CHAPTER 127: 127 - A MONSTER

127

~Damon’s POV

I stormed through the hall, my fists already clenched so tight my knuckles ached. Every step I took felt heavier, hotter, fueled by the fire burning inside me. My chest was pounding, but not from fear, no, it was rage. Rage that made my blood boil, rage that wouldn’t let me breathe properly.

I could still see Lisa’s face. Broken. Torn apart. Those tears in her eyes. The way she looked at me, like I was no different from them. Like I was just another monster in her hell. That look cut me deeper than any blade ever could.

I knew where Kael and Rowan would be. I didn’t even have to think about it. The lounge. Their favorite spot when they wanted to sit back, drink, laugh, and pretend like the world belonged to them. My steps quickened, echoing down the corridor, and when I finally pushed the door open, there they were.

Kael and Rowan were sprawled on the couch, laughing loudly, glasses of whiskey in their hands. Belinda sat close, giggling along, her head tossed back like everything was perfect in her world. The sight made my stomach turn.

I didn’t even think. I walked straight toward them, and before either of them could react, I swung. My fist connected with Kael’s jaw first. He went down hard, his glass flying out of his hand and shattering across the floor. Rowan barely had time to blink before I turned and punched him too, right across the mouth. Blood sprayed from his lip as he stumbled back.

"What the hell, Damon?!" Rowan shouted, wiping the blood from his face, his eyes blazing with fury.

Kael scrambled to his feet, his jaw already swelling. "Are you out of your damn mind?!"

"Shut the hell up!" I roared, my chest heaving. "You bastards. You disgusting bastards! How could you do that to her?"

Belinda gasped, standing from her seat. "Damon, stop..."

"Stay out of this!" I barked at her without even looking. My focus was locked on them.

Rowan narrowed his eyes, his voice dripping with venom. "You’re asking us about that lowlife human?"

"Don’t you dare call her that!" I snarled, stepping closer. My fists were shaking at my sides, begging me to use them again. "Lisa is not some toy for you to play with! She’s..."

"She’s our mate," Kael cut me off, his voice sharp. "Our mate, our servant. We can do whatever the hell we want with her. Don’t stand there pretending you’re better than us."

I scoffed, rage twisting my mouth into a bitter smile. "Mate? That’s what you call it? Is that how you treat a mate? Like trash? Like a punching bag? You could have treated her like the lady she is. You could have had fun with her, with her damn consent. But no, you had to force her, break her, destroy her!"

Rowan laughed bitterly, a cruel sound that made my skin crawl. "Consent? She’s a human, Damon. A pathetic little human. You think she deserves choice? She’s lucky we even give her our attention."

That was it. That was the last straw. I lunged at him, my fist smashing against his cheek again. He stumbled but came back swinging, his fist slamming into my ribs. Pain shot through me, but I didn’t care. I welcomed it, fed on it.

Kael grabbed me from the side, yanking me back, but I twisted and elbowed him in the gut. He grunted, doubling over, and I slammed my knee into his chest before shoving him back into the table. The whiskey bottles crashed to the floor, shattering into pieces.

Belinda screamed. "Stop it! You’ll kill each other!"

But none of us listened.

Rowan charged me again, his fist connecting with my jaw this time. My head snapped to the side, the taste of blood filling my mouth. I spat it out and grinned, my anger only growing darker. "That all you got?" I hissed.

"You think you’re a hero, Damon?" Rowan growled, throwing another punch. I blocked it and slammed my own into his stomach, making him wheeze. "You’re no different from us. You touched her too."

Those words hit harder than his fists ever could.

My body froze for a split second, shame rushing over me like a cold wave. But then the fire came back, hotter than before. I slammed him against the wall, my forearm pressed against his throat. "I made mistakes," I snarled through gritted teeth. "But don’t you dare put me in the same place as you. I regret what I did. You? You’re proud of it."

Kael grabbed me from behind and yanked me off Rowan, throwing me to the ground. I rolled and pushed myself back up just as Kael swung at me. His fist clipped my cheek, but I retaliated with an uppercut that sent him sprawling back onto the couch.

"You’re weak," Kael spat, his chest rising and falling rapidly. "All this for some worthless girl? You’ve lost your damn mind."

"Worthless?" I repeated, my voice low and dangerous. I took a step closer, pointing at both of them. "You blind bastards. Lisa is worth more than both of you put together. She’s kind. She’s strong. She survived every damn thing you threw at her. And you sit here, laughing, drinking, like kings, while she breaks inside!"

Rowan scoffed, spitting blood onto the floor. "Strong? She cries like a child every time. She begs. That’s not strength, Damon. That’s weakness."

My fist connected with his face again before he could finish.

"Shut your filthy mouth!" I shouted.

Kael tried to tackle me from the side, but I spun, grabbed him by the shirt, and threw him into the wall. The impact shook the whole room. He groaned, sliding down, clutching his ribs.

Belinda was crying now, her voice desperate. "Please! Stop! Please, Damon, you’re going to kill them!"

I stood there, my chest heaving, my fists bloody, my vision blurred from both rage and tears I refused to shed. My brothers, the ones I was supposed to trust, looked back at me with nothing but hate. And all I could think about was Lisa.

Her tears.

Her pain.

The way she looked at me like I was no different.

That hurt more than anything.

"You’re monsters," I whispered, my voice breaking. "Both of you. And maybe I am too. But I swear, I will never let you touch her again."

Rowan staggered to his feet, his lip split, his eyes burning with fury. "And what will you do, Damon? Protect her? From us? From her mates?"

I glared at him, my fists tightening once again. "If I have to fight both of you every damn day of my life to keep her safe, then yes. I’ll do it. I don’t care what it takes. I won’t let you destroy her anymore."

Kael chuckled bitterly from the floor, blood staining his teeth. "You’re pathetic."

"Maybe," I said quietly, my chest still heaving. "But at least I’m not proud of being a monster."