Alexia’s jaw dropped.
“Well, um, anyway,” Devon continued, clearing his throat and looking away. And if he wasn’t the color of dark chocolate, she’d probably have seen a blush.
He liked her curves? For real? She pushed that thought aside. No. What Alexia needed to do was hold on to the anger and not have expectations. That’s how you didn’t get hurt. Especially from complete asshole strangers.
“What I’m trying to say is the most important difference is that I was able to get into your head.”
“Because that’s not at all creepy,” Alexia muttered.
Devon ignored her comment and tried to catch her eye. She stuck her chin out and met his gaze. She was prepared for whatever he could throw her way. Except she wasn’t. His gaze held so much more than she expected. Questions about that moment when their minds had connected. Surprise and awe at what had happened. And yes, he’d seen that little snippet of the Midnight fantasy. She didn’t know how she knew these things, but when her eyes met his, she felt, to her marrow, all he wasn’t saying.
“A Light Clan member cannot connect with a mind that is evil, whether it be a Skröm, a Shadow, an Other, or any other evil creature. We just can’t.” He held out his hands like that meant something. Like Alexia was supposed to catch onto his meaning, but she was at a loss. So, was she a Skröm or not? Was she evil or not? It seemed the jury was still out on that, and she wanted to move on anyway.
“You mentioned our parents,” Cam said from his spot behind Mindy. He’d been relatively quiet, but Alexia was glad he’d spoken through the silence.
“Yes, and I know I’m not your favorite person right now.” Devon brought his attention back to Cam, and Alexia felt relief at having the story shift to someone else. “I know you feel betrayed because I didn’t tell you about them, but I couldn’t tell you about them without bringing you into this world. I didn’t want to have to yet,” Devon said, pleading with his brother to understand. “That’s why I stayed gone. I couldn’t go back and bring you into this world. Not then. I didn’t come back for you, and I should have. I know that now. I’ve got to live with that. But things have changed. I knew I’d have to tell you eventually. The murder of the Anderson family just moved up my timeline. I’d loved to have eased you into this, and you too, Alexia,” he said, looking to her, his grey-green eyes penetrating and remorseful. “But something is going on in this town, and all of you are tied to it. More than I could have ever realized.”
The two brothers stared at each other for a minute. Neither broke eye contact, but after a minute, Cam nodded and turned away. It seemed to Alexia that Cam was starting to believe Devon’s story. Of course, in this story, Cam wasn’t the demon, so he had nothing to worry about.
“So, our Dad was Luna. Not Taryn like our mother,” Devon explained, his focus on his brother. Like Mindy, Alexia just listened. “Light Clan members can mate members of other Clans. In our case, our mother bonded with a Luna Clan member. Anna Merton, our mother, and Jaquan Sebastian, our father, were shunned by the Sebastian and Merton families. Not every Light Clan does this. Many Light Clans love intermarriages because most of the time, Hybrids are created. But it’s really the same old story. Some families want their lines clean.”
He said the word clean with disgust, and Alexia found she respected him for the sentiment. It sounded as if racism was present in any world.
“They want their gifts to continue and be passed down, but because a Hybrid’s powers adapt, their powers aren’t exactly the same as either original Clan. The Hybrid child uses energy from two areas, and some see that as a taint. So, our mother and father moved to America from Spain, and settled in this area hoping to find support from other Clan members. Before they could find other members, though, they were killed in a car accident, which Cam and I already knew. We were a year old when it happened. The other information I’ve gathered over the years talking with other Clan members.”
“But I still don’t get a couple of things,” Mindy said. “Why doesn’t Cam turn into an animal? And also”—she looked at Alexia pointedly—“what do those Shadows want with Lex?”
“If we had been full Luna Clan, we would have changed at puberty just like everyone else in the Clan. But because we are Hybrids, our change is often deliberate or at least it most often occurs after the Hybrid is introduced to the world. There are exceptions. Some go through their change without any knowledge of the Clan system. Mine was at seventeen. Cam won’t change until he chooses to. And then he’ll transform into whatever animal he connects the most with.” Devon looked over at Cam, who in turn looked back at Devon darkly. Cam didn’t hide the fact that no amount of coaxing would ever get him to turn into an animal.
“Now that’s fucking cool!” Mindy shouted. “Do you have to – what did you call it? – transform with the full moon?”
“We aren’t werewolves, Mindy. The Vuković are our equivalent to the werewolf tradition. But they aren’t like werewolves on TV. They can transform at any time. They’re just stronger at night. They are also stronger in general, which is why they’re often our first line of defense against the Skröm. But they are not our first line of defense against the Shadows. The Taryn – with their mental powers – are much better at defeating the Shadows, but the Vuković are really good in a fight.”
“And the Luna aren’t as strong?” Mindy questioned.
Alexia marveled at her friend. The one non-Clan member in the room, and Mindy was doing better with the questions than either her or Cam. It was like she understood all the Clan bullshit in that crazy instinctual way she had about her. Or she’d just accepted it for what it was, and wasn’t fighting against the inevitable like the two stubborn asses in the room.
“The Luna aren’t as strong as the Vuković, no. Not that they can’t be. Depending on the animal’s physical strength or even the human’s strength, the Luna animal can be quite powerful, but it’s not so much the preternatural ability the wolves have… It’s the wolves whose strength is most useful against the Darkness of the Skröm and the Others.” Devon paused and waited before speaking, like a teacher silently asking if the class had any more questions. There it was again: Darkness. Evil. “Anyway, we can talk more specifics later. Right now, my brother is giving me an evil glare and your friend over there,” he said, gesturing to Alexia, “is looking at me like I ate her cat.”
“I don’t have a cat,” Alexia said, glowering. “I just have little patience for people who see me as evil.”
“I don’t see you as—”
“Save it!” Alexia snapped and took the last piece of bacon from the plate she’d been eyeing. If no one else was going to eat it, she damn well would. Plus, it acted as in-between for the conversation, and she was able to take the time and build her emotional walls back up. She didn’t need long looks full of meaning from men who were just going to treat her like crap later on. So, she was being a bitch. Better a bitch than damaged. Better a bitch than letting down her guard and turning into a monster.
“Let it go, Devon,” Mindy said. They shared a look of their own, which Alexia ignored.
“So, these Shadows are after me, why?” Alexia asked stiffly.
“Honestly? I have no clue. Could be the families?” When the room gave him blank stares, he continued. “There are four Skröm families. The leading family is the Zoranski’s. Honestly, if ever there was a Skröm family that I might even consider throwing my hat in with, it would be them.”
“I thought they were the enemy?” Alexia asked, frowning.
“It’s not that simple, unfortunately.” Devon paused for a moment in thought, as though trying to word his answer carefully. “They’re just different. Roman,” he said, “is the Clan Council leader and the leader of the Zoranski Skröm family. It’s rumored that he only drinks the blood of criminals, and Ginny, his cousin… Well…” Devon trailed off, and there was a small smile on his lips. “Let’s just say, she’s the least Skröm of the lot. Bubbly, confident but not arrogant. Even owns her own business
and works closely with other Clan members. They’re the odd birds out, but Roman holds the Council seat. Always has. Always will, especially since his daughter was killed years ago.”
“And the other Skröm families?” Alexia asked. What were they like? Like the monsters Devon was talking about?
“The other three families are the Taos, the Darmovs, and the Macredes. While the Zoranskis have a better reputation, they are still Skröm, and the other three are the worst of them all. There are times when I’d rather work with the Others. So, when I was thinking the families might be involved, well, it can be a bit like a gang war sometimes. Skröm need to feed, and they eat…a lot.” Alexia grimaced at the statement, but Devon, as always, was oblivious to the reaction. And so he continued, as straightforward and honest as ever. She was starting to admire that about him. “So, to maintain their secrecy, the different Skröm Clan families spread out their territories. It could just be that you came under their radar and got in the way and they thought you were encroaching on their territory as another family.”
No one said anything. There were a lot of theories and no clear–cut answers.
“Anyway, I’ve got a call into The Lodge and to my mentor, James,” Devon concluded. “I’m hoping he can shed some light on all of this once I’m able to tell him a little more in person.”
“You going to tell him you’ve got a Skröm running around the streets of Montville?” Alexia asked. She didn’t pull any punches. She held on to the bitch inside of her like it was a second skin.
“I think I’m gonna have to at least broach the subject, Alexia. But I won’t bring up any names.” He hadn’t said her name but for a couple times, but each time he said it, she felt his voice to the tips of her toes, felt her name on his lips like it was a prayer in her soul.
“Fair enough,” Alexia conceded, and…the evil bitch settled down. For now.
“Look, brother,” Cam said, speaking up again. “It seems like Mindy and Alexia are starting to believe you, and I have to admit, you’ve crafted a great tale here, but I don’t really believe in this magic shit.” He held up his hands. “I know. I know. We saw those Shadows last night. But I am never going to turn into an animal, and I still don’t believe you already can.” He said the word ‘never’ in a scary tone that Alexia had never heard from him.
“Proof! We need proof,” Mindy yelled, but that seemed to make Cam angrier. He apparently didn’t want proof. He just wanted to hide his head in the sand. Alexia had learned over the years that not knowing was more dangerous than knowing, that hiding her head in the sand only ended in more heartache. Rip the bandaid off, she thought, even though she already believed Devon – at least in regards to the Clans and magic. When it came to her own dubious ancestry, well, time would tell. Mindy believed Devon – and she obviously wanted to see his animal. Alexia couldn’t blame her.
“Proof, huh? I can do that,” Devon said with a mischievous smile. “I can totally do that.”
Devon came around the other end of the table, and he brushed against Alexia as he made his way to the opening near the woods where a few more hammocks and some bare land hid. She felt sparks ignite throughout her whole body, a fire that burned bright and beautiful from her head to her toes. She gasped, and Devon looked back and fixed his eyes on her. Except, his eyes were no longer the soothing grey-green they were as a human. Now, they were the deep black of a predator.
“You coming?” he asked, and Alexia felt – yes, felt – his new, strangled voice in the form of a shiver trailing down her spine and ending in her lower regions. Damn it! He was still an ass, but he was a hot, supernatural ass, and Alexia couldn’t help herself as she got up from the table and followed him out back. One way or another, she should have known she’d end up following Midnight down some rabbit hole one day.
A person couldn’t walk the length of Cam’s acreage without a sense of awe. Of course, Alexia’s awe was quickly replaced by genuine surprise and not a little amount of lust at the fact that Devon was definitely not being a tease. He also had no insecurities about his rather magnificent body. Jesus, he was beautiful. He stripped quickly, his dark skin almost glowing even in the light of day as he walked out the back entrance of Cam’s home.
He flexed as he undid his jeans and shucked them, but it was his back that drew Alexia’s attention. Beautifully muscled. Strong. Dark. And covered with long, jagged, curved scars. Alexia and Mindy gasped, but didn’t say anything. They’d heard the story. They knew he’d been abused. But seeing the results of that abuse…was a very different experience. He tilted his head to the side, so she could see the black sheen of his predatory eyes, and he gave her a wink. And her gasp turned into laughter.
“Dude, really?” Cam said, but otherwise he and Mindy were quiet.
Alexia respected Devon’s ability to lighten the mood when it was needed. He had this very natural, honest way about him that made her feel entirely too comfortable around him, especially considering he was a veritable stranger.
Unfortunately, she only got about a five second glimpse of the most beautiful bottom any woman had ever seen before they heard a loud crack, saw a flash of light, and in less than a second, a large black bear exploded from Devon’s body. Like quite literally exploded out of his body. Alexia didn’t know if she was fascinated or disgusted at that awful cracking sound. She aired on the side of fascinated. He was amazing.
She’d never seen a bear up close, and Devon sure as hell looked bear enough to her. She’d gone camping with the Martinezes, and Papa Martinez had only ever shown her pictures of the black bears and the wolves he’d come across, but she’d never actually run into one herself. And yet, here one was, standing calm as could be…right in front of her.
He seemed small for a typical male black bear, but he’d explained the Luna Clan would retain the same body mass as their human counterpart, so his smaller size made sense. As a bear, his eyes were a deep black brown, his fur black as midnight but with a small patch of white on his chest and on his two front paws, and his muzzle was warm and wet to the touch. She knew this because she’d thought for sure he would walk toward Cam first, but instead he slowly walked her way, ducking his head, as though to show he wouldn’t hurt her. He was a couple feet away when she reached out to him and his wet muzzle touched her hand. She couldn’t have stopped the definitely-not-a-real-bitch-giggle that escaped her even if she had put any effort into holding it back.
On all fours, he stood at about 5 feet tall, and at 5’2”, that made him almost eye level with her. After reaching out to pet his hide, the bear – Devon – took over, guiding Alexia’s hand to where he wanted to be touched. She smiled, every part of her excited and terrified at the same time. She was touching a black bear. But she was touching Devon, too. Which was just so fucking strange.
Alexia continued petting Devon and looked over at Mindy. Mindy’s look did not disappoint. There was a reason Mindy and Alexia were friends. Soul sisters, really. They loved adventures, epic tales, and the academic side of things where being a student meant spending time figuring out how things worked. Her friend’s eyes were just as wide as Alexia knew her own were, and her face was flushed under the darker coloring, revealing her excitement.
Cam was different. His jaw was set. He was cold, hard, reserved, and his frustration and fear were so evident, she didn’t need her best friend’s abilities to tell her Cam was dealing with some heavy internal shit. And she almost – only almost – felt sorry for the fact that she was so happy in that moment.
It was odd that Cam was so afraid of this. Yes, this world was strange. Yes, this world was a curveball. But it was what it was. It couldn’t be changed. But again, Cam seemed like the type to be okay with his head stuck in the proverbial sand as long as his world was kept tidy. Unfortunately for him, they were knee-deep in this shit, it wasn’t sand, and he was going have to pull his head out of some place and deal with it. Just like she would. Alexia would just have to make sure she didn’t snack on her friends and family when it was
her turn to change, though. That is, if she actually believed she was a Skröm – and she really, really didn’t want to believe that part of Devon’s story.
A thrill ran through her as Devon let her pet him. The man she’d come to know as Midnight in her dreams had come to her first. After the way Devon had treated her, she was angry at herself for her attraction to him, but she couldn’t help it. He was beautiful, and she seemed to only see her Midnight when she looked at him.
“Wow,” she breathed, and a maelstrom of feelings settled in her gut and in her heart. She didn’t examine them. She just let them sit there for later investigation. This Man Bear was bringing out a lot of things she kept buried – and she wasn’t sure everything that was hidden should be resurrected.
After cleaning up the mess from breakfast and grabbing tea, coffee, and Alexia’s favorite, hot chocolate, they settled into the farthest part of the yard where the empty patch of land and the forest lay. But Devon stayed in his bear form. The bear seemed different. More at peace than his human counterpart. And he didn’t leave Alexia’s side. He sat next to her for the whole hour they lounged in Cam’s backyard, and Alexia rubbed his fur slowly, back and forth.
While Cam stayed on one side of the yard, lounging in a hammock with Mindy and throwing curious glances their way every once in a while, Alexia was happy to sit with the bear. His presence was soothing, and she found herself falling asleep in the bright sun of late winter while petting the animal next to her…
She was ten, and she’d just fallen asleep in the back of the gold Oldsmobile her mommy, Mally, had bought the year before, when she’d officially adopted Alexia. They were on their way to visit Uncle Grover. Grover wasn’t his real name, but she loved calling him that because he reminded her of a grouchy old man. Alexia secretly thought he kind of liked his nickname, though. He was an hour away from Mally’s house in Dunham, and he lived high up in a big house in the woods. A huge house with lots of rooms and so many places to hide.
The Devil's Pride (Wild Beasts Series) Page 9