The Devil's Pride (Wild Beasts Series)

by T. Birmingham

  James couldn’t stop his wolf’s progress, though. His wolf wanted one of those women, and although James was a future Clan Leader, and therefore very much in control of his wolf, his wolf was a dog with a bone that night.

  He strode toward the crowd of Skröm, and the whole club went quiet. Skröm kept to themselves, and other Light Clans didn’t approach them. The Skröm were the disease you had to deal with even though you didn’t want to unless you were killing them.

  James’ wolf led him to the direct center of the group, and a young woman with straight red hair down to her small hips looked up at him. Her face froze in mid-sentence, and she curled her hands at her side. James understood the feeling. They looked at each other for a moment, and the quiet in the club was suffocating.

  He took another step toward her, and her willowy frame leaned closer to him. He saw her slight, tilted nose take a quick sniff right before she closed her eyes in apparent bliss. He smiled. He should have been disgusted at her sniffing for his blood, but he had smelled her blood, too. She smelled like clean linen and roses. The smell fit her. At about 5’11”, she was tall like others in her Clan, and she was actually almost the same height as James, who was stocky and largely built. However, this young woman was frail and willowy, also typical of her heritage, but James knew that looks were deceiving. The Skröm were scary strong and powerful.

  “James Taylor,” he said, holding out his hand. His wolf wanted this woman. That’s what this was for – to satisfy his animal instincts.

  “That’s a lie,” she said, a slight smile to her lips. James smiled back. This girl had other talents. She was an incredibly powerful Skröm, and he wondered what family she was from.

  “You caught me,” James said laughing. “Well, shit. I guess I have to share now. James Vuković, future Clan leader of the Vuković clan,” he stated, and there was an audible gasp from the room at large.

  “Don’t any of you have anything better to do?” he yelled.

  “Well, they won’t now,” said the young Skröm with the sing-song voice who was doing very interesting things to his body and to his wolf. “The name’s Lilyana Zoranski, future clan leader of the Skröm clan.”

  “Well, fuck me.”

  “That was the idea, wasn’t it?” she asked cheekily, and James let go with a full-bellied laugh. She only smiled more broadly at him.

  She’d shared with him years later that his lack of inhibition and his happiness had seeped into her being in that moment, and she’d been hooked.

  “Can we maybe skip the part where you have sex with my mother?” Alexia asked, bringing him back to the present. Devon laughed from beside her and James followed.

  “Sure,” James said, chuckling. He continued with the story, though. “Your mother and I were mated for ten years—”

  “You were the reason Lilyana Zolanski broke from the Skröm Clan?” Devon broke in. The young man before him might be thought of as a big, dumb bear, but he was one of the wisest people James had ever met. Powerful. Loyal. Observant. Honest. That was Devon. “The future Vuković Clan leader who gave up his seat to be with his fated mate? Your father, James, leads now, and Marcus, your brother is set to take over after him, since the oldest – you – revoked their power. It makes sense. I guess we all just thought… Well, James… You are The Lodge, and your last name is Freeman. We didn’t know you were that James… James Vuković…wow…”

  Devon smoothed his hands over his head. There were a lot of changes happening for Devon, but James had known him for half of his life, and he knew Devon was as strong and as resilient as they came. He also so closely resembled James himself that it was rather ironic that Devon had become like a son to him. In fact, James and Devon looked so much alike with their dark skin and their light eyes that they’d often been mistaken for family. But genetics were a funny thing. James watched as Alexia reached up to grab Devon’s hand and pull it into her lap in a comforting gesture that almost broke James’ heart.

  “No one was supposed to know, Devon. The story didn’t end well as I’m sure you’ve guessed. And I stayed away from my family. I haven’t talked to my mother or my father or Marcus in over thirty-five years. Even my youngest brother, Graham, disappeared after that time, and I haven’t spoken with him either—” James voice cracked and he had to stop talking. He couldn’t get another word out for several long minutes.

  “I’m going to tell you something, but I need you not to hate me. I need you to at least think about forgiving me.” Alexia gave him a considering look and then nodded. “Your mother loved me. We were fated mates, and we were together for ten years. Have you been told about how mating works for the Clans?” James asked.

  “Devon mentioned some things about how the Clans mate. He explained how most Clan members find a mate, but how fated mates are different – and rare. He also said that no matter if the pair is fated or not, the bond that is formed is a soul-deep connection whether it’s for a bonded mate or fated mate pair. The fated mates just get extra things – mostly things like a mental connection and shared power. From what I recall, the soul-deep connection is also needed to have children,” she said, and then trailed off. She looked away from James and down at her hands before jutting out her chin and meeting his gaze with deliberate effort. She must have felt the need to move, though, after the show of bravado because she jumped up from the couch and started pacing the room. Neither James nor Devon crowded her. They gave her the space she needed.

  “Yes,” James said, drawing her gaze back to him. “In order to have children, we need to form a bonded connection, but if you’ve found your fated mate, that’s the only bond that will work if you plan on having children.”

  “So, that means—”

  Alexia stopped pacing abruptly, and James stood, but stayed near the chair, still giving her space.

  “Well, this sure is the day for revelations, isn’t it?” Devon said from his seat. Alexia gave Devon a hard stare, but it softened as she looked at her mate. Devon stood and walked to her, grasping her hand and giving her a tight hug before letting her go.

  “You didn’t know?” Alexia asked, looking back at James.

  “No,” James said, his gaze meeting hers. “I didn’t know. You have to know I would have raised you if I had known. I would have taken care of you. You are the only thing left of what your mother and I were, and Jesus, I would have loved you so much, Alexia Maria.” James laid his head in his hands, and Alexia let go of Devon’s comforting hold to sit down next to James.

  “Something about my name earlier let you know I was yours. What was it?” she asked. “My mother being Lilyana wasn’t enough, even though you claim to have been her fated mate. So, something bad happened with your relationship – and we’ll get to that – but what about my name made you think you were…” She couldn’t get the word out. James was okay with that. He could barely get out the word himself. “Well, what about my name made you think that you are…who you are?” she prompted.

  Finding a father was a lot to take in.

  “Yes,” James said, wiping the tears from his cheeks roughly. “Yes, your name. Alexia Maria. Your grandmother on your mom’s side is Alexia Zolanski and my mother’s name is Maria Vuković.”

  “Is?” Alexia asked.

  “They’re both still alive, Alexia Maria.”

  “My grandparents are alive? All of them? I could meet them?” Her sudden vulnerability pulled at James and he moved in to hug her, but pulled back at the last minute. He hadn’t earned the right to comfort her yet. However, he was a physical man and it killed him not to at least try. So, he moved toward her and gave her arm a squeeze. She accepted the squeeze by holding his hand to her arm for a second.

  “I want to say, ‘yes’, and tell you I’ll take you to meet your grandparents – on both sides – but it’s not that easy,” James said, ending the moment to answer her questions.

  “Because I’m Skröm? Because I’m evil, right? But Devon said my Luna side—”

  “Not evil
,” Devon said gruffly, before adding, “and not Luna.”

  “Huh?” Alexia asked.

  “Devon’s right. You aren’t evil. You’re my daughter. And from what I’ve seen so far, there’s no way you’re the typical Skröm. And he’s also right about your heritage. You aren’t Luna. You’re Vuković, like me. Our powers are different. We can only shift into wolves, and we’re stronger than the Luna in general. Also, our transformations are strongest during the full moon or the new moon, but really the shifts can happen at any time. The myths about werewolves are wrong.”

  James watched a strange expression cross his daughter’s face. God, he had a daughter. She knew of the wolves, it seemed, but the expression went as quickly as it came. It would be hard for this girl, his daughter, to keep a secret. She wore everything right there on her face, just like his Devon always had. He wondered if the wolves she had met were the same he had sensed. He wished he could make contact with them. He’d once been their future leader, but that was done now. And he couldn’t let any wolves – no matter who they were – know he was still alive. He couldn’t face his past and his loss just yet.

  “So, I’m a werewolf and a vampire?” Alexia asked.

  “Ummm…” James said. “Well, yes, actually. Although, in our world, we don’t call them that, but yes, I guess you are. Only, Alexia, power is a funny thing. It transfers from heir to heir in many of our Clans. Most of our Clan leaders, who we call Councilors, inherit the titles. I was once set to be the future Councilor of the Vuković, but when I renounced my position, after meeting your mother – that power moved back to my father, your grandfather. Your Uncle Marcus would have eventually had the Councilor seat, but that power transfer is only temporary. When the original leader produces an heir, that power falls back to the rightful heir. Your mother transferred her power back to your grandfather, Roman, but again, power follows the heir. So, no, you aren’t just a vampire-werewolf, if you want to use those words. In our world, you are the future leader of the Skröm and the Vuković Clans.”

  “Well, fuck,” Devon said, and sat down heavily on the couch.

  “Yes,” James said, succinctly. “I’d say that deserves a ‘well, fuck’ sentiment, and it also answers the question of why there are murders and Skröm and Shadows and all sorts of nasty things happening in your town, Alexia. I’d say someone knew you were here, and they’re not very happy about the position you’re meant to hold in our community.”

  Alexia sat down on the bed and looked back and forth between the man she was coming to love and the man who she’d just found out was her father. And she thought about earlier when James had asked her to listen and to forgive.

  “So, what am I supposed to forgive you for? You didn’t know you were a father and the shitstorm of a revelation that just happened wasn’t really something that you had control over. It sorta is what it is, James.” Alexia said, and she seemed weary. It had been unfair of him to bring everything up, and for the most part, he didn’t mind keeping a secret close to his chest. God knew, he had a lot of them. But he’d needed to tell her. She’d needed to know. “None of this is really your fault, James.”

  “That wasn’t what I needed forgiving for, Alexia. I need forgiveness because—”

  James took a deep breath.

  “I need forgiveness because I know something about your mother, Ana. For almost two years, I thought she was dead. She left in the middle of the night to make a run to the local store. That woman did love to shop.” James smiled at what had been only one of her many vices. But the smile was grim, and it fell away as quickly as it had come. He cleared his throat. “And then she came back and I—”

  “You don’t need to—”

  James cut Alexia off. “No, I do need to.” He looked to Devon and then back to his daughter. God, I have a daughter, James thought. Well, he didn’t have her, and he probably never would. She’d hate him and with good reason. “The thing is... Well, the thing is,” James said, not daring to look at Alexia or Devon, “I know how Ana died because I’m the one who killed her.”

  He watched as both of their heads snapped back to him in unison. And for just a moment, he saw the disappointment in Devon’s eyes, but that wasn’t what concerned him. Alexia wasn’t staring at him. She was looking through him. As though her mind had gone blank.

  James had been the one to kill her – the one woman he’d ever loved, and he’d killed her without remorse.

  That was the way when a Skröm started killing.

  That was the job of a Vuković.

  Alexia could feel that thing inside of her again. That anger burning through her, and she wanted to push it out, wanted to let that fire consume her whole, so it could ravage and burn and purify the mess of her life. But she wouldn’t. For one, giving up control in that way wasn’t her style. And two, her anger wouldn’t solve anything here.

  She got up from her seat on the couch, but she didn’t move much further than a couple steps. She needed silence, and not movement, while she worked through the mental list she’d been piling on to for the past month.

  Her mentor, Professor Anderson, and his family had been murdered. His replacement and their family had been murdered as well.

  She had powers, and she was half Skröm and half Vuković. Not the half Luna she had thought. So, was she still possibly evil? She was still half Skröm, and that meant there was a fifty/fifty chance in her mind.

  Nicky was mysteriously back in town, and he’d been a super scary Vuković the last time she’d seen him. So, there was at least one more werewolf out there. Scratch that, she thought as she remembered the other man who had been with him.

  Then there was Mindy, who was most likely involved in all of this in some way – even though neither she nor Mindy wanted to touch that piece of information with a ten-foot pole.

  She was falling for Devon and they were also fated mates – whatever that meant for the both of them. She looked over at Devon, at his kind grey-green eyes, at his strong features and his comforting presence. He stood from the couch and walked to her without even a word from Alexia. He’d known just what she needed, and she breathed a sigh when he pulled her in for a hug. She was surprised by how comfortable she felt with him, but this was Devon. Ironically, the fact that she had a fated mate was the least depressing and scary news of the batch.

  And the man in front of her was her birth father, and he’d killed her mother.

  So many things rattled around in her brain, but she’d stick with those for now. She grabbed ahold of her anger and pushed it back down. She tucked it back into place. She’d use that anger someday, but she hoped today would not be that day.

  She could wait a few moments to let her rage loose. That part of her was patient, waiting, calculating. Since it seemed the Vuković were more brawn than anything else, she didn’t think it was her wolf that always lay in wait. Although, now that she’d thought that, it felt wrong. She guessed she couldn’t really separate one side of herself from the other. She was her Skröm and her Vuković sides and they were a part of each other as well. They were one. Or at least they should have been. Alexia’s powers were apparently still coming on line. She snickered a little – yes, out loud. On line. Like a game. Fuck, she was going crazy.

  They heard a knock at the door, and James went to answer it cautiously. He’d been standing in the room across from her after his confession, silent. The silence was a plea for understanding, for forgiveness, and maybe even for acceptance.

  Alexia realized Devon was holding her. To keep her from attacking or to keep her from falling apart, she didn’t know which, but he was getting to know her, and the strength with which he held her suggested he knew she was about to use tooth and claw any second now. God love him, he’d definitely been made for her. Shit, he had been, hadn’t he? Not now, Alexia. Not now, she thought.

  “You okay, Lex?” Mindy asked from the doorway. She looked at Alexia curiously, and Alexia realized Mindy must have felt her pain and the sudden anger that was so like th
at night at the vigil.

  “Yeah, Mind. I’m good. Sorry,” Alexia whispered to both her and Devon as she eased out of his arms. “See? No bright red human glow torch.” Alexia smiled, adding in a laugh. Stupid to add in a laugh when she didn’t feel like laughing at all. It felt like a lie and everyone in the room sensed that.

  “That being said, we can hear you guys, so I think I’m gonna stay. Cam already left,” she said slowly. A darkness crept into Mindy’s countenance, but she moved on so quickly, Alexia couldn’t ask. “And just so you know, Nicky’s joined the party.”

  “Of course he has,” Alexia said, letting the breath she’d been holding escape her in a woosh of exasperation and worry. Was this day never going to end? She needed food. Real food. Not blood food.

  “Pizza?” Mindy asked.

  “Mind, you’ve really got to stop doing that,” Alexia said.

  “What?”

  “Reading my mind,” Alexia said without feeling.

  “Ummm, Lex. I can’t actually read your mind. Just emotions, and small image snippets. You said that out loud…”

  “No,” Alexia said horrified, shaking her head. She looked to Mindy and then to Devon. He gave Alexia a slight smile, and she saw in there the support she needed, but also a great deal of sadness. His eyes said what she felt. She’d been through the wringer recently. They both had.

  “Shit, let’s just get this over with first,” Alexia said looking at James. “Why did you kill Ana?”

  “It’s complicated—”

  “Why, James?” she asked again. He gave her a long-suffering look.

  “To stop her from killing more innocent people.”

  She’d take that answer, but she’d get to that awful look later. Alexia had just needed to know if she’d be killing him or eating with him. Because she could fucking eat a horse at that point.

  “All right, invite the band of misfits in, and I’ll go talk with Nicky."