Damon put himself in a precarious situation because he knew the Hails would save him. He had seen the look in Lara's eyes each time she looked his way. After losing Danger, she wouldn't let Damon die even if the Hails wanted to.
The main purpose of this plan was to get his hands on the werewolf bloodline. This was the only way to regenerate his damaged organs fast enough to survive the decay effect.
The second reason for inflicting such danger on himself was to throw off suspicion. If he had been the only one left standing when he had used the power of Death, he would have been the prime suspect.
The third reason was to create chaos. Damon knew Hector would not let this matter go since a subordinate of his died, and the Hails were also pained by the loss of their evidence and pet. One was bound to do something rash which would escalate the situation into a full-blown war.
Only in this situation can Damon reach Hector and get rid of him permanently.
…..
The next morning, Damon slowly opened his eyes. He tried to move but noticed how uncomfortable the ground was, causing him to abruptly sit up.
The last thing he remembered was speaking to Lord Ross for a while in the room and eventually passing out again due to the pain. He found out that the healer had stepped out to share his condition with the Hail family, and that's why he got the chance to speak to Lord Ross for a while.
Damon examined his surroundings only to realize he was inside one of the Hail family barns. Light trickled into the room through the windows, illuminating the surroundings enough for Damon to see.
He tried to move, but the clanking sound of chains binding his limbs tightly could be heard. While these chains looked heavy, they felt ridiculously light and Damon felt unnecessarily energized.
Damon looked to the ground and noticed the bloody magic circle with unique runes. He walked in circles, studying it, since he had never come across it in his past lives.
"A transmutation circle?" Damon muttered doubtfully.
"You passed out at the gates last night, and you found yourself chained in a barn, stripped naked and bloodied. Yet all you care about is the stupid transmutation circle?" Lord Hail asked with a raised eyebrow, but Damon wasn't moved.
"And yet I'm not dead… why should I dwell in the past?" Damon asked with a raised eyebrow.
Lord Hail squinted his eyebrows at this response but said nothing. He spoke to Michael and Lara, asking them about their impressions of Damon. They all gave positive reviews, not even sighting one flaw, and that was the problem.
No one is perfect.
"Last night, the darkness thickened in reaction to someone's first magic. That was yours, right?" Lord Hail asked with narrowed eyebrows.
The presence of death magic that day left them shaken. It reminded them of a name no one dared to speak of.
"I felt something cold in me, it smelt like death. In the distance were single dark green eyes glaring at me. I was terrified, so I did the most reasonable thing anyone in my position would do. I hid myself in the darkness, but that didn't do me much good." Damon lied with a straight face.
Duke Hail frowned, clearly not believing Damon's words, but not having a reason not to believe him. Since the very first day he met this kid, there was this quiet confidence Damon had.
It was hard to believe someone like that would hide in terror.
Then again, it's the Death magic they are talking about. Even Duke Hail had goosebumps the moment he sensed it, so it's only natural for Damon to be scared.
Duke Hail wondered if he was making excuses for Damon. But Damon wasn't trying to convince him otherwise, he just allowed the possibilities to play out in Duke Hail's mind.
'Sometimes an attempt to prove one's innocence is proof of guilt' Damon muttered.
"The girl and the Magus died alongside my daughter's pet. Forbidden Palace is planning to enact its vengeance on us and you have become a werewolf, a member of my pack." Duke Hail began recounting the events of the previous night.
"Danger is dead?" Damon's facial expressions shifted from shock to pain.
Members of a pack share a unique bond that allows them to share emotions once they are within a certain range of them. That's how Duke Hail planned to tell if Damon was lying, but he couldn't feel anything from Damon.
"Since you are a werewolf, you have become a part of this mess and the Ross family has gained the backing of the Hail family. So you will most likely help us deal with this fox spirit situation." Duke Hail continued.
Damon could only stand there, blinking. How could Duke Hail make such a request from a seventeen-year-old who nearly lost his life just a night ago.
....
Damon walked into the Grand Hall, where everyone was waiting nervously. He noticed a new face which he had never seen before, it was a brown-haired lady in her mid-thirties. Even without being told, Damon noticed her striking resemblance to Lara.
Seeing Damon in good condition, Lord Ross and Lara Hail rushed forward to welcome him.
"Werewolves are guardians. We protect mortals from the horrors of the supernatural world. This is not a curse, it is a blessing and what we do is not optional, it's our duty." Duke Hail said in a loud voice, drawing everyone's attention.
Damon felt like facepalming but suppressed the urge. He could only stand there and listen to Duke Hail give a thirty-minute long lecture about their duty as guardians of humanity.