Reclaimed (Wolf in Exile Part 4): Werewolf Shifter/Vampire Paranormal Romance

B
LOOD LEGENDS

The Protector

C
AEDMON
WOLVES

Wolf’s Haven

Wolf’s Promise

Wolf’s Touch

Caedmon Wolves Volume One (3-book bundle) - Includes Books 1-3

Wolf’s Desire

Wolf’s Strength

Wolf's Honor

Caedmon Wolves Volume Two (3-book bundle) - Includes Books 4-6

D
RESDAN
COVEN

Prelude

Donor

Requiem

W
OLF IN EXILE

Captured

Unchained

Ascend

Reclaimed

Bound

A
SPEN VALLEY PACK
(BAD BOYS)

Shifter Untamed

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“
O
pen the door
, Kalena.”

Kalena heard Thane’s footsteps coming from down the hallway before he arrived at her door. She would never forget the look etched on his face when Tomas the vampire revealed her real connection to Gavril.

She drew in a deep breath, pushed off the windowsill, but made no move to open the bedroom door. Over an hour had passed since the revelation, and it was all she could think about. What little information the vampire had pulled from her memories had come back to her. Feelings of shame and betrayal still coursed through her body.

“I know you’re in there.”

He could probably smell her presence and even hear her heartbeat. He wasn’t going anywhere. This was his home, his domain. Did she really belong? But leaving here meant leaving Thane. But what did it matter? How could they go on now that they knew the truth?

Kalena glanced over her shoulder at the door. “Yes, I’m here.”

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” she finally said.

“I want to talk to you,” Thane said, his voice muffled behind the door.

“What else is there to talk about? You have what you need. You helped me escape. I helped you by giving you the code. That was the plan.”

“Will you open the door and let me in?” he asked calmly.

If she opened the door, she’d see the face of a man that resembled the one who’d betrayed her. She’d see Gavril, Thane’s twin.

“I can’t…” she replied.

“Kalena, I’m leaving tonight. I’ve been called to appear before UCON.”

“I know. I remember when you received the letter over breakfast. I’m leaving, too. I’ll be gone by tomorrow.”

“Don’t, Kalena.” His tone sounded strained.

“It’s better this way. You can’t possibly want me after I…” Not able to say the words, she wrung her hands together.

“I don’t care about that. Gavril lied to you. Even if we had known…that was then and this is now.”

“If I had entered Area S2 knowing full well that I’d slept with your brother, do you really think I’d be here now? Do you think I would’ve slept with you, knowing the things I had done” Her voice rose in aggravation.

Thane was quiet for a while, and Kalena almost thought he was at a loss for words.

“The fact is that you didn’t know,” he finally said. “We can’t change anything that’s already happened.”

“You’re right.” She turned and folded her arms across her chest. Her eyes were fixed on the closed door. Even now, Thane’s scent called to her. She wanted to go to him, but it was that same urge which had led her astray in the first place with Thane’s brother.

“Can we move past this and come together like we talked about?” he asked.

“Yes, we’ll move past it, but I can’t deal with all of this now. I look at you and I also see the man who would have had me murdered. He knew what the injections would do without the cure. He
wanted
me dead. I need you to understand. There is no way I can look your brother in the face again and not want to murder him. Or at least attempt to. He’s a very dangerous man. If he did this to me, he’d do it to anyone…”

“You’re right. I get it. The feeling is mutual,” Thane replied. There was a long pause. “I wanted to see you before I left. It could be a couple days before I return.”

An unsettling feeling rippled through Kalena’s belly, but she didn’t move to open the door.

“You won’t have to see my face during that time…or ever again if you choose,” Thane stated just before walking off.

Kalena cringed at the possibility of never seeing Thane again.

J
ust as Thane
reached the last few steps on the staircase, the doorbell chimed. His wolf ears picked up on the voices outside. Two of them were male. The female voice belonged to his niece, Danika. He even scented her. His anticipation tripled. A wolf could track his blood kin from miles away.

Thane rushed to answer the door, but before he could reach the foyer, a maid had already opened it.

Danika looked the same as the day Thane had last seen her. She had a head of lush, thick strawberry blonde hair like her mother. Thane had only seen it this color a few times. She usually kept it dyed, but in a darker shade. She looked younger now with the lighter hue. Female wolves aged slower than their male counterparts anyway. When she reached her maturity in a few years, she’d age even slower. Until then, Danika was still vulnerable. And she was still his responsibility. Seeing her now reminded Thane of how much Danika resembled her dad, Houston, especially when it came to temperament and personality.

“Thane.” She rushed into his arms, pressing her head to his chest. “I was worried about you.”

“Worried about me? Why? It was me who was supposed to keep you safe, yet I failed.”

She parted from him and looked up with innocent green eyes. “You didn’t fail. Gavril betrayed our family. He told me he would kill you and no one would think anything of it. He said once I turned eighteen, if I didn’t sign the company and the rest of Dad’s holdings over to him that he would kill me, too. I don’t know what’s happened to him honestly. He’s gone mad. He’s crazy.”

That asshole.
Not only was Gavril trying to take over Silex Pharmaceuticals, he was also after money that didn’t belong to him.

“You’re safe now, but you have to listen to me, Danika.” He met her gaze. “Don’t go out in public for now. That means no outings of any sort without one of our Epsilons.”

Danika’s brows furrowed. “For months, I was confined to an itty bitty room with no windows.
And
I’ve been chaperoned and followed by vampires into the ladies’ room for nearly two days now.” She waved an arm out behind her at the two vampires who’d accompanied her into the home. “I don’t need any more guardians. I can take care of myself.”

“Not now, Danika. You can go out, but not without security. Gavril is still out there, and I don’t think he acted alone in this.”

“He definitely wasn’t acting alone. The horde of vampires who got me out of the room left several of Gavril’s guards dead. At least a dozen more were injured too. They had it coming, and they deserved it. But something just wasn’t right about them. They seemed just as deranged as Gavril.”

Thane swallowed. “I was warned there would be casualties in the process of getting you out. Was Gavril there?”

Danika shook her head. “I don’t know. I…sometimes he came by. Maybe every few days or so to talk me into signing papers.”

“Did you sign anything?”

“Of course, not. I didn’t know if he was telling the truth or not, or if you were already dead. What difference would it have made if I
had
signed anything? Sure, I suppose it would’ve been worse if he had control of Dad’s money. But the truth is, I don’t want my dad’s company. I don’t want his troubles, his money, or his enemies. Why couldn’t he have been here…?” A pained expression washed over her face and she pressed her palm against her forehead.

“Danika…” Thane reached to embrace her, hugging her close. “It’ll be okay.”

They moved to sit on a couch in the great room. A maid brought Danika some water and a tissue.

“You’ll get through this, I promise. But you have to do your part by staying close to the Epsilons that I assign to you.”

“Fine.” She shrugged. “Just make sure they can keep up with me. I don’t want to be cooped up in here 24/7. I’m sure you can understand that.”

“I have to answer to UCON for all of this, so I’ll be gone for a couple days. There are guests on the premises and I’m leaving Brant in charge.”

“I’m a little curious. Vampires believe in fair trade. My traveling companions wouldn’t tell me what they were being paid. What did you offer them in exchange for breaking into Gavril’s compound to get me?”

“I haven’t paid anything…yet.”

“Would you mind telling me what you have planned?”

“I’ll tell you later when I get back. Don’t cause any trouble while I’m gone.”

“You love telling people what to do, don’t you?” she scowled.

“I’m your legal guardian, and yes I will tell you what to do,” he said, before starting off down the hall toward his study.

T
he Steel Gate Casino
was the official headquarters of the United Council of Nightdwellers. The establishment was located a few hundred miles north of the ShadowRock estate. It had taken Thane and the small entourage he brought with him just under an hour yesterday evening to arrive via private helicopter. Since the Heads of UCON conducted business only at night, Thane and his crew had taken refuge in a nearby hotel and resort—also owned by UCON—to rest.

The casino portion of Steel Gate was operated by a master vampire, and had been for several decades. The same master vampire that led the Council—Luxar Monte. The man who would finalize Thane’s sentence after judgment was passed. Being called to appear before the Council was never really a good thing, and this would be Thane’s second time doing it.

Two security guards brought Thane from the casino’s mid-level down a brick-enclosed stairwell that led into the underground basement. They’d gone so deeply into the level, the sounds of the casino had long faded out. Behind him were Zeff and Ulrick. Another of Luxar’s security guards flanked them. Luxar’s guards had clarified that only those responsible for the raid on Area S2 were wanted. What greeted him down below was deadly silence and the unusual vampire aroma that permeated the darkened space. Thane wasn’t in a position to cross paths with vampires in his daily dealings so he never got used to their scent.

The Council Heads were seated at a crescent-shaped table when the group entered. The guards led them to the center of the room then exited.

Luxar Monte, the oldest living vampire and most likely one of the richest beings in the world, sat in the middle chair. He oversaw both the vampire and werewolf races as part of a thousand-year-old blood truce. Outside of ruling on the Council, he and his squad owned dozens of legal and underground casinos around the world.

Silvano, the first shifter to ever turn vampire sat to Luxar’s right. He had been named Chairman by the previous Council Head, long before Luxar ever took the seat.

Luka, Silvano’s firstborn—also a hybrid—sat next to his father. There weren’t that many hybrid Packs, but of the few there were, Luka enforced their laws.

Blanc, made into a master vampire by Luxar, was enforcer of the vampire laws. His job was oversight of every coven. He’d sat on the Council for only about a decade. Prior to Blanc accepting the position, the previous enforcer had been removed for breaking a law himself.

Upir, who enforced the shifter laws, was not in attendance. His seat was empty, making Thane, Zeff, and Ulrick the only shifters in the room.

“Thane Silex,” Luxar said, finally breaking the silence. “This is our second in-person meeting. We keep coming together under the most peculiar of circumstances. Would you mind introducing me to your entourage?”

“Zeff and Ulrick Vasser are my best Epsilons.”

Luxar tilted his head slightly to one side and cocked an eyebrow. “The same Epsilons who murdered dozens of prisoners held at Area S2?”

“I take full responsibility for any harm caused at Area S2 on that day,” Thane said. “Zeff and Ulrick were following orders I would’ve given had I not been detained.”

“Orders from whom?”

“My second. My Beta. As I said, they were orders I—”

“—you would have given had you not been detained. Of course,” Luxar mimicked. “I don’t need explanations after the fact. We have enough evidence now to conclude that you stand up for your Pack mates.”

Thane was glad that someone at the table understood him, even if that person was a vampire. The vampire that had cast the deciding vote against Thane, leading to his sentence of exile. Silvano and his son, Luka, were the only two on the Council who had ruled in Thane’s favor. Of course, it hadn’t been enough to override the ill-favored votes from Luxar, Blanc, and Upir.

Thane’s gaze shifted to Upir’s empty seat. Even if Upir were there as representative of the shifters, Thane didn’t expect any support from him this time around either. After all, Upir had been the first to lay judgment and pin the murder of Thane and Gavril’s parents on Thane.

“Do you know why you’ve been called again?” Luxar inquired.

“One can only speculate that it has to do with my breakout from Area S2.”

“Your escape from Area S2 didn’t cause as much concern as the destructive way in which you and your Epsilons chose to execute said escape.”

Zeff and Ulrick shuffled behind Thane.

“It wasn’t planned that way,” Thane replied.

“Let’s have them speak for themselves,” Luxar demanded.

Ulrick stepped forward. “Area S2’s prisoners aren’t exactly law-abiding citizens. We entered their territory to claim our Alpha, and they were violent toward us as soon as we got there. We killed several that hunted us down as we searched the area for our Alpha. I didn’t go there to get slaughtered before carrying out my mission. My brother and I are more than willing to pay the price.”

“Area S2 will need some renovation. The ease with which you breached the wall indicates this. Cleanup will be costly, however. I don’t think your Epsilons’ salaries will cover it.” Luxar arched a brow and his attention shifted to Zeff and Ulrick.

“Area S2 belonged to Gavril. He caused this mess. Let him clean it up,” Ulrick blurted.

The tension in the room lifted, and Thane held out a hand and gestured for Ulrick to assume his stance and remain quiet.

“For the record, when I got news of the numerous drugs that he’s been testing and forcing on innocents…” Luxar said between clenched teeth. “…I stripped him of everything he owns. The two prisons that he owned no longer belong to him. I tried to strip the Silex company, as well. However, after looking at the ownership records, it has come to my attention that Gavril isn’t the rightful heir. He isn’t even the owner. According to your uncle’s will, ownership is in limbo. So, I couldn’t take action or make decisions about the company. Obviously, the production of D996 in its altered and illegal form has to stop. Someone must pay for this mistake—this attempt to try and reveal what we are to the world. One thing I can do, and
will
if I have to, is go down the chain of command until your family no longer owns anything.”

Thane growled. “You throw me in a prison for a crime I didn’t commit and now you want to threaten my family lineage?”

“One shifter family is a small price to pay to ensure that we all live freely without human speculation about our existence. Right now, a member of your family is a threat to this same lineage you speak of. Don’t you think so?”

“I know he is, but I won’t be responsible for Gavril’s actions. I don’t condone them. My uncle never condoned them. Gavril murdered my parents because of his self-righteousness. I am doing everything in my power to restore things to the way they were before Gavril took control of the company,” Thane said.

“So you admit that you lied to the Council before by admitting to being responsible for the deaths of your parents. You withheld information about what Gavril was up to.”

“I had no idea about the drugs until I saw the physical evidence. I took responsibility for the murders to protect someone very dear to me.”

“The young woman, you mean? Houston’s only child and rightful heir to Silex?”

Thane nodded.

“You’d do a lot of things in the name of family, wouldn’t you?”

“I’d do a lot of things in the name of both family and Pack. I was brought up on those values, and I promised both Houston and my father before they died that I would take care of Danika.”

“Other than creating a drug that would lead to the possible exposure of our kind, a more serious crime has been committed by your brother,” Luxar stated. His tone had suddenly gone dry.

“I’ve already placed trusted individuals in key roles at Silex to clean this up. They will ensure that no other illegal drugs are produced in our labs. Humans who were exposed to the drug will be contacted once we pull their information from the system,” Thane said. “The drug’s creation, along with its misuse, and the murder of my parents are the only crimes that I know of to date. I’m sure there are others, but until I gain proof, I’m unable to speak on those.”

Luxar nodded. “That’s advisable. I’m going to give you one more chance to clear the air. Did you murder your parents or have anything to do with the murders?”

“I would never…” Thane growled.

“I misunderstood you the first time around, but partly because you withheld information. Now I see clearly what’s been happening. You’re not off the hook just yet, however. You’re being considered responsible for another very serious crime—a crime that you are without a doubt connected to.”

Thane shook his head slowly, puzzled. “What is that?” Other than the raid on Area S2, he couldn’t think of anything else.

“You’re responsible for the death of a Council Head—Upir Lyons.”

Thane’s head reeled in shock, and he heard audible gasps from both Ulrick and Zeff behind him. “That is very unfortunate, but I assure you…I had no hand in Upir’s death.” He didn’t expect them to believe him. After all, they’d pinned the murders of his parents on him without reasonable evidence.

“Upir was slaughtered in the compound that your entourage raided to retrieve Danika Silex. We already know the raid wasn’t the work of shifters, but you ordered it, and now one of UCON’s Heads is dead. That crime is punishable by death.”

“You have concrete evidence that I was at Area S2 when Danika was retrieved.”

“Yes.” Luxar lifted both elbows onto the table and linked his fingers together. “Yes, I do.”

“How do you know Upir is dead?” Thane asked. Upir not only represented the shifters in UCON affairs, he had also sat on the Council for several decades. Not as long as the others currently sitting, but long enough to have gained ultimate respect of several of the oldest wolf Packs across the country.

“His body has been identified based on ceremonial markings.”

Upir had once been an Alpha to two well-known Packs in the western U.S., so identifying him by his marks would’ve been easy.

“Did you or did you not order his death because he cast a vote against you here?”

“I did not. You said it yourself. He was there at Gavril’s compound at the time of the raid.”

Luxar was silent for about a minute as he exchanged glances with the other members at the table. “You have a strong urge for revenge in your heart…yes?”

“Yes,” Thane growled between clenched teeth.

“Are you trying to eliminate most of us here?” Luxar waved his arm to the left of him where the majority of the other Heads sat.

“You think that I mean to kill those who cast a vote against me?” Thane almost laughed. “My only aim was to rescue Danika and clean up the mess my brother made. It’s only coincidence that Upir, now dead, was part of the three-to-two vote that led me to Area S2. I had plans to clear my name, but killing Council Heads wasn’t part of that. Not even remotely.”

The Heads exchanged glances once again. Blanc, who was directly to the right of Luxar, leaned in to speak to the master vampire.

“Upir was just in the wrong place, at the wrong time,” Thane added.

“No, Thane. Upir was in the wrong place at the right time.”

Thane shook his head. “I don’t understand.”

“We found evidence in a UCON-owned vault. Evidence that suggests that Upir was funding Gavril’s little research projects—D996 among them. Gavril and Upir were working together on other projects, as well. We’re currently following leads as to what those projects might be.”

Thane’s breath escaped him in a rush as he processed the shocking information being laid before him. “Why would Upir help Gavril do this?”

“It’s too soon to confirm reason. We have only had enough time to speculate since this all happened. We all know that Upir was once Alpha of the NorthSky Pack before he gifted the title to another in order to accept the UCON position. Area S2 was owned by the NorthSky Alpha before he was killed.”

“Yes, Gavril killed him. That’s how ownership of Area S2 passed to him. That Pack disbanded over a year ago because it was left without a leader,” Thane replied.

“Precisely. We believe that Upir helped Gavril claim ownership of Area S2, which would then lead us to speculate that they both wanted the NorthSky Alpha dead for some reason.”

“And now Upir is dead and Gavril is missing…”

“And this is a surprising coincidence that there is—or was—a traitor on UCON helping your twin brother,” Luxar said. “And we had no idea up until now.”

Thane nodded. “Surprising, indeed.”

Luxar waved his hands in front of him at a few empty chairs. “Sit, please.”

Thane accepted the seat, but his thoughts raced through his mind quickly as he tried to piece together the missing information.

“What was the condition of your Pack and your estate when you returned?” Luxar questioned.

“Physically the same as it was the day I left. In terms of my people, they are still shaken up by what happened to my parents at the hands of their own son. They know that Gavril is still out there and they all want revenge.”

“That day will come,” Luxar said. “Judgment will be passed as it should have been months ago. I can’t promise your brother will live when this is all said and done.”

“Gavril was man enough to kill innocents. He should be man enough to accept his punishment.”

“If you reach him first, you will turn him over to us. Understood?”

Thane swallowed. “What will you do to him?”

“I’ve just uncovered all of his wrongdoings. Once I’ve mounted the rest of my evidence, I’ll ensure the punishment fits the crime.”

Blanc slid a thin sheet of vellum-style paper in front of Luxar, who then picked up a quill pen. Just as he had the day he sentenced Thane to exile, he pierced the vein on his wrist with the tip of the pen and signed the document in blood.

“Thane Silex, Alpha of ShadowRock Pack, I release you from your sentence.”

Luxar handed him the document. “Just remember, if you capture him first, I want to be the first to know. We need answers, and are very well prepared to extract them from memories.
All of them.
Every last memory, until all of them are gone.”