****
Roman surveyed the damage he’d inflicted on his office. Splinters of wood from his oak desk, shredded paper, and shards of glass from broken liquor bottles lay scattered about. He heaved and concentrated on regulating his breathing as his claws retracted and his face reduced in size and returned to human form.
His temper was never so out of balance except when dealing with his brother Byron or Byron’s son, Jace. The two of them were so strikingly similar in character that it irked him to the point where his beast wanted to take over. They were so selfish, only concerned with their needs and forgetting the rest of their family: the clan. Nothing Roman could ever say to his brother had been persuasive enough to get him to put the clan above his own needs and desires.
At least I won’t have to worry about him challenging me for the alpha. Whispers of how Jace’s return pleased a few of the older lycans had reached Roman’s ears. The instant loyalty of the lycans to Jace unsettled Roman. Keeping Jace near would allow him time to decide what to do with his wayward nephew.
Thoughts of Jace’s mother, Melene, filled his mind. Her raven hair and bold blue eyes; the image of porcelain perfection often calmed him during his moody episodes. Jace looked like her around the eyes and nose, although the color of his pupils matched the lineage of many of the Bana men. His birth had snatched the very life from her. In a way she was free…while I remain trapped here without you.
Roman slumped in his chair. His gaze moved to the flickering gas fire in the glass fireplace behind his desk. Why couldn’t Jace have turned out more like his mother? She’d been sweet and compassionate and strong during her ordeal with Byron.
My duty is to Kira.
And Roman was sick of his nephew’s weakness to the imprint, but he was even angrier over being the only Bana lycan who couldn’t have the woman he wanted. Byron had had Melene — although against her will — and Jace had Kira. Roman gritted his teeth. Out of loyalty to his brother, Roman had kept his distance from Melene…mostly. In the end, they couldn’t be together.
Roman called for Loger, his lieutenant. When the young lycan arrived, his anxious gaze scanned the room. “Never mind the mess, Loger. I have a job for you.”
“Sir?”
“I need you to deliver the seer, Kira, to Kata…tonight.”
Loger blinked his eyes a few times and he shook his head as if in a fog. “I don’t understand. I thought you wanted to keep the seer.”
“She is of no use to us if she can’t access her powers.”
“She has no power?” Loger asked in an incredulous voice.
“Power she possesses, but the ability to wield it is extremely underdeveloped. And we don’t have time to wait on her with Kata’s men at our borders. Besides…” Roman smiled as the idea came to life in his mind. “My nephew needs convincing that loyalty to the clan is above all else.”
“He isn’t loyal?”
Roman rolled his eyes. “He’s misguided. We have to convince him that fighting with us is better than opting to be Switzerland.”
“A neutral party…”
“Exactly. There are no neutral sides in this war.”
A glimmer of understanding grew brighter in Loger’s eyes. “If Jace believes she’s been taken, he’ll be more likely to fight with us to kill Kata and his clan.”
“Precisely. I knew there was a reason why you were my lieutenant.”
Loger lifted his chin and puffed his chest out. “It’ll be done, as you say.”
Chapter Eight
Betrayal