~ Chapter Twenty-Eight - Part 2 ~

Damien hung up the phone and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I fucking hate wars,” he muttered as he stood up and started pacing back and forth.
“What do you want to do?” Sebastian asked as he moved to stand by the window.
Damien groaned. “We can’t do anything without Kat. Everyone only wants to speak with her. As you’ve said, the dwarves will only talk to her. The vampires are only here because of Jacques.”
Sebastian chuckled. “He only went to get them because of Kat.”
Damien nodded as he turned to face Sebastian. “Yeah. She’s the big boss on this one.”
“And you hate it, don’t you?” Sebastian asked. “You hate that she has to be on the front lines for everyone to see.”
Damien let out a dry laugh. “I only want her to be safe. I know she won’t take no for an answer, and there is no way to keep her from fighting. But the only thing I want to do is lock her away somewhere far away from the fighting. Somewhere where she’ll be safe from everything.”
Sebastian clapped him on the back. “I know exactly how you feel.”
Damien scrubbed his face. “I just hope this battle with Atlas doesn’t happen until after she gives birth to the twins,” he whispered with fear evident in his voice.
Sebastian put his hand on Damien’s shoulder in a comforting manner. “The last war Atlas started lasted for several years. The gods didn’t even fight against Atlas until the final battle. So I’m sure we have time.”
Damien took a deep breath. “I just hope it’s enough time,” he said as he clapped Sebastian on the shoulder before looking out the window.
They got quiet for a few minutes before taking care of everyday pack business.
They worked for a couple of hours before they felt the shift in the air. Someone was teleporting into the office. Damien looked up with a smile, knowing who it was.
Katalina, Benjamin, and Axel appeared just behind Sebastian. Katalina walked over to Damien and wrapped her arms around his waist as he hugged her. “I missed you,” she whispered into his chest.
Damien frowned as he looked down at her and saw the tears in her eyes. Then, he looked at Benjamin and Axel. “What happened?” He demanded.
Axel shook his head. “We don’t know. We were training, and she was doing very well. We decided it was time for a break and to eat lunch, mainly for her benefit, and she just froze for a couple of minutes. We couldn’t break the trance she seemed to be in. Then it was like she woke up and started crying.”
Damien looked down at Katalina and gently tipped her head up to look into her eyes. “What happened, little dove?” He asked in a whisper.
Katalina sniffled as she took a step back. “I don’t know what happened,” she said quietly. “We stopped training, and I was catching my breath when the images started flashing behind my eyelids. It all happened so fast, but I saw every one of them.”
“Images of what dove?” He asked as he caressed her cheek.
Katalina let out a trembling breath before responding. “First, they were images of the past. Then, there were images of what happened to my parents. Then it was images of what happened to Jacques and me in Tartarus. Then of the future,” she looked up at him with so much pain in her eyes it made his heart contract in pain. “Of you and everyone else dying. Ryan and Evelyn. And Mason,” she hiccupped. “Little Mason. A-and,” she stuttered as she wrapped her arms protectively over her stomach. “Our twins,” she sobbed out. “They had just been born, and they were so small. So precious. And just like that, everything I loved and cared for was ripped away,” she sobbed into his chest as he held her close.
Damien looked at Benjamin, Axel, and Sebastian with concern etched on his face. “What’s happening to Katalina?” He asked with fear evident in his voice.
Benjamin sighed heavily. “I think I might know what it is, but I’m going to have to look into her mind to ensure I’m right.”
Damien nodded and carefully picked up Katalina with one arm under her legs and one behind her back. He carried her through the house to their room with the others following behind them. Damien laid her on the bed and pulled her shoes off before covering her with a blanket. He sat next to her and gently gripped her hand in his. Damien looked up at Benjamin and gave him a single nod. “Do whatever you have to,” he said firmly.
Benjamin sat on her other side and took a deep breath. He pressed his fingers to her temples and closed his eyes. He focused on her, blocking out everything and everyone as he did so.
Benjamin fought through the barriers he knew were always up in her mind before looking through her mind to try and find the problem. It took him several minutes, but when he saw the problem, he felt dread and horror course through his veins. Finally, he pulled out of her mind and sat back with horror painted so clearly on his face. “What is it?” Damien demanded.
Benjamin looked at Damien and took a deep breath before responding. “She has a demon of fear attached to her soul,” he said quietly.
Damien’s eyes widened in fear. “How is that possible?” He questioned.
Benjamin shook his head. “She must have picked it up as soon as she got into Tartarus. This demon is fully attached to her soul. For that to happen, the demon needs time. Unfortunately, she didn’t realize she had the demon, so instead of the demon leaving her be, it’s attacking her mind. Making her worst fears come to life in her mind.”
“How do we get this demon to leave her alone?” Damien demanded as he gently moved Katalina’s hair out of her face.