That’s when Lorn had begun spying on Davis. Her father hadn’t been grieving. He definitely would have been if Kira had disappeared without his knowledge, or if he feared someone had killed her.
“Every year when you travel to the other clans, Kira grows depressed and quiet. I still hear her crying sometimes in her room or see the results in the morning with her red, swollen eyes. We pretend she’s not hurting because she gets more upset if I attempt to talk to her. Every time you return, she shuts down, bracing for you to bring a mate with you. She lingers with the clan in the hope that you’ll love her but she keeps a bag packed in the back of her closet. I know why it’s there. It’s so she can flee the day you do find your mate.”
“I didn’t know,” Lorn admitted.
“She hid it from you because she has pride. It’s all she has. I’m taking my daughter away, Lorn. Feeding is very intimate, and it will only break her heart more when you shun her again.”
“Who says I will?”
Davis stepped closer, studying him knowingly. “Are you willing to flee the clan and go somewhere else with her?”
“You know I can’t do that. I have responsibilities to my family, and someone needs to step up to lead our people now that Decker’s gone. It can’t be Nabby.”
“She’s loved you since she was old enough to lose her heart. You can’t be so blind as to not know what living in close quarters with you will do to her. She’ll take from your vein, Lorn. You said it yourself; a man could mistake bloodlust for the real thing. What if she stirs your desire? Can you swear on your life that you aren’t attracted to her in the least? Don’t lie to me. You wouldn’t have stayed away from her if you didn’t have some feelings. You’ve always guarded her against others. You just don’t love her enough to sever your ties with your family and clan to be her mate. I understand that—but as a father, I’ve hated you for all the suffering you’ve created. The enforcer in Velder’s clan is willing to mate with her. What can you offer her, besides your blood and temporary shelter?”
“My blood might strengthen her Lycan side.”
“What if it doesn’t work? Velder offered no guarantees. Just hope. You know Decker’s influence is longstanding, despite his absence. She wouldn’t be safe here if you fail. You’ll have to send her away and shatter her heart in the process. She’ll bond with you if you don’t, damn it!”
Lorn fought his rage. “Taking blood from me is going to work. It has to.”
“Let’s say it does. And then what? I heard Lavos found his mate. You’re first son, and Ladius will demand you take a mate before Lavos does. It’s law in our clan. If your blood takes, she might get to remain in the clan, but at what cost? Watching you with another woman will hurt her even more—possibly mean her death, if your mate considers Kira a threat.
“Velder’s offering a safe life in his clan if she mates one of his enforcers. Let her have a chance at happiness. She’s in love with you, Lorn. The kindest thing you could do for her is to let her go, let someone else mate her that isn’t in our clan. Then she won’t have to witness you live out the life she’s always wanted with you, with another woman.”
Pain tightened his chest. He never wanted Kira to suffer. He also hadn’t known until the night before that she harbored strong feelings for him. He’d been certain she hated him after he’d shunned her in their teens. Kira had avoided him when they’d been in the same vicinity and had never sought him out.
“She’ll die a little inside every time she watches you kiss or hold someone else. Imagine her pain when you start having young. I knew that pain once. I’m going to tell you something I’ve never shared with Kira. I loved someone in this clan before her mother. She chose another, and I couldn’t stand the ache of watching her bloom with her mate’s child inside her belly. It tore my guts out, seeing them together. I was never with her but it didn’t hurt any less. That’s why I left for the outside world when Decker asked someone to manage some business for him.”
“Who was it?”
“It doesn’t matter.” Davis held his gaze. “I no longer feel that way. It was just an infatuation. I met Kira’s mother and that’s when I realized the true meaning of love. I didn’t care what rules I had to break to be with her, or that she was human. I turned my back on my clan to claim her. I had to tell her the truth about what I really was in order to mate her, but she accepted me. The feelings were stronger than anything I’d ever experienced. I’ve only seen that kind of love one other time—Kira’s love for you.
“I suffered the pain of watching someone I’d thought I loved being with another, and believed it was the worst thing to ever happen to me. I can’t imagine how deep Kira’s pain will be when you take a mate. Please…let her go. She’ll bond with this man and hopefully fall in love with him. She’ll have a life and children with him, if he’s able to strengthen her Lycan side.”
Rage and jealousy stabbed at Lorn. He didn’t want some other man mating Kira. Just imagining her pregnant by someone else had his claws tearing from the tips of his fingers. That would mean someone else stripping her bare and fucking her. It made him killing mad. He snarled.
Davis scowled. “Don’t you dare react that way. You don’t love my daughter.”
“I do!” Admitting it wasn’t as difficult as he’d imagined.
“But you’ve chosen your clan and family over her. My daughter loves me, but she’d have fled with you in a heartbeat if you’d ever asked. She’d have followed you to hell and back. You don’t love her enough. Stop being so damn selfish!”
Lorn wanted to hit Davis. “I could mate her if my Lycan blood takes hold in her.”
Davis paled. “No. You know your father would never approve, even if you succeeded in making her withstand the sun. She won’t have strong enough bloodlines; he wouldn’t feel her worthy of bearing his grandchildren. He’d also fear the Vampire side would primarily show in any offspring.”
“I don’t give a fuck,” Lorn swore.
“He could make her life hell.”
“He wouldn’t dare. I’d kill him.”
“And if feeding her your blood doesn’t work? You won’t be permitted to mate a Vampire, Lorn. Their women can’t breed. You’d be damning yourself to a childless future when it’s your responsibility to carry on your family line. Those are all things your father will say—right before he severs her head from her body. He’d rally the clan to help him until it would just be you and me, fighting against them all. We’d be overpowered with those odds, only to watch them behead her anyway. It’s law that all Vampires die, mate or not.”
“I’ll only mate her if it works.”
“Don’t you listen? I’m not going to allow you to hurt her even more than you already have! She’s my child, and all I have in this world. I’m returning at sunset to take her where she’ll be safe and have a secure future. This isn’t up for debate!”
“We’ll let Kira decide.” Lorn wasn’t going to allow Davis to take her. But she wouldn’t forgive him if he just killed her father, so he tried to be reasonable. “It’s her future. I’ll relate what Velder said, and tell her about the enforcer willing to feed her. I’ll also offer up my blood. That’s fair.”
“Bullshit.”
Lorn spun. He’d been so intent on arguing with Davis that he hadn’t heard his brother approach. “Stay out of this, Lavos.”
“She’ll choose you,” his brother continued. “You know that as well as I do.”
“Davis wants to mate her off to someone else!”
“Good.” Lavos crossed his arms over his chest. “That’s for the best.”
Lorn managed to stifle a roar of denial. He fought to be calm, to be reasonable, but the idea of losing Kira forever only gave him the urge to attack both men.
“You saved her from certain death. Now make sure it stays that way,” Lavos urged. “She’s safer with another clan. You can’t deny the truth, even if it hurts.”
“Kira will decide,” Lorn ground out. He glared at his brother th
en shot a warning look at Davis. “She may be your daughter but she’s an adult now. I’ll make her aware of the situation and the possible consequences. You said you respect me. I do have honor, and the last thing I want is to hurt Kira.”
“Let me talk to her,” Davis demanded. “I want to be there when she wakes.”
“No one enters my den,” Lorn growled. “But you can see her tonight. Come back an hour after darkness falls. And don’t follow me.” An implied threat hung in the air. He spun then, storming away.
“Damn it, Lorn. Wait!”
He ignored his brother, half expecting either Davis or Lavos to attack him from behind. Heavy footfalls followed and he inhaled. He spun on his brother.
“What?”
“Give Kira to Davis.”
“Fuck no!”
Lavos kept back a few feet, a wary look on his face. “You’re losing your shit, bro. The only reason Davis didn’t follow was because he sensed you’d kill him. Hell, I’m staying out of swiping range right now because you look as if you want to draw blood.”
“He can’t force her to mate some stranger.”
“Just take some deep breaths and calm down. Okay? Forget about Kira for a few minutes. You’re way stressed.”
His brother had a point. He breathed deeply and forced his body to relax. “Did they find Veso yet?”
“No. We did discover where he’d been attacked. The blood scents told us he fought at least five Vamps. He did some damage before they took him down. There were traces of ash. He took out at least two of them. Maybe three. It’s hard to tell.”
“He’s dead?” That news shocked Lorn. He’d sparred with Veso plenty of times when they’d been in training together. The VampLycan could fight well.
“A syringe was found at the scene. It stinks of a strong sedative known to be used on large animals. Nabby figures they swarmed him and took him down using the drugs. There wasn’t much of his blood on the ground, so they must have taken him out fast, and the suckheads stole his body. They probably want to mount him on the wall of their nest as a trophy. They’re sick bastards.”
“Nabby is an idiot.”
“Yeah, but I think he’s right this time. They’d have left Veso’s body unless they had some twisted purpose for it. Even if he wasn’t killed at the scene, I’m sure he’s dead by now. There’s no way they’d risk keeping a VampLycan alive.” Lavos’s features reflected regret. “I wanted to track them off our land to retrieve his body but that can wait. You, on the other hand, can’t. I’m really worried about you. I can’t imagine how difficult this is for you.”
“You heard Davis. There’s a chance Kira might take on VampLycan traits.”
“There’s also a stronger possibility it won’t work. You can’t be the one to feed her.”
“I can.” Lorn’s teeth clenched.
“Look at how you’re acting. You damn near wanted to kill her father. You need to let Davis take her away from you. I heard your offer to mate her if this crazy blood transfer thing works. It’s only a slim chance. You can’t feed her because we both know what’s going to happen if you do, regardless of the outcome. It will be tragic either way.”
“What does that mean?”
His brother took a deep breath, regret tensing his features. “You’ve always loved Kira, Lorn. Hell, your actions proved it. I believe she is your true mate. But Decker denied your right to claim her. That’s just wrong. I had come up with a plan but…now it’s all fallen to hell.”
“What plan are you talking about? I do love Kira, but she’s not my true mate. I just want her as mine.”
“Deny it all you want, but it’s true. You’ve already bonded, just not physically.”
“What have you done? What plan?”
Lavos took a step back. “We’re going to skip over the discussion about Kira?”
“You’re the one skipping over things. What plan are you talking about? Did you have anything to do with those Vampires invading our territory?” The idea infuriated him. “Did you put Kira in danger?”
“Hell no!” He scowled. “It doesn’t matter what I did anymore. Veso is dead. You can’t run off with Kira now, and she has to leave.”
Lorn lunged and grabbed his brother by the front of his shirt faster than the other man could react and gave him a vicious shake. “What plan? What the hell does Veso have to do with anything? Why would you say I can’t run off with her when last night you made me promise to do just that if she can’t learn to control herself? What in the hell is going on?”
“Calm down.”
“Fuck you. Talk!”
Lavos gripped his wrist but didn’t tear out of his hold. “Veso, Garson, Kar and I had a plan, and we thought we could continue with it even after Decker fled. Hell, that actually made it easier. Veso offered to help me take leadership of our clan.”
“What?” His hold on his brother loosened from surprise.
“Decker is an asshole. We all hate him. You wouldn’t challenge him because you didn’t want to kill our father, and you’d have to. I don’t have those same qualms, Lorn. I’d have fought and killed him, then taken on any who challenged me. Veso swore to help me hold the clan. He would have made a perfect lead enforcer. Garson and Kar offered to be enforcers as well.”
Lorn couldn’t find words; he just gawked at his brother.
“I realized things had become easier after Decker fucked the pooch and fled with his enforcers. It just left Nabby to deal with, and some of the first-generations—like our father, who’s blindly loyal to Decker’s way of running things.”
“You plotted all this without telling me? I’m first son. I should be the one to challenge for leadership and fight Nabby.”
“You were too unhappy. I wanted you to leave the clan.”
It stung. Lorn shoved him away, putting a few feet of space between them. “You don’t trust the clan’s future in my hands?”
“You would make a wonderful leader. A miserable one, though. I’m so sorry.”
“For what?”
“That my plan failed.” Lavos swallowed hard, glancing away before giving him a guilt-laden stare. “I lied to you, and to everyone else. I didn’t find my true mate. I knew our father would demand you take a mate before I did. I thought it would push you into admitting how much Kira meant to you, and you’d finally claim her as your mate. You were supposed to flee with her to be happy! Veso and I were going to assure you we’d care for the clan so you could leave without guilt, but then we were invaded last night. It all went to hell because those fucking Vampires murdered Veso and turned Kira. You can’t leave the clan now. It needs you too much. Nabby is stupid enough to get everyone here killed.”
Lorn had no words at first, too stunned to speak. A hundred questions arose, along with his anger as the silent seconds passed. “You didn’t find your mate?”
“No.”
“And you thought I’d run off with Kira if I were forced to take one?”
“I knew you’d want to claim her. But you can’t now. Veso was the only one I knew who would make an excellent lead enforcer. Now I need you to stay. I’m so damn sorry. You have to challenge Nabby, and I’ll be your lead enforcer.”
It took a moment for all of it to make sense. “I can mate Kira if giving her my blood activates her Lycan side, and makes it stronger than the Vampire traits. I have faith it will work. The rest of the clan will have to accept her as long as she’s able to breed and withstand the sun. Otherwise, it’s none of their business who their new leader chooses. I’ll fulfill the requirement to provide offspring for future generations.”
“You can’t give her your blood, Lorn! You’ll end up mated to a Vampire. No one will follow you in this clan if you do that. They won’t even allow you to live with her here. I can’t do this alone. I need you, and we can’t abandon everyone who depends on us. You have to accept what’s happened to Kira and let her go.”
“I refuse to give up hope!”
“Stop living in denial!” Lavos lung
ed forward, grabbing his shoulders and giving Lorn a shake. “You’ve spent too many years lying to yourself. I’m tired of watching you slowly die a little inside every day. I was willing to do anything so you had a shot at being happy, even deceive you. You’re my brother and best friend. Let it out, man! Cry. Yell. Hit me. Just stop locking it all inside! You’ve got to be hurting so much right now after what’s happened. I can’t imagine how much you must be grieving Kira’s loss.”
“She’s not dead.”
“Not yet. This clan will kill her after they discover what she’s become. Hell, even if you can feed her and get her to withstand daylight, it won’t make a difference. I heard what Davis said about our father. He’s right. He’ll turn the clan against Kira, along with every other elder. We can’t kill all of them.”
Lavos sighed. “They’d never accept your leadership with Kira at your side. Decker poisoned their minds when it comes to bloodsuckers, and only breeding firstborns with strong-blooded VampLycans. The clan will grieve Veso’s loss at a Vampire’s hands—and want someone to take it out on. Kira will become their target. I’d be noble and tell you to still leave with her, but Nabby can’t run this clan. You know I’m right. He’s so far up Decker’s ass that it’s not funny. He’ll sacrifice everyone trying to bring that prick back into power. He’s already spreading a bullshit plan of going to war with the GarLycans to save Decker. The other clans won’t fight by our side. I’d bet they’d join forces with Lord Aveoth. We’ll be slaughtered.”
“No one is that stupid.”
“We’re talking about Nabby and the idiots who tossed in with Decker.”
Lorn growled. “They wouldn’t dare go after the GarLycans. It would be suicide.”
“Nabby thinks it’s only a matter of time before we’re attacked anyway, and he’s spreading that garbage. Veso played nice with Nabby and the others to gain information for a long while. He was really on our side, Lorn. He couldn’t fucking stand any of them. Veso’s the one who let it slip to Davis about Decker’s plan to use his own granddaughter against Lord Aveoth. We knew Davis was feeding information to the other clans so they could help us stop Decker.”
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