by L. C. Davis
After a quick shower, I changed and noted with surprise that he wasn't back. For someone so insistent about never leaving me on my own, he stayed gone for a long time. I took the time to dry my hair until it was bone straight before I gave up on being good and went to find Victor, armed with the laundry hamper as a decoy.
“Late night?” asked Brendan, who came out of his room a second after I did.
I gave him a look. “I'd avoid Victor if I were you. He's on a warpath because you and Sebastian didn't keep me on a feeding schedule.”
“He didn't say anything this morning, but I did hear him tearing Sebastian a new one in Ulric's study,” he said, glancing at the basket. “Want me to take that?”
“Thanks, I got it,” I said, trying to hide my concern. “Was Ulric with them?”
“Yep, he got back wicked early. He was yelling, too.”
“At Sebastian or at Victor?”
“Both,” he said. “Last I heard, everyone was yelling. I wouldn't even go down that hall if I were you. They're probably still in there.”
“Since I'm pretty sure I'm what they're fighting about, I don't think I have a choice,” I said, panicked at the idea of a three-way brawl between the three most important men in my life—even if my relationship with two of them was tenuous at best. “Are you going anywhere important?”
“Not really, why?”
I shoved the laundry basket in his hands. “I'll owe you big time if you carry that downstairs for me,” I said, running down the hall before he could agree.
“Yeah, you still owe me for the blood donation!” he called.
I glanced over my shoulder and shrugged. “Judging from the sounds you made, I'd say I repaid you.”
For the first time since we'd met, Brendan was at a loss for words and his face turned bright red. I used his temporary shock to make my escape and bolted towards Ulric's study.
Sure enough, they were still arguing. Foster lingered outside the door, his ear pressed against the thick wood as he tried to make out the words. I gave him a scolding look and he scampered off to do whatever it was that Fosters did to occupy their time.
I knocked loudly and immediately opened the door, relieved it wasn't locked. It looked like I had arrived none too soon because Victor and Sebastian were on the floor, wrestling in an attempt to get the upper hand so that wrestling could progress to pummeling. Apparently it already had once, because I could smell Sebastian's bloody lip from across the room and the partially healed gash on Victor's forehead from the night of the harvest moon had been freshly opened.
When I came in, Ulric was simply standing there watching with an impassive look on his face. He looked startled to see me, but not startled that his two potential successors were rolling around on the floor beating each other like elementary school boys.
“Stop it!” I cried, running over in a misguided attempt to pull them apart. I stumbled back when Sebastian nearly collided with me.
“Get out of here, Remus,” Victor growled through Sebastian's choke hold. He elbowed the giant in the ribs and used the second he took to cough to wrench his massive arm behind his back and throw him to the ground.
“Yeah, get him out of here,” Sebastian barked.
“Let them be,” said Ulric, pulling me back by the arm. I felt like a child about to cross a busy street being rescued by his parent.
“Well, at least everyone can be united against me,” I said, watching them in disgust.
Ulric chuckled, keeping his hand on my arm. “I know it may not seem like it, but this is a good thing. They're about to make up.”
“They look like they're about to kill each other.”
“It's been like this ever since they were boys. They communicate better with their fists than with words.”
“In that case, I'm glad I usually encountered them individually,” I muttered. “You seriously just let them fight?
He shrugged. “We're wolves. They're not going to kill each other.”
Victor threw a punch that landed square on Sebastian's jaw. “You sure about that?”
“Come along, I've been meaning to talk to you,” he said, ushering me over to the door.
“We're leaving them?” I protested, looking back at the ensuing brawl.
Ulric pulled me out of the room and the door fell shut behind me. “They have to fight it out or else they'll never forgive each other.”
“Is that even a possibility?” I asked. “Victor was furious with Sebastian last night.”
“So was I when Victor explained what happened in the infirmary,” said Ulric. “It's all been worked out. They both had their fair share of grievances to air, so things might be a bit rocky for awhile, but that's to be expected considering the circumstances.”
“By circumstances you mean me,” I said, following him out towards the garden.
He gave me a small, affirming smile. “You have stirred up quite a bit of chaos in your time here.”
“You must love that,” I said dryly. “I've single-handedly managed to destroy their relationship and destabilize your pack.”
“Not at all,” he said, holding the door as he stepped out into the garden. “You were the catalyst, but that doesn't make any of this your fault. And a little chaos isn't always the worst thing. Sometimes it's the only way to bring order.”
“They're twin brothers and they're beating the hell out of each other as we speak,” I reminded him. “That doesn't sound like order to me.”
He gave a warm laugh and motioned for me to sit on the bench with him. “You'd be surprised. Do you know that Victor and Sebastian hadn't really and truly fought in years until you showed up?”
“If you're trying to convince me I'm not the reason they hate each other, you're not doing a very good job.”
“Bear with me,” he said, patting my hand. “When they first came to stay with me, barely twelve years old, I took them into town and told them they could each have a gift, anything they liked. We went into a little hobby store and they both fell in love with this yellow model airplane kit. Victor was obsessed with taking things apart to see how they worked and putting them back together again, so it was a natural choice for him. I knew Sebastian wouldn't have the patience to see something like that through to completion, but if Victor was interested and the packaging was nice, he wanted it, too.”
“Sorry to interrupt, but by any chance am I the model airplane in this story?” I asked warily.
Ulric laughed. “No, no. This all really happened, I promise. Any analogy is purely coincidental. Anyway, there was only one model kit on the shelf. The store employee even checked in the back and said they wouldn't be getting any more in stock for some time. Just as I was about to persuade Sebastian into getting something else, Victor put the kit in his brother's hands and said he could have it. He claimed he didn't really want it anyway, but when I asked him if he'd at least like one of the other models, he thanked me and said no.”
“He just let him have it?” I asked. “That doesn't sound like a twelve-year-old.”
“No,” he agreed. “I very much doubt Victor was twelve when he was five. He has an old soul, just like you do. Victor had been taking care of Sebastian long before their parents were killed. When Sebastian got sick, their parents checked out of their lives emotionally and otherwise, leaving Victor to take care of himself and his brother. Even when Sebastian grew healthy and strong, Victor never stopped protecting him or putting him first in everything. That's why you being here is such a good thing for them both.”
“I'm afraid I don't follow,” I admitted. “I make them fight.”
“Precisely. I've known those boys the better half of their lives and this is the first time I've seen Victor stand up and fight for something he wanted,” he said, hitting his thigh with a closed fist for emphasis. “Sure they'll squabble over petty things, but whenever it comes down to something important, Victor always concedes to his brother. He'd hand over the key to life eternal if Sebastian wanted it, but you he won't just hand over. You mak
e him something better. You make him an alpha.”
As I listened, my eyes widened. “That's why you never made him alpha. I could never understand why you didn't choose Victor, even when I was with Sebastian.”
“They both have their strong suits,” he admitted. “If they were two halves of the same person, I dare say they'd make the strongest alpha any pack has seen. Up until now, Victor has demonstrated every quality needed in a pack leader. Self-sacrifice, wisdom, bravery, strength. Every quality but one.” He paused, watching me. “Any idea what that might be?”
I shook my head. I couldn't imagine that Victor was lacking in any way, but I didn't want to show my bias by admitting it.
“A backbone,” he said with a snort. “You can't represent the interests of your pack as an alpha if you don't even have the stomach to stand up and take what you want. Sebastian might be a bit lacking in sophistication and brains, but that boy has a spine made of steel.”
“So now that Victor and I are together, you're going to make him the alpha?”
“Not yet. I've still got a lot to consider,” he said. “That includes your opinion.”
“Mine?” I couldn't make the word sound any less dubious. “I'm an outsider and I'm not even a real wolf.”
“You're half,” he said insistently. “No matter what you think or what your mother says, you'll always be half wolf, and you're not an outsider, you're my son. The future of this pack is closely entwined with yours.”
“How so?” I asked, intrigued.
“If you were a wolf from birth like Sebastian and Victor, you would have an undisputed claim to the role of alpha,” he said matter-of-factly. “The fact that you're a fleur wolf means you'll become mated to whomever I choose as my successor.”
“Fleur is just another word for submissive, isn't it?” I asked warily.
He chuckled at my lack of enthusiasm. “I suppose you could say that.”
“You have to be joking. I just found out you're my father a few months ago, don't you think it's a bit soon to be arranging marriages?”
“It's customary. I found out you were still alive the same night that Sebastian marked you. It looked like we were both going to be forced to choose him.”
“What changed?” I asked warily. The idea of not being able to marry Victor due to some antiquated custom and Sebastian's stupid stamp was infuriating even if I had never really given the idea of marriage much thought. I had just never thought I would be alive long enough for it to matter.
“The mark vanished,” he said. “I trust that Sebastian has informed you of this?”
“He told me the other day. I don't know how it happened, but maybe it had something to do with my repressed werewolf side.”
“Perhaps,” he said thoughtfully. “It would be good to know for sure before we move forward.”
“Move forward how?”
He hesitated. “This is really the kind of thing Victor should tell you himself.”
“Please, Ulric,” I said, touching his arm. “I think you owe me at least one straight answer, and I can't trust either of them to tell me the truth. Not all of it.”
“Fair enough,” he sighed. “Victor has marked you. He doesn't know when or how any more than I do, but Hunter believes it had something to do with Victor giving you his blood and your awakening as a vampire and I am inclined to agree with him.”
My head began to spin as I processed the revelation. “Wait, you were talking to Hunter about this? Who else knows besides him?”
He laughed. “The boy is an expert on all things supernatural in a way I am ashamed to admit I'm not, despite my position. I'd be a fool if I didn't accept his consultation while he's here.”
“He does seem to have a lot of theories about me,” I murmured. “He thinks I'm the legendary abomination the hunters want to kill before he can unite the wolves and the vampires.”
“Hunter is brilliant, but he is a bit eccentric,” Ulric said, patting me on the back. “The legend is just that. A legend.”
“Maybe, but surely you can notice the emerging pattern?” He gave me a confused look and I sighed. “I cause division. Between brothers, between species, even between you and Sarah. If Victor really has marked me, it's only going to get worse.”
His neutral expression turned into a scowl. “That isn't true,” he said emphatically. “I suppose it's no surprise that you've connected the dots and formed pictures that weren't meant to be in my absence, but you had nothing to do with your mother and I being divided. The truth is, there never was a 'your mother and I.'”
I hesitated for a moment and tried to decide whether I was ready for the answer to my next question. I wasn't, but I knew I never would be and I couldn't live with not knowing any longer. “What happened between you? Why didn't either of you want me?”
“It's more complicated than that, my boy. The truth is, Victor is the only reason I even knew you existed, but I'll get to that in a moment. When I met Sarah, she wasn't the person she is now.”
“Did you know she was a vampire?”
“Oh, yes. She was living with her uncle and his troupe, some of whom you encountered. They were a traveling company of stage actors, or at least that was their cover. They would bring audience members backstage to feed from and move on to the next town before anyone took notice. I happened to get invited to one of their shows and immediately realized they were vampires. Like Sebastian, I had my reasons for hating vampires and I very likely would have killed them all as soon as the show was over, but Sarah called me backstage.”
He removed his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “She wasn't the woman you met. She was just a girl then, and her mask of self-assurance wasn't what it is now. I could see the fear in her eyes before I even got to the stairs. In a matter of seconds, I went from being determined to slay her and her entire family to wanting to help her any way I could.”
“So you 'helped' by sleeping with her.” Hiding my distaste proved impossible. If even a man as sophisticated and sage as Ulric was capable of that, there seemed little hope for all the others.
He rolled his eyes. “Eventually, yes, but we developed a short but meaningful friendship first. At least, it was meaningful to me. I won't lie and say that I loved her, but I cared for her deeply and asked her to let me help her escape from her uncle.”
“She refused?”
He nodded. “Her ties to Saban and the rest of the troupe were too strong. I went back to their final show to prevail upon her one last time but they were gone. That was the last I heard of Sarah for a long time until other supernaturals started whispering tales of her malevolent use of the gifts that were only beginning to surface when I knew her.”
“So she just left town? She never found you and told you she was pregnant?” I asked.
“No, and I would have been easy enough to find if she had wanted to,” he said. “I'm sure she had her reasons and I'm sure she really did love you in her own way, if that's worth anything.”
“Not much,” I admitted. “But thank you for telling me.”
He gave me a sad smile. “Well, the years passed and I never took a mate, I tried to focus on providing a sanctuary for other wolves like me. Wolves whose families couldn't accept them the way they were. Clara came first, followed by Victor and Sebastian. When Victor started drawing pictures that were the spitting image of that girl I had met so long ago at a little theater in Seattle, I knew something was wrong. He wouldn't tell me who it was, but he was insistent that it wasn't Sarah but a boy. As guarded as he was, it wasn't much of a stretch to figure out that he'd been given a vision at the coming of age ritual, just like Sebastian. Of course, Victor is probably the only one of us who realized that both visions were about you.”
“Oh,” I said quietly.
“I searched for you,” he said. “I couldn't even be sure that Victor's drawing was anything more than a coincidence, but it explained the strange feeling I'd never been able to escape that there was someone out there I had to find. Especia
lly knowing you were at the mercy of that tyrant who ran the troupe before Sarah killed him.”
“Sarah killed her uncle?”
“A story for another day,” he said with a wave of his hand. “Remus, I am so sorry I never found you. I'm not a praying man, but I went to that temple every week for eleven years and drank wolfsbane in hopes of receiving a vision that might tell me where you were or if you existed at all.”
For the first time since I had lost my emotions, I found myself wishing I could feel something. For so many years, I had dealt with the pain of thinking both my mother and father had abandoned me. Now all I could feel was the satisfaction of a missing link being connected in my mind. There was no joy or relief to ease all those years of heartache.
“I appreciate that, Ulric. I would have appreciated it more when I was a human,” I admitted. “But thank you for being honest with me.”
He looked deflated, but he smiled. “Ignorance isn't an excuse for absence. I don't expect a warm reception now that you know who you are to me, but I would like the chance to start a new relationship. I would very much like the chance to get to know you.”
“Even if I'm an emotionless vampire now?” I half-teased.
“The only thing you need to be in order for me to want a relationship with you is my son, Remus.” His eyes were glassy with the slightest hint of moisture.
I smiled a little and reached over to put my hand on his. “I'd like that, too.”
For the first time since I had known him, Ulric looked visibly relieved. It was hard to imagine fear coming from the man who had slain a lion. “Wonderful,” he said, giving my hand a squeeze.
“Maybe we could start this new relationship by not forcing me to marry whoever takes over the pack?” I asked hopefully.
He chuckled, cleaning off his glasses. “I'm afraid my hands are tied where that tradition is concerned, but I do have a say in the outcome. That's largely the reason I wanted to talk to you, before we got a bit sidetracked.”
“I'm glad we did,” I admitted. “You answered a lot of the questions that keep me up at night.”
“I'm glad, too,” he said sincerely. “Now, try to divorce yourself from the situation if possible. Between Victor and Sebastian, who do you think would be the best alpha for the pack?”
