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A cold chill wound its way through Ryder. He grasped Lawson’s right arm to get his Master’s full attention.

“I am not Weryn reborn!” The madness of even saying this had Ryder’s jaw gritting. He shook his head violently as if to clear the idea out of it. “But even if I was, you are the only real father I have ever had. I love you. I love House Legion. I have no desire to change anything. To take over anything.”

“King Daemon thinks otherwise,” Lawson said, his silver eyes scanning Ryder’s face.

“He is wrong. He is trying to interfere in our business!” Ryder scowled. “He thinks that I will go along with his plan to find our fledglings at the school. I will not. We should show him that by having you take my place at the school and–”

“No,” Lawson stated. His big shoulders curved forward in relief and sadness. He cupped Ryder’s face, running his thumb along Ryder’s bearded jaw. “It is a command that you do this from our king.”

“I am like Demos in this! I will not give respect until we are given respect. And that means that you are recognized as our leader and–”

“I see that I was being foolish and that you… you are on my side.” Lawson smiled at him broadly. “I feared that this would cause a breach between us. It is a heady thing for people to wonder if you are an Immortal, and to have a king interested in you.”

“I don’t care what people think and I have no thoughts about King Daemon,” Ryder told him.

“Well then, we should celebrate your new form. A bear! You were big!” Lawson laughed as he slapped Ryder’s back and led him back towards the party.

But Ryder hadn’t stayed long. He’d needed to clear his head. The revelations Lawson had told him were unnerving. The fact that his Master had been so quick to distrust him. That was not what he had taught Ryder. Weryn were pack. Weryn were loyal. Weryn were family.

What is King Daemon trying to do? Ryder thought, more comfortable blaming the Vampire King than Lawson.

He wheeled towards the main square where gates had been anchored to bring in all of the students. He and Demos had been assigned to greet Gregory Starn. The man was a psychologist of some sort. He saw Demos’ tall, muscular form standing in the square by a glowing gate. He was dressed in a long, black leather duster, matching pants and white feathers in his long dreads. He looked up before Ryder landed.

Once Ryder had shifted, he handed him clothes. “I am not your valet, Ryder.”

“I’m sorry, brother,” Ryder answered a little sheepishly as he took the clothes from Demos. “Nice choices though.”

Demos had chosen his favorite faded, ripped jeans, suede knee-high boots with buckles, and leather jacket with black fur around the collar. He pulled everything on and stamped his feet into the boots.

“Lawson apologized to me,” Demos stated suddenly.

Ryder lifted his head to look at his Blood Brother. “Did he? Good.”

“He didn’t explain to me why he was acting like a lion with a poisoned belly towards you,” Demos stated.

Ryder grimaced. “King Daemon is the reason.”

And he told Demos everything. Demos grunted as he finished and shook his head.

“Bullshit,” Demos uttered in his deep baritone.

“What? No. It’s true. Lawsone feared my head would be turned–”

“By being who you are?” Demos stared at him.

“I’m not Weryn,” Ryder said.

Demos’ eyebrows rose. “Then let me put it this way: if you are Weryn then it is Lawson who should step aside. There should be no fight for power. He should cede to you. And as an Immortal there can be no shame in that for him.”

“He thinks differently–”

“No, he doesn’t. What he thinks is that by telling you that you have to fight him, kill him, that you won’t do it, won’t claim who you are, won’t be who you should be,” Demos said with a violent shake of his head. “He knows that you value loyalty more than anything. More than even… being who you truly are.”

Ryder felt that sense of jumping off a cliff. His chest was suddenly tight. He turned towards the gate and said, “We need to get the human. Let’s go.”

“You’re going to have to deal with whatever this is, Ryder. Whatever is holding you back,” Demos muttered.

But Ryder was already stepping through the gate so he didn’t hear what else his Blood Brother had to say. There was that sickening flying sensation as he was pulled through the gate to Earth. He jerked forward on his feet as if he had abruptly stopped moving. Demos appeared behind him. They were in an abandoned church.