medium complexion, and deep blue eyes, like the darkest part of an ocean, his stature was muscular, like Damien, giving the impression that he'd spent most of his time either in a gym or doing manual labor. Based off of the gruffness and dangerous aura he put off, I decided his form was due to manual labor, and not a gym.

"A half mutt? Even worse." Sam laughed mockingly.

"STOP!" The woman snarled, causing the three men who arrived with her to bow their heads. She turned her attention back to me; her beautiful aquamarine eyes were soft yet terrifying as she took a few steps closer. "It's okay. I'm here to help you." She said, then held out her fist, then opening it, showing a big ball of fire. "I'm Octavia, and you are?" She asked me softly as she glanced at Damien, motioning her head to the side, telling him to move, before returning her gaze to meet mine. I couldn't help but be jealous of the woman standing before me. She was a few inches taller than me, with long and wavy hazelnut colored hair that fell to her hips. She had caramel-colored skin, making her beautiful aquamarine eyes stand out even more.

"Bast." I breathed out as I looked at the ball of flames in her hand. *'How in the hell did she do that so easily?'*

"Okay, Bast. I need you to close your eyes and imagine something cool. Like you're jumping in a nice cold pool or a cold shower." She said softly, her gaze unwavering as she kept her eyes locked on mine.

I nodded and did what she said, imagining a cold rush of water washing over me, cooling me down from the outside in, extinguishing the flames within me. I wasn't sure if it was working, but as I imagined the fire going out, It did feel like I was standing under a cold shower. After a few moments, I finally opened my eyes and found that the fire had gone out, causing me to jump up and down happily. I jumped forward and pulled her into a hug, laughing. "Thank you, Octavia!" I squealed as I turned around to look at Damien as he smiled politely at me.

"Mimics, Sinclair?" He roared as he turned his attention to Sinclair, who stood to his left. "You didn't think it necessary to tell me that the one coming to help Bastet was a mimic?"

"Yeah, Sinclair. You didn't think it necessary that I would be coming to the house of the vampire king?" Octavia yelled at Sinclair as well, putting her hands on her hips.

The seriousness of the moment ended when Samantha started giggling, turning everyone's attention to her instead. "I'm sorry, it's just funny. After all the things I've learned, I didn't think the vampire/werewolf hatred would be the one thing I knew!"

"We are not werewolves!" The white-haired man exclaimed, his brown eyes narrowed in anger. Though his hair was white, I could tell he was only a few years older than me. He matched the other man in height and size, but his complexion was closer to my own, and his eyes were deep pools of chocolate.

"What's the difference?" Samantha asked, cocking her head to the side in confusion.

"Werewolves turn into wolves, and we shift into wolves," Octavia said as she continued to glare at Sinclair.

"I'm sorry, but that sounds like the same thing," I mumbled, furrowing my brows in confusion as I turned my attention back to Octavia, waiting for her to explain.

"Werewolves turn into wolves. Their bones break and reconstruct, into the form of a wolf." Octavia explained, then turned to look at the men by the car. "Jaxson, show her." She said to the white-haired man.

"Yes, alpha." He said, then jumped forward. When his feet left the ground, he was human, but in midair, his clothes tore to shreds, leaving a snow-white wolf standing before me. The wolf took a few steps forward, then looked up at me, his deep brown eyes looking up into mine.

"Awe! He's so cute!" I said, hesitantly bringing my hand down on his head. "And so soft!" I mumbled as I fell to my knees and put my arms around the wolf.

"Bast! Get away from him!" Damien exclaimed as he wrapped his arms around my waist, and pulled me back, growling at the wolf as he set me down next to Samantha.

"Did he call you alpha?" Hanna asked, eying Octavia curiously.

"Yes. I am the alpha of the Red Moon pack." Octavia said with an exacerbated sigh, rolling her eyes.

"The Red Moon pack? Oh, fuck. You're the mimic and royal elemental hybrid that killed everyone in the pack, to take over. Is it true that you have over 50 in your warrior ranks?" Sam breathed out, his blue eyes wide in a mixture of surprise and respect for the woman.

"I have almost 100 in my warrior ranks now," Octavia said matter of factly, before turning her attention to Damien. "I want to help your girlfriend, vampire king, but I need to know if it's going to be an issue."

"For the sake of Bast, no. We will have no issues." Damien said with a sigh as he took a few steps forward, holding his hand out to her.

Octavia nodded and shook his hand, before turning back to the men. "That's Kerr, Harold, and the wolf is Jaxson."

"I'm Damien, that's Sam, Hanna, Samantha, and you already know Sinclair."

The men stepped forward and hesitantly shook the hands of Sam, Hanna, and Sinclair, trying to hold back their disgust as they did so. Once the introductions were over, Hanna said her goodbyes and left.

"So, are you guys going to explain what a mimic is, or not?" Samantha cut in, looking up at the group from the step she was sitting on.

"Did we not already?" Kerr asked her, raising an eyebrow.

"Uh, no. Not really. I'm still confused. Why are you called a mimic?"

"Because they mimic the form of a wolf, rather than turning into one, like a werewolf," Sinclair answered.

Samantha shook her head, closing her eyes. "Yeah, okay." She said with a sigh.

"Octavia, it's getting late. I'll pay for a few rooms at the hotel a few miles away." Damien said, pulling out his phone to make a phone call.

"Bast, if you start to get upset, just do what I showed you earlier. I'll be back in the morning to start training you on how to control this. Alright?" Octavia asked me, giving me a polite smile before getting back in her car to drive away.