Free Web NovelChapter 146: A Funeral For My Youth I
"...And how would you know that?" Damon asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Because he brought me there," I said in one quick breath, and Damon’s face immediately blackened faster than the sky during a summer storm. He looked like he was about to rip the door handles off Doctor Thomas’s door and beat someone to death with them.
Hopefully, it wasn’t me, but since Doctor Thomas was already dead, I was probably the only living target he could vent his rage at, especially if he deemed me responsible for the issue with the machine. I was his fated mate, but Blaise was his twin brother, another half of his soul.
If it came down to it, who would Damon choose? I did not have the confidence to pick myself.
"He brought you there," Damon repeated, his gaze becoming increasingly stony with every word that fell from his lips. "So, you mean to say, you actually agreed to travel with him to an undetermined location, despite my warnings that there were these bloodsuckers on the loose? You, with no wolf and no weapon? Harper, are you suicidal or out of your goddamn mind?"
Damon’s voice echoed loudly through the house, his rage so overwhelming that he didn’t realize he was screaming at the end. I could feel it resonating deep inside me, causing me to feel intense shame for my actions. It felt like I had disappointed my mate.
But then again, Damon didn’t know the whole story. Since things have already gotten to this point, I might as well tell him the truth.
"I wasn’t out of my mind. I was looking for information about my mother!"
Damon paused, his tone incredulous. "Isn’t your mother already dead? What else is there to know?"
"Yes, my mother died when I was a young child, but she was definitely murdered," I said, sorrow coloring my voice, but I quickly cleared my throat. That was not the main point, and Damon might be upset with me for digressing. "But Gus managed to get his hands on her old necklace. Look― it’s the one I’m wearing now."
I lifted it up for Damon to take a closer look. The ruby glinted under the light, almost mockingly.
Damon scoffed, his fingers twitching as though he longed to pull the necklace free from my neck and chuck it into the horizon.
"How do you know this is not a fake?" Damon demanded. "The ruby is pretty enough, but it could simply be a fake. Counterfeit goods are everywhere. And as you said, he’s a vampire. How can you trust it?"
"There’s an engraving etched in the back. It’s the same one my mother showed me before." I flipped the pendant over so Damon could read the words inscribed at the back if he so wished.
"Argentum Luna," Damon read out, a furrow forming between his eyebrows. "Silver moon?"
"She was meant to be my father’s luna, but she was a human, so..." I shrugged, "he decided it was more worth it to marry someone else other than his mate."
"Weak," Damon grumbled under his breath, his gaze catching my eyes. "The Moon Goddess never makes mistakes."
Against my better judgment, I felt my heart flutter at his words. I hastily squashed them down, because this was not the right time nor place for me to catch feelings, even if Damon seemed to be softening his stance towards me. Despite my actions and deception, he didn’t seem like he was going to toss me out of the pack with nothing but the clothes on my back.
"Right," I coughed slightly, "Anyway, I was very curious to know how he got his hands on this necklace. The last time I saw it, I was four years old and this necklace was still on my mother’s neck when she died. If you were me, wouldn’t you jump at the chance to find out more?"
Damon closed his eyes and heaved out a sigh. He didn’t need words to respond; I could feel his rage slowly diminishing like puddles evaporating in the warm sun.
"I didn’t exactly want to go with him, but then you called and mentioned that there were vampires and you wanted me back at Fangborne before nightfall. Without his truck, I would never be able to go there and make it back in time."
"So it’s my fault now?" Damon crossed his arms and arched an eyebrow. "I made you get into the truck with him, is that it?" fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com
"No! I’m not blaming you, I’m just saying that it is what it is," I said in a conciliatory tone, holding my hands up in a placating manner. I did not want to start another fight. "Anyway, we went to the house and I found a picture of my mother, along with the silver urn."
I quickly rummaged through my bag and unfolded the photo of my mom for Damon to see.
Damon stared at the picture for a long moment, and then finally glanced back at me. His voice was surprisingly gentle. "You look a lot like her. Both of you are beautiful."
"Thanks," I said quietly, a flush crawling up my face at Damon’s sudden, unexpected sincerity.
My eyes started to burn with unshed tears. Not many people mentioned my resemblance to my mother since they don’t want to remember her to begin with. Those that actually did, did not mean it as a compliment.
I blinked hurriedly to clear my vision.
"So, you see, I had to go with him. I couldn’t not do it," I said pleadingly, willing Damon to understand things from my point of view. "I never even got a proper photo of my mother, or any keepsake of her before meeting Gus."
"Harper, I cannot fault you for wanting to know more about your mother, but I have a question and I need you to answer honestly," Damon ordered, his gravelly voice causing goosebumps to form all over my skin.
"I’ll do my best," I said.
Damon stared into my eyes, his gaze boring into my very soul, compelling me to nod in agreement. "If you had full knowledge that Gus was a vampire and he meant Fangborne ill, would you still have agreed to go with him if he promised you more information about your mother?"
