by Lexi C. Foss
“I might know a little something about that,” I admitted, thinking back to Ryder’s lip.
“Was it in front of the entire council and Lilith herself?”
I stopped walking. “She didn’t…”
“Oh, she did,” he assured me. “I thought for sure she was dead, but Kylan picked her for his harem instead.”
I frowned. “After the Immortal Cup?”
“She never went to the Immortal Cup.” He led me through the door. “I guess I should start at the beginning.”
“That’d be helpful.”
His lips twitched. “All right. Once upon a time…”
29
Ryder
My lip still stung hours later, reminding me of Willow’s presence even though she was in the other room with her old friend. “Is it normal for a lycan bite to take this long to heal?” I asked Jace. He sat in my study with his ankle crossed over his opposite knee.
He appeared amused by the question. “Longer, usually.”
“Hmm.” Well, at least I knew what to expect going forward. “This is why we’re not supposed to play together.”
“But the danger of it is intoxicating, isn’t it?” His gaze was knowing. “Makes you feel alive.”
He wasn’t wrong. I did like knowing Willow could hold her own against me. At least subtly. We’d work on her skills to truly make her an opponent. Then I’d really enjoy playing with her.
“We’re also harder to entice,” Edon interjected, sounding bored. “Take this conversation, for example. I’m utterly bored by it, while you two seem rather ramped up with excitement.”
I looked at the alpha, amused. “You’ll do,” I decided out loud. And not just because he’d brought me the head of the lycan who had tormented my Willow.
His dark irises danced over me, assessing. “Still to be determined.”
My lips quirked, amused by his easy banter. The alpha certainly had balls challenging me like that. “You’ll learn,” I tossed back.
He lifted a shoulder, then looked at Jace. “We have less than three weeks until the next council meeting. I’m going under the assumption that Willow’s nature won’t remain a secret for much longer. So what’s our plan?”
“Why is he the leader?” I interjected.
“Because he’s the one I trust most in this room,” Edon replied without looking at me.
It was a fair assessment, albeit a risky one. “And how well do you know Jace?” I wondered out loud.
“My reputation isn’t the debate here,” Jace murmured. “And I’m not the leader, Ryder. But Edon’s right. We need to discuss our play for the council meeting.”
“I vote we don’t go,” I suggested. “It’s a waste of fucking time with a bunch of pompous pricks who just want to sit around and debate the best method for killing humanity. I’ll pass.”
“You have to attend if you want to solidify your royal seat.”
“I’ve already taken it,” I pointed out. “Lilith is welcome to appoint a new royal. I’ll just kill the opponent and remain in charge.” I looked at Jace. “Honestly, what’s she going to do? She’s a child compared to me.”
“She subdued Cam,” Jace said solemnly.
“Did she, though?” I countered. “Or did he willingly go underground to play the long game?” We both knew he was still alive. And while I wasn’t his biggest fan, I could admit his affinity for strategy was quite admirable.
“Darius believes he allowed himself to get caught.” Jace’s admission surprised me. It showed we’d moved forward in the game, his olive branch now tangible. “I’m inclined to agree because he left behind a road map that we’ve followed for the last century.”
“A road map?” I repeated just as Damien joined us. He shut the door softly before walking over to sit in the chair beside me.
My study was similar in size to my office but set up differently. It resembled more of a library with my bookshelves covering three of the four walls. And a large sofa sat in the center—the same size as my executive desk in the other room—with recliner chairs situated across from it. I sat in one while Damien settled into the other. Edon and Jace shared the couch.
Luna had excused herself when Silas and Willow came inside. I suspected she and Willow would become fast friends now that the territorial lines were all drawn in the proverbial sand.
“Talk to me about this road map,” I said when Jace didn’t elaborate. “Damien’s my progeny and best friend. I imagine he’s showcased his loyalty over the last week to you, yes?”
“He has,” Jace agreed, his eyes remaining on Damien for a moment before returning to me.
Hmm, that lingering look held a story. It hadn’t been one of open consideration, rather a glance that held a secret. Interesting. Something had happened this week between them. Something that allowed Jace to feel he knew my progeny. And it went beyond the obvious events.
I made a mental note to follow up on it later.
“The theorized course I detailed the other day wasn’t my grand design. Cam created it. I’ve merely been working with the pieces I can play while waiting for others to arise, but after seeing the reports on your region, I think a strategy is required. We need to find Cam.”
“Chicago,” I said. “Have you looked there?”
“It’s not an easy city to navigate beneath Lilith’s control. I also feel that’s too obvious.”
“Which is exactly why he’s there,” I drawled. “Lilith would send you on a merry goose chase while keeping him in the one place you’d never look because it’s ‘too obvious.’ That fits her playbook to a T.”
“At the very least, you’ll find evidence there,” Damien added. “She’s not going to leave his fate to chance. Wherever he is, she keeps a close watch over him because he’s the only one who poses a significant threat.”
“So why hasn’t she just killed him?” Edon asked.
“Power,” I replied immediately. “She gets off on it.”
Jace nodded. “Killing him is too easy. My guess is she visits him to lord her kingdom over him and his ideals.”
“This has been our world for a hundred and seventeen years. Surely she’s grown bored by now?”
I shook my head. “A century is nothing in his lifetime.”
“And she believes his Erosita is dead, thereby forcing him to live in agony of losing his other half. She would adore throwing that in his face, as she despises the mating practice.”
“Why?” Edon asked.
I looked at Jace, aware of the history, but not wanting to tell the story.
“She’s broken,” he said softly, his blue eyes taking on a gleam I understood far too well. Fear. It was the reason many of us didn’t take mates. We knew what could happen if we lost our other half. Lycans could experience the same sense of loss, but there was a key difference between us—vampires were forced to live forever without their other half, while lycans eventually died.
I would argue the former was much, much worse.
“Humans killed her mate,” Jace continued in that same tone. “It fractured her in a way few understand, mostly because she hides it very well. But I believe the fractures lie in her innate hatred for humanity. This all started as a punishment to avenge her lost love. However, it has evolved into so much more. She’s married to the power now. Law and order are her mistresses. And any deviation from her intent results in chaos that she defuses through punishment.”
“You almost sound sorry for her,” I noted.
“I am to an extent,” Jace admitted. “The pain of her loss debilitated her mind to a point where she cares nothing about the very species that created her lost love. And yet she craves their love as a form of penance.”
“That’s why she took on the Goddess role,” Edon realized out loud. “She forces them to love and worship her, as her mate once did.”
“To an extent, yes,” Jace murmured. “And I find that very sad indeed.”
“Well, I just find it insane,” I said, shrugging. “She sho
uld have been put down a long time ago. It would have saved us all from this madness.”
Jace shook his head. “There were too many of our kind and the lycans fighting for this path. She merely took advantage of an already available base and turned herself into their leader.”
I conceded on that point with a nod. “True.” Once the lycans were discovered by humans, the war became inevitable. And Lilith, as broken as she was, played every part appropriately. Cam had been her primary adversary. Taking him down placed her on top, and her ego was what kept him alive. “I still think he’s in Chicago. She would want to speak to him regularly, if nothing else but to seek validation for her overwhelming victory.”
“Then that would imply he’s coherent, yet he’s not spoken to his Erosita in over a century.”
I nodded again, considering. “She must have him overpowered in some fashion.”
“That’s what concerns me,” Jace admitted. “How is she keeping him prisoner?”
“You think she has a weapon of some kind.”
“Yes,” he confirmed. “It’s the only thing that makes sense.”
Damien scratched his jaw. “If that’s the case, then we need to be prepared. She could use it against you.”
“Unless it only exists in Chicago,” I said slowly, thinking through every angle. “She’s contesting my leadership at the next council… in Chicago.”
“It’s where she intends to discuss the Clemente Clan incident as well,” Edon added, catching on quickly. “And she demanded Kylan attend, yet grounded him from all other functions.”
“When was the last time she held a council meeting on her home turf?” I wondered out loud.
“The meetings are infrequent occurrences,” Jace replied. “We meet at Blood Day annually. Otherwise, we only meet sporadically.”
“But after the incident in my clan, she said we would be changing that,” Edon replied. “That’s the other purpose for the gathering in Chicago—to begin a quarterly cadence of meetings.”
“Or to make one hell of a power play,” Damien muttered, taking the words right out of my mouth.
“Well, fuck,” Jace said, rubbing a hand over his face.
A hush fell through the room, the shock wave palpable.
Because Jace’s words summed it all up nicely—fuck.
I had to hand it to the cunt; she’d played her cards well.
It was just too bad she had me as an opponent on the board now. Because I saw the flaw in her plan from a mile away, and I fully intended to exploit it.
“Do you think she knows about our plans?” Edon asked, breaking the silence.
“Not exactly, but I think there have been too many disobedient events for her liking and she intends to deliver a statement,” Jace said. “Which means you and Kylan are in trouble. Ryder, too, since she’s clearly baiting him. And my guess is she intended for me to tell you about the vote on your position, which also means I’m on her list, likely as a result of the recent power shifts in my region.”
“With Darius becoming your sovereign,” I ascertained. “He was a known recluse as well, but more so because of his ties to Cam.”
“Yes. Their relationship was well known and would give Lilith cause not to trust him. The only reason she has any faith in me is because I’ve played along with her game for the last century. Yet her using me as a pawn suggests she’s onto me, and perhaps has been for some time.”
“Or she never trusted you,” Damien said.
“Also likely,” Jace agreed, shaking his head. “That fucking bitch.”
“Still feel sorry for her now?” I asked, half joking.
Jace grunted. “What the fuck are we going to do?”
“Oh, that part’s easy,” I said, causing Damien to smirk beside me. He knew exactly what I planned to say. “We beat her at her own game.”
Jace arched a brow. “Okay. How?”
“By not allowing her to host that council meeting in Chicago,” I replied, looking at Damien. “It’s Benita, isn’t it?”
“Yep.”
“Excellent. Can you let her know I’ll be returning with my pet? Tell her we’ll be needing extra blood.”
“Consider it done.”
I smiled. “You’re so good to me, Damien.”
“I try.”
I started to return my focus to Jace when another thought struck me. “Oh, do you think we should host a barbecue as well? Perhaps in two weeks’ time? There are a few clients from that list you could invite. The ones who like children.”
Damien massaged his chin, considering. “Yes, that could make for quite a party. Maybe we should add the rest of the region’s sovereigns to the invite list as well, just to ensure an explosive ending.”
“I do enjoy a bloodbath,” I mused, smiling.
When I finally looked at Jace, it was to find him smirking. “Sounds like bait.”
“Doesn’t it?” I replied. “I’d invite you to watch the fireworks, but that may make it too obvious.”
“Yes, I think my role here is to continue functioning as her pawn.”
“I agree.” I met Edon’s gaze. “And yours will be to continue reformation in your pack. I’m sure she’s receiving updates from someone on the inside. Let her think you’re reverting. It’ll help her mental state along and hopefully coax her into coming out to play.”
Edon nodded. “The breeding camp incident should have reached her by now.”
Yes, I imagined killing three dozen of his lycans would cause quite a stir in her world. The fact that he chose to keep all the humans and try to rehab them into his society would only make matters worse for her.
“Can you get a message to Kylan?” I asked, bringing us to our final matter of business.
“Yes,” Jace said.
“Tell him we need to go on a double date while in Chicago. It’s become quite evident to me that my pet needs her friends.” I glanced at Edon again. “Your Silas will continue to visit her. He seems to please her.”
Edon snorted. “You can tell him that yourself. He doesn’t take orders well. That’s why he’s my Enforcer.”
“He’ll obey mine,” I said, certain. Finally, I addressed Damien. “I need another few days. Can you handle San José without me until our arrival next week?”
“I’ll make all the arrangements. But I’m keeping your harem.”
“I have no use for them.”
“I know,” he replied. “And I’m keeping Tracey.”
“Who the hell is Tracey?” I asked.
“The servant girl Meghan whipped.”
I growled at the memory. Meghan’s resulting death had been far too quick. “Be good to her.”
“Oh, I’ve been very good to her,” he replied, sharing a look with Jace.
Ah, I thought, catching on. That was the secret. They’d played together this week. Well, so long as all parties enjoyed themselves, I didn’t need to know more.
“I’m going to find my pet,” I told them all, standing. “We still have positions to try.” One of which included anal. We hadn’t explored that yet. It would be either this week or soon after because I intended to own all of her, just as she so completely appeared to own me.
“Don’t forget to feed her,” Damien reminded me. “Blood and food.”
“Oh, she’ll be well fed,” I promised, walking to the door. Then I paused to look at Edon once more. “Do you still feel she requires a choice?”
“I think she made it last week,” he replied.
“I think she did, too,” I agreed.
“Her mark looks good on you, by the way,” Edon said, his lips twitching.
I licked my bottom lip, noting the soreness. “I’m about to go repay the favor.”
“Enjoy,” Damien drawled.
I smiled. “I intend to.” She was my reward, after all. My beautiful hybrid pet. My distraction. My new reason for living.
30
Ryder
A few days turned into eleven before Damien called and said he needed m
e in San José.
Willow sat beside me in the car, her leg jumping against mine. Rick was driving. He’d also piloted the plane here. His loyalty remained resolute, which was evidenced by his lack of a comment upon seeing my upgraded pet.
Her scent noted her as part lycan, but her eyes swirled with the power of a vampire, making her hybrid uniqueness rather evident. Yet he’d remained as silent as ever, just as he did now behind the wheel.
“Pet.” I placed my palm on her thigh, giving it a gentle squeeze to halt her fidgeting. “Stop.”
We’d agreed to a charade of sorts where she continued to play the submissive human role in public. It would make everyone believe I’d created a hybrid for a pet—a passing amusement of sorts. Which would allow her worthiness to go undetected by the masses.
Everyone would underestimate her abilities and, even more importantly, my growing affection for her. The former served as an asset, while the latter qualified as a weakness.
“Sorry,” she whispered.
“They won’t touch you,” I vowed. “Only I can pet you.”
She wore one of the revealing gowns Damien had procured for her harem wardrobe. However, I’d added a leather collar to the mix. Overkill, perhaps, but I found it rather entertaining.
At least I hadn’t affixed a leash to it.
Hmm, although, that gave me more ideas to play with in the bedroom later. Not that I needed additional scenarios. My list for her just continued to grow no matter how many items I’d crossed off of it. And we still hadn’t indulged in anal yet.
I sighed. At this rate, we’d be fucking for the next century at a minimum. Wouldn’t that amuse Damien?
While I’d become obsessed with bedding her, we’d also been productive during our alone time together and had spent ample hours testing her new speed and agility. She still had work to do as a baby immortal, but her aptitude for fighting showed in her ability to pick up new skills quickly and efficiently. She made a fine protégé indeed.
