“Believe me, that’s what she’s become. You haven’t seen her.” Lorn understood Davis’s denial. “I’m sorry.”
The other man stepped closer, his frustration evident. “She’s part VampLycan. Velder was sympathetic when I told him of Kira’s plight and asked him to help. He told me about a young couple in their clan¸ a pair who was destined to mate. The girl didn’t change well during her adolescence. She ended up craving blood and had no tolerance for the sun. They don’t kill them in his clan, but they still make the others nervous. Her intended mate was worried she’d be shunned, and so he shared his blood with her. Each feeding strengthened her until she could stomach food and no longer burned in the sun. It has to be done quickly though. They tried it on one of their older men but his Vampire traits had grown too strong. He’d been that way for years. Velder has given me hope, Lorn—even if it’s a long shot. An infusion of dominant Lycan blood might help activate whatever Lycan traits she has and strengthen them.”
Lorn feared feeling that same hope. “We’ve seen parents attempt it before, offering up their wrists to hide what their children were becoming from Decker. It didn’t help.”
“A set of parents feeding their young won’t work. It was their combined Vampire traits that were passed down to that child to begin with. It needs to be a male with dominant Lycan blood, according to Velder. They can survive regularly feedings and their blood is strong.”
“I’ll do it.” Lorn was willing to give it a try. He’d do anything if it meant Kira could withstand the sunlight again and didn’t need daily blood feedings. “My Lycan side is very dominant.”
“No. They have an enforcer willing to share his blood. I need to bring Kira to him as soon as possible. He promised to take care of her and keep her safe.”
Anger surged through Lorn. “You’re not handing her over to some stranger! She’s in a fragile state and he could mistake her bloodlust for more. Do you understand that? He could take advantage of her.”
Davis frowned. “He’s willing to mate her regardless of how this ends. I spoke to him myself. He lost his mate ten years ago. He’s lonely and Velder vouched for him. He’s a good man, trustworthy, and he treated his mate well. He would make a suitable match for Kira. It’s better than sending her out into the world on her own. I won’t let that happen.”
“You can’t agree to mate Kira off to some stranger. She would never forgive you.”
“What are the choices here?” Davis blinked back tears. “Our clan will kill her. I had nightmares this morning about what would happen to her if we sent her out into the world. I lived in the human world with Kira’s mother. Other nests would come after her, and I’ve heard what some of them do to the ones without masters. She’s an attractive girl. I’d rather know she has a mate who will protect her than risk her ending up in the hands of those bloodsuckers.”
“But—”
“They might turn her into a whore! Do you get that? They’d offer her body to humans, and the master would force her hand by only allowing her sustenance from the men she has sex with. They pimp out the attractive ones to support their nests. I would rather Kira die than face that kind of future. It would destroy her.”
Rage poured through Lorn at the mere thought of anyone making Kira live that kind of hellish existence. “That’s never going to happen. I said I’ll feed her.”
“Not you.”
Lorn was insulted. “I’m one of the strongest members of this clan. Do you doubt my Lycan traits?” He was willing to fight Davis, almost itched to at that moment, to prove his word. “I chose not to become one of Decker’s enforcers. It wasn’t because I was too weak to qualify. I’m stronger than all of them. Do you know how many times I’ve privately kicked Boon’s ass? He’s the best Decker has. I just refuse to follow that son of a bitch.”
“It’s not about your strength. I’m aware you’ve taken on Decker’s enforcers to protect some of the weaker members of this clan. But you’ve hurt my daughter enough, Lorn.”
The snarl ripped from his throat and his claws slid out. “How dare you accuse me of hurting her! I’ve always looked out for Kira. She’s inside my den. I found her and brought her where she’d be safe. I don’t give a damn if it’s found out and I’m punished. All that matters to me is that no one hurts her. It doesn’t matter that she’s turned into a Vampire.”
The older male backed away a few steps. “You’ve kept her safe from everyone in the clan except yourself.”
“What in the hell does that mean?”
“You shunned her when you became a man.” Davis’s voice softened and he took a deep breath, blowing it out slowly. “I know why you did it…but it broke her heart. I had to be the one to explain why you would no longer talk to her, or spend time with her. I held my baby girl while she cried.”
“Decker and my father would have killed her, Davis.”
“I know. I was grateful that you didn’t take advantage of her feelings for you. Some would have bedded her until they grew bored. I’ve always respected you for that and you hold my gratitude. But I can’t allow her to suffer any more, and she will if she bonds to you in a physical way.”
“She’s safe with me.”
Davis frowned. “She didn’t understand the very first time you traveled to visit another clan for a week. I hadn’t shared all the details about VampLycan traits with her, since she didn’t inherit them. Someone in the clan taunted her about you going into heat and explained exactly what you were doing. She cried for days, knowing you were with other women. I’d sit outside her door, listening to those great racking sobs, but she wouldn’t allow me to comfort her.”
Lorn’s anger dissipated and his stomach grew queasy. He hated hearing that, and it made him hurt imagining what it must have been like for her. He never could stand to see Kira crying, but what Davis described sounded far worse than anything he’d ever witnessed.
“The time you were gone for two weeks, she grew so worked up that she left. She was sure you were delayed because you’d found your true mate,” Davis continued. “I’d begged her many times to leave the clan, to go live amongst humans, where Decker couldn’t make her life hell, but she’d always refused. My Kira kept hoping you’d share her feelings.
The other man stepped closer, his frustration evident. “She’s part VampLycan. Velder was sympathetic when I told him of Kira’s plight and asked him to help. He told me about a young couple in their clan¸ a pair who was destined to mate. The girl didn’t change well during her adolescence. She ended up craving blood and had no tolerance for the sun. They don’t kill them in his clan, but they still make the others nervous. Her intended mate was worried she’d be shunned, and so he shared his blood with her. Each feeding strengthened her until she could stomach food and no longer burned in the sun. It has to be done quickly though. They tried it on one of their older men but his Vampire traits had grown too strong. He’d been that way for years. Velder has given me hope, Lorn—even if it’s a long shot. An infusion of dominant Lycan blood might help activate whatever Lycan traits she has and strengthen them.”
Lorn feared feeling that same hope. “We’ve seen parents attempt it before, offering up their wrists to hide what their children were becoming from Decker. It didn’t help.”
“A set of parents feeding their young won’t work. It was their combined Vampire traits that were passed down to that child to begin with. It needs to be a male with dominant Lycan blood, according to Velder. They can survive regularly feedings and their blood is strong.”
“I’ll do it.” Lorn was willing to give it a try. He’d do anything if it meant Kira could withstand the sunlight again and didn’t need daily blood feedings. “My Lycan side is very dominant.”
“No. They have an enforcer willing to share his blood. I need to bring Kira to him as soon as possible. He promised to take care of her and keep her safe.”
Anger surged through Lorn. “You’re not handing her over to some stranger! She’s in a fragile state and he could mistake her bloodlust for more. Do you understand that? He could take advantage of her.”
Davis frowned. “He’s willing to mate her regardless of how this ends. I spoke to him myself. He lost his mate ten years ago. He’s lonely and Velder vouched for him. He’s a good man, trustworthy, and he treated his mate well. He would make a suitable match for Kira. It’s better than sending her out into the world on her own. I won’t let that happen.”
“You can’t agree to mate Kira off to some stranger. She would never forgive you.”
“What are the choices here?” Davis blinked back tears. “Our clan will kill her. I had nightmares this morning about what would happen to her if we sent her out into the world. I lived in the human world with Kira’s mother. Other nests would come after her, and I’ve heard what some of them do to the ones without masters. She’s an attractive girl. I’d rather know she has a mate who will protect her than risk her ending up in the hands of those bloodsuckers.”
“But—”
“They might turn her into a whore! Do you get that? They’d offer her body to humans, and the master would force her hand by only allowing her sustenance from the men she has sex with. They pimp out the attractive ones to support their nests. I would rather Kira die than face that kind of future. It would destroy her.”
Rage poured through Lorn at the mere thought of anyone making Kira live that kind of hellish existence. “That’s never going to happen. I said I’ll feed her.”
“Not you.”
Lorn was insulted. “I’m one of the strongest members of this clan. Do you doubt my Lycan traits?” He was willing to fight Davis, almost itched to at that moment, to prove his word. “I chose not to become one of Decker’s enforcers. It wasn’t because I was too weak to qualify. I’m stronger than all of them. Do you know how many times I’ve privately kicked Boon’s ass? He’s the best Decker has. I just refuse to follow that son of a bitch.”
“It’s not about your strength. I’m aware you’ve taken on Decker’s enforcers to protect some of the weaker members of this clan. But you’ve hurt my daughter enough, Lorn.”
The snarl ripped from his throat and his claws slid out. “How dare you accuse me of hurting her! I’ve always looked out for Kira. She’s inside my den. I found her and brought her where she’d be safe. I don’t give a damn if it’s found out and I’m punished. All that matters to me is that no one hurts her. It doesn’t matter that she’s turned into a Vampire.”
The older male backed away a few steps. “You’ve kept her safe from everyone in the clan except yourself.”
“What in the hell does that mean?”
“You shunned her when you became a man.” Davis’s voice softened and he took a deep breath, blowing it out slowly. “I know why you did it…but it broke her heart. I had to be the one to explain why you would no longer talk to her, or spend time with her. I held my baby girl while she cried.”
“Decker and my father would have killed her, Davis.”
“I know. I was grateful that you didn’t take advantage of her feelings for you. Some would have bedded her until they grew bored. I’ve always respected you for that and you hold my gratitude. But I can’t allow her to suffer any more, and she will if she bonds to you in a physical way.”
“She’s safe with me.”
Davis frowned. “She didn’t understand the very first time you traveled to visit another clan for a week. I hadn’t shared all the details about VampLycan traits with her, since she didn’t inherit them. Someone in the clan taunted her about you going into heat and explained exactly what you were doing. She cried for days, knowing you were with other women. I’d sit outside her door, listening to those great racking sobs, but she wouldn’t allow me to comfort her.”
Lorn’s anger dissipated and his stomach grew queasy. He hated hearing that, and it made him hurt imagining what it must have been like for her. He never could stand to see Kira crying, but what Davis described sounded far worse than anything he’d ever witnessed.
“The time you were gone for two weeks, she grew so worked up that she left. She was sure you were delayed because you’d found your true mate,” Davis continued. “I’d begged her many times to leave the clan, to go live amongst humans, where Decker couldn’t make her life hell, but she’d always refused. My Kira kept hoping you’d share her feelings.
