We Shall Rise (18 page)

Alejandro dropped from the tree. He had stayed in the shadows for much of this, but he did not like the rising anger he sensed. “I was the one who drugged you. Do not take it out on her.”

“Another one of your men here to defend your honor.” Kaden glared at Alejandro. “She wanted you to do it and of course like a good little kitten, you complied.”

“It was necessary,” Alejandro offered, not allowing Kaden to evoke his anger. “Reysa was the only chance to help Christian find his way back. Your interference would have made it impossible.”

“Don’t worry. I’m not going to interfere anymore.” Kaden stormed off ignoring Reysa’s calls as she urged him to come back.

“So how are you feeling this morning?” Reysa asked as she strolled into Christian’s room. It had been two days since they rescued him from the demons. Two days since Kaden walked out. No. She refused to think about him right now. He had acted like a jealous stubborn jerk. She was tired of defending herself and her relationships to him. If they had any hope, he needed to learn to trust her. She would never abandon her family or friends.

She crawled into Christian’s California king size bed. He still looked so weary, but she doubted it was from any physical injury. She could still see the dreaded guilt in his eyes.

“Never better, princess,” he smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his usually sunny eyes. They were just words to pacify her. All she wanted was to take his pain away. She missed his smile, and childish sense of humor. She missed his laughter. She missed her best friend. He was erecting this wall between them, but she would not allow it. She would claw her way through every day no matter how long it took.

“I finally convinced Tatiana to go to school. She pouted the whole time, but I told her she couldn’t stay with you twenty-four-seven. You’ve really spoiled her rotten. She’s totally attached to you. I can't compete for her attention when it comes to you. You’re such a great father.”

“Am I?” Christian questioned. The doubt echoed in his voice.

“Of course you are!” Reysa spoke with a conviction that left no room for doubt. “Can’t you see how much that child adores you?”

“That’s because she doesn’t know the real me. The crazed lycan who nearly raped her mother.”

“Don’t ever say that. You didn’t hurt me, Chris.”

Christian stood up needing to keep his distance from her. “But I could have. I wanted to—at least the monster inside of me did.”

“But you didn’t Christian. You were stronger than the beast. You controlled him.”

“It was your blood. It eased the insanity inside of me. Finally, I could truly see you and when I realized what I was about to do, I wanted to die. I would rather than die than hurt you.”

Reysa eased off his bed and approached him cautiously. “You’ve spent your entire life seeing the beast as your enemy. It’s become the part of you that needs to stay hidden. Maybe it’s time you let him out. Maybe it just needs to be free once in a while. No animal wants to be caged all the time.”

Christian looked at her incredulously. “You just saw what happened when I let him out or rather it forced its way out. Do you think it’s a good idea for me to unleash that evil around our family, around our daughter?”

“Not now, but when you learn to control him, it will be safer for him and for you.” Reysa rested her hands on his bare shoulders. “You have to stop seeing it as evil. It’s just another part of you and you’re the best man I’ve ever known. You have the kindest heart and soul. That goodness could control any darkness inside the beast. You just need to learn. I know how hard it was for you when we were kids. You never let it show, but I knew you were lonely. You needed to be around your kind and I couldn’t make up for that loss, no matter how hard I tried. Neither could Savannah. You needed the lycans. They rejected you because you were a hybrid. They cast you aside and refused to help you. But that was a different time. What if we could find a strong lycan who would help you now? Teach you the things you needed to learn as a young man.”

Christian stepped aside and flopped down on his bed. For so long he had wished for what Reysa now offered, but he made peace with the realization that no lycan would truly accept him. They would tolerate him, but never welcome him to their clans. He could not change for them or pretend to be something he wasn’t. The vampire blood he possessed was just as much a part of him as the lycan blood. Together it created this unique breed that didn’t fit into either race. He truly was a misfit—an immortal with no home, no place. If only he could find another like him, but he had yet to meet another. He was alone in his immortality, but thanks to that gorgeous lady standing in front of him, he would never be alone in this life.

“If you know of someone willing to help me, I’ll take it. It’s a bit embarrassing that I am eighty-two years old and can’t control my shift, but I will put my pride aside and get any help I can. I don’t want a repeat of two nights ago. That can’t happen again. I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure it won’t.”

Reysa jumped in his arms, knocking him flat on his back. She kissed him several times before rolling off of him and resting her head on his shoulder. She felt like a ton of stress was lifted off her shoulders. If only she could get rid of the other two tons courtesy of that stubborn vampire who left without a word.

“Your turn, love. We fixed me for the moment; now let’s deal with your problem.”

“I don’t have a problem,” Reysa responded a little too quickly.

Christian wrapped his arm around her pulling her tightly to his chest. “You’re such a bad liar. I’ll help you. Let’s talk about your vampire mate.” Reysa stiffened in his arms. “I haven’t smelled him around the place since we got back. I take it he hasn’t returned yet.”

“It’s probably for the best.” Reysa had been trying to convince herself of that since he left, but the words seemed hollow to her empty heart.

“It’s not. He’s your mate. You need him as much as he needs you. Denying this will just cause you both pain.”

Reysa sat up resting her head on her elbow. A look of shock in her eyes as she tried to accept Christian’s words. “You hate him. Yet you are encouraging me to be with him.”

Christian nodded. “I hate him, but I hate seeing you in pain more.”

“Why can’t you be my mate?” This was a question Reysa and Christian had asked themselves so many times. Their relationship was so easy, so natural, so uncomplicated. They would be the perfect pair yet the fates decided they belonged to others. Christian had not found his yet, but Reysa found hers whether she wanted him or not.

“Because, love, that would be way too easy and life could never be that simple. Not for us at least. He presents more of a challenge. He tests your nerves, but he stirs your passion like no one else. There’s something to be said for that.”

“I would prefer the simple life.”

“You’ve lived the simple life for years. Now it’s time for excitement. There will never be a dull moment with that vampire by your side.”

Reysa growled as she flipped over on her stomach with her head buried in Christian’s duvet. “Some days I’m not sure if it’s more tempting to kill him or love him.”

“I could believe that. He has that effect on people. I know you love him whether you want to say the words or not. I can tell. I think his biggest problem is that he needs to know you love him and not me.”

Reysa popped up on her knees. “I’ve told him a million times that we’re just friends. He refuses to believe it. He’s jealous of every guy I’m with as if I am this slut that sleeps around.”

Christian sat up, tugging one of Reysa’s locks. “Love, look at this from his perspective. He’s an insecure vampire who’s found his mate yet the woman he wants lives with another guy and they have a child together. Look at us, Rey. This ease between us which is so natural for us would make any man jealous. We’ve shared so much of ourselves with one another. We know each other inside and out. We’ve shared a life, a home, a family, a bed for all of our lives. It’s a nonissue for you and me because we know it’s innocent, but from the outside looking in, I could see why someone would be jealous. If I put myself in his shoes, I would have a hard time with this too, especially if I had a hard time accepting love or believing I was worthy of it.”

Reysa buried her face in her hands. She was at a loss about how to remedy this complicated myriad of relationships all so essential to her. She knew Christian was right, but she didn’t know what to do. She couldn’t give Christian up and she shouldn’t have to, but she needed a way to help Kaden feel more comfortable otherwise they would never work and she would be destined for a life of misery.

“I don’t know what I’m supposed to do. I’m not giving you up.”

“Damn right you’re not, but you need to show him that he matters. He is your one true love, your mate. You may love me, but you’re in love with him. It’s not the same kind of love and he needs to know the difference. There’s no competition here. He wins your heart and soul. He needs to know you choose him over me. You need to know that as well.”

Reysa knew Christian was right. Right now, she didn’t know where Kaden went or if he would come back. She couldn’t just abandon everything and search for him. There was too much danger on the horizon. They had uncovered some useful information form the demon’s lair. Broderick being the computer genius was able to hack into the encrypted files and find some interesting facts about mescah and the plans to refine the drug so that the effects were even more lethal faster.

They were also working on other similar drugs they could use against the vampires and lycans. Chemical warfare seemed to be their focus, which was a logical choice considering they were not as physically adept as the stronger lycans and vampires. What they lacked in physical prowess, they made up for in developing enhanced weapons that could cause mass destruction with few casualties on their side.

Reysa sent copies of all the information she discovered to Lucian. Although she had some doubts, she knew it was the right thing to do, but she couldn’t help but feel like a traitor to her kind. Deep down she knew that the violent path her kind was taking wasn’t the right choice. Killing innocents in the name of peace was never the right choice.

Part of her worried that maybe she was putting too much trust in Lucian and the Council. It was the Council that helped to create the rift between the races. Lucian was not a part of that and he seemed sincere about remedying those past wrongs especially after nearly losing his mate. Did he have the power to change those he attempted to govern? She prayed he did because if he failed, they would all be doomed.

II

“How much more money do you have to lose before you’ve had enough?” Julian pulled up a chair next to Kaden at the black jack table at the Bellagio. Kaden was sitting at the $500 minimum per hand table, but he was playing multiple purple chips at a time nearly losing every hand. Julian had watched him for the last couple of hours giving money away by making one silly decision after the other. It was like he wanted to lose.

Kaden had hoped he could drown his sorrows here for a little longer, but of course Julian found him just to torment him some more. He figured he deserved it after the way he behaved. Reysa had been bloodied and battered and rather than comforting her and easing her pain away, he let his jealousy rear its ugly head once again. Too prideful to admit he was acting like a jerk, he lashed out at her and stormed away like a bratty child. No wonder she preferred the wolf. After everything Christian had done to her, he faced up to his shame and she forgave him. Here he was gambling his life savings away rather than making amends for the wrongs he committed.

“Kaden, it’s time to go.”

Kaden bet another two thousand, ignoring his brother. The dealer dealt the first card to Kaden as well as the other two gentlemen, who had joined his table. Kaden had a jack showing while the dealer drew a six. Kaden received his next card, a five. The correct move was to stay. The assumption would be that the dealer had sixteen and would have to take a hit, which would likely result in a bust. Kaden’s fifteen would be good enough. He knew the rules, but he felt like taking more risks. It was only money. He took the hit. The dealer paused to give him a chance to rethink that horrible play. The other two gentlemen urged him to stay. Of course they were concerned that Kaden’s foolish play would cost them in the end as well, but Kaden didn’t care.

“I said, 'hit me!'” he demanded. Kaden drew a six. The other guys stayed on their hands, fourteen and eighteen respectively. The dealer forced to hit drew a four giving him twenty. Had Kaden stayed, all three would have won as the dealer would have busted with a twenty-two. Kaden was the only winner. The other two men were fuming. One slapped the table and turned his fury filled eyes onto Kaden.

“You stupid son of a bitch. You cost me a thousand dollars.”

Kaden studied the fuming human. He wore an oversized white cowboy hat and fancy brown leather boots. His jacket was definitely designer; although Kaden wasn’t knowledgeable enough about fashion to know which name. He was wearing blue jeans and a white t-shirt he bought at Walmart the day before after ruining his last good pair of black leather pants.

“Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. Today, you lose.” Kaden grinned inciting the man further.