Page 16 of Coven

“What do you know about werewolf and vampire relations?” Ember asked.

“Not much,” Kana answered with a shake of his head.

Ember chuckled. “Then I apologize in advance for the history lesson. I’m sure you know vampires and werewolves are both creatures who were born human and turned into something else. Vampires’ dominion is the night because they cannot tolerate the sun, and they are immortal because of it. Werewolves can exist both in day and night and have a normal human lifespan but are subject to the whims of the full moon, which usually became visible after dark.

“Since vampires are helpless during the day, and werewolves are impacted by the moon at night, a very long time ago they created a symbiotic relationship. Werewolves help protect the vampires when they are most helpless, and vampires do the same for the wolves.”

“But something isn’t right between you and the vampires,” Kana guessed.

Ember nodded and his face turned stony and dark, his cheekbones emphasized as he gritted his teeth.

“There is an imbalance of power. You have to understand vampire biology to really understand what happened. Basically, there is no way to tell how powerful a human might be as a vampire until after they are turned. The meekest, weakest human in existence could become the most powerful vampire, and vice versa. I believe Master Octavius was a very weak human when he lived about six hundred years ago. He may have been a servant, but certainly he was abused. He craved power and found it when he was bought by a rich vampire merchant and became a blood slave. Somehow, he convinced the merchant to turn him and over the next six hundred years consolidated power. Then, twenty years ago, he showed up at my pack house. He killed my father, who was alpha at the time, killed the alpha council, and killed any alpha candidates he could find. I survived because I was so young my mother was able to hide me.”

Ember’s voice was completely flat, without a single emotion escaping to color his words, but Kana was pretty sure that wasn’t because Ember didn’t feel anything. Rather, it was because Ember felt too much and had to lock down every emotion about the story he was telling or succumb to it.

“He said in the interview that humans didn’t need to worry about the vampires because he already had willing donors,” Ember continued. “But that isn’t true at all. He controls us by taking the weakest among us, the ones I’m supposed to protect. He keeps them locked away and feeds from them to ensure they stay weak. If anyone tries to disobey him, he hurts them.”

This time, Ember’s voice did break. As alpha, it was his duty to protect his entire pack, particularly the most vulnerable, and he was failing. Kana wanted to stand, walk around the coffee table, and join Ember on the other couch where he could then pull Ember into a hug the wolf definitely needed. Except, Kana didn’t think Ember would appreciate it. Aside from the fact that Kana was basically a complete stranger, Ember wasn’t in a position to allow even the barest moment of weakness to escape. He had to be strong in order to keep his pack going. A hug wouldn’t erase that, and it also wouldn’t help him at this moment.

Maybe—after this was all over and Ember’s pack freed—then Ember would be willing to entertain the idea of a hug.

Still, Kana wasn’t completely blinded by his infatuation. “You want my magic.”

Ember nodded. “I admit the two vampires you killed were not nearly as powerful as Master Octavius, but with your help, I think my wolves might have a chance.”

He looked at Kana as if he expected an immediate answer, and a very large part of Kana wanted to say yes. But could Kana really help them? He was untried, self-trained, and in hiding. The only positive on his side was he had two familiars and therefore access to double the magical reserves. However, without the proper training, could he really use those reserves in an actual battle?

And it also begged the question of whether he wanted to get involved with someone else’s problem. He could walk away; forget about Ember and his poor wolves and continue living his quiet life. Except, Kana’s conscience was screaming no. He wanted to help the wolves being held captive; he wanted to bring more than that small half smile to Ember’s lips. If he ran away, neither would ever happen.

Before Kana could come up with some sort of answer, Ember’s watch started beeping an alarm. Ember pressed the button to stop it and stood.

“I have to leave now to get back to the vampire house in time. Can we meet again tomorrow?”

Kana nodded. “I need some time to think, but tomorrow should be fine. Around the same time?”

“I’ll send a car, but no threats this time,” Ember added with a joking quirk of his eyebrow.

They walked to the door together. Ember opened it and courteously held it for Kana, and then Kana followed Ember down the hallways and back to the front door where two wolves were waiting for them.

“Drive him back home,” Ember told one of the wolves. The wolf nodded and loped off, probably to go get the car, Kana assumed. Ember and the other wolf walked outside where a car was already waiting. The wolf got into the driver’s seat, but Ember waited until a second car pulled up behind the first. Kana got into the back seat of that car, Mika and Sora hopping in after him, and only once Kana’s door was closed did Ember get into the back seat of his own car. The cars pulled away, and Kana couldn’t help being relieved that he was heading home.

Stars were starting to appear overhead when the car dropped them off in front of Kana’s apartment. Kana hurried inside and let out a sigh of relief when his apartment door was firmly closed and locked behind him.

“That wasn’t how I expected my afternoon to go,” Kana said.

Mika and Sora shimmered for a moment as they shifted into their human forms.

“Now dinner’s late, and I’m soooo huuunnnngry!” Sora moaned.

Kana was too hyped to feel hungry, but he knew as soon as he calmed he would probably fall asleep, so he ought to eat too. This wasn’t an evening for cooking. Kana opened the freezer and pulled out three meals he had previously cooked and then frozen. The first one went into the microwave while the others waited their turn on the counter.

Kana also went to his pantry and pulled out his cardboard container of salt.

“Let me do that,” Mika said. He pulled the salt from Kana’s hand, turned Kana around, and gently pushed him back in the direction of the microwave. “You focus on the food.”

Mika drew an unbroken line of salt across the threshold by the front door, then moved to the closest window. Sora was busy pulling cups out of the cabinet so he could set the table. Kana turned back to the microwave and watched the plastic Tupperware spin in circles.

Innocent werewolves held captive by a power-mad vampire. Just that thought read like a tabloid news headline, yet Kana absolutely believed everything Ember had told him. Ember’s stoic face, the lack of emotion, and even his desperation in turning to Kana for help all said he was telling the truth. And, quite frankly, Kana was much more apt to believe in Ember than in Octavius, who had invited a bunch of humans to his house on a pretense in order to have a fresh snack. Kana absolutely believed that had his spell not sucker-punched Penelope, more of his coworkers would have been attacked and some of them might not have walked out of there alive.

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