I rise, readying myself for the killing strike.
Vuk’s mumbling, a pained stream of pleas and curses spilling from his lips as his bones shrink still more and when I blink there’s nothing but a man lying sprawled against the pyramid, covered in sweat and blood and filth, his skin stretched tight around his bony face and his eyes bulging madly.
“My son,” Vuk says, tears streaming down his cheeks. “Why?”
“Because love is weakness. A lesson I’ve learned too well. I love you, father. Which is why you must die.”
My son’s tone sends a shiver down my spine.
Vuk sinks to the ground. His hands flutter around his face, like he’s still amazed his animal’s gone.
I take a step toward my brother.
Drop my claws.
“Not you, mother,” Lachlan says. “The blood challenge still stands. Let the wolf have his kill.”
I blink, not understanding.
“Aaron’s dead,” I say, my voice dull.
“Wrote me off already?”
I nearly leap out of my skin.
Aaron’s struggling to his feet, wincing at the horrible wound in his chest. I hurry to help him up, ask him if he can walk.
“Not only walk, Sparkles. I can kill.”
Aaron leans into me. His skin is feverish, alternating between burning up and frigid. His teeth chatter slightly. “You look like hell,” I say, laying my head on my bloodmate’s shoulder and inhaling the sweet, strong scent of him.
Aaron stops. Touches his fingers to my cheek. “You look like an open road.”
I smile. That means I look perfect to an outlaw biker Prez.
Something moves half a mile down the Avenue of the Dead. I squint against the lightning, then scent the air.
“Rodas,” I say quietly.
He’s carrying something. A head.
“He murdered her,” I whisper.
“The Lord of Near and Nigh rises,” Lachlan says, his tone oddly menacing.
Vuk looses a gurgling wheeze. “My son! I’m…proud of you. I see it now! Yes. Why you stood at my side for so long—”
A growl rumbles through Aaron’s throat.
He’s weakened, but his wounds are healing.
“Lachlan?” I ask. “What’s he talking about?”
“Ascendance!” Vuk hisses. “Power! Both of them. I see it now! Yes. When I’m gone…”
Lachlan meets my gaze. His face grows even whiter. Fine blue veins trace through his skin. There’s a soft tearing sound. A pair of curling rams horns grow from my son’s head.
“Both of them,” Vuk shouts. “You’re a fool, Lily. Don’t you see? Both of them benefit from my death. The First Fallen vanquished! Consider the opportunity for those staking a claim. And that stray mongrel of yours, my dear sister?” Vuk lifts his head to the sky and laughs. “He’s no better than the rest. An animal. Just like me. He also craves power. Driven by power and the will to dominate—”
“Lachlan?” I stammer. “No. You made the right choice. We can…it’ll be all right. My beautiful boy! We just need to get you out of here. Away from him—”
“He has made his choice,” Aaron says, eyeing my son.
“I’m going to walk up those steps now, mother,” Lachlan says. “I never want to see you again. I showed you mercy. I intervened. It’s more than you deserve.”
Aaron takes a step at Lachlan. Furious, I reach out and snatch my bloodmate’s arm. “You promised! Not him. Not my son. I’ll fight for him. I’ll fight you. Even if—”
“He leads the One War in the Age of Discord?”
I close my eyes. “Yes.”
Aaron grits his teeth. Shoots Lachlan a scathing glare. Looks in my eyes. Aaron knows I’ll do it. I’ll fight to protect my son. Even if he’s lost to me. There’s nothing rational about it. It’s not even a choice, in the true sense. It’s hardwired into my animal. She protects her own. No matter how far they fall. Despair fills my heart, wraps around my chest, squeezes my throat. “No, Lachlan. Please? You have good in you. I sense it.”
“My son,” Vuk whispers. “My heir in the Age of Discord.”
“Stay out of my mind, wolf,” Lachlan sneers at Aaron. “You will never command the carrion.”
Lachlan turns his back to us and strides up the pyramid, his steps firm and measured. The vulture flock rises, circling around the pyramid. My son vanishes in their frenzied darkness.
Aaron leaps from my side. I’m about to blast him with crippling heat, believing he’s going after Lachlan. But instead his claws flash out, faster than my eyes can follow, and then he has my brother’s beating black heart in his hand.
“I’m crazy,” Aaron says. “But I’m not stupid. I won’t make the same mistake twice.”
Vuk’s eyes widen. His last breath seizes in his throat.
His thin smile remains plastered on his lips as he dies.
My hier.
The words ring in my mind.
Aaron brings Vuk’s heart to his lips.
Growls. Tosses it on the ground. Looks at me. “Burn him.”
I unleash a rolling fury of fire.
Vuk’s corpse blackens, then crumbles to ash.
Rodas is only thirty yards off. He seems…larger than I remember. His eyes glow with violent intensity, and suddenly I have the suspicion Aaron and I aren’t finished fighting—
“Rodas!” I shout. “Fucking stop right there. Understand? Do not take a single step closer.”
“Is the Fallen dead?” Rodas asks.
“Gone.”
Rodas pauses. Glances between me and Aaron. I can almost see him weighing the odds. Slowly, Rodas lifts Shiori’s head. Black smoke billows around him. My animal scents his intent. Then he drops the head, folds into the black smoke, and vanishes.
“Bastard served his own ends,” Aaron says. “He needed the Fallen killed so he could rise.” He hesitates, looks at me with deep sadness. “Same as your son.”
“I won’t believe that. Not yet. There’s goodness in them both. Rodas didn’t have to save Trish. Lachlan didn’t have to save me. My son needs time is all.”
Aaron peers up at the Pyramid of the Sun. Clenches his fists.
I’m the only thing preventing him from murdering Lachlan.
Or trying to.
I clamp my mouth closed and run to Trish. She’s breathing. I give her a gentle shake. She moans, opens her eyes. “Shit, Lil. Next time your animal offers me a ride? Thanks, but get lost.”
She looks relatively unhurt. Nothing broken, at least. Relief floods into me, and suddenly I’m trembling, the adrenaline and fear and kill-lust churning in my blood, making me nauseous and light-headed. “You all right?”
Trish gives me proud smile. “I’ll live. Keep this up and I’ll be the last Skin standing.”
I think about Trish and Nash. What a mismatched couple they are. But how good for one another. I think they have a shot. As much as anyone, at least. “Where’d you get the powder?”
“Mia slipped it to me.”
“No shit?”
“Yeah. No shit. Surprised it was the real stuff.”
“Hey!” Aaron calls. “Time to roll.” He gestures down the Avenue of the Dead. Vuk’s…no, my son’s Stricken are advancing on the pyramid.
I help Trish to her feet while Aaron hops on his Harley and boots it to life. The engine’s rumble echoes down the wide avenue, drawing the attention of every black-blooded within a hundred miles. Aaron drives over to us. Slides off, lights a smoke, holds the bike upright while me and Trish climb on.
“What do we do now?” I ask, running my fingers along Aaron’s ripped forearm and thinking of a thousand things I want to do to him.
Aaron’s fangs drop, and as my bloodmate summons his wolf he growls, “Same shit as always. We hunt.”
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The All Consuming: A Shifter MC Novel (Pureblood Predator MC Book 4) Page 25
