Primal Burdens: (The Uruwashi Series #5)

by Christina Moore

  She paused a moment and when Tristan said nothing, added, “The other part of you is pythia. The part that Trevor, a lycanthrope can smell—is drawn to. You, Tristan, are Uruwashi and pythia.” She took an excited step towards him. “You are vampire and pythia, one part sin and one part balance!”

  He remained silent for a full five seconds of thought and then blew up. “But it’s impossible! Mamoru, I know he didn’t lie to me, or you, you’ve said so too, It’s impossible to mix vampire and pythia. It’s the rule, even Lilith—The pythia counter vampire, that’s what she said. It’s impossible to make a vampire out of a pythia! So then how… Fuck.”

  There was a low rumble outside like thunder.

  Ash’s eyes widened. “Tristan, please, you need to calm down.”

  He flinched when she touched his arm and jerked back. “No. It’s, how? How the hell am I—and what now?” He touched his neck where he sported those fresh bite marks. “What does this mean for me? Will I, will the vampire disease or whatever, will it kill me now?” The panic was rising and he wasn’t sure how to push it back down.

  The others didn’t answer, only watched at him with that look, part awe, part confused sadness.

  “That wolf,” Tristan snapped, spinning to look at the back part of the house. “Where the fuck is he?”

  “Kiba ka?” Wren asked looking, rightly, shell-shocked.

  “Yeah, is he back yet?”

  Both vampires shook their heads but it was Wren who answered, “No.”

  “Lilith told him what I am. It was the one thing he hid from Ash, his insurance. Can you find him?”

  “I can call him,” Wren said, looking awkward and left the room to make his phone call and give them a chance to talk privately.

  “Tristan?” Ash asked softly when they were alone.

  He flinched, meeting her eyes. “I, I can’t.”

  “How do you feel?”

  His mouth opened and closed. He shook his head and swallowed back a sob. How did he put his feelings into words? “I… Turned up, I guess?”

  After a moment of staring, Tristan licked his lips and said softly, “The spell worked because of my blood. It worked on you and me. I made you remember. I made me remember… everything.”

  She was nodding, that look of awe on her face again. “I—this is not what I was expecting. At all.”

  Tristan was thankful for that naked honestly.

  He snorted a laugh. “No shit, me too.” He huffed, sitting on a stool, nearly missing it. “God, of all the things…”

  Ash came up to him but stopped short of putting her raised hand on his arm. He looked up, trying to keep the pain from his face and by the look on hers, knew he failed. “Are you afraid of me now?” he asked in a broken voice.

  “What?” Ash’s eyes widened and then she flung herself at him, holding him tightly, trapping his face against her chest. “No. Not even close. I just… worry.”

  “Yeah, me too.” But in the back of his mind, he was replaying the scene in the shower back in Japan over and over and the fear he tasted on Ash and her submission to him. More than that, there was the memory of what happened after he killed Lucien and had tried to bring Ash back to life. He had wronged her and frightened her. She had every right to doubt him.

  “Ash?” She flinched out of her thoughts. “You saw him, didn’t you? The man in Greece who fixed you when you were human?”

  She jolted in shock again. “I—The man who claimed to be your father?”

  “Yeah.”

  She shook her head. “No.”

  “What? How’s that possible?”

  “I was approached from behind. I didn’t sense the person until I’d already been hit. I wasn’t alert long enough to know who or what hit me. No amount of spells will help me know who that person was.”

  “Well, damn.”

  Wren coughed softly to announce himself. “Sumimasen… I reached Kiba.”

  Ash let go of Tristan and took a step back. “Yes, and?”

  “He and Lance are on their way back from the airport now, but…” Wren twitched, his neck going to the side, his shoulder coming up. He was getting itchy.

  “I know,” Ash said softly. “They won’t be here before dawn.” She sighed. “How fares your Master?”

  Wren looked down, shuffling his feet. “No change. He is still asleep, but breathing at least.”

  Ash’s expression was full of pain but her voice was gentle and compassionate as she said, “You should retire now, day’s almost upon us.”

  Wren gave a soft bow and retreated to the room his Master languished in.

  Ash straightened, looking to Tristan with a grim expression. He sighed and went to her, gently taking her into his arms and lowering his forehead to rest against hers.

  “What’s going to happen to me?” Tristan asked softly.

  “I wish I knew,” she answered with the same sadness in her voice. “I really wish I did.”

  16: Carnivores Unite

  TRISTAN was awoken with a start. Even as groggy as he was he still managed to grab his gun and aim it at a mass over him. It took him more than a moment to focus on the amber eyes full of naked mirth watching him.

  Kiba smiled. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to wake you, you just looked cold, is all.” The smiled slipped away to a frown. “Are you okay? You look a bit pale… Oh.” He took in a deep breath, nostrils flaring. “She bit you. There goes my insurance, I guess.” He looked sheepish but Tristan could tell it upset the wolf.

  Tristan cleared his throat and looked around, trying to remember where he was. After Wren retired for the day, Ash checked in on Ellie. The girl was still unconscious but seemed to be doing okay, all things considered. She checked on Desmond too. He’d only improved minimally, but he was still alive and that seemed to matter a great deal to Ash.

  Then the sun came and even Ash had to hide away. Instead of going with her, Tristan decided to watch TV while waiting on Kiba’s return and ended up dozing. He glanced at the clock as he groaned, conscious not to grab his crotch in front of Kiba—he was painfully hard.

  “You,” He coughed again, trying to clear the grogginess from his throat. And damn, he really, really needed to relieve the ache in his pants. Morning wood was one this but this was beyond that, and after forty minutes of napping, there had to be something wrong with him, right? “You can tell?”

  Kiba tapped his nose. “Got me a good schnoz. Besides, you smell stronger now, much stronger.”

  That woke Tristan up a little more and he sat up, dropping his gun on the coffee table, groaned when his junk got trapped in his pants too tightly. “Like a pythia, right?”

  The Were couldn’t hide his surprise and smiled big as he moved to perch on the edge of the coffee table next to Tristan’s gun. The proximity urked Tristan’s instincts, but he forced himself to trust the Were not to do anything funny. The wolf hadn’t killed him yet, anyway.

  “So you figured it out on your own. Guess I gave too big of a clue by saying you smelled so special, huh?”

  “Actually, I uh, I spelled myself with a high level pythia spell that my blood kindled. It was all on accident, really, but Ash figured it out… after she bit me.”

  “Oh.” Kiba frowned a little. “Are you okay? You seem…” Kiba gave Tristan a long look up and down, lingering a little too long down and Tristan wondered if he could smell his inappropriate tumescence. “Worn thin.”

  Tristan snorted and spread his hands. “Just trying to get used to being,”

  Kiba made a little nervous noise, lowering his head. Tristan wondered if it was a gesture he used with Malik and Nastasia—wished the man wouldn’t feel cowed with him. “Wren told me about Nastasia and Pollux showing up last night. Was… was she angry? That I was with you now, I mean?”

  Tristan crossed his arms, studying the nervous wolf. “Sort of.”

  Kiba lowered his head further. “I’m really sorry I wasn’t here to stand at your side. I feel terrible.”

  “Could you even of?
I mean, I don’t want to step on your dick or nothing, but you seem pretty afraid of them.”

  Kiba nodded. “Of Nastasia, I am, and she’s not even the one that can fry my little doggy brain right out of my ears. Castor liked me… he,” Kiba lifted his head, a fond expression on his face. “He used to sing to me when we were alone. I think Pollux might even like me too since he only ever pretended to discipline me when Nastasia wasn’t in the mood and ordered one of the brothers to do it.”

  Kiba coughed and stood, looking uncomfortable. “I know you don’t have any real reason to trust me, I’ve not proven myself as anything but a burden so far—”

  “What car did you bring back?”

  Kiba flinched. “Pardon?”

  “For Ash, did you bring her a car like she asked?”

  Still looking confused the man nodded. “Ahuh, a Lambo.”

  Tristan grinned big. “That sounds like a mark in the black to me.”

  Kiba stared a moment before chuckling. “Fine, it’s a slow roster… You should be safe during the day from Nastasia, unless she’s found another lycan, which I doubt, then she’s got no other daytime watch.”

  Tristan frowned with a thought. “She’s vulnerable… Where can I find her?”

  Kiba shook his head but made a point of keeping eye contact. “I’m sorry, I don’t know. We never stayed the same place twice. One night we were in an abandoned trailer. Another night she barged into the home of an elderly couple… She… ate them. Her and Pollux.”

  The wolf frowned. “The twins are as messed up as Nastasia but there was still a shred of humanity in Castor. He would help me try to make her killings look like accidents. He would—he was kindest of the three. To me.”

  “But you killed him,” Tristan said, feeling a lump of disgust lodge in his throat. The wolf had eaten the vampire’s brain, for fuck’s sake.

  Nodding, Kiba answered, “I did.”

  “As a mercy,” he ventured.

  The Were only nodded and Tristan knew the kid was genuine in his remorse. He knew he was right to give Kiba his trust despite the great wrong he did to Tristan in killing his parents. It hurt, knowing that truth and a younger Tristan would have directed his anger on the wolf, blamed the man. But this Tristan, the one born from blood and death and magic, he was a better man than that. There was too much darkness in the world to not grasp for the light where it struggled to shine through.

  “You’re a good dog.”

  Kiba flinched and Tristan grinned, hoping his sentiments were understood. When he got a cheesy, carefree smile in return he knew it worked.

  “Um, there’s something I need to tell you.”

  Tristan groaned not liking the tone. “Ugh, I don’t want to know.”

  Kiba lowered his head. “Probably not. Um, yeah, when I was at your other house, dropping off Lance this morning, there was uh… a woman. A cop.”

  “Shit. Riggs?”

  “I don’t know. Super sexy, young black woman?”

  Tristan nodded.

  “She knocked but Lance said not to answer.”

  “What time was that?”

  “Early. Like six-thirty.”

  “And no one talked to her? Did she go next door?”

  “No, as far as I know.”

  Fuck. Was she following up from the other day? He thought they’d move on with no real evidence but it looked like he wasn’t in the clear just yet. He hoped neither her or Pritchard had gone over to bother the Thompsons. Or other neighbors, for that matter.

  Kiba gave Tristan a friendly punch on the arm. “Hey. If you’re not going to sleep, I brought breakfast. If you’re hungry.”

  Starving, in fact, he realized. Was that a good or bad sign? Mamoru could eat, anyway. And while sitting in the sunny room was nice, Tristan still wondered if it was the sun that made him feel sluggish or if it was simple exhaustion. “Er, yeah. Food sounds great, thanks.”

  Kiba’s head came up again and he was smiling big. “Of course.” He gave Tristan a sudden wicked grin. “But maybe you wanna take a few minutes first to take care of that.” He didn’t point but his eyes zoned in.

  And, okay, Tristan blushed. “Er…”

  Kiba grinned, winked and, tapping his nose as he stood. “I smell all!” The kid’s laugh echoed in the house and Tristan groaned, realizing this was his life now—nothing was sacred. Secrets didn’t exist.

  “It’s nothing to be embarrassed about,” Kiba called out from the kitchen. “All vampire wake up feeling randy. Hell, most fledglings walk around with a constant hard-on even after they’ve gotten off and the women are always wet. Always. It’s just the way it is.”

  Tristan harrumphed, passing out of the living room and muttered to himself, “Sounds frustrating.”

  “Also why vampire like to keep fae around. A good fuck and some strong blood while they’re at it.”

  Kiba glanced up with silly half-grin when Tristan walked stiffly into the kitchen. “There’s eggs, sausage, ham, bacon, steak, potatoes, hominy, fried tomatoes and chocolate chip pancakes. I also got some juice and iced tea, peaches and apples. Oh and fresh coffee beans—this gorgeous dark roast, um, sugar and heavy creamer. I would have gotten more, but the Lamborghini’s small, so if you need any other shopping, just let me know and I’ll go out once the others have gotten up. Anything at all.”

  Tristan stopped and scratched at his hair, trying to pretend he wasn’t in pain and feeling, oddly, socially awkward. He didn’t even feel this awkward as a teen. “You do realize you and I are the only ones here that eat real food, right?” Oh yeah, and Ellie, if she ever woke up again.

  Well, that thought sobered him.

  The Were grinned big, oblivious to Tristan’s inner turmoil, and shrugged sheepishly. “I’m a wolf.” Like that explained it.

  Tristan sat down and Kiba pushed an empty plate in front of him. He was hungry, but felt uninspired by the diverse spread in front of him. Everything sounded good in theory, even looked good, but his stomach wasn’t so sure. Thinking he was just tired-nauseous, he sighed and put a little bit of eggs and the sausage on his plate. Then a scoop of potato.

  “Kiba?” Tristan said, focused on his food. “As for that insurance?” He looked, finding Kiba looking a bit nervous. “You never needed it, you know.”

  “Sorry,” the wolf said, “I’m—I still need to learn to trust. To believe that what you say isn’t some lie to manipulate me.”

  Tristan smiled. “Then you’re in the right place for slow learners.”

  Kiba didn’t even hesitate, laughing heartily and making Tristan’s smile broaden.

  “Hey, um,” Kiba said sounding hesitant. “I don’t mean to get all mushy on you but I just wanted to thank you again. For well, for saving me. Trusting me after what I did.”

  Picking at his eggs, Tristan nodded his head against the hand he had holding it up. “Look.” He put his fork down, he was only picking at the eggs anyway. “Honestly, the old me would have probably killed you—or fucked you up pretty good. But I’ve changed a lot this past year—hell, last few weeks. And I get it, why you did what you did. I can’t blame you.” He picked up his fork but stopped, giving Kiba a pointed look. “I’d appreciate it though, if we never talk about it again.”

  Kiba nodded. “Of course.”

  “Then, you have my trust until you prove me otherwise.”

  The man smiled softly. “I know how hard it is to trust anyone. Malik pretty much taught me not to, so I appreciate your acceptance more than I can put into words.”

  Tristan put down his fork, again, having not taken a single bite yet. Something about the smell of the eggs wasn’t sitting right. “You know, I still don’t get exactly why Lilith would risk such a big secret with you. I mean, I’m not saying you’re a gossip—you don’t seem the type anyway. But why would she tell you?”

  The Were was nodding to Tristan’s words, shoving food into his mouth. Instead of sitting, he stood leaning against the countertop with his plate held against his chest. The ki
d ate unapologetically, like a starving teenager.

  “She’s the closest thing to a Mother that I’ve known.” He shrugged. “She’s hard to hell to read, but I think she loves me too.” He shoveled more food into mouth, talking around eggs and bacon. “Besides, she’s a pythia. Like… The Pythia, the one everyone reveres.”

  “What happened to your real mother? Your father?” Tristan wasn’t sure if it was okay to ask but he needed to know.

  The Were’s eyes went down. “Malik killed Mother, but I don’t know exactly why. The how was clear enough to me, he threatened me with it all the time. Father I heard tried to escape with the litter shortly after. He died as well as my other two siblings. I was the only one to survive, but I was still just a puppy, hadn’t shifted into human form for the first time yet so I don’t remember any of it.”

  “A… puppy?”

  Reading Tristan’s confusion, Kiba looked up and grinned. “Yep.”

  Man, they had a lot to talk about when a vengeful vampire wasn’t stalking his lover and home. Tristan rested his cheek on his palm. “Is Nastasia really all that bad? I mean, I’ve met Malik--obviously. And Genoveva.”

  Kiba’s eyes widened, looking utterly horrified.

  Tristan waved a dismissive hand. “Genoveva’s dead.”

  The Were visibly relaxed. Guess he had his own memories of the mad vampire too.

  “From what I’ve seen, Nastasia’s not all that terrifying, in comparison. Not to belittle your feelings towards her, but I don’t really see her as a threat. She is a vanilla, after all.”

  Kiba made a noise that might have been a laugh or a sigh. “This may be hard for you to understand, but Malik was kinder to me than Nastasia.”

  “You’re right, I do have a hard time believing that.” Of all he’d seen about Malik, of the things Ash said now in then, in bits and pieces, he knew the man was nothing but evil. Deranged.

  “Sure, Malik was better at hurting me, he had centuries on Nastasia to perfect his game—but that was just it. To Malik, it’d always been a game, like… Like the way children play when they are learning their world. He never did to be downright evil, he just, he didn’t know any better. Does that make sense?”