Crimson Moon (4 page)

Ramiro chuckled. “I don’t see Zeus as the kind of God to take orders easily.”

“That’s exactly what I said to Neo. He told me that even though his father was a supreme asshole, he did seem to have a soft spot for Earth.” Michael sighed. “It’s the only thing either of us could come up with.”

It had been Zeus’ idea to house The Realm on Earth. Ramiro wondered if it was Earth itself, or its inhabitants Zeus was fond of. He yawned, his need for sleep apparent.

Michael chuckled and gestured to the back of the room. “There’s a small bed I had brought down for Neo for his long days spent in here. Why don’t you try to get a few hours in before the meeting?”

“There won’t be a meeting. At least not with Ian,” Ramiro admitted.

Michael bit his bottom lip. “Ooh, ouch. In that case, maybe I’d better go back up to bed, and make sure
Neo’s
in a good mood before you tell him.”

“I’d appreciate that,” Ramiro said with a grin. “I’ll try to catch a few hours of sleep.”

After Michael had left the vault, Ramiro found his way to the double bed at the back of the room. With everything on his mind, he doubted sleep would come. There were too many unanswered questions, and his gut told him the truth lay at Ian’s feet.

Finally, Ramiro felt the pull of sleep settle his overactive body and mind.

Chapter Three

Fresh from the shower, Gunnar answered the door without bothering with a towel. “Hey.” He stepped back and allowed his visitor entrance.

Grinning,
Audric
came into the room. “You’d better dress before we’re joined by two overly-jealous werewolves.”

Nudity was commonplace in
the were
culture. Gunnar had seen Haig and Kern naked on numerous occasions, but he assumed it was different if their mate was in the room. He grabbed a pair of jeans out of the dresser and pulled them on. Rarely, if ever, did he wear underwear. It was a habit born from the need to shift at a moment’s notice. “What brings you by?” he asked, pulling a T-shirt over his head.

“Just wondering if Ramiro talked to you last night.”
Audric
kept his gaze on the landscape outside the window.

“Why would you ask that?” Had Ramiro gone to
Audric
after he’d left Gunnar’s room?

Typical
Audric
—the vampire refused to look Gunnar in the eyes as he spoke. Gunnar knew Haig and Kern were trying to help the once-abused vampire gain confidence, but Gunnar could tell they had a long way to go.

“Ramiro told me outside The Frenzy about his desire to help you hold on to your wolf. You should probably know, I argued against it.”

“Turn around and look at me.” Gunnar couldn’t stand the defeated posture of such a strong Blessed Creature.

Audric
eventually did as asked. “I’m sorry. I know I shouldn’t have stuck my nose into your business, but I’ve only just started to remember what I went through, and I don’t want that for you.”

Gunnar decided to sit down. Perhaps a less defensive posture would help put
Audric
at ease. Rubbing his hands together, Gunnar decided to be completely honest. “I’m having more trouble relinquishing my hold on my Alpha status than my wolf. Does that make sense?”

“No, and do you know why?”
Audric
asked, looking Gunnar in the eyes for the first time since he’d entered the room.

“Because my wolf has been with me longer than my status?”
Gunnar offered.

Audric
snorted. “No.
Because being Alpha has nothing to do with your wolf.”
He shook his head. “
Weres
are so fucking conceited. Being an Alpha isn’t exclusive to your wolf. It’s who you are. It’s about being the best in your particular group. I consider Ramiro an Alpha. If you’d put your heart into what you’ve become instead of what you were, no one would be able to take the title away from you. But you have to
want
it, and you have to
accept
who you are in order to get it.”

Gunnar had never heard a vampire refer to himself as ‘Alpha’. Was
Audric
right? Was he so conceited he’d discounted every other species of Blessed Creature?

Audric
walked over and placed his palm over Gunnar’s heart. “This is where a true Alpha lives.” He moved to tap Gunnar’s temple. “Not here. Because even in were form, your heart is always your own. It may be what drives the animal inside of you to excel in battle, but pure strength can’t win the war.”

No one had ever put it so directly and eloquently before. Given his new situation,
Audric’s
words spoke directly to Gunnar’s soul. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”
Audric
smiled. “Now you’d better change your shirt before Haig and Kern detect my scent on you.”

* * * *

Gunnar purposely sat across the table and several chairs down from Ramiro as he waited for the meeting to start. He had noticed upon entering the conference room how agitated Ramiro seemed, and wondered whether Ian’s Chief of Security was still pissed off with him.

The door opened and Haig ushered Galena into the room. He spoke softly to his sister before guiding her to a chair beside Kern. Although Gunnar had not taken part in Galena’s rescue, he’d heard Ramiro mention the deplorable living conditions the mate of Juniper Cavanaugh had lived in.

As soon as she was seated, Galena lifted her feet onto the chair and curled her arms around her legs, rolling her body into a ball. Gunnar made eye contact with Haig, asking silently if the meeting was too much for the traumatised were.

Haig leant over and whispered in Galena’s ear once more. Several moments later, Galena put her feet on the floor.

Before Gunnar had a chance to examine the situation further, Neo and Michael stepped into the room, followed by Spiro.
When Spiro turned to shut the door,
Sema
head-butted the wood until he was allowed entrance.
Spiro shook his head at the large black jaguar and pointed towards the corner of the room behind his chair.
Sema
went dutifully to the indicated spot and lay down.

“May I speak to you?” Ramiro asked Neo.

“No need. Michael already told me Ian isn’t coming.”
Neo’s
restraint was visible. “I’ll speak to Ian after the meeting. I’d like you to be there.”

“Yes, sir,” Ramiro answered.

“Would you like me there as well?” Gunnar asked. As
Neo’s
head of security, it was customary.

“That won’t be necessary.” Neo returned his attention to Ramiro. “Tell me exactly what King Kildare said when you asked him about the sword.”

Ramiro shifted in his chair. “He said the sword had never belonged to
Morwyn
. That
Morwyn
stole it from
Faelan
, but he managed to get it back when
Morwayn
was exiled to
Tartarus
.
Faelan
, in turn, gave it to Ian. According to Ian, the sword has nothing to do with the war.”

Gunnar was still reeling from
Neo’s
dismissal. Had he already been replaced? His gaze slid to Haig.
The were
appeared cool and confident, as usual.

“Gunnar,” Neo prompted.

Gunnar looked away from Haig to find the entire table of Blessed Creatures staring at him. “Sorry. Did you ask me something?”

Neo’s
lips thinned with unspoken anger. He stood and indicated the door. “I need to talk to you out in the hall.”

Fuck!
Gunnar rose before following Neo out of the conference room. “I’m sorry,” he said as soon as they were alone.

Neo’s
expression softened. “What’s going on with you lately, besides the obvious?”

Gunnar stuck his hands in his pockets. Should he lay everything out for Neo or hold back? “Are you going to replace me?” he blurted out.

“I hadn’t planned on it, but I’m suddenly questioning your commitment.”

“Then why aren’t you taking me to your meeting with King Kildare?” Did he think Ramiro was enough protection?
Surely not.
Ramiro may be working with Neo but he’d sworn allegiance to Kildare.

“I need answers from Ian, and if I show up with you, he’ll immediately get defensive. Besides, I need you to gather your best men to surround the pack land in Galway. There’s been a lot of traffic lately in and out, and I want to know why.”

Neo’s
answers helped to soothe Gunnar’s ego. “Will we be allowed to engage them should they step out of the ward?”

“No, not unless they attack first.
I want
Morwyn
and Juniper to know they’re being watched. You’ll report everything back to me, Spiro or Ramiro.”

“Why Ramiro?”
Despite what Neo had told him only a few seconds earlier, it sounded to Gunnar as if Ramiro was
Neo’s
new confidant.

Neo crossed his arms over his chest. “What’s your problem with Ramiro? He’s gone above and beyond anything I’ve ever asked of him. Damn, Gunnar, the man got you through the transition without even being asked. He’s done more for you than probably anyone in your entire life.
So why the disdain?”

Why indeed? “It seems as though he’s trying to take my place, I guess.”

With a heavy sigh, Neo uncrossed his arms before putting his hands on Gunnar’s shoulders. “I can see why you think that, but honestly, I think he’s just trying to pick up some of your slack. You have to admit you haven’t been one hundred percent on your game lately. We all know the transition’s been hard for you so we’ve given you time and space. Ramiro’s trying to help you. Don’t hate him for it. Thank him.”

Gunnar‘s spine stiffened. He squared his shoulders and looked Neo in the eyes. “I don’t need someone else to do my job. I’ll have my men ready as soon as you give the word.” He reached for the doorknob, but Neo stopped him.

“On a personal note, I have information that
Rafi’s
been seen in
Gort
, a town just south of Galway. I can’t talk about it in the meeting for obvious reasons, but I need you to find out what the hell he’s doing there. I would never expect Juniper to work with a
weretiger
, but stranger things have happened.”

Gunnar understood the personal nature of the request. The last time anyone had seen
Neo’s
long-time lover,
Rafi
had physically attacked Michael. Before running off, the
weretiger
had sworn that one day Neo and Michael would be sorry for the way he’d been treated. “I’ll poke around, and see what I can find.”

“Thanks,” Neo said before opening the door.

Gunnar noticed Ramiro watching him when he pulled out his chair to resume his seat. He met Ramiro’s gaze and held it for several moments. A wealth of emotions coursed through him. When the corner of Ramiro’s mouth turned up in a grin, Gunnar’s cock hardened. Careful not to give his condition away, Gunnar broke eye contact and returned his attention to Neo.

Thirty minutes later, Haig ended his initial report on the years of abuse his sister had suffered during her marriage to Juniper. Numbed by all that he had heard, Gunnar noticed the way Galena failed to make eye contact with anyone at the table.

It was obvious by the silence in the room that Gunnar wasn’t the only one affected by the horrific details. It was Spiro who spoke first, using a soft, non-threatening tone of voice. “Galena? Can you tell me if you’ve ever seen this?” he asked, before passing a copy of
Cronus’s
sickle across the table.

Galena’s gaze scanned the photo before shaking her head.

“Use your words, sweetheart,” Haig encouraged with an arm around his sister.

“No,” she eventually answered.

Gunnar noticed the brief, unspoken exchange between Spiro and Neo. Spiro drew back the picture and returned it to the folder. “Did Juniper ever mention
Morwyn
by name?”

Galena’s blonde eyebrows drew together. “No.” She glanced at Haig.
“Although he sometimes talked about his Master.
Right before Juniper put me in the cage, I came into the bedroom and Juniper was lying in bed talking to someone in a language I didn’t know.” Galena shook her head. “But there was no one else in the room. When I asked him who he was talking to, he told me the Master. The next day he had my cage built.”

“The Master,” Neo said aloud. “Is that the only name Juniper used?”

Galena nodded. “Yes.”

The meeting ended shortly afterwards. Neo stopped Gunnar on the way out. “Michael’s getting the supplies ready for you and your men. Spiro will accompany you long enough to place protective wards around your campsites.”

“Do you want just the
weres
or should I call in some of the vamps from The Realm army?”

Neo scratched his jaw as he entered the hallway. “I’ll leave that up to you.” Neo pounded Gunnar on the back. “Despite what you seem to think, I still believe in your abilities to head this up for me.”

“Thank you.” It was the first positive reinforcement Gunnar had received since being kidnapped. “I won’t let you down.”

With a final nod, Neo turned the corner and disappeared.

“How long before you leave?” Ramiro asked, coming up behind Gunnar.

“As soon as I can muster the guards and brief them on the mission. Why?”

“I’m accompanying Spiro. Just wondered how long I had.” Ramiro leant his hip against the wall. “I’d also like the chance to speak to you in private.”

Gunnar knew Ramiro would need to leave soon for his meeting with Neo and Kildare. He motioned for Ramiro to follow him back into the conference room. Once Ramiro was in and the door was shut, Gunnar turned to face the gorgeous vampire. He had a few questions of his own. “Why’d you stay with me after Richard turned me?”

“Because you needed someone to help you through the transition, and I was the only one strong enough to control you.”

“Really?
That’s the only reason?” Gunnar prodded. It wasn’t just Neo who seemed to enjoy reminding Gunnar of everything Ramiro had done for him in those early days. Michael loved to wax poetic about how it was Ramiro’s constant vigilance that had kept Gunnar from going insane during his transformation.