She threw her arms up and used the last of her energy to jump when the ground ended.
The dive into the water was more similar to a belly flop. Icy coldness wrapped around her body as she sank under the surface. The river’s current shoved her deeper.
* * * * *
Lorn kept to the corner of the room while he sipped his third beer. It left a bad taste in his mouth but at least it was cold. His father met his stare from across the room and held it.
Anger still plagued Lorn over their earlier discussion and he didn’t attempt to hide it. The older man finally shifted so they weren’t looking at each other any longer. It was a small concession that he’d won the contest of wills.
“Hey.”
He didn’t glance at his brother. “Enjoying the festivities?”
Lavos inched closer until their shoulders touched. “No. You look miserable.” Regret laced his voice.
“Never apologize.” He meant the words. “I’m glad you found your mate.”
“You just wish it hadn’t happened yet. I’d lie and say I felt the same, but she’s mine. I have to claim her. I would have already done it but you know those Lycans. They’ve got some strange customs. She’s got to pay respects to her alpha and their elders before she can leave to come live with me. I can’t wait to introduce you to her. She’s a sweetheart.”
Lorn pushed against his younger brother, a show of affection. “I’m happy for you.”
“I never doubted that.”
They both watched the newly mated couple sway when they stepped out into the center of the space cleared for dancing. The way they melted against each other and the love they shared wasn’t lost on anyone within sight. Guilt swept through Lorn at the resentment he felt once again.
Lavos took a deep breath but when he spoke, it was a whisper. “You could take him, Lorn. I’d forgive you. He couldn’t force you to follow tradition if you took charge of our family. Now would be the time to do it. You don’t have to mate some stranger.”
Lorn’s guts twisted. “Ladius wouldn’t accept his loss in status without making me kill him,” he admitted. He glanced at their father again but the other man was involved in a conversation with another clan member. “I do love him. I hate him as well, but he is our father. It would also break our mother’s heart and soul. She might not survive his death.”
“I know. I feel the same way. That’s the sad part. He’ll never modernize his thinking. All of the firsts are dinosaurs.”
Lorn didn’t agree. The first-generation VampLycans had founded the clans. Rules had been agreed upon and stuck to by the elders. They lived by honor—with one exception. Decker bent the rules—and created new ones—to suit his needs and desires. It sickened Lorn.
“The other clans are different,” Lorn pointed out. “We just got stuck with this one.”
“Thanks to our father, and ones like him, deciding to toss in with Decker. They’ll never let go of the past. Every single elder in this clan has listened to Decker’s bullshit for far too long. Old ways are better, according to him. He’s wrong.”
“It’s how Decker and his cronies keep control of the younger generations.”
“You shouldn’t be forced to take a mate.”
Lavos held his tongue.
“It’s not fair.”
“Life isn’t,” he muttered, taking another sip of the beer. “It’s just the way it is.”
“It’s time for you to leave the clan.”
Lorn turned his head to stare into eyes darker than his own. “I can’t.”
“Yes. You can. I’ve given this a lot of thought. There are two of us. I wasn’t groomed to be first son but I know your duties. Do you think I’d fail?”
“It’s not that.” He frowned. “You’d do well.”
“Then why stay? You’re going to be miserable if you allow our father to determine your future by picking your mate. Flee, Lorn. I’ll protect the weaker ones for you. I’ve watched you do it for years. They aren’t your responsibility.”
“It would be the worst thing I could do right now. Decker put our entire clan in danger.”
“That shit he pulled wasn’t expected but it works to your advantage. Think about it. His enforcers are too busy protecting his ass to care about what you do. You won’t have to worry about them tracking you down now.”
“I knew this day would come,” Lorn admitted. “Decker became too greedy not to make mistakes that would come back on him.”
“It shocked me. I knew he was crazy but not outright stupid. He usually does things underhandedly but that shit was blatant as fuck. I mean, to flat out attack another clan the way he did?”
“He got too arrogant.” Lorn glanced around to be sure they couldn’t be overheard. “Have you thought about the future of our clan?”
“Always.”
Lorn drank his beer, his gaze roaming the room to make sure no one drew too close without their notice. “Two things will happen. Either Decker will somehow regain control if he can find a way to bargain for his life with Lord Aveoth, or our clan will have no leader.”
“I’m hoping for the latter if those are the only two options. Everyone is doing well without Decker and his most brutal enforcers. I know I don’t want them to come back.”
Lorn hesitated and then faced his brother. “I spoke to Velder. He called.”
His brother paled. “When did this happen? Why did he contact you?”
“I snuck away to meet with him and a representative from each of the clans yesterday evening. Some of our people have expressed interest in leaving. They don’t feel safe here anymore, and they no longer want to live in fear.”
“That would tear our clan apart.”
“I know. That’s why I can’t leave.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I’m going to challenge Decker for leadership if he returns, or step up to take his position so our people have stability now that he’s gone. All the clan members we like will stay here if Decker and his supporters aren’t running things anymore.”
Lavos frowned. “It doesn’t have to be you.”
“Who else is strong enough to hold this clan together? These are our family and friends.” He turned his head and jerked his chin to the left. “The toughest male besides me is Nabby.”
“I could take him out.”
Lorn glanced around again, making certain they still had privacy. He finally stared into his brother’s eyes. “I know you could, but who would you trust to watch your back if I wasn’t here? You know not everyone here has honor. Some of the clan might break the rules, jump into the challenge fight and outnumber you. This is going to take more than one person to keep it fair and just.”
“I have friends I trust.” Lavos lowered his voice. “I won’t be going at this alone. They’ll watch my back.”
“I know your friends. They’re excellent fighters when the need arises but they aren’t lead-enforcer material.”
“They could be.”
“Not everyone was raised as strictly as we were, Lavos. They are too immature to take on that kind of responsibility. Maybe in twenty or thirty years, Garson and Kar might be ready, but it would be difficult for them.”
“Motivation is strong.”
Lorn didn’t want to argue or point out that one of his brother’s best friends had just been punished three weeks previously for playing pranks worthy of a teenager. “Nabby is Decker’s insurance that things remain the same while he’s gone, but I’m certain he has others who secretly support him. They will reveal themselves during a challenge. I don’t trust anyone except you not to underestimate their tactics. You have some good friends but they aren’t prepared for that level of deceit.”
Footsteps sounded and Lorn spun around to see who approached.
Davis. He’d always liked the man. Lorn’s tense stance relaxed.
“Kira didn’t return,” the older VampLycan hissed. “Something’s wrong. My daughter swore she’d be home before dark. Will you help me
find her?”
The sun had set a bit ago. Lorn set his beer down on the nearest table. “Why did you wait so long to say something?”
“I was busy. I thought she was in her bedroom but I just realized she’s not there.”
“She has to be here.” Lorn quickly glanced around, staring at each and every face of the clan assembled. “Maybe she joined the party.”
“She’s forbidden,” Davis snapped. “Her weapons aren’t there either. She always takes them off when she comes home. She never returned, and she promised to be in the apartment before dark. Something is wrong. I feel it.”
An image of Kira flashed through Lorn’s mind, along with all the horrible scenarios of what could have happened to her. He lunged out the nearest door and toward the woods, swearing he’d kill anyone who’d attacked her if that turned out to be the case. She was too attractive—and far too weak to defend herself against some asshole who’d had too much to drink, or felt the rules no longer applied since Decker had fled. The combination of both made men stupid.
It was possible some male had been leaving the party and caught her coming to the lodge, possibly forced her to go with him. Rage tore at him over the thought of a fellow VampLycan attempting to do her harm in any way.
“What if she got hurt on patrol?” Davis ran after him, keeping pace. “She told me last week a snake almost bit her. We have to find her.”
Lorn remembered that Kira had mentioned the south sector. He tore at his clothes, never slowing as he began to change. What his fingers didn’t destroy, his shifting body did as bones popped. He stumbled a few times during the process but then his claws tore into the ground as he picked up speed.
The sound of two other bodies moving swiftly through the woods behind him assured him Lavos followed too.
Chapter Three
The cold water helped invigorate Kira enough to stay awake as the current pushed her along under the water. Her foot bumped sand and rock, proof that she was deep beneath the surface. The pain in her starved lungs became a warning that she needed to get air. She kicked, tried to swim in the direction she thought was up, and managed to get her head above water long enough to gasp in a deep breath before sinking back under.
It was a process she’d repeated enough times to lose track of how long she’d been in the river. She stayed under until her starved lungs forced her up again. The icy water had been freezing at first but it had long since numbed her body. It was worrisome as she pondered how bad her injuries were.
Her hip slammed into a rock hard enough to make her grunt and she kicked up again, this time fighting to keep her face above water to get a look at her surroundings. The moon gave her enough light to see a large boulder cluster as she was swept past it, on the edge of the bank on her left.
The boulders were very familiar, and she instantly knew her location.
Fear became enough motivation to frantically paddle toward the embankment. A series of falls were ahead if she remained in the water. She doubted she’d survive them.
She made it to the bank but had to face her next task. All her limbs protested while she battled to get out of the water. The grass she collapsed onto was thick and welcome as she lie flat on her back. Heavy panting assured her she still lived as she stared up through the tree branches at the moon.
A twig snapped nearby and her eyes opened. She realized she must have passed out. It was a struggle to form thoughts but they slowly came. She was at least a few miles downriver from where she’d gone in, but that wasn’t far enough to hope that one pissed-off Vampire couldn’t continue the search for her. She rolled over, tried to get to her feet but failed.
Going back into the water wasn’t an option. It had taken too much effort to get out the first time. The falls would kill her for sure if she dropped onto the rocks below. She crawled, forcing her gaze to scan the area to look for anything that would hide her body heat. Vamps could detect it with their night vision.
Her gums began to ache and so did her head. A sharp, stabbing pain in her stomach almost knocked her flat as she softly groaned. Kira ended up curled in the fetal position, suffering as she became aware of more pain. The icy water no longer shielded her from the reality of what was happening to her body.
Hot tears filled her eyes as she considered just remaining there. She quickly discarded that idea. The bloodbag would kill her if she didn’t find somewhere safe to hide. The taste of his blood had been washed away after her desperate swim but it was already in her body, in her veins. The symptoms she experienced assured her of that. Her gaze stared at the sky to judge how long it would be before dawn.
Move, damn it. No bloodbag is going to take you out.
It took a few tries but she managed to get back on her hands and knees. Agony and exhaustion battled inside her for dominance. So damn tired. There was a cave beneath the boulders she’d passed. It had been one of her and Lorn’s favorite places to play as children. He’d been braver than her, jumping off the rocks into the river, which she never did. The memory formed and she locked on to it just to keep distracted from being miserable.
The boulders beckoned in the distance and she kept going until she reached them. The hole appeared in front of her. It looked smaller than she remembered but it had been years since she’d tried to enter the narrow opening to the space below the rocks. The cave went deep, thanks to Lorn digging out more of it to accommodate their youthful imaginations. Even when they were children, he’d been a big kid.
“Maybe we’ll find gold.”
Kira paused, swaying a little, Lorn’s voice a distraction. It wasn’t real…just a memory. Shock caused her mind to drift. Her body had suffered too much trauma.
It had been sunny that day, as she’d laughed, “You’re messing with me.”
“Wouldn’t it be cool though if we did? I could melt it and make you jewelry.”
He handed out another bucket of dirt from the hole. She dumped it into the river, returning quickly to his side to pass the bucket back.
“I don’t wear any of that stuff.”
He grinned, his eyes sparkling with amusement. “You’re a girl. They like necklaces. My mom has a ton of them.”
“I don’t own any.” It was a reminder that she might have liked pretty things if her life had been different. Sadness suddenly struck.
“Hey,” Lorn said. “Don’t cry. I’m sorry.” He suddenly grinned again. “You can have my mom. She’s kind of mean when she makes me eat yucky veggies.”
The loss of a mother suddenly didn’t seem so bad to Kira. “My dad doesn’t do that.” She got an idea. “I know. We’ll make this your den. You’ll need one of those when you’re older.”
He peered at the sky and the boulders above. “No one would see it from the sky, would they?”
“Nope,” she agreed. “Dig more. We’ll make it big enough for the both of us.”
“That’s a good idea.” He took the bucket, disappearing back into the hole. “Just don’t bring your dolls here. They aren’t allowed.”
“Okay.” She could live with that. “But you can’t bring dead things here when you hunt. I don’t want it stinking of dried blood.”
“Deal.”
Kira jerked back into the present when she fell over, sprawling on her side. Shit. She struggled to get upright and slowly crawled through the narrow opening. That lapse into her past was another sign that she wouldn’t be able to hold it together much longer. She was too disorientated.
The strong smell of dirt was actually comforting as she descended deeper into the cave, sliding a few feet. Tremors racked her and she almost blacked out. Another sharp pain stabbed at her belly and she was barely able to stifle a scream. Her arms gave out and she collapsed onto her side again, curling up into a ball. Gravity and the steep decline of the passage to the lower chamber Lorn had dug had her rolling the rest of the way down. She landed on something soft.
Her fingers brushed material. It was too dark to see but she knew what it was. She grabbed at it, drag
ging the old blanket over as much of her body as possible, attempting to use it to get warm. It smelled from years of neglect in the forgotten space but it didn’t matter.
She writhed in agony, clutching at something that had once belonged to Lorn. It seemed fitting that their childhood den might become her final resting place. They’d spent wonderful times together there.
Kira tried to keep focused by going over possible outcomes to her drinking the master’s blood. VampLycans couldn’t be turned into Vampires. The Lycan blood fought the virus but it still made them really sick. That was the best scenario to hope for. She might wish for death by the time the rejection phase passed but she’d survive.
However, her human side might leave her in danger of turning into a bloodbag. It would be a death sentence.
Tears filled her eyes. She might have bitten into that bastard for naught, except giving him the pleasure of watching her die.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. Her argument with her father haunted her while she fought to keep breathing. They were words she wished she could say to him. “I know you love me.”
Lorn’s image surfaced.
“I wish you did.”
A weight settled on her chest and for a brief moment she struggled, thinking the Vampire had pinned her down again. Her flailing arm didn’t hit a solid mass but instead waved in the air and hit a dirt ceiling. She groaned, realizing it wasn’t real. Her lungs just didn’t want to work. She concentrated on breathing in and out. She lowered her hand, fisting the blanket again.
She was losing it. Confused. Probably dying.
* * * * *
The smell of blood drew Lorn to the injured Vampire. The bastard was easy to spot with his pale skin, despite keeping low to the ground as he crawled. The fence was close but he was on the wrong side of it to be safe from his wrath. Lorn transformed his shape into human form.
“Vamp,” he snarled.
The bastard made some kind of weird noise, a gurgle, and turned his head in Lorn’s direction.
It came as a surprise as he assessed the mangled mess that had once been the Vamp’s lower face. His wrecked jaw hung in a sickening way and most of his throat looked like a raw, disgusting mess.