Kadenburg Revealed (The Kadenburg Shifters Series, Book 4) (11 page)

“Because he was in love with Yliana.” Presley nodded.

“Yes.  Exactly,” Lorcan licked his lips quickly and felt his heart take an irregular beat.  Perfect.  That’s all he needed right now.  He was supposed to be courageous at a time like this, but honestly, how was a man supposed to be calm and collected when he was about to give a woman something so vital?  “Anyway, when the daughters selected their mates and the couples performed their..well, their coupling, something happened.”

“Something?” Presley was watching him intently.  He could tell she was holding onto each and every word he said as her pulse quickened in his ears.  Was she nervous?  She had no reason to be nervous.  Hell, he was the one that was about to pass out.  He released a shaky laugh and shook his head.

“They gave up what made them swans, Presley.  They became she-bears and left behind their world for ours.  They sacrificed that part of themselves so the warriors would no longer be lonely.  It was a very precious gift to leave behind.”

“Oh,” Presley whispered.  “So then I guess I wouldn’t really be able to sprout wings, would I?”

God, he loved her.  He leaned over and brushed his lips against her cheek before smiling again.  “I don’t think so, Darlin’.  But....”

“But what?”

“There have been known cases of feathers sprouting before.  One or two swans make their way into the family from time to time.”

“What?!” Presley’s mouth fell open as she stared at him in disbelief.  He read her mind easily and nearly fell over.

You’re shitting me!

“I shit you not, Sweetheart.  Davey Berdine’s sister was a swan through and through.  I remember seeing her once when I was a kid.  She was probably the prettiest swan I’ve ever laid eyes on.”

“Davey’s sister?” Presley shook her head slowly.  “What happened to her?”

“She died,” Lorcan responded solemnly.  “They rarely live past the age of thirty.  But it’s rare for one to slip through the cracks, like I said.  I think there have been four in total since the early 1900’s.”

“But why do they die so young?  I never knew Davey had a sister.”

“I wish I knew,” Lorcan shrugged his shoulders.  “Anyway, back to the story here; the swans were turned into bears when they gave themselves to the warriors.  They gave up feathers in exchange for fur, wings in exchange for claws.  And Thomas, your great-great-great-great....” He tried to keep track of how many greats he had to include.  “I think he was your great-great-great-great-great grandfather....Shit, I can’t remember.  But he never wanted anyone to forget the sacrifice the swans made, and so he started a new tradition.”

“Wait, back up.” Presley lifted her hand into the air and Lorcan immediately halted what he was about to do, which was present her with the gift he held in his palm.  His face fell suddenly as he stared at her.

“What?”

“Your mom didn’t mention that Thomas was related to me.  How is he related to me?”

“I just told you, Pretz.  He’s your bajillion-great grandfather.”

“But which side?”

“Your father’s,” Lorcan nodded.  “He came from your father’s side....why?”

Presley was quiet for a moment and Lorcan tried to rummage through her thoughts but there were just too many.  He opted for remaining silent as she worried at her bottom lip.

“I just never knew that,” she finally said.  “Uncle Arnold doesn’t talk about my family very much.  I guess it’s silly to be surprised that one of the originals was my grandpa, huh?  We all started somewhere.”

“That we did,” Lorcan gazed at her warmly and then held the box out towards her.  “He started a tradition, Presley.  He wanted to show his gratitude to the swans and Urseth found a way to do that.”

Presley peered into the box then and Lorcan was pleased with her reaction.  He was hoping she would like his gift, but more importantly; he hoped she would accept it.

“Oh my god, Lorcan.” Presley gasped as she pulled the necklace from the box and lifted it into the air.  Her eyes were glued to the sparkling jewels protruding from the silver frame of the swan wings, and damn it, the tears glistening in her eyes made him feel foolish for thinking she’d reject his offer.  Of course she wouldn’t; forever and for always.  He could be a real hard-head sometimes.

“For years and years the warriors have given the daughters their wings back.  They might not be the real thing....but they’re a representation of our gratitude.  They’re a small token of appreciation for being with us....for giving us cubs and for loving us.  I know it isn’t much, but-”

“Lorcan, this is beautiful,” Presley sniffed.  It didn’t take long for him to realize her cheeks were wet with tears.  Aw, man...he really hated to see her cry, but at least they were happy tears.  “And you got this for me?”

“Yeah,” he felt his anxiety easing up as he reached out to take the necklace from her.  He unclasped the chain and stood from the bed.  “May I?”

“Yes.” Presley replied without hesitation as she turned on the mattress and held her golden locks up with one hand.  Lorcan very carefully placed the chain around her slender throat and clasped it securely together before releasing a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding.

“What does this mean?” Presley asked as she traced her fingers over the small charm.  “And don’t lie to me because I could feel your nervousness, Lorcan Bamey.”

“Ah, you caught onto that, huh?” He chuckled quietly as he sat down beside her again.  “It means that I love you and I appreciate you.  It means I want to be with you for the rest of my life, here and in the Great Beyond.  I appreciate the sacrifice of you and your ancestors and I can never thank you enough for choosing me.  That’s what it means.”

Presley practically threw herself into his arms and he wrapped her up in the biggest bear-hug he could manage.  Burying his face against her neck, he breathed her in.  This was home.  She was his home.  She was everything he’d ever wanted and so much more.  There was once a time when he wasn’t sure he’d get the girl, but she returned to him when he needed her most.  If that wasn’t a sign they were meant to be, then Lorcan had no idea what would be.

He loved her.  He loved her with every last cell of his body.  He loved her more than honey, fish, and berries.  He loved her more than he loved working on cars.  He loved her more than any person in the world had ever loved another person before.  Presley Goult was his heart, soul, world, universe, and existence.  She was perfect to him and for him.  She was his as he was hers, and by Urseth, one day she would have his last name.

“I love you, Baby,” he whispered, pressing numerous kisses against her soft hair.  “Forever and for always, Presley.”

“Forever and for always,” she wept against his chest.  “My warrior.”

D
imitri couldn’t sleep.  He wasn’t really tired as it was, but something else was nagging at the back of his mind and he couldn’t quite figure it out.  It was almost like a gravitational pull to something or someone, but who?

He had long since concluded that it was not Rutley.  His beta was snoring softly from the comfort of his bedroom at the end of the hallway.  At least somebody was getting some sleep around here.

He released a heavy breath and leaned back in the recliner, propping his feet up as he grabbed for the TV remote.  Growing up, Dimitri was never used to such simple accommodations.  As a kid, he spent most of his time in the great outdoors, hunting and trying to earn his keep with Breslin’s pack.  Life as an orphan pup was hard-but even more so when that pup wasn’t wanted by anybody.

Dimitri didn’t like thinking about his childhood.  It wasn’t as happy as he wished it had been and there was a part of him that wondered how the hell he managed to survive for so long.  Breslin looked for every opportunity to throw him out, but somehow Dimitri remained with them until adulthood.

He closed his eyes and watched the movie reel of his life.  Every tear, laugh, and fight flashed behind his eyelids as his fingertips dug into the leather of the chair.  It was difficult to watch most of it.

“Get that damn kid out of my sight,” Breslin muttered as he tore the meat from the bone of a deer leg.  “Send him off to do something.”

Eight year old Dimitri dropped his head in shame and frowned.  Why did Breslin always get so mad at him?  He tried to do everything he asked of him, yet it was never good enough.  He never got rewarded like the other kids.  Why couldn’t he have some deer?

“Go on now,” the tall female wolf said as she nodded to the entrance of the cave.  “Go fetch some more wood for the fire, Dimitri.  It is winter and the babies needn’t get cold.  Do as you are told.”

“Yes, Ma’am,” Dimitri mumbled as he turned on his heels and slowly exited the cave.  The laughter of the other children playing deeper inside reached his sensitive ears and slowly faded as he stepped out into the harsh winter air.  Why couldn’t he stay and play with them?

Fuck that.  He didn’t want to think about the poor little boy who was always sad.  He didn’t want to remember how much it hurt to be rejected by the only family he’d ever known.  Why couldn’t he just remember life from the moment he met Liam and onward?  It would be so much easier.....

And there it was again.  He could feel something tugging in his chest and sometimes it literally ached.  What was it?

It wasn’t because he missed Liam.  Hell, of course he missed Liam and always would...but this was different.  He’d never experienced anything like this before in his life.  It was like an invisible siren of sorts calling to him, beckoning him to find her.  A growl sounded low in his throat.

It better not be Kia,
he thought bitterly.

He was well aware that Rutley thought of the she-wolf often, but he couldn’t allow himself to do the same thing.  Life was confusing enough at times without adding on the fact his wolf spontaneously decided to be bisexual.  He’d live his whole life being attracted to men.....it wouldn’t work.

Yet he knew how much it would mean to Rutley if he’d just give the girl a chance.  Even if they only managed to be friends it would probably be better than the cold treatment Dimitri always gave her.

She manipulated us,
he reminded himself as he let his head fall back and he frowned. 
I’m not a fan of deceit.

No one is a fan of deceit,
his wolf replied calmly. 
But we have marked her.  She is ours.  You must take care of what is ours.

Shit. Fuck. Damn it.  Rutley hadn’t learned all the ropes of wolf-life yet, but Dimitri definitely knew what his wolf was talking about.  During their one night of mind blowing passionate sex, he’d buried his fangs into the left side of Kia’s shoulder.  Rutley had done the exact same to her right.  Now, while Rutley may have shrugged it off as a simple love bite....it was so much more than that.

I made a mistake,
Dimitri frowned. 
Liam was the only mate I ever wanted....I cannot be interested in Rutley in such a way and I sure as hell will not be interested in some little wolf-hussy.  I will not do this.

You are stubborn,
his wolf barked. 
What if she carries your pup in her belly?  What will you do then?

Did he really have to answer that question?  He didn’t want to think about being a father and definitely
not
with the likes of Kia Fallon.  She was bad news; he just knew it.  She wasn’t the type of person he wanted to be around and he didn’t want Rutley to be influenced by her, either.

Rutley was a grown man, wasn’t he?

“He is my beta.” Dimitri said through clenched teeth as he stood from the recliner and stalked down the hallway.  He pushed Rutley’s bedroom door open and peered in.  It was completely silent save for the boy sawing logs in the darkness.  Rutley was still asleep.

“You are my beta,” he repeated in a loud whisper.  “I will not let her take you from me.”

Was that really what he was afraid of?  By the laws of lycanthropy, Rutley had to do whatever he said; but what kind of life would that be?  He would never make Rutley do anything he didn’t want to.....

“No.”

Rutley’s small mumble reached his highly sensitive ears and Dimitri held his breath.  What was he saying no about?

“No,” Rutley repeated in a breathless groan.  “Stop.”

Oh.  He was having a nightmare.  Dimitri’s lips anchored into a frown as he stepped further into the darkness, easily finding his way to Rutley’s bed.  One knee sank down into the mattress as he waited patiently for his vision to adjust-which didn’t take long.  Rutley was lying on his side, facing him, and he was grasping his pillow in a death grip.

“No, Mama, no,” he whimpered.  “Don’t go.....don’t...”

Something stabbed at Dimitri’s heart as he listened to his beta’s pleas.  Rutley was dreaming of his mother.  Dimitri often wished he could dream of his own.

“Hey,” Dimitri whispered, nudging him gently with his hand.  “Wake up, Rut.  It’s just a bad dream.”

“No, no, no,” Rutley said in a more panicked voice.  “Come back! Please....”

“Rutley,” Dimitri said more firmly as he gripped his shoulder and shook him.  “Wake up!”

“Liam, watch out!”

Every time his lover’s name left Rutley’s lips, Dimitri was like a deer caught in headlights.  He froze and stared with his mouth agape.  It happened every single time.  What was Rutley dreaming about now?

Dimitri could hear the sobs ripping from his beta’s lips and it tore at him in ways he wished weren’t possible.  Their connection to one another was insanely powerful; Dimitri had never experienced that sort of connection with another werewolf.

“Rutley,” Dimitri whispered as he brushed the tip of his nose against his cheek.  “Please wake up.”

“I’m sorry....” Rutley cried.  The tears were visible on his cheeks as he released the hold he had on his pillow.  “I’m so sorry, Liam.”

Dimitri would’ve given anything to see what Rutley was seeing in that moment.  If only their mental connection allowed such a glimpse.  But wait.

Maybe......

Dimitri’s eyes slid closed as he concentrated on Rutley’s voice.  He tried to imagine himself in his mind, allowing the blue eyed wolf’s thoughts to sound off in his head as blurred images slowly began to appear.