As Luna, you are bred to feel the pain of your Lycans, even the likes of Juan. Whether you want to or not. Even me right now, after everything, I feel sorrow for what I’m witnessing and want it to end. I don’t want to expose my mind to this.
“You mutts really don’t do vengeance and revenge all that well, do you? You are happy to let it all go with one whiff of a peaceful end. It’s rather disappointing.” Varro walks towards Juan and then circles him like a lion looking at its dying prey, eyes on that still twitching body that has now quietened to muffled whines.
I still don’t understand why he’s not turning Lycan to heal himself and spot the weird golden handcuffs holding his wrists together behind his back. Ornate, jeweled, solid gold, and strangely beautiful for a set of hand binds. Varro catches my eye and follows my line of sight with a sudden smile to break up that grim expression. His whole demeanor switching in a flash back to that gentlemanly presence.
“Nice, aren’t they? Bewitched little trophies given a long time ago by our friendly neighborhood witch. They stop immortals from being able to use their gifts. He’s basically human with these on.” He chuckles to himself as though he finds it highly amusing.
That explains it and why his pain and suffering from here on in will be worse than hell. I doubt Varro intends to take them back off at any point unless death is imminent, and I don’t even want to know why Leyanne would gift Lord of the vampires' something like this. Even if it was hundreds of years ago, I can’t figure her out.
“Can you take him and leave; I don’t want to see this.” Colton finally breaks, his voice ravaged and husky, and his eyes are ambering as he fails to control his inner turmoil. He’s still standing on the sidelines with our quiet pack. Watching, waiting, all holding their breaths for this to be over.
“Okay, okay. I can read the room. I see you don’t have the stomach for this. I thought you would like a show. Never mind…. Darrius!” Varro clicks his fingers, and that black-shrouded figure shoots back to Juan’s side. Another flash move the human eye almost misses, and it’s not hard to see how much faster than wolves these pure breeds are. Darrius is moving at the speed of light. Blink, and you miss it.
He hauls Juan up to his feet with little effort, like he’s a sack of feathers. Juan’s body dirty and scraped up in its nakedness. He has blood all over his lower face, neck, and chest as his wound continues to ooze, I finally see the defeat on his face. The emptiness of his now brown eyes and the pale pallor of a body undergoing pain. His focus is downcast and pathetic, and I hate that it pains me in the chest and pushes my empathy out to the forefront. This man who started everything destroyed everything, and I feel sorry for him now.
It’s pathetic, really.
It makes me feel weak and stupid, and I cringe as the grating of movement around me draws my eyes to the silent onlookers. All have turned their faces and can no longer meet Juan’s eye either. That feeling in me is unanimous around me, and the hearts of many who once followed him loyally are conflicted and in pain. Lycans aren’t inherently bad or cruel. This was once someone they respected.
“What about me?” Jasper’s voice pulls me out of my head, and I turn to see him leaning against the room's door frame. His stance is casual, uninterested in this gory scene, but he’s oozing aggressive energy, and I catch Carmen hiding behind subs nearby and trying not to look his way. Her focus is all on him, and I know what kind of agony it can be. She’s probably the only wolf in here whose head and heart aren’t on Juan now.
“I know, dear boy. I promised you some playtime with this object, but I feel your time is better spent guarding your sister. I don’t think she would appreciate you getting this one’s blood on your hands if you are to have a future in this pack of dogs.” Varro shrugs, a fake apologetic smirk on his face that grates on me.
“Stop calling us that.” Carmen bites out from her hide hole behind the twins, recoils back with a flinch, covering her impulsive mouth, and shrinks away. Knowing she should stay quiet and hidden. Jasper flinches at her voice, barely noticeable but I see it, and yet remains steadfast in staring at Juan. I can feel his attempts not to sway or be pulled by her bond, which affects him as much as her. He’s stubborn and dumb, but he can’t escape his feelings for his mate.
“I won’t stay here until I have had a hand in his demise.” Jasper retorts, pushing off the wall to stand upright, adamant, but Varro shakes his head.
“No. We are leaving, and you’re staying. Darrius isn’t going to shield you anymore. Your time with us is over. That’s what was agreed with your sister and will be a much better arrangement for all of us in the long term.”
“Don’t I get a say?” Jasper snorts, casting a glare my way as though this is somehow all on me, and I can do nothing but stare back blankly, praying that he will accept this and, in time, come to be okay with it. I can’t imagine what he must be feeling, but I know one thing for sure. My brother needs to come home and begin to heal. He must accept his fate and his mate and return to his pack.
“No, you don’t. You do as you’re told.” This time it’s Darrius with that tone of command, and despite Varro being the lord and master here, it’s Darrius’ piercing gaze of blood red that makes my brother lower his head and bite his words. A submissive puppy in one sharp verbal instruction.
“I will give you one final parting blow, though. Just don’t aim for death! Take that as a consolation prize.” Varro adds his words in a childlike, mocking manner, an eyebrow raises and a wry smile as Jasper’s head shoots back up. A glance between the three men as I assume they link in their minds, and Jasper suddenly visually relaxes. His expression from thunder to lighter in a flash. Whatever was said in private alters his entire visual mood.
“I’ll make it count,” Jasper smirks, paces forward at speed to where Darrius is holding Juan up, and doesn’t hesitate in throwing a punch at Juan’s abdomen. Claws appearing boldly mid-thrust and delivered with a powerful Lycan blow of pure intent. He pierces Juan’s flesh, digging all five talons deep into his lower abdomen and twisting cruelly with hatred to extend the suffering he inflicted. I tense and gasp inwardly at this violent encounter, suddenly stiff as a board as my emotions bristle, and I don’t recognize this person as my brother. Jasper was always so gentle.
Juan bellows at being impaled, squirms, and tries to pull away as they stay connected in the worst way, and I can’t look anymore. I turn away and cover my ears to muffle out the sounds. Nausea rises inside me as Colton finds me from behind and pulls me against him to comfort my obvious distress. Maybe he, too, needed it as much as me as he wraps himself around me and holds me tight in that safe embrace. He knows he can only watch and never intervene.
I can feel the tension in the room around me heighten as my pack tries not to react to what they are watching. Shifting of feet and turning heads, I glimpse Sierra by my side as a tear rolls down her cheek, and she burrows her face against Radar’s chest. Looking for solace in much the way I am from her own mate. We aren’t heartless.
“Enough. Any more, and he’ll die. Darrius, take him. I’ll follow.” Varro breaks the chilling atmosphere and puts an end to what Jasper’s doing, and I breathe in relief as Darrius quickly drags his victim away out of the room before we can do anything about it. Hauling my brother’s claws out with a yank. Fast and efficient, stronger than most Lycan without even trying.
That dark figure will haunt my nightmares in the worst ways from here on in.
“I’ll send word when the treaty is ready. Daughter….. we will meet again in better surroundings and pleasanter circumstances. I take my leave. Take care of yourself and my grandchildren.” Varro bows my way and walks toward me. Suddenly all smiles and Mr. Pleasant.
I flinch as an unexpected hand catches mine, raising it towards his face as he places a feather-light kiss on the back of my fingers. An old-fashioned gesture as his warm skin hits mine. His lips are smooth like my own. I blink in confusion at the motion and the fact that he isn’t cold like the putrid hybrid touch was, and I’m too shocked actually to react. I didn’t expect any sort of affectionate contact, especially not in this scenario. I’m startled enough to be mute and unmoving.
Colton shifts uneasily on his feet, pulling me backward, so we step away from Varro, drawing my attention and sense to how much he dislikes anyone touching his mate. Even the man who is my biological father and I relax, knowing his readiness to battle is lingering around me, ready to protect me in a flash. Not that I feel Varro is a threat, even after what he did to Juan.
“We’ll be waiting.” Colton churns out that sulky tone of the green-eyed monster in there, a hint of revulsion, and all I can do is sigh. There’s a lot to unpack in his feelings towards my father. I understand his mistrust, and I know he can’t help it.
My eyes stray to the pool of thick dark blood on the floor and Jasper’s still standing figure right beside it. He’s watching us, yet his eyes keep straying to the left, where I know Carmen is. He’s fighting himself against it and instead settles on glaring at me. This whole thing seems surreal, and I am bone-achingly exhausted and don’t want to be here anymore. It’s starting to feel like a dream as fatigue takes over my brain, and I will for everyone to move so we can all go home.
Varro does a small scan of the room, turning lightly and nodding as though a goodbye to everyone present. He’s oddly polite. Strangely respectful for a man who runs a kingdom of beings who slaughtered our kind for the past two decades.
There’s a weird chill in the air because this is the craziest night and the most bizarre setting. I can’t get my head around that it’s over, and all of this seems so anticlimactic. No one moves, no one makes any facial response as all eyes fix on the vampire lord as he makes his exit smoothly. Leaving without flair or dramatics, just disappearing into what’s left of the night. Jasper flinches as he steps out the door, as though longing to follow, and immediately turns his eyes to Colton instead.
His facial expressions are tight. Eyes narrowed, brow furrowed. His amber eyes glow with his unsettled, angry mood as he locks onto my mate. Stance is a full-on aggressive warrior, waiting for any excuse to turn rogue.
“So…. What’s to be done with me? Don’t expect this to be an easy transition where I fall in line and become one of your pack. I don’t recognize any alpha, and the only reason I’m here is that my true lord told me to stay and watch over my sister.”