****
Despite being attacked and seeing actual lycans fighting, Kira felt calmer now than she had in the last few days. Jace handled himself well amidst his uncle’s clan, despite the knowledge that Roman might’ve engaged in treachery to rule it. And Kip was alive, just like Jace had said he’d be.
Kip sat next to her with a beer in his hand and a plate of ribs in front of him, laughing and relaying his story of courage and bravery for yet another clan member who appeared out of nowhere. They all hooted and howled over Kip’s recounting of how inept and unskilled their attackers were at true combat. Kip’s embellishing didn’t keep Kira’s attention for long.
Roman Bana was holding court on the other side of the room. He was seated across from Jace, who was doing all the talking. His body was rigid and his mouth barely moved as he spoke.
“He looks tense,” Kira said quietly.
“That’s ’cause he is. He was always tense around his father and uncle,” Kip said.
Jace stared at them for a moment and then returned his attention to the others around him. No narrowed look, no veins popping out of his neck; just a casual glance. “He’s not angry anymore when he looks at us,” Kira said.
Kipper took a sip of his beer. “That’s because he knows there’s nothing going on.”
“But the imprinting…how is it that he now controls his feelings?”
Kipper chuckled. “Because sometime between the time I walked in from the night shift and the time Jace left for work, I told him he was being an idiot and I punched him in the nose.”
Kira looked at him sharply. Punched him? She hadn’t noticed a black eye or bruising on Jace when he had returned to the condo, angry, with pizzas in hand. “He’s your friend!”
“So?” Kipper shrugged.
“I don’t do that to my friends.”
Kipper smiled. “Because you’re a girl.” His smile faded a bit when he looked at Jace. “Besides, he knows I’m not the one you’re most attracted to.”
Kira crossed her arms. “Oh, really?”
She had Kipper’s full, cocky attention. “Do you want to challenge him on that? We both know your pheromones are strongest when he’s around.” When her gaze faltered, he laughed. “That would be fun…incredibly tempting, but I’m in no mood to physically hurt Jace again, not when he can’t really control his protective instincts for you.” He winked.
Kira’s cheeks burned and she dipped her head to hide her eyes. “How do I get it to stop?”
“Do you want him not to know of your attraction?” he asked with incredulity. “That would hurt his feelings.” He pouted playfully.
Kira blasted a breath of frustration. “I just don’t want everything to be so out in the open.”
“Okay. Just try and ignore him, then.”
“Just like he tries to ignore he’s a lycan? You’re teasing me.” She smarted under his matter-of-fact look.
“It would be another irony. He’s tried to run from his heritage and it just came full circle. Take you, for instance.” He gestured toward her. “For years he’s avoided any relationships with women so he couldn’t imprint and then you had to go and walk down a dark alley. He couldn’t refuse to save your life and bam! He imprints.” Kipper laughed. “It’s really the funniest thing.”
“Go easy on him,” she pleaded softly. “He’s struggling with it all.”
“Well.” Kipper sighed. “You can’t run from destiny.” His gaze focused on his friend, and his face turned serious. “He’s an alpha of wolves and there’s no denying that, no matter how long he stays away.” They lapsed into silence and watched as Jace confidently interacted with his uncle and the highest-ranking members of the clan. “Now he can’t leave.”
“Shouldn’t you be over there with him? You’re one of the leading guards.”
“I promised to be near you when he isn’t.”
“You?” Kira looked at him doubtfully. “When he doesn’t trust any man to be near me.”
“The punch I gave him was quite effective.” He winked again.
Kira laughed. “Ah, I see.”
All joviality died in Kipper’s eyes. “Besides, now that we know you’re a…”
“That I’m a—”
Kipper silenced her with a fierce look. He casually pointed a hand to his ear and then tipped his head in Roman’s direction.
He’ll hear us.
“Let’s just say,” Kipper continued, “that battles are often about power. If you don’t have it, then you’ll get destroyed by someone who does.”
“This is a dangerous game we’re playing,” Kira said softly. “One clan wants me, and another is hiding me. Next thing you know, vampires will want to be in on it.”
“Hmm, I’m surprised they’re not here stirring things up already.”
“Do you normally interact with them?”
Kipper shook his head. “The ratio of this city’s lycans to vampires is too much in our favor for them to try anything. They keep to the night’s shadows, where they’ll be most wanted. When he came to power, Roman was insistent on getting rid of our biggest threat. Years were spent hunting down vampires. They were a bit scattered in the city, without any real leadership, so it was easy to diminish their numbers.”
“Are you implying that elsewhere it’s a different story?”
“Yeah, I am. I’m sure word has gotten around to other cities and possibly even vamp leaders overseas that their kind has been virtually eradicated here.”
Kira watched Roman as he spoke to the group. He was a commanding presence. Everyone, except Jace, appeared to have hunched their shoulders as soon as the man opened his mouth. A sign of respect, or fear? “All due to Roman’s power, right?”
“You gotta hand it to him. The situation could’ve easily been reversed without his leadership…that is, if the city’s vamps had any sense of solidarity and a thirst for power. We might’ve been hunted to extinction.”
“Do you think Jace will ever want to lead a pack?”
Kipper crossed his arms over his chest. His eyes scanned the crowd around them and finally landed on Jace. “He might have to. Jace can legitimately demand his position back. And believe me, everyone knows it…especially his uncle. If Jace takes power, he’ll have to be cunning to do it. Dividing loyalties would destroy the clan.”
Kira shuddered.
“Cold? I can get a jacket or a blanket for you.”
She shook her head. “It’s not the temperature.”
“Ah. Politics is a frightening business.”
“Yes, but in this case the players can tear each other apart…literally.”
Jace approached them, his jaw set in a look of determination. “It’s been decided.” His eyes locked with hers. “You’ll stay here.” Jace eyed Kip. “We all will.”
“There isn’t any other place?” Kira protested.
“I don’t want you out there,” he said sternly.
Kira stood from her chair and lifted her chin. “Don’t talk to me like I’m some child. This is my life we’re playing with here.”
“No one’s playing, Kira.” Jace softened his tone and his hands reached for hers. “I’ll feel safer with you here with a clan of lycans to guard you.” He stepped closer and lowered his voice to a whisper. “Those others were able to find you at the condo. They probably tracked you by your scent.”
The scent again?
“He’s right, Kira,” Kip seconded.
Kira trembled and Jace’s grip on her hands tightened. She looked beyond Jace’s massive shoulder. Roman’s gaze was trained on the three of them. The man casually drank from a tumbler while his guards conversed around him. He knows. Kira looked up at Jace. “Okay. I’ll stay here.”
Jace arched a brow. “It wasn’t up for a vote.”
“Can you at least do me the courtesy of pretending that my opinion matters? That I actually have a say in my own life?” She snatched her hands back. “It’s tough enough trying to figure this all out, without being burdened by
an overbearing protector.”
“Kira…”
Kira heard the disapproval in Kipper’s tone, but she didn’t care. Well, that wasn’t entirely true. She did care; very much. “I’m sorry,” she whispered to Jace.
“You’re frustrated, I know. It won’t be like this forever.”
“Can you promise me that?” she said with a challenge.
He swallowed, glanced down at his shoes and then nodded. “Yes.” His eyes met hers. “Yes, I can.”
Her vision of giving birth to Jace’s child suddenly came to mind. “I’m curious to know how,” she said in wonderment. How were they ever going to end up in that warm, inviting room with his hand clutching hers and her screaming in pain?
“Same here,” Kipper began, “but I’m sure we can discuss that somewhere else where there are less ears to deal with.” With a slight tilt of his head to his left, he brought their attention to a few of Roman’s guards who took seats away from their group, but a bit too close for comfort for Kipper.
Jace took her hand and led her out of the den. Kipper followed.
“What did Roman have to say?” Kipper asked when they had exited the room into the main foyer. “I’m sure he was thrilled that you decided to leave the haven, again.”
“He wasn’t, actually,” Jace said. “In fact, I had to convince him to let her stay.”
“What?” Kira halted. “He didn’t want me to stay?”
Jace continued up a large staircase. “He has very little interest in the girl I’ve imprinted on.”
“So he knows about that.”
Kip laughed. “Kira, everyone knows about it. It’s hard not to guess when one of us has imprinted. Think of it like…” He glanced at her and with a grin said, “Pheromones.”
Kira refused to blush. “Got it,” she said stiffly.
“I told him we weren’t going to be separated. My uncle didn’t put up much of a fight after that.”
“Did you ask for extra guards?” Kip asked Jace.
“No. Roman suggested it, but the less guys he has around us, the more comfortable I’ll be.”
They walked westward toward a darkened wing, climbed another short flight of stairs, and paused in front of a closed door. The air was chilled and a sense of foreboding caused Kira to tremble. “I think your uncle knows about me,” Kira blurted.
Jace turned around and stared at her. “Did you see this in a vision? How do you know?”
“Call it women’s intuition. No vision necessary.”
Kip glanced at Jace. He frowned. “She does have a particular scent that’s different from other human girls.”
“You think he realizes I’m different because of the scent?” Kira asked.
Kip blew out a breath. “Roman has been around a very long time. I’m sure there’s little of our world that he doesn’t know. Scents and all.”
“So, maybe he doesn’t really care that I’m a seer,” Kira reasoned.
“Inside,” Jace gritted. He threw open the door and walked into the room.
He found the light switch, and Kira held her breath as she surveyed her surroundings. The walls were concrete, but the furnishings were a cold, harsh grey metal and black leather—different from the mahogany bed and fabric-covered twin armchairs in her vision. She wasn’t going to give birth in this room.
“No,” Jace said gravely. “There’s always a reason for my uncle’s actions. That’s probably why he let me insist we stay here. He doesn’t want to give himself away.”
“Which means we’ll have to watch our backs,” Kip said.
“Kipper, we’re going to need allies.”
“I’ll handle it.”
Kira bit her lip and wrapped her arms around herself. She was being hidden underneath Roman’s nose when his sense of smell was so powerful.
Chapter Five
Allies