Blood Will Tell (Warriors of Ankh #1) (19 page)

He merely nodded.

She looked between the two of them again. Irini was somewhat closemouthed about the pack and their way of life, but this she had mentioned. Lunarmorte was an ancient ritual amongst their specific lykan pack, dating back to their Portuguese origins. If there was a break in the hereditary line of the pack, or a rebel rising within it, it fell to a Lunarmorte to determine the Pack Leader. It was fought during a full moon and only happened once in a blue one.

“
As you can imagine, in the end only one challenged Lucien. Lucien killed him within seconds.”

“
Who?”

“
Dermot.”

Irini look unsurprised by this. “You sound admiring of Lucien. Am I to assume he has done well as Pack Leader these last five years?”

Dimitri stood, towering over them, stating his authority physically. “It was Lucien’s idea to keep you here protected; there are still some Midnight followers of The Hunter on the loose, and we had no way of knowing if they still held plans for Caia.” He nodded towards her, using her name for the first time, and drawing her back into the reality of what he was saying. “Instead he wanted to wait until we had built a safe new life.”

“
And I’m guessing you have now that you’re here.”

“
Yes. Lucien has managed to integrate us into a good town. All the families have good jobs. Lucien’s got this furniture business going …” He drifted off at the sour look that passed over Irini’s face.

“
We’ve been left here for ten years, Dimitri.”

“
I know.”

Irini shook her head in anger. “No! You don’t know. I have been left here with Caia whilst my brother gallivanted around goddess knows where - not allowed to come home for my father’s funeral, not allowed to even speak one word to my mother!”

“
Irini-”

“
And now my brother just expects me to come home. Like nothing happened? Like he didn’t abandon us? Goddess-”

“
Irini!” He growled, and Caia slid back in her seat. She had lived with Irini’s tantrums for ten years. Not entirely sure how to deal with the behaviour she had merely listened as Irini hissed and snarled about her predicament. Apparently Dimitri didn’t have the patience for it.

Irini’s eyes had widened and she had shrunk closer to Caia.

“
You would not even be able to return if it wasn’t for Lucien. As soon as he learned of Albus’ death he hunted The Hunter and he won. He did not send for you immediately because he wanted to make sure you had somewhere safe to come home to. And now you have.”

“
And if we don’t want to?” She whispered, although Caia was sure she didn’t really mean it.

Dimitri glanced at Caia. “You must,” he said, throwing Irini a meaningful look. Irini now turned to her and reached for her hand. Clasping it she nodded in agreement.

“
Do we leave now?” Caia enquired.

Dimitri looked at her, seeming startled. It was the first time she had spoken. “Yes,” he eventually acknowledged. “Whilst you pack, I’ll summon Marion so she can finally drop the protection spell from these many years past.”

2 - The Unknown

They travelled by plane. Caia sat by Dimitri leaving Irini alone to her thoughts.

“
You’re apprehensive.” Dimitri smiled kindly down at her. She brushed her hair behind her ears so she could look up at him. Being so close to him she could smell his own individual brand of beautiful damp earth that identified him as a lykan. It brought with it unprepared for memories. In truth, she sighed inwardly, she had been so long without the pack that if it hadn’t been for her weekly runs with Irini in her true form, she would have felt almost entirely human; a socially deficient human, but one nonetheless. Looking into Dimitri’s eyes she saw blurry images of a life long gone, a life where she had felt a part of something. But it no longer existed, and now they just expected her to what... be one of them again? The pack didn’t know her anymore, and she didn’t know them.

“
Of course,” she muttered in reply to his question. “I’m the returning orphan who stole away a member of their pack.”

He laughed. “Irini? She’ll get over it.”

“
Really? Because that’s what lykans do, they get over it?”

“
Well.” He shrugged, his eyes twinkling. “True we’re a temperamental bunch, but Irini has never blamed you for what happened. No one has.”

Right
.

“
Good to know.” She turned away and gazed straight ahead with her jaw set in determination. Out of the corner of her eye she felt him nod in understanding. It was irritating - she wanted to hide where he couldn’t see through her false bravado.

“
Well, as for having no immediate family that will change. It’s only right you go back to staying with Irini and her mother Ella... and Lucien, of course.”

“
What about Uncle Magnus?” She tried to sound indifferent. Magnus was an Elder like Dimitri and Ella, and in truth, the lykan she remembered the most.

“
He’s there … waiting for you, too.”

They’re all waiting for me
, she sighed, trying to tamp down the butterflies in her stomach.

“
You’ve been living a civilised life with Irini in a big town much longer than the pack has. I’m sure you fit in at high school much better than any of the pack kids.”

She turned towards him at that smiling wryly, shaking her head. “Uh well … I wouldn’t say I exactly fit in.”

“
What would you say then?”

“
I ate lunch in my car.”

“
Oh.”

***

The door was thrown open, his tall, gangly assistant almost falling into the room in his hurry to get to him.

“
The spell!” He heaved, as he lunged at him, out of breath.

“
You’ve been
running
?” He asked him incredulously, following the trail of sweat that trickled down his assistant’s forehead.

He nodded, bending over, his hands braced on his knees as he tried to regain composure. “I … I … I still … haaaa … haven’t … mastered the communication spell you taught me.” He gulped for air again, wheezing as he flopped down beside him.

“
Well obviously you rushed with a purpose. Spit it out, Lars.”

Lars turned to him now, his eyes bright with excitement. “The protection spell is down. She’s unprotected.”

His eyes blazed with the news. “You’re certain?”

“
Positive. I’ve been on Marion duty for two years. Her protection spell on the girl has been dropped.”

His smile of triumph was slow and predatory. “Do you know what this means?”

“
It’s time?”

“
Activate our agent.”

***

“
They’re on their way, Magnus.” Lucien sauntered into his sitting room. Magnus was sprawled across an armchair, whilst his mother Ella poured them all coffee.

The Elder looked up at him and smiled brightly. “I get to see my Cy again.”

“
I forgot how fond you were of the little brat.”

“
You were too busy chasing skirts at the time to notice the little blonde kid who was constantly perched on his shoulder,” Ella pointed out wryly.

“
I remembered her,” his voice was low, tone a warning. Instantly a chill fell over the room.

Ella stood slowly, her eyes narrowed on her son. “No one would dispute that you were very aware of Caia’s existence, Lucien. I meant only that you avoided her, so you knew nothing about her.”

“
She was a cute kid.” Magnus chuckled, straightening up beside Ella, his warm teasing bending the steel of tension emanating from Lucien. His huge hand came down on Ella’s shoulder. “Why don’t you brew more coffee?”

Nodding stiffly she left the room, muttering under her breath about sensitive dogs.

“
You need to ease up, Lucien. Everyone is well aware that you’ve fulfilled your responsibilities to this pack and that you intend to fulfil the one that’s on that plane. Defences down, please.”

“
Thought I was the Pack Leader?”

Magnus laughed and cuffed him across the head, pushing him into a seat. “You’re still a pup.”

After Ella had returned with more coffee, and it was clear the tension had eased between son and mother, talk returned to pack business.

“
So when do they get here?” Magnus queried, his excitement evident. Lucien had been so wrapped up in dealing with what was to come from Caia’s return that he had forgotten about the one person who was actually looking forward to it. The girl had never known anything but Albus and Ella, and in particular, Magnus.

He didn’t want to burst Magnus’ bubble but they needed to get serious about the situation. “Magnus-”

“
Don’t start with that tone... this is a happy occasion. This is what your father fought for: the safe return of Rafe’s daughter.”

Lucien sighed. “I know. And I am happy to finally have that realised. Goddess knows for this reason only I will have made the old man proud. But Magnus.” His hard silver eyes searched Magnus’ happy ones. “We have to deal with the pack.”

Reluctantly, the Elder nodded in agreement. “Stupid, scared judgemental lykans.”

“
That may be, but they’re our lykans, and we’ve got to make sure the pack is happy.”

Ella cleared her throat from the corner of the room. “I’ve already made sure most of the mated females are clear that they have to welcome Cy home. It’s the young I’m worried about. Most of them will see her as an outsider anyway. They still fear what they don’t know, and they fear possible war …
and
the fact that she’s more competition for our males …”

Lucien smirked. “Yeah, I see where you’re going. Fine.” He heaved, slapping his knees in determination and standing to his feet. “We’ll gather the whole pack here. It must be made perfectly clear to them that Caia is part of this pack’s future; that mention of the war is to be kept to minimum, absolutely nothing about her parents …
and
I want a full pack welcome.”

“
Oh I dunno.” Magnus shook his head, his forehead wrinkled with anxiety. “Full pack welcome? That could be a little overwhelming. Lucien, this girl has lived without a pack for ten years. Irini would only have been able to teach her so much.”

“
Irini will have taught her well,” Ella replied tersely, her look defying him to speak otherwise.

The Elder looked between son and mother, their posture relaxed but their eyes determined.

He knew when he was outvoted. “Pack welcome it is then.”

3 - Home?

“
Have we got everything?”

The noise was overwhelming. Why were there so many people going places, and did they have to be going there today? Someone bumped into her and nudged her into someone else. Was it warm here? Jeez, they really needed more windows in this airport. She stopped herself from bracing her hands on her knees and tucking her head between her legs in an effort to breathe.

“
Caia?”

They were here already. How did they get here so fast? She wasn’t ready yet.

“
Caia?”

Pain flared up her arm and she looked down to see the cause of it. Dimitri was gripping her tightly by the elbow, so tightly he was close to cutting off her circulation. She gazed up at him stupidly, her eyes clearing at his worried expression.

“
You alright?”

She needed to get herself together. Lykans didn’t act like this. They didn’t wimp out. Nodding, she pulled from his grasp.

“
You got everything, then?” He repeated, looking a little annoyed now. “We really should get going.”

Oh my
.

Those earlier butterflies suddenly burst into flames in her stomach, the metaphorical residue covering her lungs in an attempt to suffocate her.

“
I... uh... I just need to... use the bathroom.”

“
Fine. Hurry up.”

She slammed the door of the women’s toilets behind her and stumbled over to the sinks, striving to get her breath back. If she wasn’t mistaken she was having a full blown panic attack.
Stop thinking about it, stop thinking about it, stop thinking about it, stop thinking about it
. But the more she said that the more her head whirled.

Caia suddenly stilled at the beginnings of a rumbling noise.

Was that her heart?

No
, she shook her head, looking around as the rumbling increased in volume.
Holy Artemis
, Caia exhaled, stepping back as the entire length of sinks in front of her began to shake ferociously, the rumbling coming from the pipes. What the...