Page 14 of Bite of Vengeance

He didn’t need to use the word entrancement. It was the best weapon to use against me. A slice of fear stabbed me in the chest as my eyes cut to Kali. He could force me to do anything. Knowing him, he would if I was a threat to his plan.

I used to want the same things as him. He wanted to rule over the humans, and that had been fine with me. But not anymore. I didn’t care about what he wanted. There was nothing inside me that gave a shit about his endgame anymore.

All that mattered was the woman who somehow stole my soul, claiming it as her own. Pax’s theory about us bonding wasn’t even a factor. Whether we were or not, it wouldn’t change anything. She was it for me.

But as I locked eyes with my father, my heart seized. Because I would do anything to protect her. Right now, I couldn’t save her from my own blood. I might be his son, but Amaros had strength I didn’t possess. He had an army of vampires who were loyal to him.

“Can I trust you, son?” he asked, tilting his head to the side. “Or do I need to rethink my plan?”

I unclenched my teeth. “Yes, you can trust me.”

He stared at me for another few seconds. “Good. She needs protection. But not from me. She is mine to do with as I please. Do not interfere again. Do you fucking understand?” I jerked a nod. He let go of my shoulder, backing up a couple steps before looking at Kali. “And you. Do not ever try to give me an order. It will not happen. Your friend is at my mercy, just as you are.”

He turned toward the door and stepped into the rotunda. Kali stood frozen, her wide eyes on me as I pushed off the glass. Warner’s grunts of pain were easily heard since Amaros left the door open, but Kali didn’t move a muscle.

“Go,” I said gruffly. “You’ve been wanting to talk to him. Now’s your chance.”

I couldn’t say what I wanted when my father was so close. After what just happened, I had to be careful how I acted, or he would keep me from her.

When she still didn’t move, I put my hand on her back, leading her into the rotunda. She let out a quick breath, jerking away from me as her entire body tensed. I’d known her long enough that her reaction was one of pain. With a frown, I reached for her shirt to look at her back, but she swatted my hand away.

“Did someone hurt you?” I asked in a low voice, my anger already surging.

“No,” she mumbled, rolling her shoulders. “My back is just sore.”

I narrowed my eyes, silently questioning her. She was lying, but there was no point in pushing anything until my father was out of earshot. With a sigh, she tore her eyes from mine and went into the rotunda. Since I was focused on her, I noticed how stiffly she was walking. Something was wrong. And it didn’t have anything to do with her transition because nothing caused pain when becoming a Shadow.

“Tell me, Kali.” Amaros claimed her attention the second we were inside. “Will I have to worry about you not listening to me?”

“No,” she forced out, hatred thick in her voice.

Her gaze was on Warner who was being held up by two vampires. Blood covered his face, his labored breathing had me guessing his ribs were battered.

“What a mess,” Amaros said, lighting up a cigarette. “Clean him up.”

Ignoring Kali’s protest, the two vampires dragged Warner to the pool and threw him in. The shock of the cold water jolted Warner, and he let out a curse as he slowly treaded water untilhe grabbed the ledge. Kali crossed the room, and helped haul him out of the water.

“Are you okay?” she asked him, her voice barely audible. Not that it helped—Amaros would be listening to every word they said.

Warner stared at her for a split second before wrapping her in a hug, and she squeezed him back gently. Instead of anger, guilt hit me. I was the reason he was here. The reason a tear was rolling down her cheek as she whispered to her best friend. He might be alive because of me, but he was a pawn for my father, and that was a fate worse than death.

Amaros stepped beside me. “Did you see how they reacted to her?”

“Yes,” I answered, keeping my emotions to myself. “The Shadows were protecting her. Even from me. Why?”

“The Shadows have a natural leader. One embedded in them that there’s no fighting against it. They obeyed you because you demanded it. They will follow her because it’s their natural instinct.”

My eyes swung to him, surprise flowing through me. “How do you know that?”

Amaros scrubbed his jaw, watching Kali and Warner talk in hushed whispers. “Her mother was the same. Shadows listened to her for no rhyme or reason. It’s in their bloodline. I’m guessing the only other soul the Shadows will obey is Kali’s twin.”

“If her mother had that power, then why is she dead?”

He glanced at me. “That’s a conversation for later. Right now, I want you working with Kali. Train the Shadows for war. It won’t be long before the humans retaliate. Especially when your brothers take her twin from Project Hope.”

“You’ve heard from them?” I fucking hated that Pax and Viggo weren’t here. They were the only ones I fully trusted. I was used to having them at my back.

“Not yet.” He turned to face me. “Kali will do what I want. She’ll listen to you and make the Shadows do what I need to win this war. If she doesn’t, then she’s of no use to me.”

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