Page 38 of Claws for Celebration
"Ah, but that's where you're mistaken." Viktor's attention focused entirely on Moira, who had gone pale but remained steady beside Lucien. "Miss Marsh isn't formally affiliated with any supernatural authority. She's what we call a 'free agent,' which makes her eligible for recruitment by interested parties."
"Recruitment," Lucien repeated, his hands curling into claws that he barely managed to keep hidden. "Is that what you're calling forced conversion these days?"
"Such harsh language. We prefer to think of it as offering opportunities for advancement." Viktor took a step closer, andLucien felt his control slip another notch. "A witch of Miss Marsh's obvious potential would thrive in our coven. Protected, trained, given access to magical knowledge that these provincial councils could never provide."
"And if I'm not interested in your opportunities?" Moira asked, her voice steadier than Lucien had expected.
"Then you'd be making a grave mistake," Viktor replied smoothly. "The magical awakening you're experiencing is dangerous without proper guidance. How many incidents have you had already? Unconscious spellcasting, emotional magic surges, protective wards manifesting without conscious control?"
Moira suddenly sucking in air confirmed that the vampire's knowledge was uncomfortably accurate.
"Blood magic requires discipline that your current... advisors clearly haven't provided," Viktor continued. "With us, you'd learn control. Purpose. You'd become something magnificent instead of remaining a danger to yourself and everyone around you."
"She's not going anywhere with you," Lucien said, his voice dropping to a growl that made all three vampires tense with recognition of a serious threat.
"And you are?"
"Her mate," Lucien replied without hesitation, the words carrying the weight of absolute claim. "Touch her, and I'll tear you apart with my bare hands."
Viktor's eyebrows rose with genuine surprise. "How fascinating. A mated pair, and so recently bonded that the connection hasn't fully stabilized yet." His smile turned calculating. "That explains the protective instincts, but not the wisdom of the choice. Surely you recognize that she'd be safer with us than risking magical burnout in this isolated community?"
"Safer," Lucien repeated, his panther practically clawing its way to the surface. "You want to turn her into a bloodsucking predator and you call that safer?"
"I want to help her survive what's coming," Viktor said with the first hint of genuine sincerity he'd shown. "The magical disturbances her awakening is creating have attracted attention from much worse things than my coven. Ancient entities that make vampires look like house cats. She needs power and protection that your little sanctuary simply can't provide."
The truth in that statement hit Lucien hard. The shadow creatures, the failing wards, the unknown entity coordinating attacks against Hollow Oak, all of it centered around Moira's developing abilities.
"What kind of entities?" Moira asked quietly.
"The kind that feed on uncontrolled magical energy," Viktor replied. "The kind that would consume you and everyone you care about without a second thought. The kind that are probably already on their way here, drawn by the same magical signature that brought us."
"He's lying," Maeve said firmly. "Trying to scare you into making a rash decision."
"Am I?" Viktor's pale eyes held Moira's gaze with uncomfortable intensity. "How many nights has your mate been called away for mysterious Council business? How many emergency meetings have there been since your arrival? How many supernatural incidents that he's had to handle personally?"
Each question landed with devastating accuracy, and Lucien watched Moira's expression shift from confusion to dawning realization.
"I’m the reason you’re in danger," she whispered, looking at Lucien with horror. "My magic, my awakening, it's putting everyone in Hollow Oak at risk."
"Moira, no," Lucien started, but she was already stepping away from him, her hands beginning to shake as the full implications hit her.
"That's why you've been having night patrols. Why the Council meetings have intensified. Why everyone's been so careful around me." Her voice broke slightly. "I'm not just discovering my heritage. I'm endangering everyone I've grown to care about."
"Smart girl," Viktor said with approval. "Now you understand why coming with us is the logical choice. We can take you somewhere safe, train you properly, and remove the threat your uncontrolled abilities pose to this community."
"No," Lucien said with absolute authority of a mated shifter defending his chosen one. "She's not going anywhere. We'll find another solution."
"Will you?" Viktor's question hung in the air like a challenge. "Before the ancient entities arrive? Before your protective wards fail completely? Before her magic consumes her from the inside?"
As the vampire coven waited for Moira's response and his panther screamed for violence, Lucien realized that everything they'd been building toward, every careful plan and gradual revelation, had just been shattered by an enemy who understood exactly how to exploit their deepest fears.
The battle for Moira's future, and Hollow Oak's survival, had begun in earnest.
22
MOIRA
The vampires had left with promises that felt more like threats, Viktor's parting words echoing in Moira's mind as she watched their elegant forms disappear into the morning mist. "We'll be nearby if you change your mind, Miss Marsh. When the reality of your situation becomes... clearer."
