Page 9 of Reign of The Beast (Immortal Passions #2)

9

~Lucian~

I was pulled from my reverie of much-needed rest, my eyes snapping open at the sound of the bedroom door creaking open.

And the overpowering stench that accompanied it.

Alpha wolf.

Jaxon strode on in and kicked the door shut behind him.

I tensed when he went one step further and locked it.

The most concerning thing about his unprecedented visit, however, was the stake clutched in a death grip in his right hand.

The stake. The Ancient killer.

“Well, this has been a long time coming,” I spoke, adjusting my weight as much as I could, given the hefty resistance from the chains binding me to the bed. “I can’t say that I’m surprised.”

“Then you’re about to be.”

I watched as he pulled a steel box from the inside pocket of his leather jacket. He placed the stake within—a perfect fit indicating that it had been specifically made for it—then sealed it closed.

Striding to the bedside table closest to me, he opened the top drawer and slid it inside. “Now it’s yours.”

I frowned deeply. It was quite the gesture he was making. “Why?”

He perched on the bedside table and settled in, folding his arms across his broad, muscular chest. “Other things matter more than getting my vengeance.”

“I’m listening.”

He drew in a breath, then forged ahead, telling me, “The way I understand it, this Covenant concept isn’t going to work if any of us are at odds.”

“True.”

“Then you and me need to find a way to get past all the bad blood between us.”

“Ah, so you handing over the one weapon that can kill me is a step down that road?”

“Yeah.”

“And, how do you plan to overcome the seething hatred that you’ve built up toward me over the years?”

His eyes burned into mine. “I need you to tell me why you murdered my dad.”

“Knowing that will not assuage your grief and pain. It can’t be undone.”

With a huff of impatience, he pushed off the bedside table and began pacing, the subject matter distressing him immensely, so much so that he wasn’t even attempting to conceal it.

Truth be told, he wasn’t the only one who found it distressing. It had haunted me for a long time. Of all the atrocities that I had committed as Ravager, this one that had been carried out when I had been long-free of the persona, had stuck with me the most. It was because I had committed the act while in full control of my conscience and my faculties, not twisted by bloodlust and a demented state.

“We need to work together and to do that, there has to be trust between us. If I knew why you did it, it might help me understand what the fuck was going through your head. You weren’t that monster version of you when it happened, so I don’t get why, or how, you did it. The way it stands with me not knowing, it seems like you could flip on a dime any second and go on a killing spree. Is that what that night was? You’d lost it when you murdered my dad?”

Jaxon was already questioning so much as it was. He’d had the proverbial rug torn out from under him with losing his pack, discovering he possessed a link to Draco, that Mia Snow was his true mate. To reveal what I knew now… it could shatter his already fractured world.

As such, it had me hesitating.

“Tell me!” he roared, that Alpha temper taking hold of him. “You owe me, Lucian! You owe me that at the very fucking least!”

Alas, it had become inevitable. He wouldn’t stop now. Now he’d asked the question aloud. And he was right about us needing to be on the same page.

And so I revealed an awful truth that I’d been concealing for years, “The assassination of Hank Silver was ordered via a directive from Cornelius Martel.”

Jaxon choked and took an uneasy step back. “What? Why?”

“I was sent there amid reports confirmed by Cornelius that Hank had become rabid, a combined result of his old age and from wielding too much power for too long. As the leader of the most significant wolf pack in the world, the Guardian Movement couldn’t allow this. Immediate action had to be taken. ”

“That’s a load of bull,” Jaxon started. “He wasn’t—”

I held up my hand. “I’m not finished.”

With a growl, he gestured for me to go on.

“When I got there, Hank didn’t appear rabid. I was shocked and I hesitated. Your father sensed me and attacked. A vampire on his lands without an invitation warranted such a thing, but, regardless, I had to defend myself. Your father really abhorred vampires.”

“He was definitely a speciest, yeah.”

“Come here.”

“What?”

“Lift my hair near the back of my neck.”

Confused but also curious, he complied and lifted it up. “Shit,” he exclaimed when he got a look at the jagged scar there. “He bit you,” he said, recognizing his father’s handiwork. “The scar of an Alpha’s battle bite never heals.”

“Indeed. That was the least of it.”

He moved back and regarded me with his arms folded.

“Then the mauling began,” I went on. “I defended myself with a blade I had been given by Cornelius. Non-fatal wounds.”

His brow furrowed. “What are you saying? He died . You must’ve delivered a fatal hit.”

“It was the blade.”

“The blade?”

“I questioned Cornelius about it once I returned to the Compound, after witnessing Hank die at my feet, just before you arrived and happened upon the scene, the night you saw the face of your father’s killer.” I drew in a breath. “Unbeknownst to me, Cornelius had spelled the blade to specifically ensure the death of an Alpha, no matter where the wound was inflicted. He’d misinformed me. He’d used me. He'd wanted a scapegoat, so that the Silverwood Wolf Pack wouldn’t turn against him or the Guardian Movement. So, he blamed me.”

“Why the hell did he want my father dead so badly? To go to those fucked-up lengths… shit.”

“Knowing what we now know, I would hazard a guess that he intended to keep you there on Silverwood lands, to contain you, keeping you both away from his daughter and from being discovered by Draco.”

“He wanted me sidelined to wolf business.”

“I believe so, yes.”

He eyed me intently. “Why didn’t you tell me all this, that it wasn’t your fault? Why let me blame you and hate you like that, all these years, Lucian?”

“Would you have believed me at the time if I’d come to you with these revelations?”

“No. I guess I wouldn’t have.” He pinched the bridge of his nose and muttered, “That fucking Cornelius has a lot to answer for.”

“Yes. His focus on the greater good rather than the individual has left him numb to so much. The ends justify the means with him.”

A bitter laugh escaped him, a way to relieve the tension, no doubt. “He gives a whole new name to nightmare in-laws.”

“At least, with the formation of the Covenant, you won’t have to deal with that alone. Ryker and I will also bear the burden.”

Jaxon started, a distasteful look marring his facial features.

“You haven’t made peace with it,” I realized.

He scoffed, finding the suggestion preposterous. “How can I? I’ve only just found her because she was kept from me. Now I’m expected to share her with two other men, even be there during the ritual and watch her fuck you guys?”

“Do you remember what I told you in the phantasmal plane?”

He took a moment to recall it, then nodded, answering, “Focus on what truly matters. Her pleasure.”

“Precisely.”

“That can only go so far.”

“Because you’ve overlooked something. It’s not surprising given the depth of your repression.”

“What does that mean?”

“The pleasure it will bring you to join with the three of us.”

The look in his eyes gave him away, confirming what I’d suspected.

But denial was a stubborn little thing. “No idea what you’re talking about.”

“The survival of the wolf species is dependent on two things. Strength and repopulation. The latter means that the only acceptable form of copulation is heterosexual. This is strictly enforced to ensure the bloodlines are extended continuously, that the annual quota of wolf births is met or exceeded. Any other leanings are squashed with force and no small amount of indoctrination. There have been several cases where those that would not conform have been exiled.” I shifted my weight. “For an Alpha, especially the leader of the largest wolf pack in the world, to reveal his bisexual nature, is beyond comprehension.”

“You think I’m into you?” he asked, incredulous.

“Ryker.”

He stilled. “I… no.”

I smiled. “It doesn’t bother me.”

“Why not? He’s yours. ”

“Vampires are known for sharing. Besides, your interest in him doesn’t take away from what he and I have. Our relationship is our own. Yours is different.”

“How did you know?”

“Your phone calls with him over the months we were searching for Mia weren’t strictly about her. They evolved to you querying about his life and interests, joking with him, growing closer. Your lingering looks at him since you’ve been here in close quarters. My biggest clue was during the events of the phantasmal plane wherein you allowed him to touch you even through the intensity of your attempted claim on Mia. That place brought out our true and repressed sexual desires.”

“Does he… uh… does Ryker know?”

“I doubt it. He’s not as perceptive as I am. Moreover, he’s been focused on handling Draco’s overarching threat. He’d likely be open to it, though.”

“He would?”

I smirked. “He likes wild things.”

“You’re sure? What about Mia?”

“He’s explored a lot with me, things that he, too, had repressed.”

Jaxon ran a hand through his hair, sighing heavily. “All the power we hold and we’ve never been free, you know?”

“Very few are. At least you’re recognizing it now.”

“Yeah, I guess,” he murmured.

Before more could be said about it, a flash of green light erupted, startling the both of us.

Ryker materialized in the bedroom, assuming a fighting stance, his magic at the ready trained on Jaxon.

“Are you alright?” he asked me urgently.

“Yes, I’m fine. Why?”

“The door was locked. I felt the stake move from its usual location and I tracked it to our bedroom. ”

“Chill,” Jaxon said. “I gave it to him for safekeeping.”

Ryker eyed me for confirmation.

“A peace offering,” I told him.

He pulled his magic back and stood down, relaxing his arms down by his sides. “Oh. Well, good. That’s unprecedented, but great news.”

“How’s Mia doing?” Jaxon asked.

“Hurting, but she’s doing better. She’s in the kitchen getting something to eat if you want to catch her before we get back to her training after a short break.”

Jaxon’s eyes lit up. “Yeah, thanks.”

“No worries.”

Jaxon took off and Ryker came to me.

He fondled my hair and gazed at me lovingly.

Then he startled me as he called his power again. “Let’s get you out of those chains.”

“Never have sweeter words been spoken.”