THE SERUM

DAMON'S POV

"What are you thinking about Morgana?" I haven't called her pet in seven days. I can tell she likes the new change given the way her face lights up every time I call her by her name. It's almost cute.

"Nothing master." She replies quietly from her cage. I don't believe her.

"Don't lie to me." I state, raising a brow as I continue staring at her.

"I was thinking about my parents." I still don't believe her. Why is she lying to me?

I crease my brows, a frown forming on my forehead as I stare keenly at her. I open my mouth to ask her not to lie to me again but then I decide to play along with her instead.

Clearing my throat, I walks towards my king-sized bed, getting comfortable as I fall to my back on it.

"Do you miss them?" I ask, a faint smirk on my face she can't see. A silly question I know, but I'm bored and stressed and need someone to taunt.

"I do." She answers simply. I can hear the pain in her voice. I should probably stop, but I have a thing for hurting people weaker than me.

"Do you hate me for it? For their deaths I mean." I walk towards her cage, wanting to se the pain on her face as I taunt her.

She raises her head, her almond-shaped eyes staring deep into mine. If looks could kill, I'd be dead by now. I like it. She has this monster inside of her. She tries to hide it, but I can sense it whenever I'm around her.

"Mmmh." A growl escapes my throat as I nod my head in amusement.

"You talk in your sleep sometimes you know." Her eyes grow even wider at my statement. "You're always dreaming about them."

"Tell me. how does it feel? To relive that moment every night. To se your parents getting burned right in front of you over and over again. How does it feel Morgana?"

"Go to hell." She blurts out in the most hateful way I've ever hard her speak. I must have hit a nerve. Good.

As she continues staring at me, water pools her vision as she holds herself back from crying. I can feel the anger seeping out of her.

"There it is. That fire." I say tauntingly, lowering myself in front of her to get a better view of her pain.

"I ask myself sometimes just when you're going to let it burn. But then again, you're just a puny human. There's very little you can do."

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I shouldn't feel bad about what I did. She's a slave. She's a pet. This guilt that I feel, it's not normal. Since I left her in there, in my room, my thoughts have been taunting me.

Why do I feel bad about it?

I pace around the garden as thoughts of how Morgana must be feeling invade my mind.

"He's ready for you Alpha." Reece says to me as he falls to the ground on one knee, bowing his head in respect. I gave the scientist thirty days to produce serum. It hasn't been thirty days yet but I guess he has been working extra hard. I trust Reece enough so I put him in charge of the scientist.

"Thank you, Reece. You may go." Finally, some good news to get my mind off Morgana.

I walk fast, taking long strides towards the room where we keep the scientist. Two werewolves guarding his door bow at my arrival and one of them takes out huge keys, unlocking the doors keeping the scientist in.

"Where is it?" I say barging in, impatience in my voice.

"Two bottles Alpha." He falls to his knees holding the small bottles in his palms. "As promised."

"Rise." I say as I gently take the serum out of his hands. I open them and take a sniff of their content and my pupils dilate as a faint but powerful energy surges through me. He wasn't lying when he said the serum he would make would be more powerful.

"You have done good work Scientist. You have lived up to my expectations. You have permission to make one request." I speak slowly moving towards him.

"A reasonable request." I say slowly lowering my head to meet his gaze to remind him he can't ask for his freedom.

He looks at me hesitantly, probably contemplating his next works in fear of saying something that might nerve me.

"I would like to go out once in a while Master. Feel the sun on my face, interact with nature. I feel suffocated in here, I'm all alone. So if it's okay with you…"

"No. It's too risky." I immediately refuse turning my back at him ready to leave the room. "You are too valuable and not many know about you. It would be a huge risk to leave you roaming around like that so no. That would be all."

"Master please." His voice stops me from opening the door. "I'll do anything. I'll work extra hard on more serum."

He begs falling to his knees. Tears forming in his eyes already. Pathetic.

"Three days. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. You will be in charge of cleaning my personal garden. No one ever goes there except my brothers, my slave and Reece. You will be accompanied by guards always and you will have a curfew. That should be good enough."

He falls to his knees thanking me as I leave his little prison. I shouldn't be letting him out of those four walls but he has earned it. If he makes even one mistake or tries to betray me, I will lock him up somewhere so far and so deep he will never see the light of day again.

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"We couldn't have this meeting tomorrow? It's late Damon." Colton complains from his seat in our meeting room.

Ryder sits quietly in his chair knowing very well I wouldn't have summoned them if it weren't important.

"I wouldn't have called you here if it wasn't important Colton." I say irritation laced in my voice. Does he think he's the only one tired? I've been up all day and Morgana's sad face is still taunting me.

What is this? This isn't a good time for me to be growing a heart. I'm the leader of the most powerful nation in the world. I need to be focused.

"What is this about Damon?" Ryder asks in a serious tone, leaning forward as he rests his elbows on the huge table.

I reach into my robe and grab the two bottles of serum the scientist gave me and place the on the space in front of me.

Colton straightens his shoulders, excitement and a hunger for power in his eyes as he stares at the liquid in front of him.

Ryder just gives me a bored look. As expected of him.

"Is that what I think it is? It hasn't been thirty days yet." Colton says.

"The scientist delivered. We have serum once more. If the vampire lord is still alive by any means, we have protection against him and whatever is left of his army."

Colton reaches out to grab one of the bottles but I quickly pull them away from him.

"What do you think you're doing?" I ask him in an irritated tone.

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm taking my share." He says aggressively.

"I'm not going to let you waste it Colton. There is no reason for you to take the serum now. When the time comes, you shall have your share. Till then, I'll hold on to the serum. I just wanted to let you both know we now have protection."

I explain hoping it gets through that thick skull of his.

"Well, that's fine by me." Ryder says letting out a deep sigh as he stands making his way out of the meeting room. "Good night brothers."

There's tension in the room, Colton shooting bullets at me with his eyes.

"The decision is final Colton." I say challenging him. I'm the Alpha and what I say goes. Colton is always unreasonable.

"Fine Alpha." He says with a low growl and exits the room.

I let out a huge sigh, my chest rising and falling as I try to relax my nerves.

For some reason I'm reluctant to go back to my room tonight.