Tears had begun rolling quietly down her cheeks as he spoke, and as his voice faded to silence she could no longer stop, burrowing her head deeper into his chest and soaking his shirt with her salty, uncontrolled sorrow. When at last she had quietened and stopped shuddering with the force of her emotions, reality intruded and Caia pulled back from him, instantly uncomfortable with her outburst. And as her gaze locked onto his dark, unfathomable eyes wariness sprang between them. Caia was frightened by her need to trust him and he seemed unnerved by the idea that he might just trust her.
“I’m sorry,” she apologised shakily.
Reuben sighed and she felt him brush her hair back from her face. “It’s OK. You needed to do that in order to get on with the rest of today.”
She nodded, her eyes glued to the floor. “We should go to Alfred Doukas’ home,” she referred to the Council member she was acquainted with. “Enlist his family and get them to organise the others.”
“Vil can take you to them. Meanwhile, I think we should hurry this along.”
She looked up at him now, her eyebrows raised in surprise. “What did you have in mind?”
“I’m going to call on Vanne. He and I are going to the MacLachlan’s whilst you deal with the Council. With Vanne’s help I’ll be able to convince Alistair MacLachlan and his daughter to join us. We should arrange a time for us all to meet at the portal.”
Caia frowned. “Can Vanne get away from Marita without raising suspicions?”
The vampyre chuckled. “Of course. When I whistle he comes running. End of story.”
She guffawed, “You really are sure of yourself, aren’t you?”
“I’ve had over two thousand years to perfect arrogance and acquire a solid arsenal of diverse weaponry to support that arrogance.”
Before she could mock his cockiness, the door to the room blasted open and Jaeden strode in, now in human form and fully clothed. She curled her lip at the sight of Reuben and turned her attention and respect to Caia.
“Saffron’s arrived with the children. Two of them are Joaquin and Seana. Cera and the Trey’s are in hysterics.” She paused so they could hear the commotion rumbling up through the floors from the kitchen. “The other three kids aren’t ours.” Her lip trembled. “Jaela and the others must still be at the Centre. Anyway, Vil’s going to take the kids home one by one.”
Caia glanced at Reuben who was frowning. He seemed ready to dispute that decision when Caia subtly shook her head at him. She looked to Jae who seemed to be watching them both with narrowed eyes, a quizzical furrow in between her eyebrows.
“That’s fine. But tell him to hand the children over and just leave. We don’t have time for explanations and I need Vil to take me to the Doukas’.”
“OK.” Jae grimaced. “But isn’t that a little mean? These people deserve to know what happened to their kids.”
Reuben rolled his eyes. “Then pin a note on them.”
Caia winced at his insensitivity and the volcanic look on Jaeden’s face. Before Jae could erupt, Caia stepped in between them. “Ignoring his charming delivery, Reuben has a point.” She sighed wearily. “I don’t like it very much but maybe we could just return them with a note explaining everything.”
For a moment she wasn’t sure Jae was going to respond. And then she snorted in disgust. “Don’t spend too much time with him, Cy. You’re starting to think like him. And remember, if he can mesmerise me with his little voodoo crap then who’s to say he won’t do it to you?” With that she spun on her heel and left the room.
Hmm… she hadn’t thought about that. Was that what Reuben was doing? Wafting his little powers over her so she felt like she could trust him? She slanted her gaze at him and noticed with some annoyance he was smirking at her as if he knew exactly what she was thinking.
“I haven’t manipulated you. I swear.”
“And I’ve just to trust your word on that?”
He shrugged. “I don’t care one way or the other.”
As he walked away in Jaeden’s wake Caia squeezed her eyes shut. She needed Lucien back. Everything would be OK once she had Lucien back.
***
“It’s a good thing you called me out of there when you did,” Vanne stated in a deeply chilling tone, his powerful energy crackling, sparking in the air around the house. The pack was scattered in a number of different rooms, but the Elders were sitting in the living room watching a distraught Vanne pace back and forth in front of the main window. Alexa stood next to a grief-stricken Magnus pretending to give comfort, when in fact it was clear she was merely fascinated with not only Reuben, but the Head of the Daylight Coven’s husband.
“I nearly killed her,” Vanne choked, coming to a stop to stare numbly at the floorboards. “When she told me about Marion…” he shuddered, shaking his head. Intimidating though Vanne may be Caia couldn’t help but reach out to him in comfort. She squeezed his shoulder lightly and he glanced down at her, his eyes terrifying and glassy with unshed tears. “I’ve always loved her best you know,” he whispered. “I courted her first before…”
“Before I asked him to join me, and break it off with Marion. To win Marita over instead so we could spy on her,” Reuben answered for him, his voice dead. Caia glanced sharply at him, marvelling at the hint of guilt and regret she saw in his eyes.
An ache spread in her chest for Vanne. For him to have loved Marion whilst he slept with her sister? To be so close to the day when he would no longer have to pretend… and now the one person he wanted to share that day with was gone. Like a watering pot tears splashed over her lids and she sighed in frustration, turning her back to the room and swiping at them angrily. She couldn’t act like a silly little girl. She had to be strong for them all. She sucked in a deep breath and turned to face them. “Can you do what we asked? Can you go with Reuben to the MacLachlan’s?”
Vanne nodded. “I’m friends with Alistair. However… it may take longer than just a few minutes to convince them. Phoebe is well-educated on magik. She’ll suspect I’m another magik utilising glamour to look like me. Such an incident in fact happened at the Centre only a few weeks ago,” he reminded them, throwing Caia a look that managed to be utterly sardonic despite his pain-filled eyes. He was referring to the fact that Caia had glamoured Vil to look like Vanne in order to rescue Laila from the containment centre. “Glamour lasts roughly 30 minutes, Phoebe knows that. So we’re going to have to sit that time out until they’re convinced I am who I say I am.”
“That’s fine.” Caia shrugged. “I imagine it will take longer to gather the family members of the Council who are willing to fight.”
“That reminds me,” Vanne said, tugging at something in the back pocket of his suit trousers. A flash of white paper appeared in his hand and he automatically handed it to Reuben. “A list of the family members who tried to get in and were fought off by our guards.” He sneered suddenly. “Marita told them not to use deadly force… the idiots buy it… that holier than thou crap,” his tone vibrated through her like an apprehensive shiver.
Knowing what she now knew didn’t stop Caia from being disturbed by this version of Vanne. He was a mighty good actor. Every time she had met with him and Marita inside the Centre she could have sworn he was a loyal husband and devout Daylight. Ignoring the impulse to gape openly at him as if he were nuts, Caia held her hand out to Reuben. “I’ll take that.”
He chuckled and threw her a flirtatious look, nibbling on his lip piercing. He took a moment before he handed the paper over. “Getting awfully bossy aren’t we.”
Ignoring him and the numerous frowns thrown his way by the Elders and a disgruntled Alexa – who had so far been trying to catch his attention (even imminent war couldn’t stop her natural predilection for hooking up with the newest, hottest being around) – Caia quickly scanned the list. There were quite a number of names here.
“This should do actually,” she murmured, knowing everyone could hear her anyway. She looked up as Jaeden entered the room with Vil an
d Laila. “Vil, you and I should go. Vanne’s provided us with a list of names to give to Alfred Doukas’ wife. She should be able to gather them to us pretty quickly.”
Vil nodded but she noticed his hand tightening in Laila’s. Before she could reassure them, Alexa stepped forward, a little pout she had perfected years before, playing on her luscious mouth. “I wanna help.”
Caia, as well as everyone else, stared at her dumbstruck.
“You… want to help?” Ella queried, quietly disbelieving.
Alexa narrowed her eyes. “What… like I’m useless? I can fight you know… I have a sharper set of claws than any of the bitches in the pack.”
Well, that I believe. An offer of help, however unexpected, wasn’t something she was about to turn down. “OK… if you’re sure… Alexa, you can come with us to the portal, you can help us fight at the Centre.”
A shadow cast across the room as Alexa grinned excitedly at the thought. Standing in the doorway was Morgan with Malek, Morgan’s dark eyes burning into Caia.
“If Alexa is going I’m going.” Malek puffed, crossing his arms over his large chest defiantly, smirking at his older sister immaturely.
Morgan whipped on him with a fierce growl. “You’re not going anywhere.” His next lip-curling comment was directed at Caia, “And neither is my daughter. You are not Alpha here, and you do not get to decide whether my underage children hit a battle zone for you!”
After years of perfecting a blank expression Caia managed not to flinch under his outrage, but inside she felt spectacularly dumb and guilty. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”
Before Alexa could mount what was clearly an oncoming – and loud – protest, Reuben slid forward to face Morgan. Standing a few inches taller than him, and just as broad, the vampyre made his displeasure known in every nuance of his body language. “You don’t speak to her with anything but respect, do you hear me?”
The older lykan was not intimidated one bit.
“Guys…” Caia tried to intervene, glancing helplessly to Magnus and the Elders who merely watched in fascination. Fricking lykans! They just loved the ‘show of dominance’ crap.
Morgan sneered, his eyes wandering over the vampyre in disgust. “And who the fuck are you to tell me how to talk to her?”
Ella gasped at the profanity and made to stand up, but Dimitri held her back. Caia glared at him but he merely shrugged as if to say, ‘sorry, but I wanna see what happens’.
Reuben took another step closer to him and Malek glanced between his father and the outsider nervously, clearly wondering if he should step out of the way.
“I’m just a being that could tear you a new one in two seconds flat. But I can see I would actually have to do that to incur any respect from you. So why don’t I remind you that Caia is your Alpha’s mate and should be afforded the respect you’re refusing me.”
At that, Morgan lowered his eyes and Caia knew Reuben had gotten to him. “You’re right.” He looked up and gave her a slight nod, his eyes dimmed but not defeated. “I’m sorry. But I can’t have my children in this war, Caia.”
“I understand,” she replied softly. “I’m sorry I didn’t speak to you about it first.”
“Uh hello!” Alexa called, taking a step closer to Reuben with a flirtatious shake of her hips. “I think, daddy, you’re forgetting one thing.”
Morgan raised an unimpressed eyebrow at her.
“I’m eighteen. I don’t need your permission.” She smiled up at Reuben. “I’m still in.”
“You still live under my roof, so you will do as I say.”
“No-”
Sensing a huge disagreement brewing Caia stepped forward. “Alexa, your father is right. I don’t think you’ve thought this through. You will be fighting to the death and fighting magiks. The closest you’ve gotten to fighting is tussling with the pack.”
She whirled on Caia so fast she almost gave Reuben whiplash with her long, thick hair. “I can’t believe you of all people are trying to stop me.”
Jaeden growled from her position on the coffee table. “And what does that mean?”
“Can’t she talk for herself?” Alexa cried, gesturing towards Caia. “Jeez, you’ve got so many champions it’s a wonder you need to fight at all. Speaking of which… you had no fighting experience when you went in after Ethan. And you let Jae take those guards on outside.”
“Jaeden hunted with me for months before that and has become a proficient fight,” Reuben reminded them quietly. Jaeden began to smile at him in thanks and then seemed to remember at the last minute that she hated him.
“Arggh!” Alexa spun around and glowered at her father. “Daddy, let me do this! I am fed up of being a useless pretty ornament… uh one, btw, who didn’t even land the pack Alpha or Rogue Hunter!”
Wow, you had to admire her honesty… she didn’t give a rat’s ass who knew how shallow and ambitious she was.
“Oh dear goddess,” a soft female voice entered from the hallway followed by its owner, Alexa’s mother, Natalia. Alexa was the spitting image of her mother and they could easily pass for sisters. The only difference being that Natalia wore her thick, dark hair cut short, and whereas Alexa’s eyes were constantly spitting fire, there was a gentleness to Natalia’s. At the moment that gentleness was replaced with weary indignation. “Please don’t tell me you want to go off on this suicide mission because you think it’s the way to gain a mate?”
Malek snorted but Alexa merely shrugged, apparently not embarrassed that this conversation was occurring in front of not only the Elders but Reuben and Vanne. “It’s not just that! OK maybe I thought about it… Caia and Jae have done pretty well for themselves and their not as pretty as me so I have to conclude that it’s their willingness to fight-”
“An admirable quality but one that I don’t want my daughter to share.” Morgan sighed.
“But I do,” Alexa whined. “Daddy, I feel useless and stupid. But Caia is giving us a chance to do something amazing… something important! This is bigger than finding a mate… this will like totally change everything.”
For a moment they were all stunned by her sincerity. And as Caia watched her plead with her father she decided right there and then to start acting like a leader. This was a decision she was taking away from him. Alexa wanted to do this. She deserved the chance to show them all what she could do.
“Then you’re in,” Caia said quietly and all eyes turned on her.
Alexa’s were bright and for the first time she threw Caia a genuine smile. “You really mean it?”
“I really mean it.”
“No!” Morgan yelled. “I swear to you, Caia-”
Before Reuben could make that next unmistakable move towards him, Caia moved across the room with speed that surprised her as much as it did them. She stood in front of Reuben facing Morgan down (well as much as she could at her diminutive height).
Pulling on her best acting skills, Caia scowled at him, and used just a little of her magik to force him back from her. She could tell by the widening of his eyes that he felt it. “Alexa wants to fight. She’s a grown-up and it is her decision… not yours. And Reuben’s right… when Lucien and Ryder are absent then the Elder’s and I are in charge. Last time I checked you weren’t either one of us. Now the Elder’s have raised no concerns over Alexa’s involvement so that leads me to believe they think she should be allowed to make up her own mind.” A rumble of grunts from the Elders confirmed that. “I suggest you swallow that decision gracefully-”
Malek stepped forward interrupting, “I wan-”
He snarled as Caia pushed him back but she was unimpressed. “Don’t interrupt. Your father said no. You’re still underage, Mal.”
Morgan looked as if he wanted to strangle someone. “You’ll understand when you have your own children, Caia.”
She sighed, trying desperately to hold on to the hard-ass act. “Morgan… if I don’t get enough people to help me fight Marita… we won’t have a future, let alone the possibilit
y of little Caia and Lucien’s running around under our feet.”
For a moment he gazed at her in strained silence and then nodded curtly before leaving the room with his arm around his wife. Malek followed in their wake, disgruntled mumblings trailing at the back of him.
Caia turned to face the room. “I feel like I’ve been run over.”
“You handled that like a leader.” Reuben nodded and she could have sworn there was pride in his eyes. Vanne looked sad and Caia knew he was still thinking about Marion. The Elders were a little shell-shocked, but Jae, like Reuben, was smiling smugly.
“You kicked ass.”
She felt a hand on her arm and looked up to see Alexa smirking. “Thanks. I mean it. I’m totally pumped to do this.”
Caia glanced over Alexa’s long nails and saw her suddenly as a lykan, a strong, lithe black wolf with powerful form. “I have no doubt that you can take care of yourself.”
Vanne coughed, drawing back their wandering attention. “As interesting as this little window into pack life has been, I do suggest we get a move on.”
9 – Game on
This was it. Caia glanced around at everyone gathered outside Magic Fitness. She couldn’t believe who had turned up to pull through for this coup. Phoebe MacLachlan stood hands akimbo, muttering instructions to three burly male MacLachlans whose faces were pinched with concentration. Alfred Doukas’ eldest son gathered with nine other representatives of the Council’s families all ready to take on Marita and her soldiers. Their fury crackled around them like the sky before a lightning storm. As for Pack Errante, Caia had Magnus, Alexa, Jaeden, Christian and Lucia, Aidan and Irini. The others had been left behind under the protection of Ella, Dimitri and Morgan. As for Vil and Laila, Caia had sent them both back to hide out at Ryder’s apartment. Reuben and Vanne stood off to the side with their heads together and Caia watched them suspiciously.
Blood Solstice: Part Three in the Tale of Lunarmorte Page 8