Chapter Twenty-One
Lucien loved having Najha on the back of his bike. This was her place forever and where she needed to be the most. At one point, months ago, he hadn’t believed she would be right here with him as his Ol Lady, as his woman riding bitch on his steel steed. He wanted to protect her, but knew a woman like Najha couldn’t be kept inside the house to cook, clean, and stay pregnant. No, she was a true woman, a leader, and the partner he’d always dreamed of for his mate.
The group of men and women headed toward The Bend. They had to stop the evil that had poisoned their way into Shades Run and now were poised to do the same to this lovely little western town.
Najha had pulled her hair into a braid to prevent the long tresses from whipping around and hitting them in the face. His eyes were covered with his riding glasses, and she also wore a pair of protective glasses Vlad had given to her. They had to protect their sensitive eyes from the wind and debris. The red bandana tied around her head matched his. Holding their hair down and glasses in place on their heads.
The wind blew strong against them, with a tinge of cold to it. But their leathers protected their bodies from the weather changes. She’d wrapped her arms around his body and held him tight. He liked it this way. It felt right to him. He’d always loved to ride before, but this was exhilarating and so right. He kept a steady pace. He and Thorn led the group of men side by side. They rode toward the last known location, their trackers having found a lead right to the lair.
This was an ancient, and none of them were going to go in there blind. They had no idea how many of these things they would find. To run in there when it could be a trap would be foolish. These creatures were too confident and cocky with their ability. That had been proven when they’d found Myra. She said nothing had stopped the leader from taking her.
They pulled the bikes into the large parking lot leading to a national park on the edge of town. There were hiking trails leading into the mountain. This was also the last place Tatiana had been when she was reported missing.
*****
Najha couldn’t believe the long ride only took them what seemed like minutes but was over two hours to reach this spot. The trackers stepped out of the woods, they’d already shifted to human and wore sweats. She recognized Dane. He’d joined them. She felt confused as to why her best friend was among the elite trackers.
She spun around and searched for her father. He was talking to Lucien. Najha decided to just go and ask him. She stomped her black booted feet over to her friend. “Dane, what the hell?”
“You didn’t know?” He smiled and winked.
The other trackers ignored them. They were an elite special force group her father had handpicked.
“Of course, I didn’t know. You’re too young. You could be killed.” She didn’t want to de-nut him, but she was pissed off.
“What the hell, Najha? Come on, your father liked my tracking skills. I’m the one who’d tracked your mom’s scent and knew she’d been moved. You thought it was okay before.”
“That was when I thought you would be with me the whole time.”
Kaden and Blade walked up to her. “Najha, we need to make sure you’re safe. We want to suggest you stay here and wait for us to come back.” He was an ancient but appeared younger than even Lucien.
She didn’t like this idea one bit. She planted her hands on her chap covered hips as she spit and sputtered, before trying to say something. Who the hell were these men to tell her what to do?
Lucien must have felt her pain and anger. He stepped up next to her. “Najha, you okay, baby?”
“I’m not a fucking baby, dude. I’m not sure who ordered these lovely gents here to tell me to stay put, but you all can kiss my ass.” She tried to take a relaxing breath, but it was nearly impossible because her heart was pounding out-of-control.
Lucien held up his hand. “Hold on, Najha, what the hell?” He turned to the now blushing Kaden and the angry Blade. He wanted to calm the situation down. “Kaden, Blade, not sure who has asked you to talk to my mate, but Najha has already proven to me she is a warrior and can fight.”
Najha squeezed his hand. “Hold up.” She gently smiled, realizing these two men had come to her on their own and not on his order. She kissed his cheek. “I appreciate you speaking for me. But let me, please.”
Lucien raised a brow then nodded.
“Kaden, I realize you’re thinking of your daughter’s disappearance. But I need to be out there with Lucien. I can track these things.”
Kaden looked troubled but bowed to her. “As you wish.” He stepped back away from the couple and walked over to some of the other bikers. Blade followed behind him.
Thorn and her mother, Myra, walked up to them.
Najha shouted out, “Mom, oh my God! How are you feeling?” She hugged her tight. Myra seemed weak but somewhat better to her. “Why are you even here? You need to be resting!”
“I’m here because I need to be. Daughter, I’m proud of you. Thankfully, you’ve found such a wonderful man as a mate. I also will speak to Lucien about something he needs to know in just a little bit. First, where is Kaden Ellroy?” she asked.
Kaden walked back over. “I’m here.”
Myra gave him a sweet but weak smile. “While trapped in that mountain, I heard a song I haven’t heard in over two hundred years.” Her voice grew softer to almost a whisper, “I believe your daughter is somewhere in that mountain.”
Kaden’s face had softened at the mention of his long-lost daughter. “She is? How do you know for sure?”
“She’s the only one I’ve known who can sing that song as beautifully as what I heard. She was there, I know it. It was the only way I survived. She gave me blood but disappeared before I could fully stay awake to ask her. She is keeping the heat of the mountain contained. Only a vampire as powerful as our Tatiana could accomplish such a feat. She’s kept the evil of those things enclosed. I have no idea why the recent turned rogues came to me to take my blood. But what I suspected while hanging there, is they are trying to grow an army to release the ancient trapped inside that mountain. This evil thing is the one who is weaving his powerful spells to create such an army. I was only used for a way for these Bolnavs to change to one of these mixed breeds.”
Kaden hugged Myra. “Thank you for giving me some hope. I’ve truly believed all these years my daughter lived but never had any proof. You’ve given me that hope today, and I intend to try to find her inside that mountain.”
“I’ll pray for you, Kaden. She was one of my best friends growing up. I hope you find her.”
Kaden nodded, slung his leg over his motorcycle and fired it up, leaving them behind as he easily caught up to the rest of his people.
Thorn looked concerned about Myra’s weakened appearance as he took hold of her arm.
Myra gazed up at him. “Thorn…Demetri is lost to us forever. He is one of these creatures, I saw for myself. He will never be a warrior again. You must find him and end his life. He was a worthy and honorable man, but now he is as evil as the rest of them. You must kill him yourself. He grows stronger now since he took my blood as well as a vampire’s. He is mixed and very strong.” She seemed weak and appeared to be in pain now. Her wrists were covered by the long sleeves of her shirt and Najha suspected it covered the burns from the silver chains.
“Okay, I’ll find him and end his life,” Thorn assured her.
Najha wanted to go with her dad. Demetri was like a father to her while she was growing up. “I’ll go with you.” She reached out and gripped Thorn’s hand.
Myra looked over at Lucien and Najha now. “Those monsters are deceiving, and you won’t recognize them. They are powerful and of mixed blood. I watched as they came and went during the day, night, and at any other time they chose. The sun has no effect on them. You must be careful. You and Lucien are probably the only two strong enough. You must take your mate’s blood, Daughter. Are you ready to convert to a savior?”
Najha was confused. What was all this? A savior? They had just discussed this, and for her to not take his blood was the right choice, she’d felt.
Lucien must have also been confused as he asked, “What do you mean, Myra?”
“I spoke with your grandfather. He told me to tell you congratulations and to keep you safe. But he also said, he knew of a special couple just like you two. They took each other’s blood and became very powerful beings. They were protectors of all our people. Lucien, I need you to give Najha your blood. It won’t cripple her as a lycan or vampire would be while converting a human. No, it will only change her over time. She will still be able to eat as a lycan, but she will need blood as well to maintain her strength. Everything else will stay the same for both of you. Lucien, you’ve already grown stronger. You will need to continue to take her blood to sustain life.”
Lucien stepped closer to her mother and spoke quietly, “Myra, what is the couple’s name?”
“Is it not important. They are dead.” She dropped that information out there, and if a pin were to fall, they all would’ve heard it.
Lucien’s frown and stiff body told Najha he was angry. She already suspected she knew who this was that her mother was talking about.
“Yes, it is important! You can’t tell me you’re talking about my parents?” Lucien’s voice hitched.
Thorn moved in closer. “Lucien, we need to go. This needs to end now.”
“No, Thorn, I need to be told the truth for fucking once. Was my father a mix?”
Najha didn’t believe her father or mother had the right to keep this information from Lucien, but she needed to calm him. “Let’s wait to talk about this, please. I don’t want you all stressed out right before we fight.” She grabbed his hand. “Lucien, I think you’ve always known the truth about your parents. It’s why we’ve connected so strongly. It all makes sense to me, now. We’re mates because your mom and dad were the same. It’s only natural for the sibling of a mixed protector to have a mate who is different.” She turned to her mother, who looked on the verge of collapsing. “Mom, am I right?”
Myra nodded her head. “I knew when you were a baby, Lucien was your mate. I loved you and protected you from this life until I knew you were strong enough to be the mate of a leader. Especially Lucien.” She reached out and Lucien grasped her hand. “His people are not so accepting of “different.” You’ve known all your life you were different than the rest of your people, haven’t you, Lucien?”
Lucien nodded. “I didn’t know why but always knew in my heart there was something. I just believed it was bad and not the good as you’ve described.”
“Think about it, Lucien. How else would you be close to Thorn the way you are? No full-blooded vampire would be so close to a full-blooded lycan.”
“Yes, we’ve been like brothers, all of our lives.”
“That is also why you’ve been mated with our daughter.” Myra still held onto Lucien’s hand, but she reached out and took Najha’s, placing her tiny hand over the top of Lucien’s. “You both need to join now. Lucien, you have Thorn’s and my permission to claim our daughter as your mate.”
Lucien bowed his head at this statement. “You do realize we cannot stay here if we do this?”
“Of course, I understand and know that you’ll protect my daughter through all of this. Until we find a way to change the laws, it is the only choice.” Myra kissed her daughter’s cheek then on tiptoes kissed Lucien’s cheek. “Welcome, son.”
Myra leaned up against Cade. Her face looked pale, and her lips turned slightly purple. “I grow weak now, child. Take your mate and go kick ass. These creatures are of mixed blood because of past lycan they’ve kept locked away in the mountain. They can walk among us in the daylight, please be careful and come back alive. “
Lucien’s scowl told Najha he was still upset. She didn’t blame him, he’d found out Thorn and the rest had kept too many secrets from him for so many years now. He had deserved a long time ago to know the truth of his heritage. She felt relieved because it made their mating easier with their blood already mixed, but she knew he was in pain over this too. “I love you.” She reached out for his hand.
Lucien looked down at her outstretched hand and frowned then he looked up at her parents. “How could you all have kept such secrets from me? You knew my parents were mixed, that I was mixed? You knew Najha was my mate and that I was near the darkness without having her with me. You hid her and you even you hid her stepfather as if I could not be trusted with the truth?” His voice rose and then his expression abruptly calmed as if he put all his emotions away. His gaze swung over to meet Najha’s, his silvery blue eyes looked cold. “I love you, Najha, you are my true mate. But I must do this on my own. You go with your father and hunt that thing inside the mountain. Me and my men will go to The Bend and try to end the string of evil we’ve been following.”
Najha understood Lucien needed immediately time away from her and her family, she nodded even as her chest hurt to breathe. Tears formed in the back of her eyes and it burned from holding them in. He couldn’t be angry with her, she did nothing wrong. Then why did it feel as if he was leaving her forever?
Lucien walked over to his bike and mounted it. “Let’s ride.” He raised his fist in the air. The vampires started their motorcycles and left with an almost angry rumble.
Vlad, the only vampire left behind, stopped in front of her and leaned forward. “Beautiful, don’t cry. He just needs to ride. He won’t leave you, permanently. Right now, he’s hurtin’ more over his parents. They should have told him.”
She nodded, tears sliding down her face. She didn’t care who saw her.
Vlad reached out but didn’t touch her. He frowned, dropping his hand down. Then he gave the trike gas, leaving her.
When a small hand touched her shoulder, she shrugged off her mom’s hand. “Leave me. Alone. You’ve all done enough.” Najha headed over to the woods. She put two fingers in her mouth and whistled. Waiting, she stripped her clothes off and shifted. To stay a wolf would relieve the pain she felt. Her animal had no pain. That was a human emotion. Burying herself inside the heart of the wolf seemed like the right thing to do at the time. If he went off without her, she could fight on her own.
Najha didn’t have to wait long as her wolves showed themselves. She knew they wouldn’t leave her alone, they’d followed them all the way to The Bend. She walked up to Red. ‘Will you help me, boy?’
He yelped and rubbed his muzzle along her neck. ‘You know I will follow you and help with anything. This is not right though. I know what you’re planning, but this thing in the mountain it is dangerous. Too powerful for you to conquer, that I promise.’
‘Red, I’m your Alpha, and you need to do as I say. Let’s track the path the trackers found to the small opening in the mountains. If it is safeguarded, I’ll need to remove the spell.’
‘NO! I won’t let you do that. Someone powerful weaved that spell to protect the world from that thing inside.’
Najha didn’t believe that for a second. Who in the world would do such a thing and live to tell it? ‘It’s got to be the rogue.’
‘Najha, I’m against this decision, but I will go with you and protect you. The pack is here for you.’
‘Dad?’ She reached out for Thorn.
‘Najha, what are you doing?’
‘I’m an adult now, so please don’t question my every move. I’m going to track that thing that is controlling the rest of them. He’s in the mountain, I can feel it. There’s a spell protecting him. I’m going to remove it and take him out. I have my pack with me.’ She prayed Thorn wouldn’t question her.
‘I think what you’re doing is dangerous and stupid. But you’re right. If we can’t end him, this will go on forever while we fight these things. Something is controlling the rest of them outside here, causing chaos and death.’
She took a deep breath and let it out. Relief filling her mind. Someone trusted her enough to know she was powerful in her own way. ‘Where are you?’ she asked him.
‘We’re heading into The Bend. There’s a house full of these things pretending to be an MC who have caused enough death around them. We’ve followed Lucien. We have ordered mayhem on this so-called MC, execution is the consequence.’
‘Good enough. See you on the other side.’ This had been the way the pack always said their goodbyes to each other before going into something dangerous like this. Najha never said goodbye.
She hated the fact that she and Lucien fought. She couldn’t blame him. Why would his parents deceive him like that? Their deaths had him grieving, but she couldn’t imagine what she would feel if her parents had kept something like that from her.
‘Najha?’
Lucien’s voice was magic to her ears. Though Najha didn’t want to answer him, she felt too hurt right now, and so she didn’t. He made his choice, and now she’d made hers. She yipped, put her nose to the ground and started reverse tracking the lycan trackers. Dane’s scent fresh on the trail. Following it, she wagged her tail to signal to the others she found a fresh scent.
‘Najha?’
‘Lucien, you’re distracting my tracking. Leave me be for now. We’ll talk later after I kill this monster who’s caused so much grief. I’m sorry about your parents, but they must have had their reasons.’
‘I know, was all she got from him.
No apologies? No telling her not to do this? He must not love her.
‘You’re thinking too loud again,’ Lucien teased. His mood seemed to have shifted somehow.
‘Lucien, I’m busy. As I’ve said to my father. See you on the other side.’ Najha pushed him out of her mind and continued along the trail.
Once they traveled a good distance, the path they were on ended and she gazed up to find a small opening into the side of the mountain. She shifted, stood, and signaled her wolves to come forward but silently.
Before they entered, she would have to release the spell sealing the opening. She could feel the long ago magic that had been used was fading and it was the reason this thing could control so many on the outside. She weaved her own confinement spell to only reinforce what someone had taken time to do a long time ago. She prayed she wasn’t trapping something or someone good inside.
Something flew down the mountain toward her, she saw it seconds before it swooped down and hit her. She quickly unsheathed her sword she always carried and swung out, cutting only air until it hit something solid in the shadows.
Blood splattered her, and someone appeared after shifting to a beautiful almost serene man in front of her. She moved swiftly using her lycan speed in front of her wolves to protect them. She didn’t recognize the evil standing in front of her, but she knew this was not the ancient, only a slave to him as well. She could smell vampire. He had the same scent as Lucien.
“You smell like Lucien all over. Are you a vampire?” he asked, trying to weave a spell to put her in a trance.
“Not happening, dude,” she growled and threw up her defenses while smiling. “I’m lycan and Lucien’s mate. It’s the reason you’re so not putting me under that evil trance you’re trying to use.”
“Ah… You’re the mate of Lucien I’ve heard so much about,” he purred out the words, soft and smooth.
“If you think you know me, you’re so wrong. Who are you? I don’t recognize your face.” She was confident in her words and actions. Najha didn’t want to straight out kill him without getting the information they all desperately needed.
He stepped closer.
Najha stepped backward a step. He moved again instantly, but she was quicker moving to the side to avoid him. She pulled her sword back around in front of her. “If you try that again, I will slice your fucking head off.”
He threw his back and laughed.
She felt more puzzled now. This man didn’t seem evil or turned.
“Why aren’t you afraid of me?” he asked.
He was trying to bait her to lose her temper and make a mistake. There was no way she would be that stupid. “Why are you so calm? For a Bolnav, you seem too…” She tilted her head, “Calm, smooth, oh God…” She shook her head. “You’re not?”
He stopped, his frown sending a warning signal. “Um, is that what you think? That I am one of those…things?”
“Yeeeeeahhhh.” But in fact, she wasn’t sure what this man was. He smelled good and definitely not evil.
“I’m not turned. I just like to live away from my people. I had some issues and needed to get the hell away from everyone.”
“Why?”
“Let me ask you this…” He stared at her, pushing his long black hair away from his face. “If you’re Lucien’s mate, how the hell can you be lycan?
“We’ve chosen to go against the laws of our people. Until we can actually figure out a way to change the law, we must live as we are.” She didn’t want to tell this man much else.
He held up his hand. “No need to explain any further. I know what you’re going to say. Let me tell you my history. Can I sit down over here?”
She nodded though she still felt puzzled by this vampire so, after a moment, she joined him on the fallen tree they used for a bench.
He leaned over and put his elbows on his knees. “Okay, I’m going to trust you with this information. I want to help you today, but after that, I’m leaving again. There’s nothing here for me.”
She swallowed but nodded. Najha wasn’t sure what this guy was going to tell her, but her curiosity kept winging around. “Come on, you’re killing me.”
He smiled and held up his hands. “Okay, I got this. I’m kind of, umm…an old friend of Lucien’s father. Well, not really. Okay, I’m Lucien’s uncle. Lucious was my brother, the name is Lukas Dazaraski.” He reached out to shake her hand.
She shook her head. “Not yet. I’m sorry.”
“Hey, no worries.” He held up his hands.
“What the hell, I’ve never heard about a brother. Why?”
“Well, let’s just say, my parents pissed me off. When I found my mate, they wouldn’t let me go to her.” His fists were clenched, and he looked away into the distance.
Red and Athena came over to her, Red laid down at her feet putting his big black head on his front legs. Athena crept closer to Lukas, the female wolf whined moving her body up against his leg. She circled and laid her head down putting her muzzle on his boot.
Najha couldn’t believe it. That female wolf was a Beta and never showed any interest in anyone including Najha. “Wow,” she whispered.
“She’s sweet.” He scratched Athena’s head.
“Why wouldn’t your parents let you be with your mate?” She really did feel confused that a man claiming to be Lucien’s uncle and a vampire was telling her this story. She’d never heard of the man.
“She was lycan.”
“But Lucius and Rose were mixed.”
Lukas stood up and pounded his fist against his palm. “What the fuck did you say?”
“My mother said that Lucien’s parents were mixed. Apparently, Lucius met Rose, a lycan. They were allowed to be together.”
“The laws, they told me I couldn’t be with my Vera. How could this happen? She’s dead because of their stupidity.” He paced near their sitting place.
Athena whined, she sat up and stared up at Lukas. The wolf seemed distressed by his actions.
“I left my family because they wouldn’t let me go to my mate because she was a lycan.”
Najha nodded. She didn’t sense evil among this man who claimed to be Lucius’ blood brother. She wanted to ask Lucien about this man, but she didn’t want to connect to Lucien just in case this Bolnav had ancient powers and was still trying to deceive her. “Why haven’t I ever heard about you?” She doubted some of his story. But she realized she’d been scared as well to pursue Lucien because of their laws. Maybe this man had his reasons too.
He chuckled. “Of course, you wouldn’t. Why would you hear about me? My parents hid the fact that I left them. I didn’t want to be found. When they denied me my mate, I was angry. We had a really nasty fight, and I needed to be with my mate, but they wouldn’t allow it. When she ended her life, it nearly drove me mad. I had to stay away from them, or I would have been the one to kill them. But I didn’t kill them, so it doesn’t matter anymore who I am.”
“Why didn’t you beg your father and explain who your mate was?”
“They wouldn’t have cared. They were all up into their own problems and teaching Lucien to be a leader. I was,” he gazed up at the dark sky then at Najha, “what the humans would call, a black sheep.”
“Seriously?” Najha wanted to keep talking. She was trying to find out if this was a turned Bolnav or rogue. She didn’t think so. This man seemed to be something different.
“I need to sit down. I’m tired. It’s been too long since I fed.” He sat back down.
Athena once again put herself at his feet.
“You’re not a Bolnav or a rogue, are you?” Najha questioned him.
He shook his head. “No.” He lowered his eyes and stared at the wolf. He reached down and patted her head. “Hey, you. Thank you.”
Athena looked up then laid her muzzle on his knee.
Najha suspected maybe he could be someone being controlled by the monster in the mountain. But she waited a few more minutes, and he didn’t disappoint her. Her wolves’ behavior told her he wasn’t a danger too.
“Before I mated with Vera, I was mortally wounded. Eric Foster, Senior, went to Vera and told her what happened. She came to me immediately and gave me her blood. When I woke, I knew they’d just signed my death warrant. My father would not allow a mixed-blood to live.”
“Oh, no.” She’d heard the story of the lycan princess, Vera. Her father’s sister. She died when she ended her life a long time ago. “She saved your life, why would they hate her for that?” Najha sat down but far enough away to still hold her sword. She was thankful she’d dressed as soon as she shifted. This way, she had confidence with this ancient vampire. He wasn’t turned, she already knew that now. She waited to see if he would tell her how it all went down.
“Yes, Vera was a beautiful princess but the daughter of Sarah and Steel, I believe your grandfather.”
“How did you know about me?” Najha asked.
He frowned. “I just found out about you while I followed you and your pack. Your pain was intense, and I was worried about you alone out here. That thing inside the mountain is trapped in there by a powerful being. I’ve stayed near here to make sure it doesn’t escape. I have no knowledge of the spells, I left before learning any of this magic you all use.”
“Why?” Najha wondered about this soul who separated himself from his people.
“When she gave me her blood, it made me stronger, wiser, and definitely something different. My father was angry and wanted me to stay hidden until they knew what would happen after the blood exchange. When I found out what had happened to Vera, I wanted everyone to know I was Vera’s mate. When she found out my parents pretty much hid me away from everyone, she blamed herself and took care of the problem by running away. I was devastated and wanted to give her time to go to her parents and explain about us.” His pain-fill eyes focused on her.
“Why didn’t you go to Lucius or your parents and ask them if you could still be her mate?”
“I did. Lucius told me it would be impossible and not to put our parents in that position. I wanted them to give me some time and possibly think about it. They went to Vera’s parents, your grandparents, and told them I was off limits and the law stated we couldn’t be mated. Vera, I guess, overheard the conversation and decided to end her life. They only meant well, I know that. But Vera didn’t believe in them like I did. When she went missing and we put an entire search party together, I was the one who found her. She’d hung herself in the woods by a silver chain. She was dead, and there wasn’t a damn thing anyone could do to bring her back to life. The day of her funeral, I left, never to return.”
He seemed like such an honorable man to her. “You should have stayed with your people,” she gently scolded him.
“Why? They did nothing for me. I’m better off out here alone. I’ve been protecting the world from that beast in there.” He pointed behind him to the mountain. “It was an honorable way to exist.”
“I’ve strengthened the spell to the opening. It was weakening with age. My father, Thorn, is in town. He has to take care of the newly changed Bolnavs, some we believe are mixed. They took my mom and fed from her lycan blood. I want to kill that thing, so it can’t keep doing this.”
He nodded. “Your mother? How is she?”
“That thing kidnapped her and chained her with silver in a cave inside the mountain.” Najha was surprised he hadn’t helped her mother. “Why didn’t you try to help her?”
“I didn’t know. I stay at the top of the mountain in a monastery. The monks living there need me. They give me privacy and a place to lie my body when I need the soil to heal and rest. I arrived after you’d already saved her.”
This being before her had kind blue eyes. He was a handsome man, and she mourned the loss of such a great warrior. “If you are as you say, then you’ll let me in to see you.” Najha knew this was a big risk and she planned on joining with Lucien to help protect her.
He nodded. “As you wish.”
‘Lucien, will you—’
He stopped her immediately, ‘I’m already connected with you. Do you honestly think I would have left you alone after we mated?’
‘I hoped not. You’re so—’
‘Let’s get to this. I’m right in the middle of a battle.’
‘Okay…’
Najha already joined with Lucien, slowly worked her way inside the mind of this warrior. She was powerful and with his voluntary permission, they joined minds so she could see who he was. He was old, over six hundred years. She saw when he was a child running free next to his brothers and sisters. They were happy and content. Until a day that was dark and boding. Something came to the children. There was no escaping. The woman seemed so sweet and kind. Until she struck, her long teeth taking the blood of the two boys.
‘Wait,’ Lucien begged.
She continued through the memories. The woman had been a vampire, and she converted the two boys. They shared the secret with each other and decided to fight the anger and bloodthirst to go to others and kill them as the vampires they knew wreaked havoc throughout their small village. Their parents were murdered, leaving the young siblings to care for their smaller brothers and sisters who were still human.
Lucius and Lukas stood side-by-side as strong, muscular warriors helping the humans fight off the frightening vampires who tried to kill for blood. They ended their miserable existences and decided to use their strong skills to fight off evil.
Najha couldn’t believe the goodness and heart in these two young men. The beginning of what they knew as the vampires today. They spent the next few hundred years trying to wipe the world clean, as they knew it. Naming the turned vampires, the one who turned them, Bolnav. Lucius finding his mate, Sarah, a lycan joined the two groups of people together in a happy and peaceful group. The lycan protecting the people during the day and vampire at night.
Lucien was born, and Thorn was born to his lycan parents, Steel and Sarah. The boys grew up together and peace settled around their homes. The Ukraine and Romania became their sanctuary after they had killed the evil or so they thought.
When somehow the vampires were discovered by the humans, the people were hunted, and the lycan were almost extinguished. Lucien spoke with Lucius and Lukas, and they decided to let Lukas and Lucien bring their people to the new world they’d heard so much about.
Having humans who protected them, they arranged passage on a ship.
After coming to the new world, they settled in. Then Lucien and Lukas thought it was a great idea to help Thorn and bring over some of the last remaining lycan. So they set out to arrange for that passage. But on the way, Thorn and his people lost six young children to what they found out later was seasickness. Thorn blamed the vampires but knew it wasn’t their fault and had already forgiven them by the time they crossed the great ocean and met them in the new world.
Lucius moved to the new world shortly after bringing his wife and lycan, Rose, to the new world. Lukas met Vera, Thorn’s sister, who survived the trip. She was a young teen barely old enough but still a pup. When Lukas asked Thorn for Vera’s hand in marriage he said until he had permission from his father, Steel, he couldn’t let him be with her.
Najha left the memories of Lukas and sat back against the tree after sliding to the ground landing on her ass. She was exhausted and didn’t want to know more. Lucien was still with her but remained silent. She knew his pain as hers. They knew nothing about his parents being a lycan and vampire. They’d married and joined the people together. This was all new to them.
She knew only Lucien’s warmth and love surrounding her. She rubbed her temples and slowly opened her eyes. Lukas was still next to her, but his eyes were closed. She whispered, “I’m sorry about your mate. You’re a great warrior, and I’d be happy to call you friend.”
His eyes opened then widened slightly, and he smiled. Standing, he walked up to her, “You’re a trusting little lycan, aren’t you?”
“I’ve already seen into your memories. You’ve always helped us and never harmed unless you needed to. I also know you’re the one who’ve kept these mountains on this side safe all these years. Thank you for allowing me to join minds with you.” She knew he was powerful and would never have let her in if he’d had something to hide.
“You’re ever so welcome, Najha.” He bowed. “Well, if you think we should hunt this monster down, let’s go.” He waved to her before offering his hand to help her stand.
She reached out.
Lukas grabbed her hand and easily pulled her up. He was strong and lethal. He’d only sat down to give her a reason to relax and trust him to have their little conversation.
Najha grinned. “You’re sly, you know that, don’t you?”
“I am. Before joining the Monks, I was always known for my conversational skills.” He chuckled.