Davis scowled. “Don’t you dare react that way. You don’t love my daughter.”
“I do!” Admitting it wasn’t as difficult as he’d imagined.
“But you’ve chosen your clan and family over her. My daughter loves me, but she’d have fled with you in a heartbeat if you’d ever asked. She’d have followed you to hell and back. You don’t love her enough. Stop being so damn selfish!”
Lorn wanted to hit Davis. “I could mate her if my Lycan blood takes hold in her.”
Davis paled. “No. You know your father would never approve, even if you succeeded in making her withstand the sun. She won’t have strong enough bloodlines; he wouldn’t feel her worthy of bearing his grandchildren. He’d also fear the Vampire side would primarily show in any offspring.”
“I don’t give a fuck,” Lorn swore.
“He could make her life hell.”
“He wouldn’t dare. I’d kill him.”
“And if feeding her your blood doesn’t work? You won’t be permitted to mate a Vampire, Lorn. Their women can’t breed. You’d be damning yourself to a childless future when it’s your responsibility to carry on your family line. Those are all things your father will say—right before he severs her head from her body. He’d rally the clan to help him until it would just be you and me, fighting against them all. We’d be overpowered with those odds, only to watch them behead her anyway. It’s law that all Vampires die, mate or not.”
“I’ll only mate her if it works.”
“Don’t you listen? I’m not going to allow you to hurt her even more than you already have! She’s my child, and all I have in this world. I’m returning at sunset to take her where she’ll be safe and have a secure future. This isn’t up for debate!”
“We’ll let Kira decide.” Lorn wasn’t going to allow Davis to take her. But she wouldn’t forgive him if he just killed her father, so he tried to be reasonable. “It’s her future. I’ll relate what Velder said, and tell her about the enforcer willing to feed her. I’ll also offer up my blood. That’s fair.”
“Bullshit.”
Lorn spun. He’d been so intent on arguing with Davis that he hadn’t heard his brother approach. “Stay out of this, Lavos.”
“She’ll choose you,” his brother continued. “You know that as well as I do.”
“Davis wants to mate her off to someone else!”
“Good.” Lavos crossed his arms over his chest. “That’s for the best.”
Lorn managed to stifle a roar of denial. He fought to be calm, to be reasonable, but the idea of losing Kira forever only gave him the urge to attack both men.
“You saved her from certain death. Now make sure it stays that way,” Lavos urged. “She’s safer with another clan. You can’t deny the truth, even if it hurts.”
“Kira will decide,” Lorn ground out. He glared at his brother then shot a warning look at Davis. “She may be your daughter but she’s an adult now. I’ll make her aware of the situation and the possible consequences. You said you respect me. I do have honor, and the last thing I want is to hurt Kira.”
“Let me talk to her,” Davis demanded. “I want to be there when she wakes.”
“No one enters my den,” Lorn growled. “But you can see her tonight. Come back an hour after darkness falls. And don’t follow me.” An implied threat hung in the air. He spun then, storming away.
“Damn it, Lorn. Wait!”
He ignored his brother, half expecting either Davis or Lavos to attack him from behind. Heavy footfalls followed and he inhaled. He spun on his brother.
“What?”
“Give Kira to Davis.”
“Fuck no!”
Lavos kept back a few feet, a wary look on his face. “You’re losing your shit, bro. The only reason Davis didn’t follow was because he sensed you’d kill him. Hell, I’m staying out of swiping range right now because you look as if you want to draw blood.”
“He can’t force her to mate some stranger.”
“Just take some deep breaths and calm down. Okay? Forget about Kira for a few minutes. You’re way stressed.”
His brother had a point. He breathed deeply and forced his body to relax. “Did they find Veso yet?”
“No. We did discover where he’d been attacked. The blood scents told us he fought at least five Vamps. He did some damage before they took him down. There were traces of ash. He took out at least two of them. Maybe three. It’s hard to tell.”
“He’s dead?” That news shocked Lorn. He’d sparred with Veso plenty of times when they’d been in training together. The VampLycan could fight well.
“A syringe was found at the scene. It stinks of a strong sedative known to be used on large animals. Nabby figures they swarmed him and took him down using the drugs. There wasn’t much of his blood on the ground, so they must have taken him out fast, and the suckheads stole his body. They probably want to mount him on the wall of their nest as a trophy. They’re sick bastards.”
“Nabby is an idiot.”
“Yeah, but I think he’s right this time. They’d have left Veso’s body unless they had some twisted purpose for it. Even if he wasn’t killed at the scene, I’m sure he’s dead by now. There’s no way they’d risk keeping a VampLycan alive.” Lavos’s features reflected regret. “I wanted to track them off our land to retrieve his body but that can wait. You, on the other hand, can’t. I’m really worried about you. I can’t imagine how difficult this is for you.”
“You heard Davis. There’s a chance Kira might take on VampLycan traits.”
“There’s also a stronger possibility it won’t work. You can’t be the one to feed her.”
“I can.” Lorn’s teeth clenched.
“Look at how you’re acting. You damn near wanted to kill her father. You need to let Davis take her away from you. I heard your offer to mate her if this crazy blood transfer thing works. It’s only a slim chance. You can’t feed her because we both know what’s going to happen if you do, regardless of the outcome. It will be tragic either way.”
“What does that mean?”
“I do!” Admitting it wasn’t as difficult as he’d imagined.
“But you’ve chosen your clan and family over her. My daughter loves me, but she’d have fled with you in a heartbeat if you’d ever asked. She’d have followed you to hell and back. You don’t love her enough. Stop being so damn selfish!”
Lorn wanted to hit Davis. “I could mate her if my Lycan blood takes hold in her.”
Davis paled. “No. You know your father would never approve, even if you succeeded in making her withstand the sun. She won’t have strong enough bloodlines; he wouldn’t feel her worthy of bearing his grandchildren. He’d also fear the Vampire side would primarily show in any offspring.”
“I don’t give a fuck,” Lorn swore.
“He could make her life hell.”
“He wouldn’t dare. I’d kill him.”
“And if feeding her your blood doesn’t work? You won’t be permitted to mate a Vampire, Lorn. Their women can’t breed. You’d be damning yourself to a childless future when it’s your responsibility to carry on your family line. Those are all things your father will say—right before he severs her head from her body. He’d rally the clan to help him until it would just be you and me, fighting against them all. We’d be overpowered with those odds, only to watch them behead her anyway. It’s law that all Vampires die, mate or not.”
“I’ll only mate her if it works.”
“Don’t you listen? I’m not going to allow you to hurt her even more than you already have! She’s my child, and all I have in this world. I’m returning at sunset to take her where she’ll be safe and have a secure future. This isn’t up for debate!”
“We’ll let Kira decide.” Lorn wasn’t going to allow Davis to take her. But she wouldn’t forgive him if he just killed her father, so he tried to be reasonable. “It’s her future. I’ll relate what Velder said, and tell her about the enforcer willing to feed her. I’ll also offer up my blood. That’s fair.”
“Bullshit.”
Lorn spun. He’d been so intent on arguing with Davis that he hadn’t heard his brother approach. “Stay out of this, Lavos.”
“She’ll choose you,” his brother continued. “You know that as well as I do.”
“Davis wants to mate her off to someone else!”
“Good.” Lavos crossed his arms over his chest. “That’s for the best.”
Lorn managed to stifle a roar of denial. He fought to be calm, to be reasonable, but the idea of losing Kira forever only gave him the urge to attack both men.
“You saved her from certain death. Now make sure it stays that way,” Lavos urged. “She’s safer with another clan. You can’t deny the truth, even if it hurts.”
“Kira will decide,” Lorn ground out. He glared at his brother then shot a warning look at Davis. “She may be your daughter but she’s an adult now. I’ll make her aware of the situation and the possible consequences. You said you respect me. I do have honor, and the last thing I want is to hurt Kira.”
“Let me talk to her,” Davis demanded. “I want to be there when she wakes.”
“No one enters my den,” Lorn growled. “But you can see her tonight. Come back an hour after darkness falls. And don’t follow me.” An implied threat hung in the air. He spun then, storming away.
“Damn it, Lorn. Wait!”
He ignored his brother, half expecting either Davis or Lavos to attack him from behind. Heavy footfalls followed and he inhaled. He spun on his brother.
“What?”
“Give Kira to Davis.”
“Fuck no!”
Lavos kept back a few feet, a wary look on his face. “You’re losing your shit, bro. The only reason Davis didn’t follow was because he sensed you’d kill him. Hell, I’m staying out of swiping range right now because you look as if you want to draw blood.”
“He can’t force her to mate some stranger.”
“Just take some deep breaths and calm down. Okay? Forget about Kira for a few minutes. You’re way stressed.”
His brother had a point. He breathed deeply and forced his body to relax. “Did they find Veso yet?”
“No. We did discover where he’d been attacked. The blood scents told us he fought at least five Vamps. He did some damage before they took him down. There were traces of ash. He took out at least two of them. Maybe three. It’s hard to tell.”
“He’s dead?” That news shocked Lorn. He’d sparred with Veso plenty of times when they’d been in training together. The VampLycan could fight well.
“A syringe was found at the scene. It stinks of a strong sedative known to be used on large animals. Nabby figures they swarmed him and took him down using the drugs. There wasn’t much of his blood on the ground, so they must have taken him out fast, and the suckheads stole his body. They probably want to mount him on the wall of their nest as a trophy. They’re sick bastards.”
“Nabby is an idiot.”
“Yeah, but I think he’s right this time. They’d have left Veso’s body unless they had some twisted purpose for it. Even if he wasn’t killed at the scene, I’m sure he’s dead by now. There’s no way they’d risk keeping a VampLycan alive.” Lavos’s features reflected regret. “I wanted to track them off our land to retrieve his body but that can wait. You, on the other hand, can’t. I’m really worried about you. I can’t imagine how difficult this is for you.”
“You heard Davis. There’s a chance Kira might take on VampLycan traits.”
“There’s also a stronger possibility it won’t work. You can’t be the one to feed her.”
“I can.” Lorn’s teeth clenched.
“Look at how you’re acting. You damn near wanted to kill her father. You need to let Davis take her away from you. I heard your offer to mate her if this crazy blood transfer thing works. It’s only a slim chance. You can’t feed her because we both know what’s going to happen if you do, regardless of the outcome. It will be tragic either way.”
“What does that mean?”
