Chapter Five
Death stared Cruz in the face, but not his own. Kiara held his concern. It had been one thing for Kiara to lose her virginity; another thing entirely for her to give her virginity to a vampire. Only one choice remained.
Cruz gave Kiara a little push, issuing her go to the corner of the room. “Stay there and do not move.” His focus stayed on the werewolf at the door, who readied himself for the fight ahead, all tense and alert.
Cruz couldn’t just injure Milo. The werewolf had to die.
With full force of his vampire speed, Cruz lunged at Milo, plowing into him, sending them both back into the hallway. Mid-flight, Milo’s mortal form shifted to fur, and as they landed, he snuck out from under Cruz and ran into the living room. Not to hide—Cruz never doubted that. He needed the space to form his attack. Cruz jumped up and rushed in behind him.
If he thought Milo would be an easy fight, Cruz would’ve just been proven wrong. The Alpha stood proud in front of him. A large wolf, and with his lip pulled up in a snarl exposing white teeth, Milo wouldn’t just lie down and die.
The wind breezed past Cruz as he shot forward, grabbed onto Milo’s neck, and sent them both flying in the air to crash against the far wall of the cabin. He heard Kiara screaming from the bedroom, but was pleased she had listened to him and stayed in the room. He wanted her to stay put and stay safe. And he suspected if he never said anything, she’d be in here fighting Milo herself. Something he didn’t want.
Wresting against Milo, Cruz kept his arms around his neck, trying to hold Milo still. If he could get a good hold, he’d snap his neck and the fight would end. But the wolf proved powerful, and with the continuous bites he offered, Cruz had a hard time holding him.
He needed another approach. Pushing Milo away, he lurched to his feet to examine his opponent. Milo’s snarl deepened as he paced in front of Cruz. “You have a choice, wolf. You can leave now and the matter is forgotten.”
Milo growled, a deep rumble Cruz felt vibrate along the floor.
“Your choice has been made, has it?” Cruz steadied himself, prepared for Milo’s response.
Milo barked.
“So be it.” Cruz rushed forward, and grabbed onto Milo’s paw. The werewolf bit down on his wrist, but Cruz ignored the sting of the bite and threw him against the wall.
Milo yelped as he smacked against the window of the cabin, shattering the glass to the floor. Cruz heard bones break, ribs, he suspected. But the werewolf lurched back to his feet, snarling. Milo’s breathing had become more labored, shorter breaths and the strain of his body making it obvious.
“Yield,” Cruz shouted. Vampires and Werewolves held hostility toward each other, but he had no problem with any of them. Destroying Milo was the last thing he wanted to do. He might have fought in the war, killed many mortals. Now, he lived in peace and didn’t enjoy the thought of taking a life.
Milo growled before he pounced forward. Decision made. Milo gave Cruz no alternative. If he chose death, Cruz would find salvation in it. Protect Kiara at all costs. Furniture in his living room went soaring through the air as Cruz fought back with every skill he’d learned over the years, not only as a vampire, but as a mortal fighting alongside his fellow soldiers.
Grabbing a paw again, Cruz needed to disable Milo if he wanted to end the fight. Right now, snapping his neck remained impossible. The powerful werewolf held too much strength, would squirm out of his hold. Cruz could handle the bites, but only so much of his blood could spill before he weakened. Grasping Milo’s paw with both hands, ignoring the deep bite to his forearm, he broke Milo’s leg with a steady snap.
Milo howled, dropping to the ground. Cruz jumped up, and licked the wound along his arms to heal the two puncture wounds caused by Milo’s bite. Once sealed, he lunged at Milo again, but his broken leg didn’t hinder him.
He lurched forward, limping, but nonetheless flew toward him, pummeling his wolf form into Cruz and sending them soaring back over the coffee table, turning it up on the side.
Cruz attempted to gain the upper hand, squeezing around Milo’s chest to crush him, but Milo had moves of his own and snuck his head around, biting down on Cruz’s neck. He groaned as sharp incisors slashed into his skin, and Cruz felt his warm blood pour down his skin.
Not a good position. Cruz tried to squirm out, get away from his hold, but Milo held him still, growling. Cruz punched out, using all his force to slam hard hits against the werewolf’s head, yet the move did him no good.
Milo’s teeth sank in deeper, wrapping around his jugular, a moment away from ripping out his neck. Cruz needed to get away, and needed to do so now. His only question, how?
Rage burned to the surface. If he died here, so would Kiara. He couldn’t allow that to happen. Kiara gave him strength; his love for her mattered more than his own wellbeing. He needed to win here, not to save his own life, but to save hers.
With a roar, he latched onto Milo’s neck, aware the werewolf ripped into his neck, inch by inch moving deeper into his skin, only moments away from forcing Cruz to meet his demise. Pushing past the pain, Cruz squeezed with every ounce of strength he received from the thoughts of Kiara and, with a crack, Milo’s neck snapped. A thud, followed by silence, ended the battle and withdrew Milo as a threat to Kiara.
Cruz groaned, not needing to release a deep breath, but did so anyway to expel the adrenaline coursing through his veins. His neck burned and he only waited a few short moments before he felt his healing take place. The amount of blood lessened as it coagulated and his skin sealed, closing up the wounds Milo had caused. Just as Cruz reeled in the loss of pain, accepted the restored health and reprieve that had come upon him, a scent filled the air.
Wolf.
Before Cruz had a chance to respond, a hand wrapped around his throat and he found himself up against the wall. His legs dangled down an inch from the ground as he stared into the face of someone he didn’t expect to find here and one he couldn’t kill. No matter how much the situation might declare him to.
Silence sounded around Kiara. Panic gripped her. For a good ten minutes, crashing of breaking furniture, vicious growls, howls of pain, and even Cruz groaning in agony a few times. What happened? Who died? She held no doubt someone had.
Her body ached from when Cruz had thrown her against the room, but she understood his move. It protected her. She wouldn’t fault him for looking out for her. Pushing up off the floor, she held onto the bed and her body shook, trembled in fear for what awaited her in the living room. If Cruz had died, not only would he be gone, but she’d be dead too. She’d signed her death warrant the moment she’d fallen in love with him. What she’d done was unforgivable in the wolf pack.
Kiara forced herself to keep moving. Put one foot in front of the other until she met the hallway. Her breath caught in her lungs as her mind played with images of the worst kind.
At the end of the hallway, the silence ceased as a deep groan, followed by a growl, replaced it. Kiara’s heart skipped a beat and she stopped dead. She listened hard, waiting to hear another sound for her to clarify what happened. When nothing came, Kiara ordered her feet to walk and entered the living room.
The sight was too hard for her to process. She scanned the surroundings a few times over. All of the furniture had been crumbled to pieces; blood splattered the walls. Kiara gulped. The most ghastly sight she’d ever seen. She blinked, focusing herself to find Cruz. Her gaze searched the floor, and a wolf’s paw caught her attention. She stepped further into the room, needing to be sure, and just behind the table on his side, Milo lay dead.
“Cruz!” Kiara screamed.
Before she had the chance to look up, and with sense returning to her mind, a scent drifted through. One she recognized. Just as her awareness filtered in, her father’s stern voice sounded around her. “Go and hide, Kiara. It’s not safe for you.”
Startled, she spun around to see that her father had Cruz by the neck up against the wall. The horror of the situation doubled. “Let him go, Father.”
Adric’s head snapped toward her, confusion held in the dark depths of his eyes. “And just why would I do that, Kiara?” Suspicion flashed across his face while he examined her.
Kiara tried to tell him, tried to find the words to make him understand, but she failed, and miserably so. Instead of saying a word, she stood there, mouth parted, and she could only imagine her eyes held guilt.
Adric’s eyes widened, he paled, and understanding smacked onto his expression. “You haven’t? Please tell me, Kiara, you haven’t done what my mind is leading me to believe?”
Seeing the traitorous look on his face made guilt clench her stomach. A wave of disappointment made her unable to hold his gaze. She glanced to the floor and heard Cruz tumble to the ground as her father released him.
Kiara wanted to run to him, to ensure Cruz hadn’t been injured, but she saw him rise to his feet and relief flooded her. She dared to look to him, needed his strength to guide her here with her father. What would happen now? How could her father forgive her?
Cruz didn’t look at her, his focus held on her father. Not threatening in any way, more just like her father’s face—utterly confused. Milo had been an entirely different situation. She’d not mourn his death. It meant she and Cruz still lived. They couldn’t erase her father from the situation. He’d become knee deep in their problem, all her secrets exposed, and she had no idea how to resolve her situation to form a good outcome.
“Once bitten, forever burned,” her father growled. “Their souls are dead, Kiara, and they burn in hell.”
“That’s not true.” Kiara’s voice trembled in defense. “Cruz has a warm soul. He’s generous, kind, and loving. If only you’d get to know him—”
“Get to know him,” Adric roared, cutting her off. “Vampires are our enemies. They have killed thousands of us.”
“I know,” Kiara whispered, tears forming in her eyes, still unable to make eye contact with him. What he said wasn’t a lie, but she could have pointed out werewolves had killed just as many. However, she couldn’t bring herself to throw the awareness in his face. She never wanted this. Never imagined she’d disappoint him.
“You have corrupted her,” Adric snarled. Clearly, the harsh statement had been directed at Cruz.
“No, I have loved her,” Cruz sneered.
“A vampire capable of love,” her father scoffed. “Impossible.”
“It’s not impossible,” Kiara shouted, glancing away from the ground to him. “It’s true. I love him now and I’ll love him forever.”
Rage formed on Adric’s face, causing a vein to bulge in the center of his forehead. She’d seen the look before, but she also knew him well. Kiara needed her father to see her side, needed for him to understand. She ran to him and grasped his arms. He stood firm in his stance. “Cruz makes me happy, Father. Happier than I’ve ever been. I know how wrong you think this is, but my heart tells me it’s right to stay with him. Do you want me to live a life I don’t want?”
Adric held her stare for long moments until the look softened and he sighed. “No, I wouldn’t want that for you.”
“Then forget your prejudices. Stop thinking as an Alpha and of these stupid rules our world lives by. Only think as my father. Cruz is wonderful and I’ve loved him for months now.”
Adric’s eyes widened and shock registered in their depths. “Months?”
“Yes, months. We’ve been in hiding, keeping our love a secret. It’s why I’ve been sad. I haven’t been pining for my mate. I’ve been mourning the time I’m away from him.”
Adric glanced to Cruz then looked back to Kiara a few times over. The silence grew thick in the room. Finally, he sighed, a tired sound. He raised a hand to her cheek and sadness darkened his eyes. “I’d say I’m disappointed you never told me, but I know why you kept this to yourself.” He sighed again and despair shone on his face. “Do you know what it will mean if you choose this life and stay with him?”
Kiara gulped. She had a full understanding, and her heart ached at the thought. “I won’t be able to see you again.”
Adric nodded. Sorrow wafted off him. “That’s right.”
Suddenly, Cruz shot from the other side of the room and tore Kiara from her father’s grip, spinning her to face him. “Kiara, you must think this over. This is not a decision to take lightly. I’ve thought of this, considered it an option, and I don’t want this for you.”
Confusion swirled in her mind. She glanced at her father, who looked shocked by Cruz’s words. She glanced back to Cruz, not understanding what he meant. “You don’t want me?”
Cruz snorted. “You know I want you, but you’ll lose your family. I, of anyone, understand the pain this can cause. Consider what you will lose for us to stay together. Is it worth it?”
Kiara could never admit this aloud in front of her father. She didn’t want to break his heart. As much as she’d miss her father, her happiness lay in the hands of Cruz now. Her life was enriched by him. If she lost him, she wouldn’t be able to go on. She didn’t want to lose her father, but life had given her no other choice. Where her father had been the backbone in her life, the man who molded her into the woman she was, Cruz would take her and deepen her life—frame her happiness forever.
Adric sighed at her silence, drawing her focus to him. “We’ve got a bit of a mess here.” He looked to the dead Milo on the ground, clearly given whatever answer he searched for since he paid no cause to Cruz’s remark and moved along. Kiara was stunned to see acceptance in his eyes, and focus. “Milo is an Alpha. Answers for his death will have to be given.”
She understood Cruz’s hesitation, but her heart belonged to him and, although she loved her father, would miss him—the love she carried for Cruz held strong.
Adric glanced away from Milo and looked to Cruz with stern eyes. “When you turn her, you need to make her bleed along the floor. Be sure to leave enough of her blood here to make it appear as if she has been killed.”
“What?” Kiara gasped. Was he really so accepting? Yes, Kiara knew she’d never see her father again, but she thought it would mean run away and hide. She never thought he’d willingly agree to let Cruz turn her into a vampire. Did his love for her stretch that far?
“It’s the only way, Kiara,” Adric declared. “For this to happen, I will have to come up with a reason why my daughter is no longer with us. The pack will not believe that you’re missing and I’m not looking for you.” He sighed and his jaw clenched. “My only resolve is to allow Cruz to turn you. If you want this life, then you will have to accept it fully. It’ll break your bond to the pack, your scent will no longer be the same, and no one will be the wiser. Enough of Cruz’s blood remains here now that my wolves will acknowledge a vampire stayed here, destroyed Milo, and also killed you.”
“You’re truly okay with this? You’re going to do this for me?” Kiara couldn’t believe her ears. Tears rushed down her cheeks. She plowed into him and hugged him tight.
“I’ll do this because I love you, Kiara. I made a promise to always ensure you are well and happy. No matter what you are, you’ll always be my daughter. And if being with the vamp…” He cleared his throat. “Cruz, will make you happy, what kind of father would I be to deny you?” Adric leaned against her and inhaled as if to memorize her scent.
Kiara couldn’t believe he had agreed and accepted their love, but as the thought rose, she chastised herself. Her father loved her. Had always loved her. And her happiness remained the most important to him. He agreed because she asked it of him. She should have realized that a long time ago, and felt foolish for thinking otherwise.
Leaning away from her, he smiled. “You will have an hour here to do what you have to.” He gulped. “Be sure to not stay around any longer. You cannot leave here a wolf. My pack will track you. I’ll return with my guard soon and will plant the idea I followed your scent here.”
Kiara hugged him with every ounce of her strength, and he embraced her right back. The last time she’d see her father for who knew how long. She hoped at some point she could return, find a way to keep contact with him. But her heart told her it’d be a long time before that day—or night—would come. Maybe if she wasn’t an immortal, leaving him would seem harder, but with forever ahead of her—as all supernaturals had—she hoped she didn’t have to wait centuries to see him again.
Her father leaned down and kissed the top of her head. “Your mother would be proud of what you’ve become, Kiara.” Kiara sobbed in response. “And I’m proud of you.”
“I love you,” Kiara cried against his chest.
Adric leaned back and smiled. “I know you do.” He kissed both of her cheeks. A deep sigh came from Adric’s mouth as he glanced back to Kiara. His eyes filled with tears. “I hope this life brings you happiness.” Her father smiled, a grin for her to hold in her memory forever. “If an allegiance is formed between our species, promise me you’ll return home and visit.”
“I promise.”
Adric stepped away, and Cruz gathered Kiara up in his arms. He strode toward the open front door, and once there, he stopped, glancing over his shoulder to Cruz. “Protect her.”
“I’ll do better, I’ll keep her safe, heart and soul, and I’ll cherish her until I’m no longer given the right to.”
A tear fell down her father’s cheek. Kiara wanted to run to him, force him to end the unforgiving fight between the species, but knew she held no power to do so. The world couldn’t change by him, or her. The truth was, her father had raised her, had given her a lifetime of happiness, but now, she had Cruz. Her father wiped the tear along his cheek, left the cabin, and shut the door.
Kiara’s breath gasped out as her heart clenched with sadness. Her father, a man she cherished, one no one compared to…until Cruz. She loved her father, would love him every day she longed to see him again, but she had a life to live. And that life was with Cruz.
“One day,” Cruz said in a soft tone, drawing Kiara’s teary gaze to him, “you’ll see him again.”
Kiara had a hard time believing his words were possible, yet she never believed she’d have Cruz either, or that her father would accept them. Accept the love she’d found, fought against, but now rejoiced in. Still, though, it didn’t make his departure any easier. Only one thought remained on her mind and in her heart. “I hope so.”
Cruz brushed his fingers across her cheek and waited a full minute before he spoke next. “Are you ready, my wolf?”
Ready to die is what he should have said. “I’m ready to be with you forever.”
Cruz’s fangs released from his gums and he angled her head to the side. “And I’ll love you forever.” He sank his fangs into her neck, creating a large gash, and Kiara said goodbye to her old life as Cruz backed away for a moment, letting her blood gush down her neck to drip to the floor just as her father asked. She willing let death take her to accept the new her, because her new life held Cruz, and her happiness laid in the dreams of their future.