by Kresley Cole
Lobo laughed again as long-held contempt rushed to the surface. “You’ve been waiting for this, haven’t you? I’ll bet you couldn’t wait for me to screw up so you could put my skull on its own special little shelf in the Cave of the Vanquished.”
“We sealed the CV decades ago. And you’re the one who broke the law—”
“And you’re the one who kicked me out of the clan without listening to my side of the story.”
“Your side?” Hunter asked, incredulous. “You were caught seducing Traygen’s mate—while wearing his form. You admitted it.”
“No,” Lobo said wryly, “you asked me if I’d taken his form, I nodded, and then you broke my jaw. I couldn’t give you an explanation after that because my face was shattered and half of my teeth were on the damned floor.”
To be fair, he hadn’t been in shape to speak even before Hunter’s punch. Su’Neena and Traygen had done their best to kill him before other clan members heard the commotion and interrupted.
“You’re upset about a few broken bones?” Hunter pushed to his feet and strode over to the liquor cabinet on the far wall. “You’re lucky Traygen didn’t kill you. If I’d caught you with my mate in my bed, you wouldn’t have made it out of the bedroom alive.”
“I wasn’t—” He started to say that he hadn’t been in bed with the female, but the details weren’t important. “Listen to me, you pompous ass. I wasn’t trying to seduce Su’Neena that night. I was trying to get her to confess.”
Hunter took two highball glasses from the cabinet. “Confess to what?”
Well, at least the guy was listening this time. Lobo scrubbed a hand over his face, realizing that this was his one chance to finally set the record straight and maybe get out of this alive.
“I was out on patrol one day, and I saw Su’Neena with ShadowSpawn’s leader. The first time it happened, I thought it might be coincidence that they’d come across each other in the forest.” Yet something had niggled at him, so the next time she slipped away from MoonBound, he’d followed. “But when I saw her again near Rat Lake, obviously waiting for someone, I knew something was up. A few minutes later, Kars showed up, and they did a lot more than just talk.”
“And they didn’t see you?” Hunter popped the top off a bottle of whiskey and poured it into the glasses.
“They saw me,” he admitted. “As a wolf.”
Hunter swung around, offering Lobo one of the drinks. “Did you shift against orders?”
Lobo rolled his eyes. “I tell you that one of your warriors was screwing the enemy, and that is what you want to know?” He snatched the glass out of Hunter’s hand. Nice of the guy to give him a pre-execution libation. “Su’Neena is a spy, Hunter. I shifted into Traygen’s form to confront her about it. Turns out he didn’t know about her extracurricular activities. I tried to tell him, but he was too busy trying to impale my liver on his knife to listen.” He snorted. “I must have said enough, though. Ever wonder why he was found dead two weeks later, butchered by ‘poachers’?”
One dark eyebrow shot up. “You think Su’Neena is responsible for his death?”
“Her . . . or ShadowSpawn.”
Lobo downed the alcohol, savoring the smooth, rich burn that was so different from the harshness of the rotgut he was used to drinking. As warmth spread through his insides, he wandered around the room, noting all the changes since the last time he’d been here. Hunter had gotten rid of the enemy scalps his father had kept nailed to the wall. Maybe he really had made some changes around here. Electricity was a nice touch. And who would have guessed Hunter would allow televisions and video game consoles inside the clan? His father had barely tolerated books.
Hunter, still standing near the liquor cabinet, exhaled on a curse. “Why didn’t you come to me with this sooner?”
“Seriously?” He slammed his glass down on the table. “I don’t owe MoonBound shit. Your father slaughtered my family and then brought me here to survive on whatever scraps people would throw me. I didn’t even have a seat at the dinner tables. Maybe you don’t remember me begging for someone to drop some food on the floor, only to get kicked in the face when I reached for it, but I do. Maybe you had a bed growing up, but I had a chain and a pile of dirt in a kitchen corner. All of you fierce warriors were so terrified of a boy who might turn into the big bad wolf and eat you. So fuck you, Hunter.”
To Lobo’s shock, Hunter had the grace to look away. During Lobo’s nearly fifty years with the clan, Hunter had never been cruel to him, but he’d never been kind either. As far as Hunter had been concerned, Lobo had been invisible.
Hunter’s voice was gruff, tinged with anger. “My father was a monster.”
It wasn’t an apology, but it was close enough, considering Hunter hadn’t been the one whose rule had brought suffering not just to Lobo but to any clan member who didn’t measure up to Bear Roar’s exacting, brutal standards.
Hunter’s gaze snapped back up, his moment of remorse a thing of the past. The position of clan chief suited him. “You still should have come to me.”
Lobo snorted. “After you threatened me with death?”
Hunter put the drink to his lips and eyed him over the rim of his glass. “Only if you shifted into another clan member.”
“Yeah, well, I did that yesterday, and I was fully aware of the risk I was taking.” He flashed fangs, daring Hunter to challenge his decision. “If you’re looking for me to beg for my life or apologize for trying to save Tehya’s, it ain’t gonna happen. I’d do it again in a heartbeat. So if you’re going to kill me, get it over with.”
Hunter swirled the liquor around in his glass and stared at the deer hide stretched on the wall. For a long time, Lobo didn’t know if the guy was going to say anything. He seemed pretty damned content to let Lobo wonder how much longer he had to breathe.
“Is what you said earlier true?” Hunter finally asked. “About having nothing to live for after you were banished from here?”
Lobo let out a deep, shuddering breath. He refused to share his inner pain with Hunter, and he couldn’t believe how much he’d already shared—in front of a dozen of Hunter’s minions. He hated feeling vulnerable, and right now he might as well be facing Hunter with his rib cage splayed wide open to reveal his beating heart.
“No other clan would accept a skinwalker, and living like a stray dog with other free vampires in Seattle’s sewer systems didn’t appeal to me. So tell me, oh great clan chief, what I had to live for before I found a half-dead wolf that needed my help?”
If Hunter was annoyed by Lobo’s sarcasm, it didn’t show. If anything, he seemed genuinely curious, which threw Lobo off balance in a big way. He’d hated Hunter down to his very marrow, but the Hunter who had kicked him out of the clan didn’t seem to exist anymore.
“Did you know she wasn’t really a wolf?” Hunter asked.
“I sensed something different about her, but I thought she might be another vampire’s spirit animal in physical form.” When Hunter cocked a skeptical eyebrow at him, Lobo shrugged. “What? Weirder shit than that happens all the time. Like how Riker’s son can go invisible and your mate can summon portals.”
The temperature in the room plunged so fast that on Lobo’s next exhale, he saw his breath hang in the air.
“The fact that I haven’t killed you is proof that this clan has come a long way since the days of my father and my own early rule.” Hunter’s husky voice was as icy as the room, emerging between lips peeled back from razor fangs. “But when it comes to the safety of my mate, I’m as primitive as it gets. Her ability makes her a kidnapping target for every vampire and human on the planet. So if you tell anyone outside of MoonBound about her gift, I will reopen the Cave of the Vanquished and mount your skull on the wall while you’re still breathing. Understood?”
Well, that was graphic. But hey, it sounded like maybe Hunter wasn’t going to kill him after all. “Understood.”
Hunter eyed him for an uncomfortably long moment, probably trying to determine whether he
could trust Lobo’s word. Lobo couldn’t blame him. He’d stop at nothing to protect Tehya.
Finally, just as Lobo’s palms started to sweat, Hunter crossed to the door and flung it open. He spoke in hushed tones with Baddon, who was standing outside. When he returned, his expression was grim.
“I sent Baddon to find Su’Neena.”
“She won’t admit to being a spy.”
“If she’s a spy, we will get to the bottom of it.” Pivoting on his heel, he moved back to the door. “Come on. You can shower and have a shot of human blood while Nicole looks at that wound.”
A wound he had only because one of Hunter’s boys had shot him. “I’ll be fine.”
“It’s not a suggestion. I promised your wolf she’d see you again, and I don’t want you keeling over in front of her.”
“Why? Because it’ll be the last time I see her?”
Hunter paused with his hand on the doorknob. “If you’re wondering whether I’m going to kill you, I’m not.”
Lobo let out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding. “Why not?”
“Because,” he said in a voice weighted with gravity Lobo didn’t understand, “I’m not my father.”
That was something that was becoming more obvious by the minute. “So what comes next?”
Hunter yanked open the door and stepped out into the hallway. “We’re going to get to the bottom of your accusation against Su’Neena.” He lowered his voice as a group of males walked by, their laughter echoing through the halls, something nearly unheard of during Bear Roar’s reign. Hell, even after Hunter had taken over after his father’s death, the clan had still been a dark, sobering place. The changes at MoonBound since then were startling. “I don’t know why, but my gut tells me to believe you. So until we get this straightened out, you’re free to go.”
“And Tehya?”
“We’ll keep her safe and teach her what she needs to know to survive as a vampire.”
Even though it was exactly what Lobo had asked for, his stomach still churned. He’d asked Hunter to take care of Tehya, but that was when the prospect of losing his head had been very real. Now . . . damn. It was for the best. She needed friends. Community. Training. She needed the clan.
He must have looked troubled, because Hunter’s hard-ass expression softened. But that was like saying a diamond had softened into an agate. “She won’t be a prisoner, Lobo.”
“Good. She doesn’t like that. You should see what she did to my cabin when I locked her in it once.”
No, she didn’t take to captivity well at all. But he also knew she didn’t take orders well either. Keeping her here wouldn’t be easy. He’d have to convince her.
But how could he do that when he wasn’t convinced himself?
10
Tehya wanted to hate MoonBound and everything about it. But the people were friendly if wary, the compound was clean and warm, and it boasted modern conveniences such as a library and rec center, which she was currently touring. They even had a kitchen and cooks who had made her a venison sandwich she’d scarfed down while she walked around with Katina in borrowed jeans and a fitted green long-sleeved top.
“This isn’t anything like I imagined.” Tehya stared in awe at a young male and a female with bright orange pigtails as they played some sort of dance-themed video game on a screen nearly as large as one of the rec room walls. “From what Lobo described, I expected dark caves and torches on the walls. This isn’t exactly medieval times here.”
Katina laughed, her bright white fangs creating a striking contrast with her dark skin. “I would definitely not be here if it was like that. I like my modern comforts.” She shuddered, making her sleek black hair, gathered in a low, thick ponytail, brush against her paisley top. “From what I hear, though, MoonBound used to be a horror show. I’m sure Lobo wasn’t exaggerating. The old guard, mostly the born vampires who follow the Way of the Raven—they’re a bunch of primitive, superstitious freaks.”
“What’s that about? This Crow and Raven thing?”
Katina rolled her pewter-silver eyes. “It’s a belief system that supposedly explains vampire origins—if you want to completely discount science and logic. Again, it’s pushed by the old guard, mainly as a way to keep everyone in line. Crows are more moderate, and Ravens are just crazy.”
Wow, Tehya had so much to learn about being a vampire. As a human, she’d only known what the human powers-that-be wanted her to know about them—mainly that they were dangerous, but they made good slaves when properly trained. Later, as a wolf, she’d learned about vampires by watching Lobo, but he wasn’t exactly typical of the species, as she was just beginning to discover.
He must have been so lonely.
“Everything you see is available to you twenty-four seven,” Katina said as they walked past an empty pool table. “It’s usually busier here, but it’s the new moon, so everyone is off feeding and fu—”
“Ah, there you are.” Hunter’s deep voice boomed through the room, and Tehya spun, heart racing in anticipation of seeing Lobo.
She’d barely laid eyes on him before he was crossing to her in quick, long strides. He’d showered, his damp hair raked back and wildly unruly, and he wore a pair of well-fitting worn jeans made for slim hips and powerful thighs. Fresh bandages crisscrossed his shoulders and disappeared under a black tank top that showed off every ropy muscle. Every female hormone danced in appreciation as he hauled her into his arms.
“You okay?” He buried his face in her neck and held her so tight she couldn’t escape if she’d wanted to. Which she didn’t.
“I’m fine.” She inhaled, taking in the comforting scent of him. God, she loved how he smelled. Like trees and moss, with a subtle hint of musk. “I’ve been worried about you.”
He pulled back and glanced over at the doorway, where Hunter was talking with Katina, Riker, and someone Katina referred to as Jaggar. Then, without warning, Lobo took her by the arm and spirited her into the connecting room packed with arcade games and another large-screen TV. Where the hell did they get all of this stuff anyway?
“What are you doing?”
In answer, he pushed her up against the side of the classic Pac-Man game, the long, lean length of his body covering hers. “I don’t know what’s going to happen after this, but I want you to be happy.”
“Then why do you sound so sad?” In his eyes, hooded and shadowed, she saw the reason, and it speared her in the heart. “This sounds like a good-bye. It is, isn’t it?”
He dropped his face to hers so their foreheads touched, reminding her of all the times he’d done that when she was a wolf. He’d been so free with his affection, and it seemed that nothing had changed. Which made what he said next all the more awful. “I think it has to be. For now.”
What a load of bullshit. “I won’t live here without you,” she swore. “You can’t make me.” She didn’t give a crap that she sounded childish. At this point, she’d suck on a pacifier if that’s what it took to change his mind.
“It’s for the best,” he said, spewing more bullshit. But it was bullshit he wasn’t going to back down from, and she knew it.
Desperation made her, well, desperate, and she clung to his biceps, clutching him as if doing so would stop this from happening. “I’ll turn back into a wolf. Somehow, I’ll figure out how. We can be like it was before.”
A heartbreaking sound of misery rattled in his throat. “Neither of us wants that, and you know it. You need the kind of life that only MoonBound can give you.”
“These are the people who threatened to kill you, Lobo.” She cast a furtive glance at Hunter, who was idly bouncing a Ping-Pong ball in his palm as he talked with a growing group of people who were extremely well armed. “They hurt you and then abandoned you. How can you say that I should stay here?”
He stroked his hand over her hair the way he’d petted her fur when he wanted to calm her down. It made her mad that it worked.
“What happened was a long time ago.” His v
oice was calm. Controlled. Too controlled. She could smell the emotion in him. The conflict. “Hunter was different then. The clan was different. Trust me, it’s safe for you here. And with everything going on in the human world, belonging to a clan is what you need.”
Wrong. He was so wrong. She wasn’t a pet to be passed around. “I won’t stay here, Lobo. Not without you.”
“Damn it, Tehya.” Cracks in his tight control made his voice pitch low. “You need to stay.”
“I’m not a dog,” she ground out.
“If you were, this wouldn’t be an issue. You’re a vampire. Vampires aren’t safe on their own. That’s why clans work so well. It doesn’t have to be forever. But right now, you need to stay here.”
Never. She was about to say as much when Baddon, Takis, Aiden, and a male she didn’t recognize rushed into the room, their expressions grim. Baddon looked like he’d been chewing on an electric fence. She’d done that once. Not recommended.
She and Lobo joined the group as Baddon spoke up. “Su’Neena is gone.”
“What do you mean, gone?” Hunter stopped bouncing the Ping-Pong ball. “Did you search the compound?”
Baddon gave a curt nod. “I’ve got people still searching, but I’d bet my left nut the search won’t turn up anything. I checked her quarters—looks like she left in a rush.”
“She knows.” Lobo cursed. “She knows I’m here, and she probably suspects that I’ve told the truth about her.”
“Excuse me,” Tehya interrupted, “but who is Su’Neena?”
A muscle in Lobo’s jaw twitched with anger. “She’s responsible for me getting kicked out of the clan. And she tried to murder me a couple of times.”
This time it was Hunter who cursed, his hand closing on the little ball so hard it crumpled. Too bad it wasn’t this Su’Neena person’s skull.
“Send out a search party,” Hunter growled. “Hurry. If she makes it to ShadowSpawn before we catch her, she’ll be lost to us.”
“But you have a treaty with Kars,” Katina said. “You can force him to give her up.”
