183
I stood in a back room with Rev as the top floor of The Drake filled up with lair members. Most of them didn’t know me, the younger generation had never met me and everyone else had forgotten the real me. The irony of the situation wasn’t lost on me and I wouldn’t instantly have their trust or respect.
Rev and I walked through the lair members to the raised dais where the Elders were already seated. Nobody made way for me and they nodded their heads at Rev whilst completely ignoring me. I reached the podium and looked at my people. They were all talking among themselves and Rev stepped forward but I stopped him with a look.
“Dragonkin of the Grey lair,” I said and switched my aura on. It flowed from me over them, silence greeted me as they all bowed their heads under the pressure. I was so much more powerful than them that even the Elders bowed their heads.
“I realize that you don’t know me, that you are worried about the future of this lair and I won’t try to convince you of what I’m capable of. My recent acts speak for themselves and I have no desire to win you over, staying or leaving will be your choice.
Rev gave me the name of the man responsible for taking your Sire, my brother and our parents. Sire Robert McDaniel died four days ago when he got inside information from one of our members. He went after my wife and children and failed.
His other men came for me at the house and they also died. I have the traitor in custody and custom says he must be executed. I will however give him the chance to state his case in front of all of you to witness that I do what I say and I mean what I do.”
Rev disappeared through a side door and returned two minutes later, dragging Granger behind him onto the dais where he stood a few feet away from me. The lair was silent but I had heard his wife’s gasp as she saw him being led out.
“Speak asshole,” Rev said as he took a step backwards.
“Sire, please, I swear, I had no choice,” Granger said as fear settled into his eyes.
“Tell the lair what you did,” I said in an even tone.
“Sire Robert cornered me one afternoon, showed me pictures of my wife and daughter and told me to comply or they’d die,” he said in a shaky voice.
“All of it,” Rev hissed into his ear.
“I told Robert where to find Sire Ryder’s wife and children, that the house was a decoy and so was the club,” he said and released a sob.
“Traitor!” a few people shouted and I lifted my hand to silence them.
“If this was true Granger I would’ve spared your life,” I said as his wife started sobbing in the crowds of people below us.
“It is true Sire!” Granger said with desperation.
“Then explain the fifty thousand dollars deposited into your account by a corporation previously owned by Robert McDaniel,” I said evenly as his eyes widened.
“I made a mistake Sire and nobody got hurt,” he said.
“I’ll give you ten minutes to say your goodbyes to your family,” I said and turned my back on him.
I watched as his wife walked up the two steps and then she slapped him hard across his face before wrapping her arms around him. She was crying and my heart went out to her, but I couldn’t tolerate betrayal.
“I have one last request Sire,” Granger said as his wife stood to one side, her hands covering her face as she cried.
“What is it Granger, if at all possible, I’ll grant it to you,” I said.
“My wife and daughter, they didn’t know about any of this, please don’t banish them,” he said.
“I wasn’t planning to Granger. I saw her reaction, every one of them, your wife and daughter will always have a place in this lair,” I said and he nodded.
“I’m ready Sire,” he said as my hand morphed into Abeloth’s claw and I ripped his heart from his chest. Members of the lair gasped and his wife screamed her agony when his body crumpled to the floor.
“Betrayal is not negotiable. I came back to Aurora for you, the lair. Had Robert succeeded this lair would have been subjected to either disbandment or facing a Sire that you know nothing about. Trust will take time but be warned that betrayal will be your end. All of you are free to leave Aurora, to transfer wherever you want, I’ll give it you gladly, but if you stay … know that I’ll fight for this lair and I’ll do my best to keep you in the comfort you are accustomed to.”
I nodded to Wynter and Milo who had both been standing behind the Elders. They all followed me to the office on the floor below and Milo closed the door behind him. “That wasn’t really what I expected,” he said.
“Sire Ryder, morphing your hand into a claw? Only one other Sire could do that,” Elder Ryan said as he took a seat on the couch.
“Yes, my father,” I said and looked at Milo. “What did you expect?”
“I thought Rev would shoot him,” he said honestly.
“I gave the verdict so I should be the one to execute him,” I said.
“That was awesome Dad,” Wynter said and I could see the awe in his eyes.
“Elders, if you’ll excuse us, it’s been a long day and I have a lot of catching up to do,” I said.
“Of course Sire Ryder, we’ll convene again and be assured you have our loyalty,” Elder Joshua said.
It was almost ten pm by the time we got home and the boys had been silent all the way. I parked the car in the driveway and memories flooded my head. They weren’t bad memories but still bittersweet.
“I’m sorry I called you a coward, Dad,” Wynter said and I realized that Milo had climbed out of the car and we were alone.
“And I’m sorry for hurting you,” I said.
“You never talk about Mom anymore,” he said.
“Not because I’ve forgotten her,” I said to him.
“It feels like you have sometimes, I don’t remember much but I remember that she was warm and loving,” he said.
“Come with me,” I said and climbed out of the car.
Wynter followed me into the house and upstairs to the office. He sat down on the couch while I opened the safe and took the book out. I put the book down on the table in front of him and poured myself a scotch.
“Read it,” I said to him.
He leaned forward and picked the book up. “What is it?” he asked me.
“Your mother’s diary. Our whole story’s in there, from the beginning, everything that happened, our life together, our life apart. That’s the real us in there,” I said.
“Thanks Dad,” Wynter said and stood up with the book in his hands.
“I love you Wynter, don’t ever change,” I said to him as he smiled sadly.
“Love you too Dad,” he said and left the office.
I leaned back against the couch and closed my eyes. I had no true desire to be the Sire of Aurora, not when it cost me my brother. I couldn’t turn my back on them either, Lucas would never forgive me for that.
The door opened and closed and I opened my eyes as Nova straddled me and placed her arms around my neck. I looked intently into her eyes as she watched me and then I kissed her. She unzipped my pants and I found her underwear lacking as my hands trailed up her legs. I smiled as we kissed and she lifted herself on her knees and guided me inside her.
She started rocking back and forth on top of me and her eyes glowed silver as Abeloth responded and pushed forward. My eyes stayed yellow as he took partial control and Nova’s eyes returned to normal, driving me crazier and crazier with her slow movements.
I could feel the exact moment she reached her orgasm as I flipped her onto her back on the couch and took her hard and frenzied. It took a moment to catch our breaths and she started laughing as I pulled out of her.
“Fuck me,” I said as I dragged a hand through my hair.
“I just did,” she said with a smile.
“You’re forgiven,” I said as I stood and zipped my pants up.
“You mean you’re forgiven,” she said as she stared at me.
“Why am I forgiven?” I asked her.
“Because you were being an asshole,” she said.
“When am I not being one?” I asked her.
“You have your moments,” she said.
“So is this you staying?” I asked her.
“I was never going to leave you, I just needed some time to adapt and think. It all happened so suddenly and it meant giving up our lives in Hartwell,” she said.
“This move will be good for us, all of us,” I said and sat down next to her again.
“You seem so certain of that,” she said.
“Alexis is much more protected here than in Hartwell,” I said.
“What about the kids? Do they even want this?” she asked me.
“Wynter has a chance to see what life is like in a lair. Basil is two hours away, Milo can spend more time with him and the coven. The girls are still young and Aurora is a great place to grow up in. You’ll have your hands full with lair business and balls and ceremonies,” I said.
“And you’ll be a Sire again,” she said.
“I was always a Sire, I just didn’t always have a lair,” I corrected her.
“Does Wynter want to be a Sire?” she asked me.
“It doesn’t matter, if he does he’ll have to find his own lair,” I said. “Luca is the rightful future Sire.”
“When is he coming back?” she asked me.
“Melissa’s not thinking clearly, she said when he turns eighteen it’ll be his choice to come back or not but until then she’s staying up in Maine with her parents. I understand she’s grieving but she didn’t even come back for the ceremonies. She didn’t even let Luca say goodbye to his father. She wasn’t exactly happy when I mentioned it to her,” I said.
“Grief is different for everyone, you know she loved Chase with everything in her and he loved her. Luca has the right to make his own decisions about his future, no matter what anyone else says. He turns eighteen in two years right, she said.
“Yes and then we go home when he takes over from me,” I said.
“Home to Georgia?”
“Yes,” I said.
“Promise?”
“I promise.”
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