Page 67 of Bane of Hate and Silver (Primordial Inheritance #1)

“Jules is wrong!” Monica shouted. “You know we have to go back.”

The look on Tai’s face betrayed him. “Fine, but we stay out of the way. You can’t rush into a super human battle!”

Monica jumped forward and kissed him on the cheek. “Fine, can we go please!”

Jules continued down this path, consuming the blood and memories of her most precious human friend.

She couldn’t stop. She didn’t want to. She could feel her wounds healing as the opulent blood entered her body, saving her from the brink of a finite death.

Somewhere far away, Jules gripped Monica’s arm tighter.

And then she saw it. The face of the girl reflected in the mirror at her bathroom sink. Her soft brown skin was blotchy. Warm brown eyes red and puffy. She’d been crying, mourning. The loss of what, Jules wasn’t sure.

“Jules stop, you’re killing her,” someone said softly.

Someone Jules wanted to listen to. Her eyelids fluttered open, revealing the same face that had been reflected in the mirror only moments ago.

Those same brown eyes were no longer puffy but clear, searching the face of the one who was killing her.

“Red eyes. Blood eyes. Red Jules,” Monica commented, but she sounded strained like she was running out of breath.

Jules’s eyes focused in on the face before her. It was Monica. She loved Monica. If she didn’t stop, Monica would die. She had to stop.

Jules closed her eyes and forced all of her focus on removing her fangs from the source of the blood.

Trembling and one by one she peeled her fingers off her friend’s arm.

Never before had she found the will to stop before a body was drained of every ounce of blood.

But this human meant more than her addiction.

With cracked lips, she smiled up at her friend. “Yes, they are red when I drink blood.”

Jules had just consumed a great portion of her blood, nearly killed her, and Monica simply smiled back.

Monica rocked on her knees. She was obviously feeling the effects of the vampire venom.

Tai ran to her and caught her in his arms. He looked at Jules with panic in his eyes, but she smiled at him.

“She will be fine Tai. I promise,” Jules said with a thankful sigh. “She’s just a little high right now.”

Tai nodded but still looked a bit uncertain as Monica moaned and curled her body around his. Jules saw him inspecting the wounds on Monica’s arm. He took off his shirt and began to wrap it around the punctures and cut. The smell of fresh blood was deluded with her venom.

Jules was about to explain that the effects would wear off soon when Luca touched her lightly on the cheek, pulling her focus to him.

“Hey there,” he whispered.

Moving into her field of vision was the tear-streaked face of the werewolf she loved. His warm strong arms cradled her gently. “Thought I lost you there for a minute.”

“Nah,” she replied. “I’m harder to kill than that,” she joked through cracked lips and an equally broken voice.

“Yes, you are, my love.” Luca lowered his face to hers and kissed her with a feather’s touch.

“Ouch.” She sucked in a deep breath.

“I’m sorry.” He pulled back but still stared down at her.

Jules registered that she didn’t know the fate of her friends and family. She had no idea who else made it through the battle. “Nick? Hayley? Gabriel?” Looking around desperately, she searched for them.

“Here,” Gabriel’s soft voice said. Jules saw him nearby, arms wrapped around Eileen.

“We’re okay,” Hayley said leaning over Luca’s shoulder to look down at her. “We’re all okay.” Her hand came to rest on her not yet showing belly.

“I’m not!” Her brother’s muffled voice shouted. Luca helped her sit up while she searched for him. Finding him face down in the sand under three big werewolves.

“Sorry, but not actually sorry, Jules’s bro. We couldn’t let you kill our badass human,” Kyle quipped, climbing off the vampire and motioning for the others to do so as well. “Not our fault you’re one, strong mother fucker.”

“I’m a badass human,” Monica proclaimed happily. Jules and a few others chuckled.

“So degrading.” Nick spat sand out of his mouth as he stood. “Being taken down by a pack of dogs. Twice!” Nick’s tone was light, and he was smiling as he brushed sand off his face and clothes.

“Drama queen,” Jules mumbled more to herself than her twin. “Carson?” she asked, realizing the fight was really over. Even the wolves that had come with their Alpha were now standing docilely around them.

Luca indicated a direction. Her gaze followed his to the limp body of a smaller than the average werewolf.

“How? Who?”

“Demetria,” he explained simply.

Jules swallowed but made no comment. Content that the woman who had lost her child and likely suffered untold horrors at Carson’s hand had gotten the justice she more than deserved. The battle was over. The people she loved were safe. They were all safe.

Feeling a little steadier, Jules leaned off Luca taking her own weight.

Turning her neck, she stretched up, brushing the side of his face with her fingers.

For a moment, the only being in existence was him as their eyes locked on each other.

As he bent toward her, all she felt were his warm lips on hers and his strong arms wrapping back around her.

“I love you,” he said lips still brushing against hers as he spoke.

“I love you, too.” She smiled. No one would try to stop them now. They could be together. No one would ever try to keep them apart again. Jules felt light in Luca’s arms as he stood and lifted her off the sand. She leaned her head against his shoulder but winced when her cheek touched his skin.

“You okay?” he asked, seeming panicky.

“I’ll heal soon,” she assured him. “I’ll be alright.”

Luca slowly set Jules on her feet. She swayed too much for his comfort. He tucked the unsteady vampire protectively under his arm.

“Luca,” Ben called as he approached them both tentatively, head bowed in a form of submission. “Carson’s dead.”

Luca cocked his head wondering why that needed to be stated verbally. Everyone could see the proof of it.

“You know what that means, don’t you?” Ben seemed to be fishing for something.

Reality hit him like a speeding truck. He was never officially removed as this pack’s Beta. Thus, according to werewolf protocol, he was Carson’s successor. “I’m the Alpha.”

“Kneel before your Alpha!” Ben shouted, throwing Luca’s arm into the air.

One by one the wolves around him began to bend the knee or bow, depending on which form they currently existed in. Kyle wolf-whistled as he and Hayley followed the rest of the pack.

Luca felt a great weight press against his shoulders.

A sort of heaviness came with this responsibility.

There was power but also the weight of the lives he held in his hands.

Instead of settling into his new role he began to itch.

It felt unnatural. He’d never wanted to be Alpha to a pack other than his father’s.

Taking the Beta position under Carson had been only for formality’s sake.

Scanning the faces of a tiny portion of his new subjects made him want to run for the hills of his home in Canada and never look back. However, a plan began to formulate in his mind. He looked down at Jules, nodded to himself, and then searched the crowd.

“My first order as the Aboit pack’s Alpha is this; this pack will no longer give in to prejudice and hate.

These last weeks have taught me that, like any other species on this earth, all vampires cannot be judged by the actions of a few.

Protect Aboit always, but do not condemn the innocent.

We will never again cast judgment on an individual without proof of wrongdoing, solely based on who or what they are. ”

Luca paused to ensure that the pack members around him were offering submissive nods of understanding. “Spread that order to all.”

Only once he was satisfied there would be complete compliance, did he continue.

“Kyle Cooper. Stand.” He bounced up from the center of the pack.

“With me.” Luca called, motioning to the spot next to him.

Ben took a rather reluctant sidestep, allowing for Kyle’s place.

Kyle’s body almost buzzed with excitement as he took the place indicated.

“My Beta, and successor.” Kyle dropped into a bow, but Luca reached out, lifting him back to standing. “Do you accept?”

“Duh?” Kyle said smiling.

“Hayley, come, join your husband,” Luca instructed. Once she had joined them Luca turned towards the crowd once more.

“As my last act as Alpha. I step down.” He squeezed Jules’s side as she stiffened. “It’s what I want,” he assured, looking down at her. “You’re the Alpha now.” Luca bowed his head to the new Alpha and stepped back.

All eyes turned to Kyle. The wolves wore a mix of expressions on their faces. It was evident some didn’t care about the change, but others looked downright frightened.

“Oh.” Luca stood and stepped forward again. “And I name Hayley Reynolds-Cooper as the rightful Queen and Beta.” Kyle beamed at his wife who narrowed her eyes at him. Luca heard several audible sighs of relief.

Kyle turned toward his new subordinates, a look of mischief and glee on his face. “Sit,” Kyle commanded the few who were still in wolf form. He chuckled and jumped up and down when they obeyed. “Lay down.” The wolves did as he asked, and he turned to grin widely at Luca.

Hayley rolled her eyes and started to yell. “Kyle Cooper you are an Alpha now, grow up and act like it!” They would do fine.

Luca chuckled. He’d left the pack in good hands.

Kyle was shaken to his core, but genuinely happy to accept the responsibility given to him. He understood Luca’s choice. He had other priorities now. Kyle and Hayley had grown up in this pack. Aboit was their entire world. Luca had Jules to think about. His pack originated far from these shores.

“Kyle, they’ve suffered enough!” Hayley snapped from beside him, smacking his bare arm.