Reclaimed (Wolf in Exile Part 4): Werewolf Shifter/Vampire Paranormal Romance (2 page)

Thane nodded and grabbed the document that cleared him of all murder charges and released him from his exile sentence.

“Oh, and before I forget, there’s one more thing…” Luxar’s lips were set in a grim line and his expression was stone cold serious.

Thane could sense more bad news pending, but by now, he was getting used to it. “And that is?”

“The human that escaped with you? The raven-haired woman…” Luxar tapped his quill pen as if contemplating something. His forehead wrinkled as though he were in deep thought. “She was involved in sexual relations with your brother. And before you lay blame on Tomas for ratting you out, it wasn’t his fault. As you know, secrets travel very quickly within the vampire community. It doesn’t take long for news to reach us through the blood while the memories are still fresh.”

“Explain,” Thane inquired.

“Tomas belongs to Tor’s coven, but he courts a female who has pledged to Blanc’s coven,” Luxar said. “Word spreads quickly in the vampire community. Through the blood is one of the means in which we communicate. In this case, we cannot trust Kalena—“

“—Gavril lied to her and nearly had her killed. She had nothing to do with his crimes.” Blood pulsed violently against Thane’s temples.

“Are you certain?”

“Yes.”

Luxar shook his head. “We can’t risk it. She has no memory of certain events, and even after being called before us, Tomas admitted that some memories were lost. If she doesn’t know what her role was with Gavril, then how do
we
know?”

Thane’s heart beat frantically, and he was certain the vampires at the table picked up on it. He hadn’t questioned Kalena before—he’d had no time to—but every fiber in his being trusted her. Even if she were somehow coerced into helping Gavril, he knew in his heart that she wasn’t the type of person to knowingly do something that could harm and possibly alter the lives of dozens of people.

“You’ve known this woman for a very short time. How could you trust her? You’re an Alpha, one of the highest positions under our spectrum. Has she clouded your judgment?”

“My judgment has not been affected by any of this,” Thane stated.

“You’ve given her the blood, haven’t you? She’s been altered, yes?”

Thane nodded.

“Then she’s now inextricably tied to our kind and bound to follow our rules, as you are. You have two choices, only because I like you very much. For the judgment call you made without adequate contemplation, you will either: Relinquish the female to UCON or relinquish your title.”

Thane rose quickly from his seat. “You’re wrong on this matter, Luxar, just as you were wrong to sentence me prematurely before.”

Luxar raised one brow. “You’re right, one of us is wrong. You couldn’t extract all of her memories, but we can. Especially any memories she may have about where to find Gavril’s hiding place.” He grinned. “The choices have been laid before you. Choose. The girl or your title.”

“The girl. I relinquish my title,” Thane declared.

Complete silence washed over the room for several minutes until Luxar spoke again. “I didn’t expect that.” Luxar frowned. “You are sure?”

Thane growled. “
She’s mine
. I will lash out if she is harmed.”

He shrugged indifferently. “Fine. Your decision stands.” He leaned over the table, his next question directed toward Silvano. “Name an interim Alpha of the ShadowRock Pack.”

“Brant Cedona, Thane’s Beta,” Silvano replied.

Thane let out a slight sigh of relief at the mention of Brant’s name. Had UCON named someone he wouldn’t have chosen himself, he would have felt uneasy about the decision. What was important was that he knew he’d made the right choice. He would never turn the woman he cared about over to someone else to be chastised or questioned relentlessly.

“If I were you, Thane…I would find your brother. I would find him quickly and turn him over. The Council has pressing matters on our radar other than this one and Gavril’s tactics are becoming a nuisance to our advancement. I suspect you agree. If you want your Pack order restored, you will act accordingly.”

“I assure you…I will find him.”

“I’m glad we had this discussion and a chance to meet again to clear the air. I’ll be seeing you again soon I suspect,” Luxar stated and promptly excused himself from the meeting by getting up from the table and exiting the room.

“
Y
ou don’t seem
like the type of woman who would date Thane.”

Kalena nearly jumped two feet away from the bookcase when she heard the voice of the girl in the room. She spun around quickly to find her seated on a leather couch just inches from where Kalena stood. When the girl had entered the room was beyond her.

She was the youngest person Kalena had seen at the mansion to date, but then again, age was mostly irrelevant here. She had a thick mane of light blonde hair and a slender build, yet her style of dress gave her true age away the most. Kalena had volunteered at a public library in the youth section, and the girl’s choice of designer clothes and accessories labeled her as a teenager.

Kalena shook her head. “You are?”

“Danika Silex. The troublemaker.” She smiled. “You’ve been moping around here all day.”

Kalena pressed her lips together in defiance. “I wasn’t moping. You were held by Thane’s brother, right?”

Danika frowned slightly and averted her gaze for only a second.

“I’m sorry about what happened.”

“Everyone’s sorry.” Danika shrugged. “You don’t plan to stay here, do you?”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“It’s just that history shows that most humans are simply interested in living longer. They accept the DNA and months later they’re gone. Living among wolves and vampires that have lived for hundreds of years can be a lot for an innocent human such as yourself.”

Kalena took a seat in the lounge chair adjacent from where Danika sat. “I’ve thought about that already. I’m not here just for the DNA.”

“Don’t tell me you’re here for Thane.” The girl’s smile was almost teasing, but her eyebrows rose in question. “I guess you can say he’s old in spirit, but young at heart.”

“I love everything about his spirit
and
his heart,” Kalena said without missing a beat. “So in answer to your question, yes, I’m here for Thane.”

Should Kalena feel selfish about being here for Thane because she couldn’t process the thought of leaving him behind so soon?

Danika narrowed her gaze, skepticism evident in her expression. “You have no idea what it’s like living the life of an Alpha’s mate…”

“And you do?”

“My dad, Houston Silex, was Alpha of the ShadowRock Pack until he handed the title down to Thane. And then old age crippled him. He’s long gone, but yes, I know the trials and tribulations of being the daughter of an Alpha. My mother was human, but she couldn’t take the daily pressures that came with her role. She left my dad to live a
normal
human life. She would probably still be living today if the man she married hadn’t insisted she fly all over the world with him whenever he went out of town on business. I have
human
stepbrothers that pretty much disowned me.”

“What happened to your mother?”

“She was in a private jet that crashed into a mountain. When they found it, almost nothing was left, other than the ruins of the plane. Just ashes and metal.”

“I don’t know what to say. I…”

“You don’t have to say anything at all. Everyone’s sorry about it,” Danika said. “But, that’s just the way things are in our world. To sustain our way of life and keep our bloodline thriving, fathers, especially those that are in high positions of power, are known for executing lucrative agreements such as the betrothal I’m expected to follow through on in less than a year’s time.”

“Betrothal?”

“Right. This man’s identity hasn’t even been revealed to me yet. All I’ve been told is that the union will keep the Silex gene alive.”

“There are still human cultures in this time period that have arranged marriages, so I’m not surprised,” Kalena said.

“Back to my earlier question…you do plan on leaving, right?”

“If that’s what’s best…” Kalena whispered. “I did something that can’t be undone.”

“Oh?”

“The D996 drug was administered to me, and unfortunately, I lost some of my memories. I say some, but the more I think about it, I wonder if I lost more memories than we all think.”

“Well that wasn’t your fault, unless you took the drug willingly.”

“I didn’t take it willingly,” Kalena said. “I dated Gavril for a short period of time. Not knowing who he was. When his followers found me in the lab, they turned me over. Gavril had me thrown into Area S2 with Thane.”

“Oh,” Danika said, slowly, raising her palm to cover her mouth. “Wow. Does Thane know about this?”

“Yes. A vampire extracted the information from me. I shouldn’t be telling you this. You’re too young. What was I thinking?”

Danika laughed. “I’m almost seventeen. I’m not a child. I’m more mature than some thirty-year-olds, which is why I never seem to fit in with human girls my age. My dad brought in a tutor. I was fifteen when I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Business and Economics. At this stage in my life, age is only secondary to knowledge and Pack status.”

“Well, aren’t you smart?”

“Smarter than most. You didn’t appear to be the type to date a man like Thane, but I’m shocked that you would even find anything remotely attractive about Gavril besides his looks.”

Kalena swallowed. “He lied to me when we met. And yes, the resemblance between the brothers is startling. I’m wondering how I couldn’t remember.”

“It’s likely that Gavril gave you the drug while you were dating him. You wouldn’t have known it.”

Kalena gasped. “I would’ve known. Isn’t it administered by injection only?”

“Says who?”

“Oh my God.”

“Don’t panic. You’re fully cured anyhow. Lucky you.”

Kalena frowned. “But my memories were taken away from me.”

“You can get them back. Most of them anyway.”

“How?” Kalena sat upright in the chair.

“The same way Gavril had them extracted from you earlier,” Danika offered. “But vampires don’t bargain lightly.”

“What do you mean?”

“They’re of the mindset that everything must be bargained for. It’s how they’ve flourished throughout their existence. Some of the same negotiating techniques were instilled into shifter society when we first came under the laws of UCON, our ruling organization. Before then, the only sure way a shifter got what he wanted was to fight…and sometimes kill for it. That’s still done, as you’ve witnessed, but UCON has cracked down on those practices a lot more now that they enforce secrecy and the laws of our kind.”

“How do you know so much?”

“I told you. My dad was an Alpha. I’m expected to know this stuff, even though I will never lead a Pack.”

Kalena shook her head. “Well, I don’t have access to all my money so I have little to bargain with.”

Danika chuckled. “Money isn’t what impresses vampires the most. If you follow through with this, you stand to lose more than you might gain. You would risk your humanity. You could die or be turned.”

“Turned?”

“Exactly. Just like before, it would require extraction of blood. It’s up to you if you’re willing to pay that price or not to have all of your memories back.” Danika grinned. “Humans cherish their memories so much, don’t they? I understand, but your curiosity seems so great that you would even welcome back the bad memories. Am I right?”

“How do you know a vampire could help me get the rest of my memories back?” Kalena had to ask.

“From my understanding, that specific skill is gained whenever a vampire is turned by another. You just have to be weak enough or willing to let them in.” She bit at a stray nail on her thumb. “I’ve also done it before.”

Kalena felt her eyes widened. “Care to elaborate?”

Danika frowned. “In the years following my mom’s death, I often sought out vampires to drag memories from me about when I was just a very small child and my mom and dad were still living together and very much in love. My dad never kept a lot of pictures of her. Decades go by, and even us shifters forget the minute details sometimes. Especially when we haven’t neared our prime yet.”

“Oh…”

“Can you handle those memories? About you and Gavril?” Danika asked.

“I don’t know whether I can or not. But I have a right to know what happened to me. I want back everything that Gavril took from me.” Kalena rose from the lounge chair. “Where can I find a vampire that can help me?”

Danika held up her palms, sheepishly. “I’m already in enough trouble as it is. I’ll catch you later and we can talk about it more. Maybe at dinner time before I head out to a party.”

“Wait!” Kalena placed her palm on Danika’s shoulder. “If my memories could help Thane put Gavril away for good, wouldn’t you want to help me for that reason alone?”

Danika’s gaze shifted downward as she contemplated the question. She then pulled a card out of her back pocket and handed it to Kalena. “Invite only party. There will be vampires. If you can get someone to drive you out, then come if you dare.”

Danika exited the room just as quietly as she had entered.

Kalena glanced down at the blood-red invite with only a set of coordinates written in black on it. She stood in silence, looking at the shelves and volumes of books before her until she realized they obviously didn’t contain the answers she sought. As she turned to head out of the library, she knew she had already made her decision.

“
I
’ve got
a reservation here tonight with a friend,” Thane told the human greeter at the door of the restaurant.

“Your name, sir?” the greeter inquired.

“Thane Silex.”

There were two hybrid guards standing on either side of the greeter. They eyed Thane suspiciously as the greeter checked the guest log.

“You’re not listed,” she said.

“Impromptu meeting,” Thane replied.

“Let me have the name of your guest,” she demanded.

“Tor.”

The name had barely left his lips before Tor opened the velvet curtains leading to the restaurant’s main area and stepped out. The guards and the greeter instantly fell back.

“Welcome, friend. I’ve been waiting.” His face was slightly flushed, which only happened when a vampire had just finished a meal.

“Hello, Tor.”

Tor led him to a private area of the restaurant, a small section cornered off by folding screens. The table was already set, complete with gold plates and utensils and silk linens. The champagne glasses were chilled but empty before the server popped the cork and filled them. The waitress finalized the selections and then they were left alone.

Tor was at least five hundred years old, but he’d spent a good part of his existence in voluntary deep slumber. His blackish-blue hair was slicked back with a light coating of gel. He’d been made when he was still young, twenty-five to be exact, and was one of the older vampires in existence. Luxar, who was not currently in voluntary slumber, was likely the oldest. Tor’s coven was the only one made up of both purebred vampires and hybrids, but then again, the man had always been unique in his ways. He was known by all as the vampire who would not accept a position as one of UCON’s Heads because he preferred his privacy.

“I’m glad you could make it,” Tor said. “I thought UCON would have held you up.”

“And I thought I would be at UCON longer than a few hours,” Thane said.

“What happened?”

“There was a discussion and then I was stripped of my title.”

“Stripped?” Tor held his head back and laughed. “Is that what Luxar is up to these days…stripping titles?”

“I hardly find it funny,” Thane replied.

“Luxar’s decision amuses me, considering the fact that you are the only one fit to lead ShadowRock at this point.”

“They named Brant as interim Alpha. He’s fit to lead. In fact, I would have named him myself if it’d come down to that.”

Tor lifted his champagne glass and tossed the liquid down in one gulp. “You will reclaim your Pack. Interim means this is only temporary.”

“And if I don’t? What if this is the way things are meant to be?”

“Then it’s meant to be,” Tor chimed.

“What about our agreement?”

Tor lifted a brow. “What about it?”

“If I no longer hold the Alpha title, does that mean we can cancel this bargain for my firstborn daughter?”

Tor grinned. “Is that why you were so quick to step down? Because you want to cancel our arrangement?”

“I had two choices. The woman who I plan to mate or my title. I chose my mate,” Thane said. “In either case, I’m a man of my word, but just so you know, the title of Alpha may not be in my future anymore.”

“I didn’t agree to this arrangement with you because of your title. It’s your bloodline that I’m most interested in. My end of the bargain is complete. Danika Silex is now at your estate from what I’ve been told.”

Thane nodded. “She is.”

“Then tell me that you still plan to uphold what we agreed on…”

“I will, but I can’t promise happy endings. When it comes time, you will do the courting. If you fail to gain her interest, well then, that is on you.”

“Deal.”

“You’re confident?”

“Confidence is in my blood, but I’m merely asking for your permission to solidify the union…after she’s reached her prime, of course.” Tor passed his hand across the table and they shook on it. “I may look young, but I’m still old-fashioned in my ways.”

“Deal.” Thane lifted his glass and drank the crisp, smooth champagne. “A Council Head was killed during the raid on Gavril’s compound.”

Tor frowned. “Who was it?”

“Upir. I was almost certain I would be blamed for it until Luxar admitted that Upir was involved in some salty side dealings. Upir’s money trail led them to Gavril’s bank account.”

“Oh, now that’s interesting.” Tor sat back in his chair. “I never trusted Upir, yet I never entirely trusted many purebred shifters. Except for you and a handful of others.”

“I’m going to join in the hunt for Gavril. Too much time has been wasting away.”

“Need more help?”

“I have no chains binding me anymore. I’ll take responsibility going forward. Plus, your price is likely to be way too high. While others would be satisfied with cash or property, your requests aren’t tangible like that.”

“What can I say? I value life and legacy more than money.” Tor linked his hands together. “May I assume you will take your mate soon?”

“You may not assume anything. Times are difficult, as you’re aware. Plus my mate isn’t shifter or vampire…she’s human. A human that may not understand our customs.”

Tor sat back in his chair. “I’ve waited this long…”