Adam (The Protectors #5)(14)

Lana nodded. “She wanted to tell you, but was afraid that you would leave her.” Again, Lana looked away frowning. “So instead, she begged you to change her. Did you turn her down? Did you not want to change her?”

“No,” Again, Damon answered with the one word answer.

“Listen, Damon, I need a little help here. She is too weak to talk to me, so I’m getting images. Trying to figure this out is not easy. So stop making this harder than it needs to be. You cared for this woman once, so treat her with respect and answer the damn questions with more than a ‘no’.”

“What the f*ck do you want me to say?” Damon finally lost his cool, letting go of Nicole’s hand before taking an aggressive step toward Lana. “That I killed her, drank every drop of blood in her small defenseless body? Is that what you want to hear?”

Sid went to pull Lana behind him, but she slipped out of his grip and placed a small hand on Damon’s chest. “I already knew that. What I want to know is why you feel guilty. It is why she has not been able to move on?”

Damon deflated, his broad shoulders slumped as his head dropped forward as if in defeat. A look no one had ever witnessed on the Warrior before. “So not only did I kill the woman I loved, but she has been stuck for all these years because of my guilt?” His head shot up as pure rage filled his eye, their golden color going to jet-black in an instant. “Jesus! Who the hell wouldn’t feel guilty? I’ve hated myself, still do.”

Looking away from the anguish in Damon’s face, Lana pushed herself deeper because she knew Damon wasn’t going to be much help. Scenes played through her mind, and she knew without a doubt, Caroline was seeing the same, so at least if she missed something, chances were Caroline would pick it up.

“You didn’t want to change her. You were newly changed yourself and knew you didn’t have control, but because of your love for her, you gave in and…” Lana didn’t finish as she gazed up at him, sadness filling her soul and she knew only part of it was her own feelings. She was feeling the young woman’s anguish. “You need to let go, Damon. It is the only way for her to move on, but your feelings of guilt have kept her from doing that.”

Damon didn’t say a word, just stared a hole through Lana. The only movement was a tick in his upper jaw.

“She was sick, Damon. She never told you and she apologizes for that, but she wanted to be changed so she wouldn’t feel the pain anymore. She pushed you into turning her even knowing the chance she was taking.” Lana took a step closer, staring up into his glaring, dark eyes. “She would have rather taken a chance dying trying to live, than wasting away from a sickness as you watched her wither away. She didn’t want that. She doesn’t blame you. It was her choice.”

Finally, Damon looked away from Lana to stare just above her head. “Is that all?” His voice, which was usually blunt and sharp, was soft with a touch of harshness.

Lana and Caroline glanced at each other quickly before Lana nodded as she looked back at Damon, whose eyes came back to hers. “Yeah, pretty much.”

Damon went to walk away, but stopped. “Tell her she needs to move on. I will always regret what I did, but I understand now that guilt is not going to change anything. I have a woman I love and who is helping me heal.”

Stepping into his line of vision, Lana looked up at him with a smile. “That is exactly what she needed to hear.” Putting a hand on his arm, she squeezed. “She wishes you and Nicole all the happiness in the world.”

Knowing that the scowl curving his lips was his way of hiding his real feelings and that he was a man of few words,Lana didn’t expect to hear anything from him. So when he nodded, she knew that was his way of saying thank you and she accepted it. “Let Rose know that I will take good care of him.” Nicole walked up and slipped her arm around Damon.

“She already knows. She, in some way, is the reason you two met.” Lana smiled at the surprise on their faces, and then turned when Jared came into the room. “Listen, I really appreciate you letting me do this. I know it’s not easy for you, but when spirits want to say something, it becomes hard for me to concentrate on anything else.”

“What about Duncan?” Sid asked, glancing over at the silent Warrior leaning against the wall.

“I’m not sure?” Lana frowned, glancing at Duncan. “Do you have a brother?”

“No,” he replied, not moving from his spot.

“Is there someone who has a connection with you and Sloan?” Caroline added, rubbing her temple.

He didn’t answer at first, just stared at the two women. “Yes,” Duncan replied, looking at each Warrior present. “We all have a connection from our past.”

Lana felt her sister stiffen and knew, without a doubt, the dark man had just taken over. “Caroline,” Lana cried out, but knew it was too late.

Caroline’s body became rigid, her head turning to look at each Warrior before stopping on Duncan. “Nos morituri te salutant!” The words were spoken in Caroline’s voice, but with a force that had Lana stepping back; it rang loud and true in the quiet room.

Lana, who was closest to Caroline, tried to grab her as her body went limp, but Damon and Sid were the ones who caught her before she could hit the floor. “Caroline!” Lana shouted in fear. “What did she say?”