Daymond
If anyone had told Daymond that he’d be in charge of protecting Camille while his older brothers risked getting killed by vampires, who knows what else? He’d have thought they were crazy and went on with his day.
Not because Daymond didn’t want to help protect his family but because he couldn’t even imagine being in this situation. Learning he was a werewolf with powers had felt like a dream or a video game.
Sure, there were times when they almost died, but between him and his siblings, Daymond knew they could always find a way out. But that was before he had to listen as Camille’s breathing grew raspy and strained.
He didn’t feel anything. Not the steady drizzle of the rain that slipped between the ceiling of the outpost he and the rest of Longnose’s pack were taking shelter in. Or the gentle heat from the fire as Luna and the others tried to cook some food.
Nothing existed for Daymond beyond the tiny circle surrounding his sister. He didn’t even react when Crescent sat beside him and checked Camille’s wrist.
“How are you doing, kiddo?”
“I’ll be better once the others get back.”
She nodded and looked at him. “Are you hungry?”
“No.”
“Do you want anything?”
Daymond was about to say no again when he stopped and looked at her. “Some answers would be nice.”
Crescent smiled and nodded encouragingly. “Ask away. I may not be a walking encyclopedia, but I’ll do my best!”
Daymond felt his mouth twitch as he chuckled before starting. “Why are we here?”
“What do you mean?”
“Here. This building. You guys said it’s been blessed by Voduists, but that’s the same group that sent the Weregarou after us, right? Why are we using something by the same people who hurt Camille?”
Crescent sighed, leaned back till she supported her weight with her hands, and looked at the ceiling. “Do you want the short answer?”
“Does that mean the long one is complicated?”
“Very, and I don’t know enough about how things work around here to be able to explain it properly.”
Daymond frowned and asked. “What do you mean? I thought you were in Longnose’s pack for a long time?”
“I am, but we didn’t always live in Louisiana. I was in Alaska when I first turned. Luckily, I was howling my head off and trying to fight a bear when Longnose and the others found me. It was… intense.”
“It sounds like it,” Daymond agreed, unable to hide his awe. So, there are werewolves in Alaska. Why didn’t I think about this before? “Did you win? Against the bear, I mean?”
Crescent laughed and shook her head. “Not really. Bears are tough, especially when its the mating season. Take it from me, Day, if you see a fully-grown bear coming your way. Run. Don’t stop to think about it. Don’t let your inner wolf try to talk you into fighting it. Werewolves are the supernatural equivalent of a murder blender. But bears are living tanks. You wouldn’t fight an alligator with just a stick, right?”
He couldn’t resist. “Am I still a werewolf in this scenario?”
She chuckled and pulled him into a one-arm hug. “Sure. I guess that means you’re fine with fighting an alligator with your bare hands, too?”
“Heck, no. You promised me a stick. How long is it? I need to know how close I can get before the gator’s speed gets me.”
Crescent picked up a nearby branch about the length of her arm with a couple of leaves stubbornly clinging to it before handing it to Daymond with a bow. “This one. Think you can handle an alligator with it?”
Daymond swung the branch a couple of times and shook his head. “Nope. I want a different one. Also, when are you going to tell me about the Voduists? Can they control bears?”
“Probably,” Crescent’s smile faded as she looked at Camille. “Basically, we’re relying on their protected places because we don’t have a choice. Werewolves are strong, but we’re not magic users, not really. I’ve heard of some who can create barriers and stuff, but it’s always one gift per wolf. Meanwhile, the Voduists are said to be able to communicate with spirits and can do all kinds of things. They’re amazing.”
“And at least one of them is responsible for what happened to Camille,” Daymond muttered.
Crescent nodded. “Try to think of it like a video game if a werewolf is an all-purpose fighter, able to adapt and be used in different situations. Then Voduists are your mages and summoners. Sure, strength-wise. We have them beat. And we can easily outclass them in speed, even in human form. But imagine meeting one in an alleyway, thinking you have them alone, and all of a sudden, you find yourself surrounded by beings you can’t see. Beings that are older than you and were watching you long before you found that Voduist’s trail. Do you get it?”
Daymond let out a low whistle as he tried to picture that scenario. How does one deal with something they can’t see? The Weregarou was terrifying, but at least it bleeds… heck, even the zombies bled. Or, some of them, at least.
“Do you think they’ll help us? With Camille? And Dad? It’s not fair that we’re the ones getting attacked when the vampires started it.”
“I don’t know,” Crescent said sadly. “Like I said, I’m still a newcomer to this area. I don’t know enough about them to say how far they’ll be able to help. But Longnose says he’s friends with one, so that gives me hope. We’ll figure something out, Daymond. I promise. We just need to hang in there.”
He wanted to believe her. Daymond’s mind was a whirl, and he needed to believe that everything would be alright. But a part of him, the part that understood that he was a sinner first and foremost, knew that wasn’t always the case.
It hadn’t been when he saw Camille covered in bruises and crying because she didn’t know how to tell her mom what was going on between her and her boyfriend. And even though the bastard had been punished in the same courtroom that sentenced Daymond to stay at a center for smashing a bottle over his head in retaliation.
Only a few of the jury members understood why Daymond did it. And that was before he and his siblings had learned the truth about themselves. Daymond didn’t want to know what he would’ve done if he’d seen Camille like that back then, and all it would take is one quick plasma burst to do away with that scum once and for all.
He didn’t want to think about what would happen if Longnose’s friend either didn’t or couldn’t help them. Camille was a huge part of Daymond’s life. He couldn’t imagine her not getting better.
But he knew werewolves could die. He’d seen several perish during the final battle with Jean-Claude. He’d been bitten, scratched, and almost drowned since meeting his older brothers.
But the one thing he never allowed himself to imagine was a world without Camille in it. His sister needed him, but he couldn’t do anything except sit and wait. It wasn’t fair. Why did Longnose insist on taking Antione and Bernard instead of me?
Daymond leaned forward, clutching his hair hard enough to turn his knuckles white, and groaned. Crescent reached for his hands, concern filling her as Daymond scooted away until he was on Camille’s other side, away from the fire, the warmth, and safety the other wolves wanted him to feel.
It wasn’t far enough, but Daymond refused to leave his sister’s side. She needed him. No, she needed someone, anyone, to save her. But that wasn’t Daymond. He didn’t know what to do.
He couldn’t save anyone!
Crescent stayed where she was, hands raised toward him, but thankfully, she didn’t try to touch him again. He didn’t know what he would have done if she did. Instead, Crescent tried talking to him, keeping her voice calm as she asked. “What’s going on, Daymond? Please, let go of your hair and talk to me.”
“I don’t know,” he muttered, face pressing against his legs as Daymond tried to hide in his lap. It didn’t work. He didn’t feel better, and Crescent could still see him.
“What do you mean, you don’t know? It’s okay to be confused. This has been a lot for all of us”-
Daymond growled, glaring at Crescent as he spat. “How has any of this been a lot for you? Is your father missing with a bunch of vampires that’ll either kill him or your older brother over something neither of them did? Is this your sister lying here, struggling to breathe while we just sit here?!”
A hush fell across the clearing, making Daymond tense. This wasn’t the first time he’d snapped at another werewolf, but he couldn’t seem to calm down. His inner wolf was howling, demanding that Daymond do something, anything, to help Camille.
But he knew it was useless to listen to it. Daymand stared at Crescent, waiting to see her eyes harden into a glare, but she kept talking in the same calm tone. “I care about Camille, too. We all do. And we care about you and your brothers… You know that, right?”
He nodded, making her smile in relief. But Daymond still wasn’t ready to relax. He wouldn’t be able to until Camille was better and the rest of his family was safe. So, he did the only thing that he could do.
Daymond closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and counted backward from ten. It didn’t work right away. His inner wolf was howling, demanding blood and action. But Daymond remembered the advice Longnose gave him a couple of weeks ago and clung to it.
He couldn’t afford to lose control. Not here. Not while Camille needed to rest and his brothers were away. Daymond didn’t know how long he kept his eyes closed, but Crescent was still sitting on Camille’s other side.
And she was still smiling. “Do you feel better?”
“No, but I can’t think of anything else to do. I want to help her!”
“I know, but remember that standing guard is just as important as leading a hunt. I know you said you aren’t hungry, but since it doesn’t look like you’re going to sleep any time soon…”
“Only if you hit me with a rock,” Daymond joked, releasing some of the tension inside him as Crescent rose.
“Let’s not and say we did. I wouldn’t want to risk destroying a rock against your thick skull.”
“Hey,” Daymond playfully protested as Crescent wagged her finger at him.
“Don’t “hey” me. I’ve had enough of your stubbornness, pup. Since sleep is out of the question. I’m going to bring you some food. And you’re going to eat it all because Camille would be worried if she knew you weren’t eating.”
“Are you trying to use my sister to guilt-trip me?”
“No. I’m using the facts to get some sense into your puppy brain. Now sit here and behave. I’ll be back in a minute.”
Daymond opened his mouth, but Crescent was already gliding away toward the fire a few feet away from the open door. He could hear a few werewolves talking amongst themselves, but the more Daymond tried to focus on their voices, the more he realized something was wrong.
He could hear the fire crackling despite the rain still pouring, but he couldn’t hear any wildlife. Calm down. That doesn’t mean anything. Its nighttime. Most animals are asleep or hiding from the rain… It means nothing.
But he couldn’t make himself believe it. Daymond rose, just barely balancing on the balls of his feet when he heard it. A long, chilling howl cut through the quiet murmurings of the other werewolves and made the hairs on the back of Daymond’s neck rise.
He bolted toward the door as the howl came again, an excited yip emerging just before everything returned to silence. Daymond didn’t need to ask anyone what that meant. The Weregarou was back, and it knew where they were.
