Page 57 of Beyond Fate

“Moonbeam, get back inside the restaurant and lock the door,” Jaytee said with pure panic in his voice. “I don’t want you attacked again, sweetheart. Tell Damon what’s going on and see if my dad is awake yet.”

“Tell Damon not to come out!” Casimir yelled as Raidh flew toward the glass door.

Jaytee shifted and raced toward the building when a vampire nearly grabbed his mate.

“Guess it’s just you and me.” Mason rolled his shoulders. “Sure wish that backup would get here.”

Casimir narrowed his eyes when Elouan stepped from the shadows on the side of the building wearing a malicious smile, his arms spread. “Can’t trust those nasty grave robbers,” he said with a tsk. “They’re not very intelligent, but I was hoping the wolf could watch as his little vampire plucked the fairy’s wings off.”

So Jax would go insane, causing him to blindly attack, which would have made it easier to kill him.

“I guess my guys are smarter than yours.” Casimir’s swords materialized in his hands. “But I have to confess I was dumb enough to assume the last horde of vampires finished you off.” He smirked. “After all, I did leave you as a buffet for them.”

“I have to confess I was smart enough to control the swarm this time instead of relying on the men I paid to do it for me. But you know how the saying goes. If you want something done right, you kill the ones who fucked things up in the first place and then do it yourself.”

“Love what you’ve done with your hair.” Casimir winked. “The half-shorn look suits you, since you never had any honor to begin with.”

“At least I didn’t run away like a coward,” Elouan spat, clearly enraged at the reminder of what Casimir had done to him. “But all will be restored as soon as I kill you and take my rightful place as the new béskym.”

“That’s what this is all about?” Casimir scowled. “You tracked me down for a position you’ll never get?” He scoffed. “First, your hair has been cut, so not a single guardian will respect you. Second, commander is not a title you earn. You have to be born with the mark, moron.”

And a new one would not be born until Casimir died, which he didn’t plan on doing anytime soon.

Elouan snarled as his swords appeared in his hands. As soon as they did, the vampires raced forward.

Mason shifted into a huge Bengal tiger just as cars and trucks screeched to a stop and men jumped out, shifting into various animals. Casimir was looking at a polar bear, a cheetah, a brown bear, a black panther, numerous wolves, and even a lion. An entire zoo had just exploded onto the scene.

Satisfied Mason wouldn’t be the only one fighting the vampires, Casimir turned his full attention on Elouan.

* * * *

“Did you just say ghoul?” Damon stared disbelievingly at Raidh. He must have misunderstood his brother-in-law. Was there even such a thing?

“And you say Jax’s mate was…” Kalen scratched at his long beard, sitting there with nothing but a hand towel to cover his groin. “I don’t understand.” He looked at Damon. “How is Elvine his mate? They’ve been under each other’s feet for two weeks, bickering and scowling at one another. And you say Jax has a second mate?” He ran a hand through his hair. “Remind me not to pass out the next time there’s a crisis.”

“Speaking of…” Damon narrowed his eyes. “Why in the hell would you give me so much of your blood, Dad? It wasn’t as if you were the only person around. You could have let Jax give some too. You didn’t have to give me the lion’s share.”

“Now is not the time.” Kalen closed his eyes.

“When is the time?” Damon stood. “You’re my goddamn father! Do you know what it would have done to me, to my brothers, if—”

“Nothing happened.” Kalen growled. “Raidh, turn your head, son.” His dad rose to his feet, a deep scowl on his face, and then he gritted out, “You’ll understand when you have your pup, Damon. And that’s one of the reasons. You’re pregnant. My grandchild needed to feed. My son was suffering. I’ll be dead in my grave before I allow any of my boys to go through unnecessary pain.”

That was when he saw the anguish in his dad’s gentle blue eyes. Damon knew why. “Dad, you know I didn’t mean those awful things I said to you, right?” His chest felt heavy as his breathing became shallow. Did Kalen really think Damon meant those horrific words? “You know I-I don’t hate you…”

Kalen glanced at the floor and shook his head. “I couldn’t leave you trapped in that sleep, Damon. But…” He chewed the side of his mouth.

“But it wasn’t your son who came out of it,” he whispered. “Because I’ll never be the old Damon Frost, a simple wolf shifter. Now I’m a hybrid, a monster.”

“No.” Kalen’s head shot up. “Don’t you dare call yourself that. I would love you even if you had a hundred different species inside of you, son.”

“Then what? Tell me the truth,” he demanded, and his voice caught. Maybe his dad was having a difficult time telling him that he didn’t want him there. What else could it be? “If you don’t want me living under your roof, then let me know. Casimir and I will get our own place and you don’t have to worry about me living there.”

“May I help?” Raidh bit his bottom lip as he stood and looked between them. “You’re both aware how my father treated me. I don’t want either of you to suffer because you’re having a hard time expressing yourselves.” He looked toward the counter. “A father and son should have a strong relationship, and you’ve made me feel like your son more than my own father ever had.”

Damon sniffed and cleared his throat. “What do you have in mind?”

He didn’t want to be separated from his family, but more importantly, Damon didn’t want to take that from Casimir or their child. The pup deserved to grow up in the Frost home, to experience the bond their family shared. It would kill him to deprive his mate and child of that experience.

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