Nocturne 040 – Scions 02 - Patrice Michelle - Insurrection (28 page)

Covered in blond fur, Nathan might have a thicker chest, but he stood several inches shorter than Landon. All she knew was, Nathan couldn’t compete with Landon’s massive size.

“Take it outside!” Garius roared above the men’s snarls.

Growling, Nathan took a swipe at Landon’s chest with his deadly claws, leaving bloody gashes in his wake before he immediately leaped over the crowd to head outside.

Slimy coward, Kaitlyn thought as Landon took a powerful leap, clearing the crowd to land in the hall.

Most of the weres and the other Omega immediately followed, yelling their encouragement. Only a few weres lagged behind, arguing.

“Landon will tear him to shreds,” Caine smirked.

“Nathan’s a cunning-as-shit fighter, though,” a shorter brown-haired man said.

“Nathan will win,” Brian said with confidence.

“Wanna make a bet?” Caine challenged the blond man.

Brian got right in Caine’s face. “You’re on. If Nathan loses, I’ll sit out of this year’s Alpha run.”

Caine chuckled. “It doesn’t matter if you sit it out or not. Landon will dominate you and send you home with your tail tucked.”

“Come on, you’re missing the action,” Laird yelled from down the hall. All the weres ran out of the room, dropping their argument in lieu of witnessing a good Musk brawl in progress.

Kaitlyn started to follow, when she realized Garius had pulled the curtains wide open and had settled comfortably in a chair near the window—with her father’s journal already open in his hand. She considered the violation of her father’s privacy, but thought maybe one of the Omega should know the whole story. Walking over to stand beside him, she asked, “Are you going to watch them?”

Garius gave a casual glance outside then returned his attention to the journal. “I know what the outcome will be,” he said and slowly flipped the pages.

Worry knotted her stomach. She glanced out the window to see Nathan and Landon’s arms locked together, teeth snapping. Their growls of fury sent a chill down her spine. She knew Nathan was as underhanded as they came. He would pull every dirty trick to defeat Landon. She frowned at Garius. “Don’t you think you should be there to make sure it’s a fair fight?”

He didn’t look up from the book. “Such is life, Kaitlyn. There will be unfairness in fights. It’s up to the wolf to anticipate such things, to be prepared for everything. Only the fittest, in every respect, will survive.”

Kaitlyn’s gaze shot to the window. Nathan took off into the woods and Landon quickly followed, along with all the male and female weres cheering them on. “It just seems so brutal.”

Garius’s blue eyes narrowed as he met her gaze. “We are a primal race, Kaitlyn. If you don’t think you can handle that, then Landon is not the man for you. He will rule this pack with fairness, but there will be times he must prove his dominance in order to keep their respect. They’ve needed a strong Alpha to lead them.”

Her eyes widened. “Are you saying he’ll be the new Alpha if he defeats Nathan?”

Garius continued skimming the pages in the journal. “He’ll be the new Alpha until the run happens, at which time the Omega will allow him to participate. I have no doubt he will be victorious.”

Nodding her understanding, Kaitlyn’s chest tightened with concern for Landon, but she realized she needed to show strength and confidence in her mate when it came to this pack. She moved to sit in the chair next to Garius and waited for him to finish her father’s journal. A few minutes ticked past before he closed the book with a snap and handed it back to her. “This explains a lot.” He appeared contemplative as he stared at the bullet slug around her neck. “Landon was the man your father had seen in the park, wasn’t he?”

Kaitlyn slid the journal in her pocket and nodded. “Yes. Landon hasn’t read this journal yet, so he doesn’t know my father planned to commit suicide that night. I believe once Landon learns the whole truth, he’ll be able to forgive himself.”

“The question is…” Garius’s penetrating stare made her want to squirm.

“Have you forgiven him?”

Her own words from her mother’s eulogy came back to her. True love will endure the obstacles life throws at you. She nodded. “Now that I know the circumstances and Landon’s strong Alpha tendencies, I understand his motivations. My father is gone, but I know it was an accident. Landon has paid for it for eighteen years. I think it’s time to let the guilt go.”

Garius smiled and reached over to clasp her hand. “Agreed. Welcome to the pack, Kaitlyn McKinney. You have proven you are an Alpha’s mate through and through.”

When Kaitlyn squeezed his hand in return, Garius’s smile widened into a smug grin. “Come on, let’s go congratulate the winner.”

She glanced out the window. No one was about. “But—”

“I just heard a victory howl.”

Kaitlyn frowned. “I don’t hear any—” She paused when the collective din of wolf howls finally reached her ears, echoing through the woods and penetrating the house’s walls. One howl elevated above them all, sending a shiver of excitement down her spine.

Landon was the new Alpha.

W hy can’t I stay? Kaitlyn mentally yelled at the injustice of being shuffled off to Landon’s cabin right after the fight was over. She’d stayed quiet the entire time Caine had walked her through the woods at a brisk pace, because she’d spent the whole time fuming that Landon had sent Caine to take her to his home.

When Landon’s house came into view, Kaitlyn put out her hand. She didn’t bother with niceties. “I’ll take the key and you can be done with your babysitting duties.”

Caine shoved his hands in his front pockets and frowned. “That’s pretty harsh.”

She dropped her hand to her side. “It was meant to be. I don’t know why I have to be carted away like some dirty little backwoods mutt who showed up at the door and no one wants.”

Caine stopped walking and stared at her in surprise. “You think that we don’t want you around? That Landon’s embarrassed?”

Kaitlyn faced him and lifted her hands up in the air. “What else am I supposed to think? Why else shuttle me out of there as fast as you could?”

Running his hand through his black hair, Caine murmured something about stubborn females, then sighed. “Landon asked me to take you home so he could clean up. He didn’t want you to see him like that.”

“Like what?” she challenged. “I saw him shift to his Musk form. Now I can honestly say, ‘you ain’t got nothing I haven’t already seen’ with a straight face.”

Caine chuckled as he started to walk toward the cabin.

Kaitlyn trailed after him. “Hey, what’s so funny?”

His amused gaze cut her way. “The fact that you’re going to constantly challenge Landon.”

When she frowned, he laughed. “That’s a good thing. Landon has spent too much time to himself.”

Guilt crept into her chest, slowly pushing down its heavy weight. Once they walked up the porch stairs, Caine pulled the cabin key out of his pocket. He handed it to her and leaned against the porch’s railing, sobering. “I wasn’t referring to you not seeing him in Musk form, Kaitlyn. I was referring to Landon not wanting you to see him all bloody and wounded from the battle with Nathan.” He snarled when he said the man’s name.

“What happened?” Kaitlyn asked.

“Landon had Nathan down and was going let him live when Nathan picked up dirt and threw it in Landon’s eyes. The idiot went after Landon, trying his best to take him out while he was blinded by the dirt.” He shook his head. “Nathan gave Landon no other choice. It was kill or be killed.”

She blew out a frustrated breath at these Lupreda men trying to save her “sensibilities.” “Caine, seeing Landon all bloody would’ve made me worried for him, instead of horrified at what he’d done to Nathan. I could tell Nathan was the kind who would take the fight all the way to the final end…for one of them.”

Caine smirked. “Did you have any doubt Landon would win?”

“No, she didn’t,” Landon said as he came around the side of the cabin. Kaitlyn drank in the sight of her mate fresh from battle. He had a gash on one cheek and a few scratches on his neck. A long tear was already healing along his left arm. He’d shaven and his hair was still wet, but damn he looked sexy as hell in a dark green T-shirt and jeans, staring up at her as if he wanted to devour her.

Landon nodded to Caine. “Thanks for watching over my mate.” He glanced at the sun sinking low in the sky. “It’ll be dark soon. Go and enjoy your last run for the month.”

Caine whooped and jumped over the porch rail. He landed with the gracefulness of a cat, and took off running as soon as his feet hit the ground.

Kaitlyn turned to speak to Landon and bumped into his chest. She took a step back and frowned. “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to your speed. Over there one second, in my face the next.”

Landon stepped right up to her. He ran his finger along her cheek, then down her shirt’s V neckline. Deep green eyes locked with hers and his seductive smile sent molten heat throughout her body, setting her nerve endings on fire. “I got the impression you liked me up close and in your face.”

She opened her mouth to speak, but the words wouldn’t come. Now that they were alone, and after everything that had happened to them, suddenly she didn’t know what to say, let alone where to start. Landon lifted his chain from around her neck and then slid it over his head. Once the bullet settled into place against his chest, he said, “Let’s go inside. It’ll be dark soon.”

Kaitlyn wanted to rip the chain off his neck and tell him to stop torturing himself, but she knew that for Landon to remove the necklace for good, he’d have to forgive himself first.

She allowed him to escort her inside and help her remove her coat. As he hung her jacket on the coat rack near the door, she pulled her father’s journal from the front pocket and held it out to him. “I want you to read this.”

Landon set his jaw and shook his head. “These are your father’s personal writings. They weren’t meant to be read by others.”

Kaitlyn lifted his hand and placed the slim book in his palm. “That’s where you’re wrong. He would’ve wanted you, of all people, to read this and understand him.”

Before Landon could say a word, she walked out of the room and into the kitchen.

Her hand shook as she opened the fridge. She decided she’d prepare something for dinner while Landon read her father’s journal. Staying busy would keep her from wondering what he was thinking as he turned the pages.

When she didn’t find anything in the crisper drawer, she murmured,

“Does the man not eat any vegetables?” No fruit existed, either. She’d bet her last dollar the freezer was packed. She looked. Yep, full to the hilt. I’m going to have to talk to that man about his diet. Or lack thereof.

With a sigh, she raided the cabinets, looking for some wine. Water wasn’t going to cut it. She smiled when she found a good cabernet in the pantry.

It had grown dark outside by the time she’d found the corkscrew and poured them a glass. Landon had to be almost done reading. Taking a couple sips of hers, she picked up their glasses and walked into the living room.

The lamp’s soft light glowed against the couch, shining down on her father’s journal. Landon stood by the big window, staring out in the darkness. When she approached, he turned and took the glass of wine she offered.

She looked at the book on the couch, then met his gaze. “Did you read it?”

Landon drank the glass of wine in one huge gulp.

She raised her eyebrow and took the empty glass from him. Setting the two glasses on the end table, she faced him. “I take it that means ‘yes.’”

A couple of wolf howls echoed off in the woods somewhere and her gaze jerked to Landon’s. Sheer torture and deep longing reflected in his gaze before he turned from staring out the window.

Lacing his fingers with hers, he said, “How did you figure out you were blood Lupreda? Just because your dad was bitten didn’t mean you carried our blood.”

“After I read my dad’s journal, something Caine said struck me. He asked me why the vampires didn’t instantly kill me like they had other humans.”

Landon squeezed her hand and his face set in hard lines. “I don’t want to think about what might’ve happened to you if I hadn’t gotten to that alley when I did.”

She smiled and kissed his knuckles. “When I walked into the library that night, I cut my finger on the door handle. A man was walking out at the same time I walked in. He immediately jerked his head my way and followed me back inside. That man was one of the vampires who attacked me.”

“He smelled blood,” Landon interjected. “Vampires are obviously drawn to it. Maybe you didn’t smell poisoned to him. Jachin said the poisoned blood is apparently being bred out of the younger humans.”

She shook her head. “You told me the vampires bred the werewolves to hunt. Don’t you see? When that vampire attacked me, he didn’t bite my neck. Instead, he swiped his hand down my chest and ripped it open, then sneered, ‘Wanna play, bitch?’ Then the other vampire said, ‘Giving us a good run, little red?’ At the time I thought they were just throwing out insulting slurs, but once I read my father’s journal I realized I carry his blood—they were calling me a wolf!”

“That was a helluva gamble you took.” Landon shook his head in amazement. Leaning close to her neck, he inhaled, then ran his fingers in a tender caress along her jawline. “Why don’t you smell like us?”

She leaned into his touch. “I guess because I’m the offspring of a changed human and a fully human mother.” Tugging on his hand, she said,

“Come on. Let’s talk.”

Landon followed her to the couch and sat down beside her. He wouldn’t let go of her hand when she tried to turn and face him. Kaitlyn sighed and adjusted herself along his side while he ran his fingers over the book’s cover. “Tell me what you’re thinking,” she asked.

He spoke in a low tone. “I think we could’ve had a great member of this pack. I wish to hell I’d known about your dad.”