The Vampire Who Thirsted for a Wolf (11 page)

There was only one reason Kaname could come up with for the

entire debacle. Someone wanted the enmity between vampires and

shifters to continue, and was willing to do anything to make sure that

happened.

Alas, they’d certainly chosen an excellent target. Sophia Bristol

seemed to be a sore spot of sorts, one many people had overlooked.

The Cunninghams had been very pissed, to the extent that Byron

Cunningham himself had dropped everything and come to Japan.

The Vampire Who Thirsted for a Wolf

67

“We have to come up with an answer quickly, Kaname,”
Derek

told him through their bond.
“Mr. Cunningham is very protective

where his family is concerned. I haven’t spoken with Morgan and

Layton, but I’m assuming it must be particularly bad now.”

“I know,
hana
,”
Kaname replied.
“I could tell he was furious and

frightened on the phone, insofar as a man like him can be frightened

at least. But he also realizes that leading a nation like the vampires is

far from easy. Since he is himself in a position of authority, he

understands that what happened is not necessarily my fault.”

Even as he said this, the small plane stopped and its doors opened.

Several people started descending. Immediately, Kaname recognized

Byron, as well as Noah Hall and Rhys Whitaker. There were a couple

of other incubi, which was no surprise given that Rhys’s half brother,

Alexis, had been the main victim of Sophia’s attack. A group of

werewolves had joined the ranks, led by Brody Wade, Derek’s uncle.

Brody’s mate, ram-shifter Carson, had also come along. And

naturally, Byron had not come alone either, bringing a group of very

threatening looking individuals.

“Byron has a lot of security staff that can shift into water

creatures,”
Derek told him.
“They’re all very dangerous, but they’re

also loyal to Byron.”

It was more than Kaname could say about his own people.

Regardless of his frustrations, though, it was clear that the shifters had

come more than a little prepared. On the whole, there were around a

dozen people, but they all looked like they meant business. Hell, even

Tyrell Hall had not received so much attention.

“It’s a combination of factors,”
Derek explained.
“My parents are

worried about me and Mel. The Cunninghams want Sophia to be

caught. The incubi are undoubtedly furious that she’s free. With Tyrell,

we were all pretty much in agreement and we knew that we could rely

on your assistance. We didn’t want to step on any toes either since this

was, after all, your turf. But it seems that all bets are off now.”

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Scarlet Hyacinth

That wasn’t very promising, but nevertheless, Kaname supposed

he could understand the reasons behind his new guests’ hostility.

Pasting a smile on his face, he went to greet the recently arrived

group.

Led by Byron Cunningham, the delegation headed Kaname’s way.

They stopped in front of each other, the weight of the new problem

that had appeared looming over them, more ominous that the clouds

in the sky.

Kaname had dealt with worse things, though, so he smiled

welcomingly. “Greetings, Cunningham-sama. I trust your trip went

well.” Nodding at Brody, he said, “It is very nice to see you again as

well, Williams-Wade-san.” He repeated the greeting for Carson and

then turned toward the other members of the delegation. “Hall-san,

Whitaker-san. It is a pleasure to have you here again.”

“Thank you for your warm welcome,” Byron replied. “I wish our

meeting took place under better circumstances.”

Kaname turned toward Byron once again. “I’m convinced we can

cooperate again to solve this issue.”

Byron threw a gaze Derek’s way. “Indeed. Since our families are

now very close, I’d prefer this to go as smoothly as possible as well.”

The shark-shifter’s words dissipated some of the tension, and

Kaname grasped the offered opportunity to introduce Yakumo and his

attendants. All the while, Kaname was very much aware of the

curiosity of those present. The only people who knew what he had

planned were Derek and Yakumo.

When all the pleasantries were out of the way, Kaname smiled and

said, “I would invite you to our coven, but as I understand from

Cunningham-sama, you intend to depart toward Australia right away.

A new, refueled jet is already ready for our use.”

“Our?” Carson repeated. “You’re coming along?”

“Of course,” Kaname answered. “I have a vested interest in

solving this situation as soon as possible.”

The Vampire Who Thirsted for a Wolf

69

It might have seemed an odd, even reckless choice, but Kaname

had to make unexpected moves if he was going to find his enemy. He

wrapped an arm around Derek’s waist, amused at what he himself was

about to do. “After all,” he said as he brushed a kiss to Derek’s

temple, “it is what my
hana
wishes for me to do.”

Shock. Absolute and utter shock. Not even the incubus had

expected that, and Rhys could read emotions. But Kaname had lived

far too long for him to not realize that the best way to weed out

unseen enemies was to give them what they wanted.

“Do you think Byron and the others will buy it?”
Derek asked in

his mind.

“Of course they will.”
Kaname hid a smile.
“I am, in the end,

truthfully and thoroughly infatuated with you, and I would do

anything for you.”

Derek arched a brow at him.
“Why am I not surprised you’re so

manipulative?”

“Because you understand me better than anyone in the world? My

hana
…I wish I wouldn’t have to use our bond like this.”

“For someone so smart, you’re an idiot.”
With no warning, Derek

kissed Kaname. The passion and need that assaulted Kaname were not

at all faked. Unable to hold back, he thrust his tongue into Derek’s

mouth, feeding his new addiction, unable to get enough of the

werewolf. Derek gave as good as he got, and Kaname’s fangs dropped

as his mate’s desire fueled his. He bit down on Derek’s lower lip,

growling as the taste of Derek’s blood exploded on his tongue.

It was only a discreet nudge from Yakumo that snapped him out of

his trance. Mentally thanking, but also cursing his sibling, Kaname

broke away from Derek. He cleared his throat and looked toward the

still-watching group. Brody and Carson seemed pleased, while

Byron’s eyes held a calculative expression that made Kaname wonder

if the shark had figured it all out. But then, the best lies were the ones

that held a portion of truth within them. Kaname wasn’t exactly lying,

just deceiving everyone except a select few.

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Scarlet Hyacinth

“My apologies for that unexpected interlude,” he said. “In my

defense, Derek and I are still recently mated.”

“There’s no need to apologize,” Byron replied in a neutral tone.

“It’s quite natural, and I’m sure everyone here agrees.”

Somehow, Kaname doubted that. The incubi in particular looked a

bit worse for the wear, their faces red as they tried not to squirm.

Kaname seriously wanted to burst into laughter, but he managed to

keep his mirth in check. Apparently, feeling other people’s emotions

wasn’t always an advantage.

“It can be a problem,”
Derek agreed,
“especially for Alexis.

Sometimes, I wonder just how much time he spends having sex with

Morgan, given all the lust he’s surrounded by. I’m honestly shocked

Alexis hasn’t gotten pregnant again.”

“Must be his age,”
Kaname mused.
“As I understand it, he was

quite young when he mated your friend.”

Derek seemed startled.
“You have info on all of us, don’t you?”

“Quite. If only I was as efficient where my own people are

concerned.”

“You yourself said that you can’t be expected to know everything.

Now shush. We have to focus on our guests.”

Kaname was quite tickled by the way Derek ordered him around,

but he agreed his mate had a point. What he really liked, though, was

that Derek had said
our guests
, not
your guests
. They were already a

couple, doing things together, greeting people in their home.

Circumstances might not be perfect, but they were getting there.

He couldn’t dwell on his newfound happiness for much longer.

Instead, he gestured the group toward the waiting jet. Yakumo trailed

behind him, and Kaname could practically feel his brother’s

amusement irradiating from him. All the other vampires were still in

shock. Kaname had made no secret of his relationship with Derek, but

because of the news they’d received, he hadn’t managed to officially

announce it, either. Besides, this declaration of devotion was very

different from anything they had ever seen from him.

The Vampire Who Thirsted for a Wolf

71

As the group walked, Derek began to chat with his friends and

family. Predictably, his first target was his uncles. He grilled the two

men, and after making sure his father and his brothers were all right,

turned toward Byron. “Mr. Cunningham, I meant to ask you

something. How is Alexis doing? Are he, Elian, and Morgan all

right?”

“Alexis is quite upset,” Byron replied. “Morgan is very worried.

He was torn between coming here with me to find Sophia himself, or

staying home to care for his family.” A small, fond smile. “In the end,

Alexis and Elian predictably won.”

Kaname liked seeing his mate inquire about his loved ones. He

was well aware that Derek mating him meant he’d have to give up

constant contact with them. Kaname would have done anything to

spare his mate that pain, but in this respect, his hands were bound.

They entered the plane with Kaname still musing over their future.

He berated himself for losing himself to melancholy and focused on

the final thing he had to do. “Yakumo,” he told his brother, “I’m going

to leave you in charge. Everyone, please listen to Yakumo as if he

were me. In my absence, he is your elder.”

The vampires gasped. They all knew that Kaname and Yakumo

had fought a short while back, and must have been very confused

regarding this decision. Mizuki seemed both puzzled and outraged.

The latter emotion drew Kaname’s attention, and he tested Mizuki’s

mind to see if perhaps she knew more than she was letting on. He felt

something there, something she wasn’t saying, but he couldn’t tell

exactly what. Kaname frowned to himself. Her memories were hidden

to him, and if he tried to force his way through, she’d realize it. One

thing was certain, though. He’d taken the right step in leaving

Yakumo in charge.

His underlings soon recovered and bowed lowly, promising

complete obedience. Kaname exchanged a look with Yakumo.

Yakumo just nodded briefly and smiled. He seemed at peace with the

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Scarlet Hyacinth

task Kaname had given to him. Apparently, all he had needed was a

little trust.

Kaname revised that idea when all of a sudden, Yakumo hugged

Derek. “Thank you for making my brother so happy,” Yakumo

whispered in Derek’s ear. “But be careful. If you betray him—”

“I won’t,” Derek replied. “And the same goes for you.”

“I will always be loyal to Yamamoto-sama,” Yakumo said in turn,

“and I will protect the coven until his return.”

“Thank you, my brother,” Kaname replied. “This will be a great

experience for you. Mizuki is a wonderful secretary, and she will

continue to assist you.”

A vein twitched in Mizuki’s forehead. “Of course, Yamamoto-

sama.”

As the pilots made the final preparations for the flight, Yakumo

and the others abandoned the plane, leaving Kaname the only vampire

onboard. He was going with no guards, but he trusted his own

strength and he had Derek by his side to guard his back.

Every passenger found seats and buckled up. Melanie kept

throwing Kaname and Derek pissed-off looks, obviously annoyed that

she hadn’t been notified by this change in plans. Even her luggage

had been packed and transported without her knowledge. Derek,