Damien's POV

　　"It's a trap!" I screamed at Ares, but my words seemed to fall on deaf ears. He was too enraged by my father's lack of empathy towards me- his child. 

　　"Have you learnt nothing all those years you hid just under the surface? My father respects knowledge, expects strength and demands loyalty. In return, he will protect you! But love.. love is beyond his capability! This is love to him!" I yelled over the sound of blood rushing through my body. 

　　I desperately tried to push for control, but my father's attack had left me vulnerable and weak, both traits I knew my father would never accept. Sighing, I watched in slow motion as my body crouched and then lunged, Ares, putting all his strength into an attack I knew would be futile. I could see my father's weapon of choice glistening at his side and knew this was a lesson Ares had to learn on his own. 

　　"My father will always win, Ares, and if you provoke him... HE WILL KILL US!" I hissed as my body collapsed on the floor. 

　　"I won't let him!" Ares spat out viciously; I admired his courage, truly, I did, but the truth was if my father decided to dispatch us like he had done to his sons before us, there was fuck all either of us could do about it. I just hoped his need for Red to embrace him and his plans outweighed his need for bloodshed! Particularly ours. Knowing my father would be enjoying watching Ares wither on the floor gave me some hope. 

　　"You should have listened to Damien, Ares. He has had years of my training; he knows I never go into battle unless I am certain I can win!" My father's smug voice cut through Ares' agonising howls. If my father had heard me trying to instruct Ares, he would be able to listen to me now as I tried to communicate directly with the man who raised me. 

　　"It's hardly a fair fight, Father; he has been kept in a cage repressed by magic while I have been training with you! He is not ready! He has never even changed fully." I appealed to my father. "So it can hardly be counted as a victory, can it now!" 

　　"I can take him!" Ares grunted. My father tugged the rope a little more to prove a point, and another round of agonising mayhem rushed through Ares, making me wince. I wanted to communicate with Ares and tell him to shut the fuck up and that I was handling things, but I knew that it would be pointless. My father would hear and punish us both for trying to pull the wool over his eyes. 

　　Bernael had to feel like he was in control. 

　　"Yes, I see your point." My father admitted ignoring Ares, knowing he had made his point with the lasso around his neck and didn't need to justify himself with an answer. 

　　"He has been locked up... in your body, a body I had filled with demonic blood since before you were born." He considered coldly. "I don't believe I have ever come across a werewolf-demon hybrid! The demonic seed is usually too strong and takes precedence over other genes." My father started to explain, letting the rope loose just a little. Ares took a deep breath of fresh air before releasing a shaky breath. I sighed, knowing my father would relent eventually; he was now too intrigued to kill us.

　　Letting the rope loosen enough for Ares to roll onto his back before throwing it across my body, pinning him to the floor while inflicting new pain that was only dulled by the clothing I had on. I tried to push for control again but felt the barrier kicking me back; I was still not strong enough. Ares cannot remove the rope from around his neck; that moments ago could have been the noose that ended his life. I soured, knowing we were at my father's mercy.

　　I could hear the rattle of jars and knew my father had devised a new plan; I only hoped it was less murderous than his current one. I needed Ares to turn his head to look in the direction of my father, but I couldn't communicate that without my father getting wind of the fact I was unaffected by whatever was ripping Ares apart. 

　　The sound of running water seemed to bring Ares, too; he turned his head carefully, not wanting to inflict any more pressure from the lasso around his neck than necessary. However, it was too late. By the time our eyes fell on my father, he was coming back over, a jug of water in hand, a few objects floating in the water. Ares, seemingly recognising it, started to thrash under the lasso. My father's cold laugh filled the room as he pressed down on our throat, forcing the wolfbane-infused rope to cut into my skin and burn Ares further. The ear-slitting roar that left his lips made me want to weep. 

　　"So, I have been thinking about my son's proposal, and he is right! It is not a fair fight! So let's make it one!" He admitted with a grin that sent shivers down my spine. Lifting his hand that held a jug of water, I groaned as the scent of wolfsbane hit my nostrils; Ares was helpless to do anything with my father's foot resting on his neck, pushing the rope across his body and keeping him pinned in place, had no choice but to gargle the water my father began to pour down our throat. 

　　"You are part Demon, part angel, Ares." He spat as my body rejected the mixture and started coughing up blood; the sound and pungent smell of burning flesh would have turned a human's stomach, but thanks to my father's training, it did not phase me, which gave me an edge to listen to my father's ramblings.

　　"Which means your counterparts should be able to protect you from the wolfsbane as you protected them from the angelic blade. If you accept that and let them in, there is no reason you can not still transform and overpower me!" My father ridiculed us both. 

　　"You tried to disembowel me! I am not exactly running on full power right now!" I spat at my father through the link Ares, and I shared. My father was listening because his eyes flared with challenge and amusement. 

　　"That.. is not my problem, son!" My father mused, yet again pouring more fluid down my throat; the agonising cry coming from Ares wrenched at me. I wanted to help him!

　　"Tell me, if Ares is in control and dies... does that mean you die too?" My father asked. The expression on his face told me he was seriously curious and willing to push this experiment to get his answer.

　　"Bastard!" I roared as he poured the remainder of the fluid down my gusset before going to get more. Sighing, I focused on Ares, who desperately tried to fight the overwhelming pain. 

　　Closing my eyes, I focused like my life depended on it, which evidently it did! 

　　Slowing my breathing like my father had taught me many times over the years, I imagined the blood pumping through my body, envisioning the cells and molecules that made up my body, forcing those key elements to rush to the damaged areas that needed healing and doing their job- Sooner rather than later! 

　　Not like I was in a rush here or anything! 

　　It took seconds once I managed to push through the overwhelming distress still coursing through my body. Once Ares was healed enough, I pushed forward and seized control, protecting our body with my demonic skin just long enough to pull the lasso free from my body, freeing Ares! 

　　"Go get him, bud!"