Blood Moon (6 page)

Thaddeus laughed. “Bloodthirsty, isn’t she?”

Lukas nodded. “While I like the thought, there might be better solutions to our problem.”

“The Council won’t listen to you, and you know it, Lukas.” The rage began to fade, sadness seeping in to replace it. Lukas held her hand, his thumb brushing back and forth over her knuckles. The small caress calmed her more than anything he could have said. “They’ll help Haemon. He and I are the last link in their precious breeding program.”

“What?” Lukas’s brows wrinkled in confusion.

Her jaw dropped. “You honestly didn’t know?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Why did you think they tried to kill you, Lukas?”

He lifted a shoulder, twining his fingers in the loose strands of hair that had escaped her braid. “I assumed it was because I tried to elope with you. I don’t know anything about this breeding program.”

Aria’s spine straightened. She needed distance between them. Speaking of the Council’s plans made her feel tainted and dirty. Her skin crawled whenever she thought of the things the Council members and her father had planned on doing with her—had done to others in the name of “pure blood.”

“I am the last ‘pure bred’ female Shifter in this hemisphere. Haemon is the ‘pure’ male my father considered worthy of being my Mate.” Her voice dripped with sarcasm and disdain. “They’ve been forcing their daughters and sons to marry each other for decades, breeding them like horses for a show.”

“They?” Lukas was deceptively calm.

She kept her gaze trained on the weave of the sofa fabric. “My father and most of the Council members. A few have expressed their opposition, but they have not actively tried to stop it.”

Thaddeus nearly shouted, “But why? What purpose would that serve? They are supposed to be our leaders, to keep Shifters together.”

She shrugged. “Maybe this is how they think they’ll accomplish that goal. I gave up trying to understand their motives long ago. I’m not sure any of them really know what the goal is anymore—other than power.”

“But how is this giving them power?” Gone was the carefree, laid-back Shifter. Thaddeus’ feeling of betrayal rolled off him in waves.

“To have gifts beyond the usual, like Lukas and myself, are rare enough. They believe if they match us up like prize dogs, they can control the power any children produced will have, and through them, control our world.” Aria took a deep breath, before continuing, “Men like my father crave power, and I am the last female they have left. With me, he had anything he wanted. He chose Haemon because he had good blood and his lineage made him easy to get rid of once I gave them a child.”

“Because Haemon’s family has a history of madness?” Lukas waited for her nod. “Then what would happen to you?”

She shuddered, rubbing her arms. “I don’t know. And I don’t want to.”

Lukas growled deep in his chest. Somehow, she found his reaction comforting. “It’s good your father is dead, Aria.”

“My sentiments exactly. My problem now is that no one stands between Haemon and me. Our marriage was a thought my father put in his head, not something he wanted to begin with. My father’s idea meshed well with his own, so he went along with it.”

“Then why is he still pursuing you?”

She rubbed a hand through her hair. “I’m like a toy. He didn’t want me to begin with, but he’s found uses for me. Now that he’s been told he can’t have me, he’s decided he wants me. If he can’t have me, no one will.”

“That’s it? The whole reason?” Thaddeus shook his head in disbelief.

Her frustration became more evident in her words. “Maybe. Maybe not. I have no idea what his personal plans really are. He’s crazy, but he plays things close to the chest.”

“You’re wrong about one thing, Aria. There is someone standing between you and Haemon.” Lukas’ fingers traced down the side of her face. “Me.”

“Aaaand that’s my cue.” Thaddeus sprang from his chair. “You two need to talk. I’ll relay info to Aaron and see if I can pull his head out of his ass.”

He bounded out the door as if chased by hellhounds. The silence left behind thickened, until she could have scooped it into a jar.

Lukas rose, his back to her. His fists clenched at his sides. “I apologize for Aaron’s behavior, Aria.”

“You don’t have to. I deserved that.”

He jerked out one of the desk chairs with more force than necessary, almost knocking it off the casters. “No. What happened was my own fault, not yours. I’m the one who got so lost in my grief that I couldn’t function.”

“I’m not playing the blame game with you, Lukas. We’ve already established a mutual responsibility for the whole thing. It was neither and both our faults. It’s also the past. I’ve got enough to deal with in the present.”

He pulled the chair over, sitting into it heavily. “That much is true. We don’t have time to dwell on the past anymore.”

She nodded. The time for being afraid of her father was over. Her father may have died, but the Council still intended to exact payment for disobeying their wishes. It was just a matter of when and how now.

“What were you doing in town anyway? Not the most inconspicuous place.”

Aria frowned. “Well, I wanted a real bed. Sleeping outside loses it appeal after the first three months. I also needed to stock up on supplies. I honestly didn’t realize where I was. I knew I was in West Virginia, but I didn’t keep very good track of what town.”

“So, happening upon this friend, what was his name?” Lukas sounded like he was gritting his teeth hard enough to wear away the enamel. His hands gripped the arms of his chair a little tighter.

She couldn’t help, but laugh. “Lame. You can do better than that.”

He shrugged with a slight blush. “I can’t help it. Jealousy isn’t a comfortable feeling.”

“Don’t be jealous. Cern is about three or four hundred centuries too old for me.”

“What did you say his name was?” The smile faded from his face.

Obviously, the name wasn’t as unfamiliar as she’d hoped it would be. “Cern. That’s what he’s calling himself right now, anyway.”

“The one whose been hanging out with the Council and Haemon?”

Now came the tricky part. “Yes.”

He exploded from the chair. “What on earth is wrong with you? Are you trying to make it easy for him?”

“You are sexy when you’re angry.” Her words teased, but she also meant them. Watching him stand there, breathing heavily, the muscles of his arms bunching and relaxing as he clenched his fists, gaze sparking with disbelief and anger—she shook her head. What was she thinking? Alone with him for all of two minutes and she was already focusing on his body?

“You are going to drive me completely out of my mind.” His gaze caught hers, and she saw the edge of something that looked suspiciously like desire. She wasn’t the only one getting distracted. Good. If he focused on her, maybe he’d give up on probing too deeply about Cern.

“I can’t explain why Cern is staying with Haemon. I only know he isn’t quite what he appears. I doubt anyone really knows him that well.” The last was muttered more to herself than Lukas.

“Is that supposed to make me feel better?”

She sighed. “No. All I know is that my mother trusted him. That’s a pretty good recommendation in my book.”

“Baby, your mother ran off and committed suicide.” The words cut a little, but he tried to soften them with a smile.

“She ran off with the man who was her real True Mate. My father had them both killed and set up to look like suicide. I heard him give the order.” She bit her lip. Her mother wasn’t a coward like everyone assumed. Maybe a little misguided in thinking she could get away from her father, but Aria would never believe her mother voluntarily killed herself. Her only fault was for marrying her father.

Lukas stiffened in stunned shock. Finally, he released a breath. “I don’t know why that surprises me so much.”

“Because my father did an excellent job of making the story stick.”

Before he could ask anything else, she interrupted him with her own questions. She needed answers, too. “You’ve told me everything and nothing about the Pack. The last I heard, your father had died and you were returning here to deliver the news. What happened after?”

“I’m pretty certain he was murdered, though I can’t prove it. When I came back, the few of us here decided that the only option left was to become a Pack. At least that way, the Council would have to deal with us as equals, rather than poor country cousins.” He shook his head with a short chuckle. “Of course, nothing has really changed much.”

“Why is Haemon so intent on destroying you? Why would he send his Pack to hurt yours?”

Scrubbing a hand over his brow, he leaned back in the chair. “Besides the fact that we have a mutual interest in you, Haemon wants something from me. I’m not exactly certain what, but it has something to do with my return from the dead.”

“He’s always feared death. Or, at least, his lack of control over it.”

She propped her chin in her hand. “Speaking of…you mentioned bringing something back. What did you mean?”

He shifted his weight in the chair, a grimace passing over his features. His gaze moved over her head. “It’s complicated.”

“I’ve got some time. I made this deal with a nutcase I know….”

His hands closed over hers. “Aria—”

“Don’t,” she whispered, pulling away. “I’m doing my best to bring up every emotion I can think of, to make myself push you away, but it isn’t working like I planned, Lukas. By now, you should have kicked me out and left me to my own devices.”

“Not that long ago, I believed I had helped cause your death. It nearly drove me mad.” His voice developed an edge. “You want to leave, to keep me safe. What you can’t seem to get through that stubborn head of yours is that I’m not going anywhere without you.”

“I meant what I said, Lukas. I’m not the same person anymore. I’ve done things I’m not proud of. You may not like who I’ve become.” Aria swallowed the knot in her throat, gauging his reaction. The naïve girl had died with Lukas. She’d done her share of killing, and been just as cruel as the Council. He might not want who she’d become.

“‘Lord, we know what we are, but know not what we may be.’”

“Don’t quote me Hamlet at a time like this.”

He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I didn’t fall in love with pieces of you, Aria. I fell in love with all of you, and whether you stay, or you leave tomorrow, I will still love you. You did what you had to in order to survive. I’ve done the same. Who am I to judge what you’ve done?”

Tears overflowed, and she buried her face in her hands. Beneath the anger she tried to keep on the surface, was the love she had never shaken. Happiness, however long it lasted, stood right in front of her. Why shouldn’t she take it? Couldn’t she better protect Lukas if she stayed? Running had been her answer to everything. She had ran from her father, breaking out of the house as a kid, hiding when she was supposed to be in Council, refusing to be left alone with Haemon. Then she tried to take a stand for something—for Lukas. She took blame for his death. Now that it did not seem to be the case, could she really run and abandon him, again?

“I don’t know how to have a real relationship, Lukas. My father had my mother and her real Mate killed when I was ten. I’ve hated him my entire life, and we won’t even discuss Haemon. I’m not sure I’m capable of being with anyone.”

The gentle smile on his face brought more tears.

“I will be happy to teach you. One of the gifts I have is the ability to see the true nature of things. Believe me, you cannot hide nearly as well behind your bluster as you thought. Not with me. You’re capable, and if you ever decide to put your whole heart into something, the results would be…”—he searched for a word—“incredible. I can only hope you choose to share that with me. But you should know, I’m not really asking for a few months. I want it all, Aria.”

The practical voice in her head told her it would be harder to lose someone if she grew attached. For a brief moment, she thought of refusing, to keep herself separate.

It was a very brief moment.

Closing the door to the doubtful part of herself turned out to be easy. She’d had enough loneliness. She was tired of running and hiding. When Lukas died, all the color and hope had gone out of her world. Now that he was back, it was almost too much to process. With the harm Haemon and her father had done, maybe she’d be able to right some of the damage by giving herself up for Lukas’ Pack.

“All right, Lukas. You win. But you remember what you said when I do something you won’t like.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Butterflies danced in her stomach at the heat in Lukas’ stare. Arousal grew in her core, but she was surprised to find herself a little scared to act on it. Lukas leaned toward her, bracing his hands on the arms of the sofa, his lips hovering so close, only a deep breath would connect them. Before he could kiss her, her stomach churned, gurgling loudly between them. Lukas’ face broke into a wide grin.

He stood, holding out one hand. “We’ve done enough talking for one day. Probably two. Let’s get something to eat.”

She couldn’t suppress a giggle. Suddenly, she felt lighter. Decision made, the time for debating was over. “What does Chez Lukas serve at this hour?”

“With ten teenagers in close proximity? Anything you can think of.”

Aria allowed him to pull her up. She stopped to slip her shoes on, and when she looked up again, he was watching her. “What?”

“Why do you do that? I can remember a time when you hated shoes.”

“I still hate shoes.” She glanced down at her worn-out sneakers. “After spending so long on the move, it’s hard to leave them sitting somewhere.”

He tucked her arm into the crook of his elbow with a heavy sigh, and kissed her lightly. “We’ll have to work to rid you of that habit. It makes me think you’re getting ready to run from me.”

Chapter Seven

Aria patted his arm as they left the room, walking back the way they came. Once in the kitchen, she noticed it was remarkably cleared of any sign of Steven. The table gone, the floors scrubbed clean.