“I heard that changed after he murdered his mate. I had to make deals with my father to keep Decker from harming Kira,” Lorn admitted.
“They lied to manipulate you. I wasn’t aware or I would have told you not to fall for it. I’m sorry.” Davis took a seat on the edge of the conference table. “Decker only forced Kira to come home after she left because he was too afraid I’d get pissed enough to fuck him over, and return to the human world to be with my girl.”
“And you’d send that deed and give away the land,” Lavos finished.
Davis sighed. “Yes. Decker was relieved at first that she was gone but then he started suspecting I was the one feeding the other clans information about his activities. He had me tortured a few times but he feared flat-out killing me. I was guilty but I refused to admit it. They couldn’t break me, so he sent Boon after my baby to bring her back here. Decker could have killed her at any time, and made certain I never forgot it was my fault. It made him feel secure.”
Lorn wasn’t surprised by Decker’s way of thinking. “Can I have the deed? I’d prefer it be locked up somewhere safe.”
Davis smiled at Lorn. “You’ll be my daughter’s mate, once it’s official. I had the deed put in her name too. I’ll dig it up and bring it to you. Do you want it right now?”
“Please. We’ve been worried Decker owned this part of the land and would try to take it from us.”
“He wishes he did.” Davis stood. “Do you want a blood oath from me? You already have my loyalty since you obviously have my daughter’s heart. I’ll sign my ownership over to you if you ask it of me. “
Lorn shook his head. “I trust you, Davis. We don’t need a blood oath. Nor do I worry you’ll do anything to harm the clan. I just want that deed locked up. We changed the combination to the safe.”
“I’d like to keep running the lodge. I hated it at first. It was meant to be a punishment from Decker, but I find that it’s something I enjoy.”
“You don’t even have to ask. I could use all the help I can get.”
“Thanks.” Davis paused beside them, giving Lorn a look. “Mate my daughter soon. I know you’re sleeping with her.” He unlocked the door and left.
Chapter Sixteen
Kira watched everyone leave the office before Lorn locked the door, leaving the two of them alone. He turned, leaned against it, and scowled. “I’m still angry with you.”
“I know.”
“It could have gone wrong a hundred ways.”
“You mean Brista could have handed me my ass?”
“Or your head. You can’t heal from that.” He pushed away from the door and closed the distance between them. “It scared the hell out of me. I wanted to jump between the two of you. I knew I couldn’t without diminishing what you were trying to do. What happened to you promising to stay inside the den?” He grabbed her and yanked her close, cupping her cheek with one hand, his arm wrapped around her waist. “I can’t fucking lose you, Kira.”
“I knew it had to be something bad for Kar to call Garson to the lodge. I was worried. I can’t lose you, either.”
“Damn it, Kira.”
“Damn it, Lorn.” She forced a smile. “What would you have done if I hadn’t shown up in the flesh to show those assholes that feeding blood to Elsa has a chance of reversing what’s happening to her? They might have dragged her out of Perri’s home and killed her. The entire family probably would have died. You know as well as I do that her mother and brother would have fought to the death to try to save her.”
“I would have handled it.”
“How?”
“Sent my enforcers to protect them.”
“What about you? That would have left you undefended.”
“I can fight my own battles.”
“I don’t trust Brista as far as I can… Wait. I can throw her a good distance now. I don’t trust that bitch not to have set this up just to get you alone, so others could attack. We’re talking about people who would do shitty things to keep Decker in power. That means they’re as low as he is.”
Something hit the roof hard and Lorn tensed, looking up.
Kira did too. It sounded as if someone walked across the roof, toward the windows.
“Get out of here, Kira. Unlock the door. We have company.”
“On the roof?”
“GarLycan—or more than one. No trees are close enough for one of us to make that jump to the roof. We’d have heard their claws tearing into the side of the building if one of us climbed the lodge. Garson and Kar are right outside the door. Move!”
She ran and threw the bolt, yanking the door open. Garson and Kar stood there, already aware there was a problem. They pushed past her and entered the office. She didn’t leave, unwilling to go in case there was a fight. Fear had her heart pounding. GarLycans were really tough to kill.
Lorn slid open a window and backed up. A dark shape dropped down, hung from the rafter, and then jumped. The big man wore a dark, hooded half cloak that bared his arms and hid his face, but his naked chest was revealed by the open front. His wings, if he was supposed to have any, were hidden. Lively bright blue eyes glowed from the shadows of his hood.
“Lord Aveoth,” Lorn sounded calm. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
Kira tried not to gawk. That was the GarLycan leader?
He slowly reached up and pushed back the hood. Masculine, handsome features were revealed. His mouth looked a little harsh to Kira but it was his eyes that she couldn’t get over. They were strange, yet beautiful. They really did look too vivacious to belong to a person. The color of them seemed to swirl and change from bright to dark hues of blue, with little flashes of silver bleeding in and out of them as she watched.
“I wanted to personally congratulate you on taking over the clan.” The profound deepness of his voice gave her chills. He glanced at Garson, Kar, Kira, and finally back at Lorn. “Your people can leave. I would have called first but I didn’t bring my cell with me. I’ve come in peace.”
“Garson? Kar? It’s okay.” Lorn motioned them to leave.
They passed Kira but didn’t look happy. She shut the door, keeping it unlocked, just in case. She knew both enforcers would remain close, and she was prepared to yell for them if they were needed.
“They lied to manipulate you. I wasn’t aware or I would have told you not to fall for it. I’m sorry.” Davis took a seat on the edge of the conference table. “Decker only forced Kira to come home after she left because he was too afraid I’d get pissed enough to fuck him over, and return to the human world to be with my girl.”
“And you’d send that deed and give away the land,” Lavos finished.
Davis sighed. “Yes. Decker was relieved at first that she was gone but then he started suspecting I was the one feeding the other clans information about his activities. He had me tortured a few times but he feared flat-out killing me. I was guilty but I refused to admit it. They couldn’t break me, so he sent Boon after my baby to bring her back here. Decker could have killed her at any time, and made certain I never forgot it was my fault. It made him feel secure.”
Lorn wasn’t surprised by Decker’s way of thinking. “Can I have the deed? I’d prefer it be locked up somewhere safe.”
Davis smiled at Lorn. “You’ll be my daughter’s mate, once it’s official. I had the deed put in her name too. I’ll dig it up and bring it to you. Do you want it right now?”
“Please. We’ve been worried Decker owned this part of the land and would try to take it from us.”
“He wishes he did.” Davis stood. “Do you want a blood oath from me? You already have my loyalty since you obviously have my daughter’s heart. I’ll sign my ownership over to you if you ask it of me. “
Lorn shook his head. “I trust you, Davis. We don’t need a blood oath. Nor do I worry you’ll do anything to harm the clan. I just want that deed locked up. We changed the combination to the safe.”
“I’d like to keep running the lodge. I hated it at first. It was meant to be a punishment from Decker, but I find that it’s something I enjoy.”
“You don’t even have to ask. I could use all the help I can get.”
“Thanks.” Davis paused beside them, giving Lorn a look. “Mate my daughter soon. I know you’re sleeping with her.” He unlocked the door and left.
Chapter Sixteen
Kira watched everyone leave the office before Lorn locked the door, leaving the two of them alone. He turned, leaned against it, and scowled. “I’m still angry with you.”
“I know.”
“It could have gone wrong a hundred ways.”
“You mean Brista could have handed me my ass?”
“Or your head. You can’t heal from that.” He pushed away from the door and closed the distance between them. “It scared the hell out of me. I wanted to jump between the two of you. I knew I couldn’t without diminishing what you were trying to do. What happened to you promising to stay inside the den?” He grabbed her and yanked her close, cupping her cheek with one hand, his arm wrapped around her waist. “I can’t fucking lose you, Kira.”
“I knew it had to be something bad for Kar to call Garson to the lodge. I was worried. I can’t lose you, either.”
“Damn it, Kira.”
“Damn it, Lorn.” She forced a smile. “What would you have done if I hadn’t shown up in the flesh to show those assholes that feeding blood to Elsa has a chance of reversing what’s happening to her? They might have dragged her out of Perri’s home and killed her. The entire family probably would have died. You know as well as I do that her mother and brother would have fought to the death to try to save her.”
“I would have handled it.”
“How?”
“Sent my enforcers to protect them.”
“What about you? That would have left you undefended.”
“I can fight my own battles.”
“I don’t trust Brista as far as I can… Wait. I can throw her a good distance now. I don’t trust that bitch not to have set this up just to get you alone, so others could attack. We’re talking about people who would do shitty things to keep Decker in power. That means they’re as low as he is.”
Something hit the roof hard and Lorn tensed, looking up.
Kira did too. It sounded as if someone walked across the roof, toward the windows.
“Get out of here, Kira. Unlock the door. We have company.”
“On the roof?”
“GarLycan—or more than one. No trees are close enough for one of us to make that jump to the roof. We’d have heard their claws tearing into the side of the building if one of us climbed the lodge. Garson and Kar are right outside the door. Move!”
She ran and threw the bolt, yanking the door open. Garson and Kar stood there, already aware there was a problem. They pushed past her and entered the office. She didn’t leave, unwilling to go in case there was a fight. Fear had her heart pounding. GarLycans were really tough to kill.
Lorn slid open a window and backed up. A dark shape dropped down, hung from the rafter, and then jumped. The big man wore a dark, hooded half cloak that bared his arms and hid his face, but his naked chest was revealed by the open front. His wings, if he was supposed to have any, were hidden. Lively bright blue eyes glowed from the shadows of his hood.
“Lord Aveoth,” Lorn sounded calm. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
Kira tried not to gawk. That was the GarLycan leader?
He slowly reached up and pushed back the hood. Masculine, handsome features were revealed. His mouth looked a little harsh to Kira but it was his eyes that she couldn’t get over. They were strange, yet beautiful. They really did look too vivacious to belong to a person. The color of them seemed to swirl and change from bright to dark hues of blue, with little flashes of silver bleeding in and out of them as she watched.
“I wanted to personally congratulate you on taking over the clan.” The profound deepness of his voice gave her chills. He glanced at Garson, Kar, Kira, and finally back at Lorn. “Your people can leave. I would have called first but I didn’t bring my cell with me. I’ve come in peace.”
“Garson? Kar? It’s okay.” Lorn motioned them to leave.
They passed Kira but didn’t look happy. She shut the door, keeping it unlocked, just in case. She knew both enforcers would remain close, and she was prepared to yell for them if they were needed.
