It was about one in the morning before Kane and Lia were done cleaning the house. He grinned to himself when he went upstairs to check on Courtney and he could hear her snoring through the doorway. It was an unfortunate habit she’d inherited from her grandfather, a man Kane had always admired and respected. Unfortunately, after Ava died, Colonel Peters wanted nothing more to do with the family his daughter had left behind, and so Courtney had grown up with no family except Kane on her side.
His own family had all perished in the wars, leaving him angry and bitter. It seemed there was no end to the devastation heaped on Kane’s shoulders during the war. It was unbelievable that he had even agreed to teach a human, let alone become engaged to one, after all that had transpired in the past.
Kane shook the thoughts away. They wouldn’t do him any good. He was just going to have to stick with the situation and hope for the best. He knew that most of the men in the running to take over the school had been disqualified by several of the old laws. It was really a contest between Kane and Max. That had probably been the real reason for Max’s little visit that day. He wanted to size Kane up; to see if the rumors were true. And now that he knew they were, Kane expected Max was going to step up his game, whether he was prepared for it or not. With a man as cold as Thames on his side, who knew what Max might end up being capable of?
Kane had seen men like Thames before, during the war. He was a cold and calculating man, one who could not be trusted under any circumstances. It seemed impossible to believe that Max’s campaign was going to be innocuous. There was something more sinister at work here than he had originally suspected, and he was going to have to find out what it was.
“Oh, sorry, I didn’t see you there,” Kane said, startled to find Lia sprawled on an armchair, half asleep, when he walked into the living room. “Why aren’t you in bed?”
Lia sat up, red-faced, and shrugged a little.
“I guess I was just waiting for you to tell me what we’re supposed to do now,” she said, her voice small and tired. She was looking at him with complete trust, and he turned away quickly. He didn’t deserve that sort of kindness. He was twice her age, and about to take her to bed with him. It just seemed wrong, no matter how long her kind, beautiful face stayed seared into his memory.
“Come,” Kane said with a sigh, walking rigidly past her and down the hallway that led to the bedroom he had moved into after Ava had died. The one he had shared with her was upstairs near Courtney’s, but after Ava’s passing, he had decided to take over Courtney’s playroom and sleep there instead. The memories were just too painful to face night after night.
“It’s cold in here,” Lia said with a small laugh. Kane smirked despite himself.
“I like to keep it that way. A true wolf’s den is dark and cool. With a good view of the moon.”
Lia walked to the window and frowned.
“There’s a tree here,” she pointed out. “How are you supposed to see the moon?”
Kane walked behind Lia and reached above her head to close the curtains in front of her face. She was clearly surprised, and his own body was shocked into awareness by the nearness of her’s. She had been on the swim team, he suddenly remembered, and her body was small and tight against him. It was clear the girl had no clue whatsoever what she was capable of, and the thought excited him deeply. But it was a feeling he was ashamed to have and he backed away from her quickly, as if she were made of fire.
“I used to sleep upstairs, actually. Before my wife…”
Kane trailed off and Lia nodded understandingly.
“It’s a good compromise,” Lia said gently, touching Kane’s shoulder.
He closed his eyes, surprised by the comfort that radiated from her touch. Perhaps she had been born from a line of healers; the only somewhat mystical calling a human could have. A gift his wife had also been blessed with…
Kane flinched away and turned his back on Lia, who seemed to realize immediately that she had not honored her place.
“I’m sorry,” she said quickly. “I…”
“The law states you are to sleep in the same room as I. The room is small, but I’m sure you will also find it quite comfortable.”
“Kane…”
“I promise I will do nothing to take advantage of you,” Kane continued, as if he hadn’t heard her. “That means you will remain a virgin until the end of our arrangement. After I take power, or don’t, then you will be free to live your own life. An actual marriage is not a part of the agreement. All we have to do is have a ceremony, where your presence and your promise to wed me will lend power to the transference of power. However, if we are not convincing enough, the council may order us to be wed on the spot, which means the divorce papers will come into play. It’s not a huge issue, but they could prove tricky. So if you have ever wanted a role as an actor, now is your chance.”
Lia had grown quiet, and nodded as she listened closely to Kane’s words. She was taking the whole thing very seriously, much more seriously than even a shifter her age probably would have. It was strange, really, but he felt as if he could truly trust her. That was a feeling that was rare for a man like Kane to acquire. But he had known her for years now. He had read her papers, and in a way, looked right into her heart. She was a good person. For a human, anyway.
“I understand,” Lia finally said with a sigh. “I’m tired, Mr. Desmond.”
Kane’s heart melted as he studied Lia from across the room, her beautiful, pure face the very picture of patience.
“Of course,” he said, clearing his throat. “I’m sorry. I have a bathroom through this door. You can ready yourself for bed there. As you can see, there is only one place for us to sleep, so make yourself comfortable there. I promise not to bother you.”
Lia nodded, as if finally hearing what she had been waiting for, and disappeared into the bathroom. Soon, he heard the shower running, and hesitated before leaving the room. He hadn’t realized just how intimate it was going to be to have to share his bedroom with Lia for the next three weeks. It was actually a really difficult arrangement, and he immediately regretted making the commitment so soon. He could have done it just a few days prior to Franklin’s selection. But now that it was already done, there was little he could do. He would have to play it by the old laws for now, and hope that, in the end, it would be worth it.
***
“You look like hell!” Max said delightedly, his mocking eyes filling Kane with fury. “Trouble in paradise?”
“Everything is perfect, Fredrickson,” Kane glowered.
“I can imagine sleeping next to such a fine little specimen would be a bit difficult, wouldn’t it?”
“What do you want, Max?” Kane asked, slamming his fist on the table.
The truth was, he was tired. Tired as hell. He had spent all night sitting up rigidly in a chair across from the bed, watching as Lia slept peacefully between his sheets, her delicate head on one of his pillows, her scent filling his room and sending him on the brink of madness. He hadn’t wanted anybody so badly since Ava, and now he was pissed at himself for even allowing himself to get into this stupid situation. If it weren’t for the future of the shifter youth, he never would have considered it.
“I’m here because I have great news,” Max said, his eyes sparkling. Kane felt a knot in his stomach begin to form. If Max was legitimately excited about something, it was probably not going to be a good thing.
“What news?” Kane asked. “Spit it out, man. I’m hungover.”
“And cranky!” Max pointed out cheerfully. “No worries, friend. I’ll chew it up before I spit it out a bit so it will be easier for you to digest.”
“We’re not birds, Max. Stop kidding around, I have work to do.”
“As of yesterday, the council has decided that it’s official.”
“What’s official?”
“That we are going to need to take this little matter to a vote. Keep the old laws in place, or veer toward a new outlook. Something we’re calling the Malishk Law Reform.”
“Malishk…” Kane said, more to himself than to Max. “I feel like I’ve heard that word before.”
“Who knows,” Max said with a dismissive shrug. “What’s really important is that the person Franklin chooses to take over for him is going to have the power to sway all of the students of SU in one direction or another in the upcoming vote. And things aren’t going to be looking too good for you, I already know that much. Taking a student as a wife, Desmond? Pretty pathetic.”
Kane stood abruptly from his desk, startling Max, who bumped his back against the wall as he attempted to find the door.
“Let’s make one thing clear, Max,” Kane growled. He had been hoping to keep things civil with Max until everything was over, but combined with his lack of sleep and already being on his last nerve over everything that was happening, the wolf in him decided to speak its piece. “Neither of us know what will be the determining factor in Franklin’s decision, and even if you win, I swear by the very wolf inside me, I will work tirelessly, day and night, to see to it that the students know the truth about this reform.”
Max backed out of the room, his face a little more tense, but his eyes dancing.
“You can yell from the rooftops until your face turns blue,” Max said. “But you and I both know that when it comes to reality, these kids are shifters first. They know what it is to respect power, and with me in charge, that means that you, Desmond, aren’t going to have any. My first act is going to be to fire your ass so fast that the kids here will start to see you as nothing but some crazy hack trying to compensate for losing his job. They’ll see just how pathetic you really are. You and your outdated ways of thinking.”
And with that, Max disappeared from the doorway, leaving Kane seething at his desk.