Lover's Betrayal: Misfits of the Lore Series

by Hopkins, J. E.

  Julian did not want to admit that he was so focused on Kaden’s scent that he did not take the time to make a possible connection with the other smells. “I didn’t make any connections like that. I was too caught up in Kaden’s scent to notice if there were other similar scents.”

  “It’s possible that there was someone else involved. The bite marks on the chest were so much more vicious than the ones on the femoral artery. The latter looks pretty normal for us. There is no sign of violence or aggression on those bites. Maybe the vamp that bit them there was Kaden, but some other vamp is responsible for the claw marks and chest bite?”

  Julian paced the room, frustration emanating from every step. “Mother, you can’t possibly believe that. Do you really think that Kaden bit these women, fed from them, and then left and shortly afterward, another mysterious vamp appeared and finished them off each time? We’re talking about seven dead bodies. Seven times this crazy scenario would have had to happen. It’s completely illogical and incredible.”

  Olivia realized her theory certainly had some gaping holes of logic, but it was easier to believe that scenario than to believe her son could have committed these crimes. “I know that this isn’t the soundest theory, but we shouldn’t just dismiss it. We have to consider all possibilities, even those that are remote.”

  “While we’re making up a million crazy possibilities of what could have happened, the truth is staring us in the face and we’re ignoring it, thereby risking the lives of other innocent women. We don’t have time for make believe. We have to deal with facts and logic. Right now, Kaden is the most likely suspect. Based on what Aunt Cori said, if the Council had these facts, they would sentence Kaden to death immediately. Your other fanciful explanations would not sway them.”

  Council involvement was the one thing Olivia feared the most. They would jump to the most obvious conclusion without fully investigating the situation to be sure. The Council was all about punishment when it suited their needs. They were selective about when they interfered. Some immortals had enough political favor to avoid reproach for their crimes, while others suffered mercilessly without an opportunity to defend themselves. The Council was not about fairness or right and wrong. They were an overly powerful entity who forced all immortals to submit to their autonomy or face dire retribution. They were arrogant dictators, killers, and thieves—amoral liars who would destroy anyone that interfered with their continuous quest for power. And sitting at the helm of the corrupt Council throne was Anslaw Santoro, along with his only son, Lucian.

  “We have to figure this out before the Council gets involved. They will destroy first and ask questions later,” Olivia warned.

  The three of them continued to review the photos and discuss possible theories, but none were strong. All roads led back to Kaden.

  “Something doesn’t make sense about this,” Corinne surmised. “If Kaden were guilty, why would he start doing something like this now? Why here? You would think there would be a trail of victims every place Kaden visited since he was an adult if he were the killer. What’s his motive to do this now? It’s remotely possible Kaden could have gone Son of Sam all of a sudden, but that doesn’t seem like Kaden. He’s a little crazy, but controlled crazy. This kind of reckless killing is not typical for him.”

  Julian could not believe that Corinne was also trying to deny Kaden’s obvious guilt. He expected this from his mother, but had hoped Corinne would be more practical and would help convince Olivia of Kaden’s guilt. “Kaden has never had a problem with killing. He is not a choirboy. He can be as vicious and cruel as any vampire. Maybe he’s one of the deranged, non compos mentis. We all know that some vampires do not transform well and their minds fracture. Kaden’s transformation was difficult, to say the least. It’s possible that his mind has broken. He has finally embraced evil.”

  Olivia knew that Kaden struggled through his transformation, but he showed no signs of the madness that plagued her husband. As she looked at those pictures, she could not help but think that Daughton would have been perfectly capable of committing these violent acts. Kaden was so much like him, but could he share in his father’s brutality toward women? No. Olivia knew Kaden’s devastation after finding out about his father’s evil deeds. There was no way he would emulate such cruelty.

  “Kaden going mad all of a sudden makes no sense. He has never shown any tendency toward this kind of madness. As Cori said, these killings are too reckless and Kaden may be many things, but he’s not reckless. He would never kill and leave a body out in the open like this, risking exposure. He is too methodical about everything he does.”

  “Your mom’s right, Julian. If Kaden were a serial killer, and I acknowledge that something like that would be possible, he would be the Dexter type serial killer and not a sloppy killer leaving his crimes so public. Even a mad Kaden would not be so stupid.”

  Julian was livid. These two were determined to make excuses for why Kaden would not have committed these crimes, rather than focusing on the fact all of the evidence said he did it. “Aunt Cori, I don’t get you. I expect this from my mother, who’s too blind to see anything bad about her precious psycho son, but not you. You’re acknowledging that Kaden is capable of being a serial killer, but in the same breath you’re saying that he wouldn’t be this type of serial killer. That makes no sense. A killer is a killer.”

  “It makes absolute sense. You’re just too thick to see it. Kaden is amoral and sometimes immoral, which is why I could believe that he would kill just for the sake of killing. He’s not deranged, though. If he were to experience any madness from the transformation, it would have happened much sooner. This type of sloppy murder could be committed by only two types of vamps—newly made who are not properly controlled and trained, or those who became deranged from transformation. Kaden is not either. You think this makes no sense, but trying to convince me that Kaden suddenly went nuts 155 years after his transformation makes even less sense. I do believe Kaden is very capable of such violence, but not of such stupidity.”

  “I didn’t think you were capable of such stupidity, yet you surprised me.” Before he could blink, Julian found himself flying in the air and into one of his bookcases. Trying to shake off the blow, he swiftly scampered out of the way of the falling bookcase, barely escaping being crushed by his numerous rare books. Although this would not have killed him, the pain would have been severe.

  He tried to recover his senses and figure out exactly what happened when Corinne grabbed him again and threw him on the couch as if he weighed no more than one of his fallen books. “Cori, please stop!” Olivia pleaded. “I think you’ve made your point.”

  Corinne paused for a moment and walked over to Julian. He immediately put his hands up in a gesture of surrender. “You’ve got something to say to me, pup?” Corinne smugly asked.

  “I apologize, Aunt Cori. I was out of line again.” As much as Julian hated to give in, he knew he was no match physically for Corinne. The older the vamp, the stronger, regardless of whether the vamp was male or female. Corinne was the oldest vamp he knew. Trying to fight her would result in many broken bones—for him.

  “Yes, you were. You know what your problem is, pup? You have an irrational hatred of your brother. Maybe it’s not completely irrational, but it’s bordering on obsessive. You want him to be guilty -- as if that would prove some point or change things. It won’t. Your hatred of him is ruining your life. It’s the reason why you don’t have one. You sit here and mope about Kaden, while he’s out living his life, and you hate him for it. You want so much for him to be the bad brother and you the good one so that everyone will love you more than him. Get over it already. If you weren’t so full of hate, you would be able to see that we all love you just as much.”

  Julian did not want to hear this psychobabble, but he would have to be careful about how he challenged Cori. He certainly did not want another flight into his bookcase. “I’m not jealous of Kaden. I actually like having a conscience and trying to do
the right thing. Kaden cares nothing for rules, respect, or honor. He’s loyal to no one. He’s a selfish bastard, and despite all of that, you guys sit back and defend him like he’s a saint. I can’t understand any of you. There are plenty of reasons to despise Kaden, but both of you ignore them. Well, I can’t do that. I can’t ignore all that he has done to me, nor can I forgive him. If he’s guilty of these crimes, then I will help make sure he pays.”

  “If he’s guilty, then he deserves to pay, but you’re trying to make him guilty. You’re so convinced of his guilt that you can’t see the potential for his innocence. Innocent until proven guilty. Does that sound familiar to you? You’re acting as if the options for Kaden are guilty and guiltier.”

  Olivia could see how much this was torturing Julian. Although Corinne was probably right with her Dr. Phil psychology, Julian was not ready to deal with it. He was clearly in a lot of pain—pain which had nothing to do with the physical wounds Corinne had caused. This pain was deep within him and centered on Kaden. “Darling, we all just want the truth,” Olivia chimed in. “If the truth is what you suspect, then we will have to accept that and allow justice to be served. Let’s just get the truth first, before we sentence.”

  Julian was beyond frustrated, but he could not fight these women, neither physically nor verbally. “Fine. You win. You both win. We will play this your way. At this point, I need a break. If you guys want to keep coming up with alternative theories, go right ahead. I can’t do this anymore right now. I’m tired of trying to make you see the truth. You both think that I’m just some jealous younger brother who wants to punish the favored son, but you have no idea what Kaden has done to me, nor does either of you really care. You think I’m blind, but so are you two. You see what you want to see in him. I’ve seen the real him. I’ve watched him destroy what matters to me as if it were nothing, just because he could. Kaden is miserable and he won’t let me be happy. He makes sure all happiness is removed from my life before I have a chance to revel in it. That’s the type of boy your precious Kaden is. Do I sit here and brood about Kaden? Yes, because he takes away everything good in my life and leaves me with memories of what could have been. Why do I not go out and live my life? It would be a waste of time. Just more ammunition for Kaden to shoot me with. Does part of me want Kaden to be guilty? Yes, because maybe if he were finally gone, I could finally live.”

  II

  Julian stormed out of the cellar, slamming the door behind him. Corinne shortly followed while Olivia remained in the study contemplating Julian’s words. She knew her boys’ relationship was far from seamless, but she never realized the depth of suffering Julian endured. She wished she knew more about what happened between her boys, but neither would give her any details.

  They were so close at one point. Only ten years apart, the two of them did everything together. Olivia remembered the tree house they built when Kaden was thirteen and Julian had just turned three. They would not let anyone help them. They worked together day and night until they built this special place in the oak tree near their estate. Kaden patiently taught Julian how to construct their hideout, and the final product was something to admire.

  Kaden used this tree house as a place to keep his younger brother safe. He was so protective of Julian. He would never allow anyone to harm him, including Daughton. Kaden was more of a father to him than Daughton. The two were inseparable as children and now they could barely be civil to one another. Olivia regretted not doing more sooner to help heal this relationship before it fell apart.

  Lost in her thoughts, she had not realized that nearly two hours had passed. She felt Julian’s return as he opened the study door. He was carrying a tray with three goblets of his favorite blood type and some sandwiches.

  “I thought you and Aunt Cori might be hungry, so I brought a snack,” Julian said as he placed the tray on the coffee table.

  Olivia could barely restrain her emotions. Julian had been so angry with her and Corinne just a few hours ago, but that had not stopped him from making sure they both had everything they needed. Despite Julian’s frustration, he was still the sweet boy who used to bring her breakfast in bed and would do everything he could to make her smile when she was unable to drag herself out of bed. Julian was a natural nurturer and caretaker.

  One morning after Daughton had attacked her, she could barely move as she lay in bed waiting for her body to heal or for God to show her mercy and free her from this immortal prison. She knew Corinne would take care of the boys, giving her time to be alone. Julian had other plans in mind. She felt him as he approached the door. For several minutes, he just stood out there, not making a sound. He was probably afraid to enter, but she could say nothing to ease his fears. She hoped he would walk away and not see her in this weakened state, but Julian was determined to see her even if fear tried to hold him back. A few moments later, there was a gentle knock on the door.

  “Come in, Julian.” Olivia spoke so softly that Julian could barely hear. He cautiously opened the door and peered inside. When he saw Olivia’s face, his fears subsided and he smiled that bright illuminating grin that always eased the ache in Olivia’s heart. He crouched down to pick up a tray that smelled of French toast and bacon. Olivia’s favorite.

  “I made you breakfast,” he said as he struggled with the golden tray that was larger than his slight frame. He placed the tray on the table by her bed. There were several roses on the tray which Olivia knew Julian had picked from her garden. One of them was purple. He picked up that one and handed it to Olivia. “Aunt Cori helped me make this rose purple so that it would match your eyes.”

  “Thank you, my love,” Olivia cried.

  “Don’t be sad, Mama. I hate it when you’re sad. I can make you feel better.”

  “Olivia reached for Julian and held him tightly in her arms. You’ll never know how happy you make me. I love you so much, mio bambino.”

  “Hey, I’m a big boy now,” Julian pouted. “Soon I’ll be a man and I can take care of you.”

  “Of course you are, my darling, but to me, you will always be my baby no matter how big you are.”

  Julian smiled and hugged his mother again. “I love you, Mama.” He stayed with her all afternoon until Olivia had the strength to rise.

  “Mother, are you there?” Julian asked. When she did not respond he walked over to her and gently grabbed her hand. “Mom, are you ok?”

  Olivia was lost in her memories and did not hear Julian call her until he suddenly appeared before her. She looked into his concerned eyes and she could still see the little boy he once was—the little boy who wanted to take all her pain away.

  “My apologies. I was just remembering something and I spaced out for a moment. What were you saying?”

  “It doesn’t matter, let’s just eat.”

  Olivia was not very hungry as her stomach was still unsettled, but she would eat the food Julian prepared, as she did when he was a child. The two ate in silence, Julian frequently glancing at her trying to detect if something was wrong. Olivia knew how to pretend that all was well. She spent her entire marriage pretending.

  Olivia did not want to focus on her own woes. Julian was suffering and she wanted nothing more than to help heal her son’s wounds. She knew he would resist talking to her, but she hoped to break down his walls while they still had time.

  “Julian, I want to talk to you about what you said earlier. I want to understand what happened between you and Kaden. Maybe there’s something I can do to help if you let me help you.”

  Julian growled, pushing his plate of food to the side. The last thing he wanted was a heart to heart with his mother about Kaden. He wanted a break from Kaden. “Does everything have to be about Kaden? Why can’t we just sit here and talk about other things? I haven’t seen you in five years, and all you want to talk about is Kaden. Can you just pretend to take an interest in my life for even a moment?”

  Olivia moved to sit closer to Julian. She grabbed his hand and clutched it tightly. “I�
�m so sorry. After what you said earlier, I just thought that you needed to get some more stuff off your chest and I wanted to be there for you. We certainly don’t have to talk about your brother. I would love to talk about your life. I really want to know about you. You say so little in your phone calls.”

  Julian sighed. He opened the door to this conversation and now it was too late to avoid it. “The sad thing is that there isn’t much to say.”

  “I don’t believe that. Tell me about your photography, your other hobbies, your love life.” Julian could not hide is blush.

  “Ah, maybe we should talk about Kaden after all.”

  “Too late. I want to talk about mio bambino.”

  Julian told Olivia about his passion for photography and his many travels around the world to capture unique moments. He had always loved photography. Olivia had bought him his first camera, which he still had even though it had stopped working many years ago.

  He recently returned from a trip to Thimpu, Bhutan where he had lived for nearly two years. He enthusiastically relayed stories about his experiences with the natives, and the two vampires he met there who were Bhikkhus, Buddhist monks. They traveled to different parts of Southeast Asia every twenty years or so to protect their identities, but they always returned to Bhutan, their Nirvana.

  Julian showed Olivia his pictures from Bhutan, Nepal, and Tibet. Olivia was in awe of not only Julian’s exceptional skills, but the beauty of these countries that she had never visited, and now, would likely never see.

  “Julian this is amazing. These places are like a dream. I can’t imagine such a world. I thought I’d seen so much, but never anything like this.”

  “Well, these places are not perfect. There’s a lot of poverty and other issues, but the people and cultures are fascinating. You should really see this one day.” Julian paused. “In fact, if you want, maybe you can come with me the next time I go?”

  Julian’s eyes betrayed his unease about Olivia’s answer. He was reaching out to her and waiting for rejection. Olivia knew she would never have the strength or time for such a journey and she regretted that, but she wanted Julian to know how much she would have loved to take such a trip with him.