Blessing of Luna (Wolfgods Book 1) by Blaise Ramsay (best books under 200 pages .TXT) 📗

yes, wouldn't miss it! Damien, welcome, my boy! You want your usual?” Damien's eyes met Rayna's as she smiled, her fangs slightly showing him what Jill was asking of them. Betsy did the same though hers were more aged.

When they walked out, Damien was dumbfounded. He never even realized that Betsy and Rayna were different. They acted so…normal.

“Who else? I would have never suspected Betsy or Rayna.”

“Many more, Damien. Spence, Kyle, a few of your professors. How else did you think Gabriel knew you were in the science hall when Lilith attacked you? Professor Hanson is a lycan elder. He's been at that school since it opened.”

The school in question opened in the fifties and was much smaller then. It would mean Hanson was well over fifty.

Christ, Damien didn't know anything about these people either.

Jill took him all over town, introducing him to multiple people he knew. Some from his childhood turned out to be lycans.

“So, they weren't looking at me because they thought I was a freak, they were looking at me because you asked them to protect me.” Damien had been wrong. So wrong.

“Yes. Most of the population here save for about twenty-five percent of them are lycans. We all work together to protect each other. When you came back, I sent out a chain howl to tell them. Even when we're not in wolf form, we can understand the call.”

The sun sank below the horizon line, announcing the hour of twilight.

“We need to head to the woods’ edge. You probably know it. It’s off an old trail now closed to the public. From there we walk to Holt’s camp and then to the sacred site. This is much like the equivalent of a human birthday, Damien. I probably should warn you that some of the pups can be kind of...intuitive. They may ask some strange questions. When you meet an elder or one of the chain of command, lower your eyes. It's a sign of respect to them. Gabriel and Kain usually don't do it at the gym because not only lycans use the gym during the day. I'll tell you more the closer we get.”

****

The drive out to the wood’s edge was so long Jill had advised Damien to get some rest since he would need it when they got there.

“We're here.” Jill ran her hand through Damien’s hair to wake him.

The hike from the wood’s edge to the encampment reminded Damien of the hikes he and Rob often went on. When he got tired, Jill sat with him to let him catch his breath only to help him up to continue.

What Damien saw once they finally arrived at the encampment was unlike anything he'd ever seen. Kids that appeared human ran around with what looked to him like puppies. They seemed to be arguing over a toy as if they spoke the same language.

A large gray wolf bared its fangs at them, barking. They stopped in their tracks and lowered their heads in submission. When they saw Damien, they began eyeing him curiously.

Jill picked one of them up and whispered in his ear. The little one chuckled and ran off towards a large brown wolf who was sleeping next to the fire. She looked up at Damien, her orange eyes watching him.

“Damien! Welcome to my pack. Nice to finally get to meet you. I’ve heard so much about you.” Holt's voice was full of excitement to see he was there. He embraced Damien, almost crushing him.

Remembering what Jill said about lowering his eyes, Damien spoke to Holt. “Thank you, sir.”

Holt let out a hearty laugh. “No need for formalities, my friend. Anyone that is the mate of Jillian Styles lowers his eyes to no one. The legendary lycan has all of our respect, it is an honor to have you here.”

“Mate? Wait, I’m not…” A hard hit on his back made him choke on his own breath.

“No need to be shy. We all know what’s going on. Jill’s clearly courting you, it’s no secret.” Holt continued patting Damien’s back, his arm going around his neck.

“My alpha, Damien is my boyfriend, not my mate. I wasn’t going to tell him I was courting him until Christmas.” Jill addressed Holt, a hint of embarrassment in the form of a blush fell across her face.

“Whoops, guess I gave it away. Sorry about that. Congratulations, Mr. Pierce, you’ve successfully done what most of us couldn’t.” Holt released Damien, walking away still laughing.

Jill helped Damien back to his feet. “Apologies for that. Holt is a bit forward.”

Damien didn’t say anything. Not only could he still not breath from the hard hits Holt administered but he was shocked to learn that Jill had apparently been courting him. Whatever that meant.

“Friends! Sons of Tenebris, daughters of Luna, we have two very special individuals among us. Jillian Styles, the lycan of legend has graced us with her presence. She brings with her, her mate, Damien Pierce. You will show them honor, you will show them respect and dignity or you will answer to the alphas among you. Alexander Kain, Gabriel Locke or myself.” Howls joined claps and hollers as the lycans acknowledged Holt's speech.

Jill shook her head, taking Damien’s hand. “We have some time, would you like to see one of my favorite places? Don’t worry about what Holt said.”

“Uh, sure. Jill, what does courting mean? To a lycan. I know to humans, it’s dating but what is it to you?” Damien asked, a bit nervous as to what her answer would be.

“It’s almost the same. Only for us, it’s when we’re intending to take the one we’re courting as our mate. I really wasn’t going to say anything until Christmas. Holt just beat me to it.”

Damien wasn’t sure what he thought. He loved Jill, that much he knew but all of