Damon's P.O.V

I curl my fist to knock on Hagen's door, pausing for a moment when my ears twitch from the sound of small sniffs coming from the other side.

Guilt digs its vicious claws into my heart and squeezes, making me feel its presence throughout every inch of my body. Clenching my jaws together, I try not to let the pain consume me even though I deserved it. 

I hated seeing my family in pain above anything else, knowing I was the cause this time just made it even worse. 

I shouldn't have snapped at Hagen, should've had enough fucking control to know that Hagen wouldn't hurt Will on purpose and see that he really didn't mean for it to happen. But I didn't, like everything else, I lacked control and took it out of my little brother.

Steeling myself, for now, I tighten my fingers and let my knuckles fall to meet the thick wood.

But it never connects, instead my skin makes contact with an invisible barrier that reveals itself as a poisoned purple from the point I'd met. The entire thing lighting up like a fucking disco ball before shooting back at me with energy that dripped with magic, the force of it sending me crashing into the opposite wall. 

"Fuck!" I spit as something cracks from the impact, mind-crippling agony spreading through my spine as I slide down the wall.

I squeeze my eyes shut and try to breathe through the pain as best as I can, but something was most definitely broken. Reaching down, I press my fingers softly against my ribs, withdrawing with a curse the moment the fractured bone protested its pain. Resting my head against the wall with shortened breaths and quickly building anger, I look up at the stupid barrier that was drawing in the final strands of those electric purple veins before falling away entirely.

Hagen wasn't magical so that only left one fucking person.

"Nikola," I growl as I pull myself to my feet, using my spiralling anger to push through the pain. 

The hybrid slipped from the wall as if there was some door there that I couldn't see, his expression just as unreadable as always as he stood a few paces away from me. His grey eyes were cold as always, the presence of magic drowning out everything around us telling me right now the only people who would hear the following exchange would be the two of us.

I really didn't like this little shit.

As always, there were no hints of warmth or love to be found through the link, making it easy to forget that he was half-wolf. But at the end of the day he was wolf, didn't matter how much or to what extent he chose to connect to that side of him, he was still a fucking werewolf.

"What the fuck was that?" I snap, not bothering to reign in my anger.

It wasn't that he'd kept me from Hagen, no the fault came that he'd made an attack on me - his senior in the pack and a higher ranked wolf. Instincts scratched at the surface to put him in place physically, but he was just a kid, so words were the best I could offer... for now.

"You hurt Hagen today," He says simply, tone neutral and detached as always, "now you're hurt as well."

I blink at the kid, honest disbelief making my mind go blank as I stared at him. He stared back, nothing in his stance or expression changing beside the occasional blinking that his body forced upon him as if trying to convince me this thing was a person.

If I scared people as a kid then I really wanted to know how people felt about this one, because he took fucked up to another level.

"And where do you come into this?" I ask with narrowing eyes. "What gives you the right to come and play judge with my family's shit?"

"Hagen's my mate, it's my job to protect him." He replies calmly, that same flat-faced expression staying plastered on.

"Did this happen while I was away? Cause last I checked that was still one-sided." I reply and even though I was immature and childish to make a jab at a fucking kid, I still couldn't help the smile of satisfaction that comes when his right twitches slightly.

So he was alive...

"You left him for four months, three weeks and six days," Nikola replies, words now coming out a little more clipped than before, "For all that time, I watched him cry and scream, shout and hide under his sheets. I knew where you were, but I left you alone because I thought it'd be better for him if you came when you wanted to. Now you're back, no more than two days and you've already managed to make him cry more than when you left." 

My mouth runs dry at his words at my jaws tick slightly with aggravation, any and all responses falling away because there was nothing to stay to deter the fact that every word he'd spoken was the truth. Though I hated them and wanted to rip his fucking head off for even speaking them, they were true. 

I'd already managed to hurt my brother and I'd only just returned to fix things.

"Hagen is sensitive," He carries on, "he's too open with his feelings and he gets hurt because of them. I try to protect him from them where I can, but I know I'll never be able to keep him from the pain that comes with this family. So I'll tell you this, if you keep hurting my mate I'll have no choice but to make you feel the pain he does."

I dig my fingers into my palms to stop myself from advancing on the kid.

Calm down Damon - Theo presses quickly, but his voice was thick with his own anger. We're not going to hurt a child.

This child has one big fucking mouth - I reply through a snarl, lip curling as my canines forced their way down.

The clear threat calling to every piece of me that was alpha to make him submit and beg for forgiveness or rip his fucking throat out. Even though Theo tried to see the light, he was pacing mentally as our skin crawled with the needed to stand our ground. 

The rage was palpable and on the edge of taking over me completely, and it probably would've if I didn't force myself to think Will.

I push the image of Will to the forefront of my mind, pushing it past all the blinding fury and focusing on it with the dwindling control I had. I think about Will, my mate who'd believed me when I said I would try, who held my hand when I couldn't even find myself.

I think about how disappointed Will would be if I hurt this stupid fucking kid, force myself to hold that image in my mind and heart despite the way it burned through me. I could picture the way his etherial eyes, an enticing blend of blue and green, would fill with sadness, the way his face would fall if he saw me repeat the actions of the person I'd promised to try and grow from.

The image was enough to push the rage down to a bearable level.

I take a deep breath and retract my canines, reigning myself in as well as my impulses. Pocketing my worst thoughts and emotions in my back pocket, I let all the anger slip from my features before making my way over to the hybrid.

For a moment, I saw the way he slipped from confusion to fear, his folded arms falling down as he took a step back. I stop before him and stare down at him.

"My mate was hurt." I start with a calmer tone than I knew I even possessed. "My mind was focused on him and I didn't even stop to think why or who I was yelling at. I've come now to apologise to Hagen and explain to him what happened so he wouldn't blame himself.

Now, I don't have to explain this to you but I am, so you know that it wasn't intentional to hurt my own brother. You have no right to interfere in family affairs, even if you believe you're mates until it's confirmed, at the age of eighteen, I don't want to see you playing a hand in this family."

I hadn't intended for the alpha in me to come out, but it did, my tone rasping at the edges with the power that was locked inside of this second formed. Concealed behind calculated words and a trembling hold on emotions that threatened to get the best of me.

"Look at me," I growl and he does, the defiance in his grey eyes only flickering now as he looked up at me. He may have been one tough little bastard that was stronger than either of us probably knew, but he was still a wolf and that half of him recognised the need to respect an alpha. "I am an alpha, your future alpha... threaten me again and you will learn how it feels to have them carried out."

I let my eyes glow to follow the growl my words ended on, giving him a glimpse of the wolf he was trying to contend with. A small nod and lowered eyes came next, his submission coming much easier than I expected, reminding me that behind that blank face he was still a kid. 

Stepping back, I reign myself in allowing him to catch his breath as he raised his eyes hesitantly to mine. I had never used my strength in that manner, never controlled myself and my raw power to act in a different manner than didn't oppose my instincts, just responded in a new way.

It was strange and unfamiliar, but I think I liked it... maybe.

"Put the barrier down so I can go talk to him," I say before turning and returning to Hagen's door. 

Glancing back, I pause when I find the spot Nikola once stood empty without a single trace of the warlock besides the sharp sting to my right where my healing rib sat. 

You handled that very well Damon - Theo praises, sounding both proud and surprised. I honestly couldn't have done it any better.

I wanted to kill him - I admit as I hover outside Hagen's bedroom, mind strangely peaceful after that exchange. Like, really fucking bad.

Without the image of Will at the forefront of my mind, Nikola would've found himself bleeding on the floor.

I can't blame you, but I'm glad you didn't - Theo replies with a little squeal that warmed my heart. I'm so proud of you Damon! 

Thanks, Theo - I reply with a small smile. 

Theo had always believed that I could stop myself from acting on the instincts I'd been taught to follow, he'd always told me I could control myself but I never thought I was able to and never succeeded even when I tried my hardest. 

The only time being with Will and that was because Will was there holding me in his arms when most usually ran when I got that way, he wasn't afraid of me and that settled the storm. Now I'd done it, with his help whether he knew it or not, and Theo's unwavering support.

I couldn't ask for any better, for both a mate and an inner wolf.

Taking a deep breath, I raise my fist for a second time and let it drop to the door, half-expecting to be blown back again. But Nikola seemed to be done with me for now as the only thing that happened was that Hagen's sniffles paused on the other side.

"Come in," He calls out, his words coming out shakier than usual.

Opening the door, I peek my head inside first and immediately catch sight of Hagen sliding off the edge of his bed, hurriedly wiping the tears from his eyes to offer me a weak smile as he stood up.

"Is it okay if I come in?" I ask, knowing he wouldn't probably want to talk with the state he was in now.

"Yeah, sure." He says, brushing his hands against his pants nervously.

I slip inside his room slowly, closing the door behind me and leaning against it for a moment as I study him, my heart ripping apart in its place at the sight of my little brother.

It was clear that he'd been crying and for quite some time, his eyes were red and swollen around the edges as if he'd been rubbing it a lot. His nose was a little red as it always got when he cried, the soft sniffles still escaping him as he rubbed his hands together nervously.

"Is... um, i-is Will okay?" He asks with his full brown eyes focused on mine.

"He's fine Hagen," I reply as I push off the door and take a few steps towards him. 

I watch as Hagen nods, his shoulders slumping with relief while he let out a lungful of air I knew he was holding onto ever since the incident. His eyes were shimmering with unshed tears as he continues to nod mindlessly, watching me approach him with pure guilt in his gaze.

"I-I'm sorry Damon," He croaks just as I pull him into my arms.

I wrap my arms around him and squeeze him tight enough from him to hear my repentant heart hammering in my chest. His arms came around me just as quickly, fingers clenching onto the fabric of my shirt as he starting crying again. Releasing that ugly, full sobbing cry he reserved just for family, the one I'd usually tease him for but only served to make my chest fill with more resentment for my lack of control earlier.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you earlier," I say as I rub his back soothingly, letting him cry it out in my chest while I rested my chin on his head. "I didn't mean to lose it like that, I was just scared and I took it out on you, I'm sorry."

Hagen had always been more emotional than he let on, easy to find tears when he felt truly hurt or sad and never one to hide how he felt. He was full of feelings, especially for the pack and the family, it was what made him special and I always envied him for it. Yearning secretly to be able to feel so freely and fully like Hagen did, but it also got him into trouble when he didn't need to be.

I knew now that those feelings were drowning him in guilt and sadness, not only for hurting Will but also for hurting my mate. It wasn't like it was intentional, we all knew that but the effects of his innocent actions were undeniable. For a wolf, bringing discomfort or pain to another's mate wasn't something easy to ignore and even worse to face when it involved family.

He was suffering.

"You didn't hurt him, Hagen, not really," I say as he hugs me just a little tighter. "It wasn't your fault, Will and I both know that so don't worry about it."

"I'm sorry," He whispers hoarsely making my soul fracture a little.

"You don't need to apologize, Hagen so stop saying sorry." I insist sadly. "I'm not mad, I know I yelled and I'm sorry I got so mad at you, but I promise you I'm not mad."

Hagen pulls back enough to look up me, his sobs in full force now as he looked up at me. I expected him to be sad but not this sad and I didn't understand why he was still crying when I was telling him it was okay.

"What's wrong?" I ask with a little frown, some part of me telling me it was something more than what happened earlier. 

Hagen shakes his head, staying quiet as he shifted his gaze to his shoes instead.

"There's a hybrid willing to chop off my head if you keep crying so tell me what's wrong so I can fix it." I smile when Hagen laughs a little, his smile weak but there as he chuckled lightly. "Come on, tell me what's up."

"I got scared you'd leave," Hagen reveals softly, his gaze still cast down, preventing him from seeing how his words lashed at me like a whip. "I-I thought that you'd get mad and go again."

Fuck.

I knew now that my leaving had an effect on them, every person in the family and I was working on fixing that as they were working on fixing our relationship but... it only seemed to hurt more each time to just how deeply that pain ran in them all.

"I'm not leaving," I reply sadly, wishing I could somehow change the way things had panned out. "I promise you guys I'm not going anywhere. Even if I get mad for real, I'm not leaving the way I did, I won't do that again okay?"

Hagen nods slowly but his eyes defied it, those brown eyes telling me too clearly that he didn't believe me and I didn't have a single clue what I could say to convince him otherwise.

"Look, Hagen, Will's going to explain what happened today, to you and the others," I carry on as I run a hand through my hair. "He's not the best with sharing so listen when he's talking and know he'd not mad at you. Okay?"

"Okay," Hagen says, his tears finally coming to a stop. "Can you give me a few minutes to get my shit together?"

I laugh at that, rubbing the top of his head and giving him a little shover. Hagen smiled, offering me that beaming grin of his that reached his eyes and I knew he'd be just fine. He was just scared and I'd calm those fears with time.

"Don't take too long," I say as I walk back to the door.

"Damon," Hagen calls just after my fingers slide over the smooth metal of the doorknob, glancing back I raise a questioning brow? "I really like Will, he was really cool to talk to... ya know, before I fucked it up."

"He likes you too," I reply with a smile I couldn't hide if I tried. 

Leaving Hagen to his own devices, I make my way back to my room where I'd left Will, stopping on the way there when a certain white bunny hops his way over with way too much eagerness. Bending down, I swoop Mr.Fluff up in my arms and carry on my way to my mate.

"Blaze really missed you," I whisper as I rub a lazy finger down his spine as he snuggled up to me. "He won't show it when he sees you, but he missed you a lot."

Mr.Fluff only looks up at me, kind wide eyes completely opposing Blaze's usually harsh and knowing ones. Sometimes I imagined they were like Peter and I, Mr.Fluff to trusting and innocent for his own good and Blaze a miserable fuck that just needed a few snuggles.

"I'm taking you to meet my mate, promise you'll be nice." I continue as I approach my bedroom door, pushing it open just as Mr.Fluff blinked back at me, a response I chose to take as a show of agreement. 

Will glances at the door immediately, his body relaxing the moment he recognised it to be me, an easy smile coming onto his face. It hurt a little, to know he was still on edge in the house, I didn't blame him of course since he didn't know my family, but I wish he wasn't as tense here as he was on the other side.

But that'd take time and I'd be patient.

"Is that a bunny?" Will asks as he makes his way over to me with the most adorable frown.

"His name is Mr.Fluff," I inform as he stops before me, tiptoeing to study Peter's best friend.

"I'm telling Blaze you're cheating on him," Will says with a smirk, shaking his head with mock disappointment. "I really wish I wasn't dating such a whore."

"Shut up, he's Peter's," I reply as I look back at Mr.Fluff before holding him out for Will. "Hold him."

"No thanks, I'll probably drop him and something tells me I don't want to see Peter mad." Will giggles, raising a single finger to scratch him at the same spot he did Blaze when Blaze was sleeping and didn't know it was his nemesis touching him. "At least he's healthy."

"You're an asshole and I'd like you to know that I truly hate you," I reply seriously but Will only smiles that precious smile that made me feel like I was standing under the sun, soaking in its light and grace. 

"I love you too," He replies as he steps onto his toes to kiss my cheek. 

I close my eyes and savour this moment, letting myself enjoy the feeling of my mate so close, his heart full of love for me just as mine overflowed with adoration for him. There was still so much pain to face, but at this moment, it was just Will and me, just our love and it made me weak in the best way.

It made me weak in the ways he made me strong.

"How did the talk with Hagen go?" He asks once his pulls back, those tender eyes holding me captive as he waited for an answer.

"Not as well as I wanted it too," I reply honestly, bending down to put Mr.Fluff down and letting my feet take me around my room. "He's still really shaken up about it, I apologized but it didn't seem to do much."

"He's mad at you?"

"No, just scared," I reply as I look up my collection of knives, wanting to make a few new ones to work out all of this stress from my bones. "He said... he thought I was going to leave again. I explained it to Josey but I think I'll have to explain to the others why I even left in the first place."

"You don't have to do all this immediately," Will says as he joins my side, wrapping his arms around my left one before resting his head against me. "We've only been here for two days, it may end up worse than you left it if you rush to fix it all."

"It's all so fucked up," I reply with a sigh. "Let's just go get this over with so this at least doesn't happen again."

"Sounds like a plan," Will agrees with a smile stronger than I knew he felt inside. "Hopefully the whole blind thing doesn't freak them out."

"Are you sure you're ready to talk to them about that?" I ask carefully. "It took you much longer to tell me."

"They'll find out eventually, no use postponing the inevitable," He replies with a helpless shrug. "It's better to get it out now, while I'm telling them about to touching thing. Two birds, one stone and all that."

"If you're sure," I reply and he nods. "In that case, I'm a little offended it took you so long to tell me."

Will laughs, face filling with joy as he shoves me away.

"Clearly I favour your family over you," He replies over his shoulder. "I would say it's nothing personal but clearly it is."

I watch as he disappears into the bathroom, laughter still rolling off his lips as he went. I let a smile pull from my lips, let it send a ripple of happiness down my spine and sink into the warmth of my mate and everything that came with him.

The feeling only grew when I thought of him wearing my mark.

I send a silent word of thanks to Goddess for providing me with such light in my life when I didn't deserve to have it and pray to her to let me hang onto it forever.

------------

William's P.O.V

I stare blanking at Damon's family who were all seated in a perfect row, still and ready, like school children facing their worst teacher.

I couldn't tell if it helped to have them have all their attention trained on me or if it just made this all a little harder.

As the feeling of six pairs of eyes running over me settled in, I quickly came to my decision, definitely made it harder.

Damon was at my side, as always, holding my hand with an iron grip that promised that he would be with me every step of the way. It made things easier, he always made things just a little easier.

And I when I really thought about it, this should've been something easy for me. I wasn't admitting to some heinous crime or revealing a secret identity, I was telling them about me and though it scared me, I'd faced worse times and even worst situations, I could get my way through this.

Alright, fuck it.

"I am partially blind," I say ripping the bandaid off, allowing myself to scream internally at the raw pain it caused. "I can't tell how any of you are reacting to that, not really, because everything I see is represented in blurry images that don't show much."

The room stays quiet. 

No little gasps or horrified hands raising to cover mouths, just quiet as they all sat there and looked at me for me. I guessed they probably wore some look of pity or sadness, one I was grateful I didn't have to see so I just carried on.

"I wasn't born this way and it's not something I'm getting used to. My eyesight changed a couple months ago due to a.. um... d-due to an... unfortunate incident and there's nothing to be done about it.

The only thing I can see clearly is Damon, and that's when we touch. I know now it has to do with us being mates and him being magical, but yeah he's the only one I can see and the only one I can touch.

When other people touch me, I don't react well. It feels uncomfortable to put it lightly and I react in different ways but it's always bad. Hives, panic attacks, or vomiting like what happened today," I glance quickly at Hagen but his head was cast down with susceptible shame. "I don't blame you for what happened today Hagen, you didn't know so it's okay and I'm fine now so please don't feel bad."

He raises his head a little, and I quickly offer him a smile, trying to portray forgiveness as best as I can through it.

"I'm telling you all this to avoid it happening again, I should've said something earlier but it's not a topic I like talking about. Since it's one I don't like, I'm throwing in the blind part as well because who doesn't like two for one specials."

Some of the tension eases it's way out of me when everyone else chuckles at that comment.

"I really don't want your pity or you treating me any differently because I'm closer to a bat than I would like." I continue while rubbing my hands together in front of my chest. "I understand mistakes can happen, I won't get mad if they do because those are inevitable. I only ask that you carry on as before and avoid skin to skin contact with me as best as you can."

I let my hands fall to my jeans, they smack down against them with a clapping sound that echoed through the house.

Looking back, I may have sped through that whole conversation and made it completely one-sided, but at least it was over now and I wouldn't have to talk about it again.

Damon slips his hand from mine to wrap his arm around my shoulder, pulling me a little closer to his as his hand rubbed the skin there gently.

I sink into his touch with a sigh, grateful beyond all hell that he was in my life. 

"Will can see best when it's bright around and he does well with bright clothes," Damon announces and for some reason the serious tone he used to translate that information made me laugh.

He really was the sweetest.

The large family exchange glances in the seats before they all nod in unison, stand and walk away. I watch, completely baffled, as they leave the room without a single word.

Well that went well.... I guess.

My mind reels as I look up at Damon who only shrugs despite the tiniest grin peeking at the corners of his mouth. That only made me more confused because what the actual fuck was going on.

Did they have nothing to say? Was I being subjected to the silent treatment now? Was that it? Were the writing me off now?

What, where they able to stomach me basically turning their son gay but finding out that I was blind and basically allergic to touching was the final straw?

My brains illogical thoughts come to a stop when they all reemerge into the room, each wearing entirely new outfits, bright clothing covering their skin from head to toe making my breath catch in my throat.

They stop before us, looking at me with small smiles that were impossible for my eyesight to ignore, even as my eyes welled with tears.

"Thank you for telling us about this part of yourself Will," Damon's father, Julian says as he scratches a long finger at the collar of his new turtleneck. "We'll try to keep it as bright as possible for you, not just in this house but around the pack as well."

"We've got great night vision as wolves and the witches here have always made there own source of light when travelling at night, so we've never really bothered with street lights around the main roads throughout our lands." He continues before looking to his husband who nods quickly at him. "We'll get to installing some sort of light system for you first thing tomorrow, so you can see around the pack, no matter the time."

My heart creaks and strains against the tight rope I'd wrapped around it, trying with effort to escape the knots of distrust and binds of fear I'd locked it under.

These people, who didn't know me or owe me anything we willing to do so much for me with absolutely no gain to be found for them in doing so.

Yeah, it may have been to get them in better standing with Damon but in this moment I didn't care if that was their true reasons for doing this. Even though my mind tried to warn me, my heart was filling and threatening to burst at the force of the emotions brewing inside of me.

This was kindness, this was compassion and I felt like falling apart feeling it from someone other than Damon.

"Thank you," I manage, my voice undeniably shaky as I wiped away the streaks of tears that fell silently. "Thank you so much... you have no idea how much this means to me."

They all smile, opening their arms to hug before freezing and quickly dropping their hands. 

I was the first to laugh, relieving them from any guilt and soon they joined in too, filling the room with joy and happiness.

I smiled and laughed, actually laughed because I was happy right now and it wasn't just that Damon's family was proving to be amazing at every angle.

It was because Damon fucking loved me more than anyone else in this world could even try to.

I knew that without a doubt because they were all wearing neon.

---------------

My heart actually retired because this shit is just too fucking cute!!!!!!

Thoughts???????????

If you didn't get the neon part, back in the beginning when Damon asked about Will's eyesight, he said at the end of the conversation that he would wear neon. Since Will sees better with bright clothes and stuff and he basically told them to wear neon through the link.

It was just a little circle of cuteness that actually had me squirming.

Anyway, I hope you liked the chapter - comment and vote all thoughts.

What did we think about Hagen and Nikola scenes? I think Nikola will grow into a fucking sexy man and I can't wait.

Well, I love you all

Until next time,
Byeeeeeee humansssssss