MY DARLING DAREDEVIL

Before it began

Daciana paled at the words of Aziza. Her ears turned hot and for a moment, she thought she had gone deaf or her hearing was no longer working anymore. But when she saw the colours on Damon’s face disappear as well, she realised that she had truly heard correctly. Even after Aziza left the house in a fit of rage, it still took them a long time to come back from the state of confusion and hurt that she had put them through. The staff did not understand what was happening, since it was a supernatural affair that they were clueless about but they knew that whatever they were talking about was bad especially because of the deadly look and feel that wiped against their skin after Damon’s dead and hurtful expression changed.

The air around the house was tense and it remained stiff and toxic. Holding their breath was better than taking in the toxic air that would slowly kill them in a slow and tormenting way.

Damon did not take his eyes away from where Aziza had just stood moments ago. Those words had struck him like a silver bullet. His heart had shattered within him and his demons wailed in pain. Their whimpers filled his ears and arched his heart till the pain spread and made his chest hot and uncomfortably stiff. It became hard to breathe and each breath he took was more like poison. His heart burned with the pain of her words and spread through his veins so quickly, they popped against his skin in greenish and dark lines. Unable to take the pain from breathing, he held his breath again, to take away the poison that was slowly eating up from inside him, the poison that she had infected him with. But those words replayed in his head over and over and over and over again till his legs grew weak and his body shook violently.

“Why is this hurting?” tears crept to the back of his eyes and burned him till he realised the feeling within him.

The idea of having a mate was strange to him, he had even rejected it for he never liked to be controlled and would definitely not want to feel that way because of a myth hovering above the supernatural community and realm that he had not even accepted yet. He was not a robot that could be mechanically made to love someone simply because a goddess said so. He had a right to choose, because he was human and would never be any different. But then he realised that he was only deceiving himself. Doctor Morris was right, Aziza was right, he was truly not human and pretending about it was not going to make the mate that suddenly appeared in his life disappear. He was livid just at the very thought of having one, but when he saw Aziza face to face. All his emotions, his restraints, his annoyance and argument disappeared. The woman in front of him had always made him feel magical, to feel different, to feel free and so suddenly nothing mattered. He could in fact make do with the idea of having her as a soul mate for the demons in him were rejoicing in ecstasy and strangely, his heart loved the idea. He wondered if she could feel the same thing that he felt and would only have jumped out of his skin if she had confirmed it.

She did, but she rejected him. Aziza’s words, sharp, wicked, painful and like the two-edged sword pierced his heart again, filling him with pain, a feeling he did not understand. Why would he feel pain for a woman who was simply a protector? He had not even accepted the concept of having a mate and he was crying over one that didn’t want him. That thought eased the pain within him and a hard look replaced the dumbstruck one he had.

How dare she? Who did she think she was to say something like that to him? He didn't even know her, he didn’t even want her. His pride was greatly tarnished and a bit of him still burned with the pain but he masked it. He had no right to feel pain from her words, because her words meant nothing. Nothing at the very least. He was a means to an end, she was also a means to an end. Without her, he might have probably been dead, but if she was protecting him, her service would be greatly required and he could simply pay her for it.

Unable to hold this mixed feeling within him anymore, he balled his hand into a fist and turned to the stairs. Just as he was about to take a walk towards it, Daciana's voice called out to him slowly. He halted on his movement, but he did not turn around.

“I will talk to her, she didn’t mean that,” Daciana tried to get the situation under control. After all, it was all her fault that things had turned out the way they did. She just never expected Aziza to act so coldly and wicked towards a mate who she would only have once in a lifetime. Damon might have as many but for Aziza. No one even knew what she was, so no one knew if she would ever have a mate again. She was rather fortunate in the eyes of Daciana. Aziza was simply not of one faction, she was not like a single species with a family, a pack of wolves or a community of witches. She was considered an abomination because no was like her and she was the first of her kind. The kind that would be exterminated from the face of the world once the supes get her. She had found a mate, how miraculous it was for the gods to look down on her and bless her with a true blood as a mate. Yet she had openly rejected him. Though it was not the kind that would sever their love or the mate bond. It was rather a warning for each of them to stay within their boundaries. But she had gone too far for absolutely nothing. When Damon said nothing, Daciana could only consider the worst scenario possible. He might rip her apart for blurting out things that she shouldn’t have said. She only thought that they were already in a good place and didn’t even realise that the other person did not know.

“I will really talk to her,” she added again in her own way to encourage the prince before her. Still, he said nothing, anger and pain were slowly clouding him and making him see nothing but darkness. The kind that would consume him and anyone close by.

“I will be leaving now, Russel might be looking for me,” she continued nervously and turned to the door. The atmosphere was growing tense and tense and the chills she was feeling was soon going to stop her blood from flowing. Moreover, she didn’t want to face his wrath, so running seemed to be the best thing. Nervously, she took light steps, hoping that she would not make too much noise with her movement and even went further to hold her breath and her racing heart.

“Is she going to Russel too?” Damon suddenly blurted out. His voice was rigid and the coldness that came from the depth of his throat seemed to have frozen time and her body as well. He was angry, he was hurt beyond words. He hated Aziza, he hated himself and every other thing that had taken place within a space of one day, within weeks after he met Aziza. Still, at the mention of Russel, he became even more tense and agitated. Especially because he remembered what Daciana had said about Russel. He was still yet to find out the truth but he would rather that Aziza stay away from her uncle. He gnashed his teeth together for even caring for her.

Daciana sighed in relief at Damon’s wicked response. But at least, he cared and with that, she knew that things were somewhat okay.

“Yes, she might,” she responded in a more cheerful tone. Damon wanted to tell her to keep Aziza safe. To warn her about her uncle, to mind who she trusted. In general, he was about to order Daciana to be a spy, an agent, a body guard that would keep her safe. But her words replayed in her head again. The pain within him resurrected mightily and his demons whimpered. She had said it all, he didn’t have to care, he didn’t have to show concern and he certainly did not have to meddle in her life just as she did with hers. She could go to hell if she wanted.

“Daciana,” he called out to the woman who did not understand the situation clearly.

“I have nothing with Aziza. If she wants to be a guard, she can go on. I will send her money for her service and I will send a contract down to her,” he spoke rigidly. His voice was void of emotion or an impending storm. And for that moment, it was over even before it began.