“You’re clever. You have her fire. Her insane logic and way with words. So, what’s the compromise then? You hand me your father-in-law and his men and skip off happily into your forest to live out your life, oblivious to what you are? Is that what you’re offering?” He smirks, a tooth peeking out to remind me I’m dealing with the devil himself.
“I hand you them, you do whatever you want with them but no, I don’t skip off into the sunset. We came here to make a deal and if getting to know me is part of your wish, then I won’t say no. You want a bond with me, then you’ll get one.”
“Lorey!” Colton warns with a stern whisper, catches my wrist, attempting to pull me back to his side. His sudden spike of fear and protectiveness kicking in. I know he doesn’t want me to have anything to do with Varro after this, but I’ve been denying our link for too long. Hate these creatures or not, this man is my father. I need to stop focusing on the venom that was ingrained into us all these years for these creatures and recognize his motive behind all of this. He did it for love. He did it because of loss. I have been taught to fear and despise them and I’ve let that rule all decisions these past months. I never stopped to really think or feel from Varro’s point of view.
“You are willing to come with me, back to my home?” Varro seems to visibly relax, his posture smoothing from standing stiff and proper, to more of a casual lounge as he places one finger on his bottom lip and crosses his arms to support his own elbow. It’s odd, to see him relax as though he thinks he has this all worked out and in the bag. It disarms me a little.
“No. I said I would get to know you, but this will be on my terms. I say when, where. I need to be more careful, take care of myself from here on in.” I subconsciously splay one hand over my abdomen, that inner fierce in me needing to protect these two lives above all.
“Why?” Jasper’s voice comes strong from behind and he’s back faster than I can blink. Sudden concern for me out of nowhere and he homes in on where I have placed my palm. His eyes widening and then his brows furrow to a suspicious frown.
Colton bristles and moves right up behind me, so his body heat encapsulates me, and that low growl tells me he’s getting impatient with this whole thing. He’s wary of Jasper’s move towards me and his mate need to protect is getting rebellious. The vampire hybrids are still lurking around the perimeter and the pack is getting restless too. Everything tense and heavy as the seconds tick by.
“I’m pregnant with twins.” There’s no point hiding it. It’s something that may sway the whole tone and they would find out soon enough, should we survive tonight.
“What?” Varro and Jasper snap in unison, the shock, obvious that they never expected that at all. A sudden change in both their demeanors and Jasper’s eyes widen once more before he chokes on his own saliva then coughs. He seems to sag, his mind ticking over the fact he just gained more family, became an uncle in a blink.
“She’s pregnant. Our children are growing in her belly…so she’s going nowhere with you, ever. She shouldn’t even be here, doing this, but she had no choice. Is this how you protect your daughter and grandchildren?” Colton with an equally snappy tone, biting words, anger obvious, and I sigh and push him back. His emotions are getting the better of him and he’s a bit like rocket fuel on a fire sometimes.
“You’re going to be a grandfather, Varro. Do you really want to waste tonight standing here and arguing about the future of my pack? I won’t raise my babies away from them, and I won’t be bringing them to your people either. These are my children so don’t make me do what my mother did. She ran because she knew her child only stood a chance among wolves. I want you to leave them alone and secure your grandkids future in a loving and nurturing pack, in a peaceful environment. That’s what I want.”
There’s strained silence as his eyes eat me up, boring into my skull before travelling down to my abdomen and back up. The air prickly with tension and static as it sinks in that he has more than me to care about now. He takes what feels like an age to think it through and then rests back on his heels in a weirdly comfortable way. That smirk fades and I get hints of a real smile which drastically transforms his face.
“I want to know you, and them….. I want to be a part of their future. Those are my blood too. So, you have some logic in your requests and I’m not against this compromise. I get more out of it than killing everyone, I guess.” His request is quieter, somehow sincere in its deliverance and the glow of his eyes dull a little as he says it with hushed tones. For the first time I get some sort of feeling from this strange being and sense nothing malicious in the intent. His brain is working fast and he’s calculating a future with three more to his bloodline.
“You stop this tonight? Call off your hybrids and send them home.” I stand firm and cast a quick glance at my now silent brother, who’s staring at my stomach and immersed in his own head. Eyes no longer amber and he looks completely lost. His emotions are unreadable now as they are chaotic, and I can see his internal struggle as he tries to figure out how to feel. He just found out he is going to be an uncle.
“I want those responsible. I will do to them what I see fit. You get no say whether they live or die.” Varro won’t budge on that, yet I don’t care. We always knew if we could find a way, we would sacrifice Juan and his loyal. The fates have made it all happen.
“Deal.” Colton answers in my place, a quiver in his voice because at the root of this is his father’s life. I know, despite everything, his heart is in pain even if he knows this is what must happen. He’s loves him, even if it’s undeserved and this is killing his soul. I can’t imagine the turmoil or his heart in this moment.
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