Page 34 of Bound By Blood

Kaitlyn dreamed of Zack that night. No surprise, considering the effect his kisses—and his blood—had had on her senses. In her dream, they were walking hand in hand near the lake, pausing now and then to kiss in the shadows. A big gray cat followed them from a distance, its yellow eyes glinting golden in the light of the moon, its tail swishing with anger.

In the way of dreams, the scene shifted abruptly and she was in Zack’s bed, in Zack’s arms. He was kissing her to distraction when his eyes suddenly went bloodred. She screamed when his teeth turned to fangs.

In the blink of an eye, the gray cat sprang up on the bed. Back arched, the cat lunged at Zack, but Zack rolled out of the way, his body shifting, transforming almost instantly into a large black wolf.

Fangs bared, hackles raised, ears flat, feline and canine glared at each other, and then the wolf sprang forward …

Kaitlyn woke to the sound of her own screams.

Breathing heavily, her body damp with sweat, she sat up, one hand pressed to her heart.

“Just a dream,” she muttered. But what if it foreshadowed a future event?

Rising, she pulled on her robe and went into the kitchen. After fixing a cup of coffee, she carried it into the living room. She needed to call her father, to tell him about Korzha’s attack. It wasn’t a conversation she was looking forward to.

Drake sat on the dais, his expression solemn as he glanced at the assembled council members. He had spoken to Kaitlyn on the phone earlier, listened intently as she informed him of Korzha’s treachery and how the man, Zack Ravenscroft, had destroyed Korzha.

Listening carefully, Drake had been certain there was a part of the story Kaitlyn was holding back, something about Ravenscroft, but he had not pressed her on the matter. He trusted Kaitlyn’s instincts, her loyalty to the coven. In due time, she would tell him the rest. He had suggested she come home immediately. She had refused, of course, but that was no surprise. He could have insisted, but something had warned him that would only make her more determined to stay.

Aware of the council watching him, wondering why he had summoned them, he stood, his gaze resting on each of the thirteen members in turn. All were related to him, bound by the blood of the same sire. The majority of the people in the Fortress were related to him.

“I have called you here this evening on a matter that concerns me personally, and perhaps the coven, as well,” Drake began. “Nadiya’s youngest son has been killed and she has gone missing. I have no evidence, nothing but a strong suspicion that she is plotting revenge against me, whether for the death of her youngest son, or for the death of the son that was slain in the attempted coup against my father.”

“That was more than twenty years ago,” Andrei said. “Why would she wait so long?”

Drake shook his head. “I have no idea. Perhaps it has taken her this long to formulate a plan, or to gather an army against me. One thing I do know, her youngest son is dead, killed by a man I do not know.”

“What man?” Gregor asked.

“The one Kaitlyn is dating. When she was attacked, the man, Ravenscroft, defended her and somehow managed to kill Korzha. Kaitlyn was vague on how this was accomplished.”

“You are certain young Korzha intended to do her harm?”

“Yes.” Drake resumed his seat. “Elena wishes me to order Kaitlyn home.”

“Do you think that is necessary?” Ciprian asked.

Drake shrugged. “I have not yet decided. I want each of you to contact the leaders of the other Fortresses. Find out if they know anything of Nadiya’s whereabouts, or if they have heard anything suspicious. Marku, I want you to see if you can locate her other children. They all seem to have dropped out of sight about the same time.”

Marku nodded. “It will be done.”

Drake glanced at the members of the council. “I want daily reports. And until we find out what she is up to, I suggest you warn your wives and children to stay close to the Fortress. That is all. The council is dismissed.”

Drake sat there for several moments. He had never cared for Nadiya. He thought her a cold, calculating woman, caring for no one but her own children. He had often wondered why his father had married her, and when he had found the courage to ask, Rodin had shrugged, then said,She is cold. She is selfish. But she is beautiful. And no one else will have her.

Drake’s opinion of Nadiya Korzha had not changed. How far would she go to avenge the deaths of her sons? What had been her intentions where Kaitlyn was concerned? It was obvious that young Korzha had been sent to keep an eye on Kaitlyn, but why? Were his instructions merely to watch her? Given what Kaitlyn had told him, that seemed unlikely. Had Korzha intended to kidnap Kaitlyn and hold her for ransom? Or had Nadiya intended to demand his life in exchange for his daughter’s? Knowing Nadiya, he thought it more likely that she planned to kill Kaitlyn, knowing the loss of his only daughter would cause him endless heartache, and more suffering than anything else she could do.

He grunted softly. Could Nadiya really be that coldblooded? Surely she realized that if she harmed so much as a hair of Kaitlyn’s head, he would hunt her down and destroy her, no matter where she went, or how long it took.

Muttering an oath, he stalked out of the council chambers.

Whether she wished it or not, he feared it was time for Kaitlyn to come home.

The nightmare was still fresh in Kaitlyn’s mind when she woke the next afternoon. She hadn’t told her father that Zack was one of the Others. If she was lucky, her father and Zack would never meet, and her father would never discover the truth.

Later, standing in the shower, she was overcome with guilt for her omission. She had never kept anything from her father. Not that she had ever done anything truly horrible, but from the time she was a little girl, she had confessed her misdeeds—from sneaking a cookie before dinner to sneaking out of the house for a midnight swim with her girlfriends. She had never been inclined to try drugs or cigarettes. She had been curious about sex, of course, but not curious enough to experiment with any of the boys who had offered to enlighten her.

She turned off the shower and then, after drying off with a big fluffy towel, she went into the bedroom to get dressed. She had wanted to tell her dad about Zack, but doing so could put Zack’s life in danger, and that was something she simply couldn’t do.

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