~ Chapter Twenty-Nine - Part 1 ~

Katalina blinked her eyes open as her mind returned to her body. “Are you okay, little dove?” Damien asked in concern.
Katalina shrugged with a frown. “Yes, I’m okay, love.”
Damien pressed a kiss to her temple before looking back into her eyes. “Please tell me Artemis was able to help,” he said with hope in his eyes.
Katalina nodded. “Yes. There is a way to send the demon back to Tartarus, but it will not be easy for me.”
“It won’t hurt the twins?” Damien questioned. “Or cause you to lose a piece of your soul?”
Katalina clicked her tongue as she shook her head. “No, the three of us will be perfectly fine, but Apollo said that when I take the potion required, it will feel like a piece of my soul is ripped out. Because the demon is so attached to my soul.”
Damien sighed heavily. “Alright. What do we need to do?” He asked.
Katalina looked at Benjamin. “Apollo said you would know the spell to banish the demon back to Tartarus and the potion needed.”
Benjamin clicked his tongue. “I know the spell but not the potion. Most do not know it.”
Katalina exhaled as she reached over and grabbed a notepad and a pen off the nightstand. She quickly wrote down everything Benjamin needed and handed it to him. “That’s everything you’re going to need for the potion. Apollo also said that you may need Axel’s help since this is a nasty demon.”
Benjamin stood up as he went over the ingredients for the potion. “Let me make this potion, and we’ll be back to get rid of that demon.”
Katalina smiled in thanks before leaning into Damien. He ran his fingers through her hair as everyone left them alone for the time being.
“How are you doing, little dove?” Damien asked softly. “And don’t lie. It’s just me here now.”
Katalina took a minute before she finally responded. “I’m just so tired, love. I want all of this to be over with already. I want our lives to go back to normal,” she said in a rough voice.
Damien pulled Katalina onto his lap and held her close. “I know things are hard right now, and I know how exhausted you are. There’s so much on your shoulders, and you have already been through so much. We’ll be okay, though. I’ll be right here by your side no matter what happens.”
Katalina sighed as she rested her head on Damien’s shoulder. She let the tears fall as she snuggled into Damien.
They stayed like that until Benjamin and Axel came back into the room. “Alright, the potion is just about done. We only need to add a tiny bit of your hair. After that, it’s ready to go,” he stopped at the end of the bed and looked at Katalina with concern evident in his eyes. “This is going to be quite painful for you, but once it’s over, you’ll be demon free.”
Katalina sighed heavily. “Alright,” she didn’t hesitate as she grabbed a few strands of her hair and yanked them out without uttering a single sound. She held them out to Benjamin. “Let’s get this over with,” she muttered with her head resting on Damien’s shoulder.
Benjamin put the hair strands in the potion and shook it up before holding it out to her. “Here you go, little Kat,” he said quietly.
Katalina reluctantly took the potion. “How long does it take to go into effect?” She questioned as she studied the potion.
“It’s immediate,” Axel softly responded.
Damien slightly tightened his arms around Katalina. “I won’t let you go, little dove,” he whispered as he rested his forehead against hers.
Katalina gave him a small smile. “Thank you, my love,” she whispered. She pressed a quick kiss to his lips before chugging the potion. She made a disgusted face as she swallowed. “That’s so nasty,” she muttered as she tossed the vial to Benjamin.
Benjamin chuckled. “Most potions are.”
Katalina rested her head on Damien’s chest and immediately felt the potion take effect. The searing, burning pain ripped through her soul as she tightly gripped Damien’s shirt. She sobbed as the tonic worked through her soul, unattached the demon from her soul. Damien shushed her and soothingly rubbed her back.
Katalina sobbed and shouted in pain for about twenty minutes. Then, finally, she felt the pain stop, and the demon leaves her body. She sagged against Damien in exhaustion and relief while she listened to Benjamin and Axel chanting and banishing the demon. Within minutes, the demon was gone, and the room was utterly silent.
Katalina was breathing as she lifted her head and looked around. She sighed as she let her head fall back onto Damien’s chest.
Damien soothingly rubbed her back and pushed her hair out of her face. “Are you okay, little dove?” He asked quietly.
Katalina nodded. “I’m just so tired now,” she whispered as her eyes remained closed.
Damien could understand her exhaustion. “Get some sleep, little dove. I’ll wake you up in a bit,” he pressed a kiss to her temple and held her close as he looked at Benjamin and Axel. “Thank you both,” he said quietly.
They both bowed their heads in acknowledgment, glanced at Katalina with love and adoration in their eyes, and left the room.
Damien held Katalina until he knew that she was asleep. Then, he gently laid her in bed and covered her up. He lightly moved her hair out of her face before pressing a kiss to her temple and quietly leaving the room.
Damien leaned his head against the door and stayed like that for a minute. He finally stood up straight and walked to his office. He clicked his tongue when he saw Sebastian sitting on his couch in the corner of his office. “How is she doing?” Sebastian asked as he stood up.
Damien shook his head. “She’s okay. She’s sleeping right now,” he said as he sat in the chair behind his desk.
Sebastian sat down across from him. “That’s good. I’m glad Benjamin and Axel were able to get rid of that demon.”
“Same here,” Damien cleared his throat. “I’m going to wake her up and see if she’s feeling better. Then, we’ll talk with the dwarves if she's up to it. Though I’m not entirely sure she’ll even wake up.”
Sebastian chuckled. “I’ll be honest with you, alpha. If I were you, I’d just let her sleep until she wakes up.”
Damien chuckled and shook his head. “Yeah, I’m tempted to, but she won’t sleep later. If that happens, she’ll probably get mad at me for being tired tomorrow.”
Sebastian clicked his tongue. “I’d still risk it,” he said as he leaned back in his chair.
Damien shrugged. “I just might,” he sighed. “She needs the rest with the twins,” he grinned slightly. “Her stomach is starting to swell. Since werewolf pregnancies don’t last that long, her stomach will be pretty big within a month or two.”
Sebastian laughed. “I don’t think she will be happy with that.”
Damien shrugged. “She’ll be fine. She loves those twins already.”
Sebastian nodded. “Yeah, anyone can see that.”
Damien grinned. “For now, we’ll just deal with normal pack business.”
“Alright,” Sebastian pulled out the paperwork they had to go over.
They worked a couple of hours, getting as much work done as they would. Finally, Damien groaned as he looked at the watch on his wrist. “I’m going to try and wake up Kat,” he said as he reluctantly stood up.
Sebastian laughed. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” he said as he looked down at the paperwork in front of him.
Damien ran a hand through his hair as he looked at the ceiling. “You know what?” He muttered. “I’ll just let her sleep.”
Sebastian chuckled. “Wise choice, alpha.”
They worked for a bit more before deciding to grab something to eat.
Katalina hadn’t had time to cook anything that day, so Damien got to work on making enough food for the three of them, knowing Katalina would be hungry when she woke up.
As they sat down to eat dinner, Katalina came down the stairs. She grumbled `to herself as she walked over to Damien and plopped down in his lap. Then, she picked up his fork and started eating off his plate.
Damien chuckled and wrapped his arms around her waist. “How are you feeling, dove?” He whispered as he rested his chin on her shoulder.
Katalina leaned into him as she held a bite of food to Damien’s lips. As he took the bite and chewed, she said. “I’m okay. I feel a bit run down, but I’m okay.”
Damien sighed in relief as he closed his eyes. “I’m so grateful you’re okay. I was so worried, dove.”
Katalina exhaled after swallowing the bit of food in her mouth. “I was too, beloved,” she shook her head. “You have no idea how scared I was.”
Damien tightened his hold on her. “I know, my dove.”