Dashing towards the grim enclosure, a wave of turmoil flooded Lauren's heart as she gazed upon the devastation before her. "Damien, what's wrong?" she implored, her voice heavy with solemn concern, tears shimmering in her eyes.
This was not the Damien she knew—aloof, elegant, obscenely wealthy, and dashingly handsome. He had always held an air of regal poise, a contrasting charm beneath his enigmatic veil as an Englishman, and the complexities of his vampiric nature. To witness him now, ensnared in the suffocating embrace of darkness within his own home, unfolded a profound sorrow within her.
Chains bound him in a cruel mockery of imprisonment, the only piece of cloth on him was just a gray pant, his ripped physique glistening in the dim light. It was a sight that both startled and shattered her.
Suddenly, Damien's gaze snapped towards her, his fangs elongating and his talons sharpening. A sense of difference pervaded his entire being, a transformation that felt incomprehensible.
His attention swung towards the chains, as if encountering them for the very first time. In a startling display of desperation, he began frantically wrenching against his confinements, his talons plunging into his flesh, sowing dark-red pool of blood upon the ground.
Paralyzed by horror, Lauren stood witness to a surreal fevered frenzy, unable to fathom what was happening in front of her. Sensing her approach, Damien jerked his head in her direction, his voice grating and hoarse as he uttered the warning, "Stay back." It was a command, tinged with a filled desperation that resonated with an unfamiliar, haunting tone.
Damien stood at the apex of the blood rage, an ancient affliction that clouded his mind with untamed fury. He could have easily failed to recognize her, but amidst the chaos, her natural lavender body scent wafted through the air, unmistakable and evocative. Even in his feral state, he knew it was her.
Her trembling hands plunged into the depths of her leather jacket, retrieving a small device. Her fingers danced over the familiar surface as she dialed a number. The receiver picked up after a single ring.
"Lauren," Derek's voice crackled through the line, a lifeline of its own, "I found Damien, he's - he's here," she stammered, her words hanging in the air like whispered secrets.
"Where's 'here'?" Derek's voice was composed.
"He's here in his house," she replied, her voice carrying the weight of the truth.
"We are coming," Derek declared with resolute determination, and the line went silent as he hung up.
A few tense minutes passed, and the familiar ringtone pierced the silence once again. "We are here, where are you?" Derek's urgency was palpable through the phone.
"Oh," she gasped, a sudden realization dawning upon her; she hadn't provided specifics about their exact location within Damien's home.
"In his room, there is a small frame beside his bed. Touch it, and a hidden door will reveal itself in the wall behind you. Enter the lift, it will take you underground to where we are," she hurriedly instructed before ending the call.
She stole one last fleeting glance at Damien, a tumult of emotions swirling within her, before dashing off to meet their allies, ready to guide them to Damien's side.
After what felt like an eternity, a group consisting of Derek, Damon, Venessa, and Serafina followed in her wake, their footsteps echoing through the corridors as they navigated the twists and turns of the underground basement. They arrived at the cage where Damien was held captive, their eyes locking onto his frenzied form.
As soon as they caught sight of him, their resolve solidified, and they surged towards the enclosure. Damien had succumbed once more to violence, his struggles against the chains a haunting symphony of desperation and inner turmoil, each movement a battle cry against the chains that sought to contain his primal nature.
"Why is he like this?" Lauren's voice quivered with a blend of concern and fear, her gaze locking onto Damien's tormented form.
"I knew this would happen," Derek intoned solemnly, his footsteps carrying him near as he inspected Damien from outside the confines of the cell.
"Come with me, and I will tell you," Derek urged, but Lauren hesitated, reluctant to leave Damien even for a moment.
"Don't worry, we aren't leaving him," Derek reassured, his gentle touch coaxing her away from Damien and guiding her toward an area that resembled a sitting room in the dimly lit basement.
"Why is he like this?" Lauren's inquiry tumbled from her lips as she settled into a seat, her eyes searching for answers amidst the disarray of emotions that filled the room.
"Here," Venessa offered, handing her a glass of water, which Lauren accepted gratefully, the cool liquid providing a fleeting moment of respite before she turned her gaze back to Derek, her expression a mix of anticipation and dread.
"He is experiencing another phase of the blood rage, one that we aren't familiar with," Derek began, his words hanging heavy in the air like an ominous specter.
"What do you mean, another phase? I thought the blood rage only occurs on the day of the blood moon?" Lauren's confusion and concern intertwined in her hesitant question.
"Well, yes, the day of the blood moon last month was the day you were kidnapped. He locked himself up in one of the cells he created, not his usual one. We were waiting outside, as we always do, in case his blood rage that night became too strong and he tried to break free. We were prepared to collectively restrain him until the blood moon was over," Derek explained, his tone tinged with a somber weight.
"Everything had been proceeding smoothly for centuries. But as soon as he heard about your kidnapping, he shattered the door during his last blood rage," Damon interjected, his voice piercing the heavy silence like a shard of truth.
"Usually, during the blood rage, he doesn't recognize anyone or anything. That day, we were shocked to realize that he broke free because of what he heard," Damon added, his words capturing the eerie enigma that surrounded Damien's current state.
"He demanded an injection of a drug I've been working on. A drug that hasn't been tested. He demanded that I administer it to him, in hopes of curtailing his blood rage, to bring him back to himself, all just so he could search for you."
Lauren blinked repeatedly, a desperate attempt to prevent the tears pooling in her eyes from cascading down her cheeks. Her heart beat erratically, throngs of emotions flaring within her as she absorbed every word that fell from their lips.
"What do you mean the drug hasn't been tested?" Lauren's voice finally found its way through the haze of disbelief and distress that shrouded her thoughts.
"You see, I and a few vampire pharmacologists have been laboring over a drug for years. A drug meant to be potent, stronger than vervain, capable of subduing any vampire in the grips of bloodlust or during interrogations," Derek began, his words carrying the weight of years spent in pursuit of this elusive drug.
"We finally achieved the delicate equilibrium we had been seeking, but it had yet to undergo testing. I had mentioned it to Damien, and in passing, he made it clear that when the time came, I should use it on him for trials. I was aware there might be side effects due to the lack of testing, and I had cautioned him about this. However, he threatened to rip my heart out if I didn't administer the injection," Derek chuckled softly, reminiscing about the chilling ultimatum.