21 Shades of Night, page 329
Thane’s gaze shifted to Upir’s empty seat. Even if Upir were there as representative of the shifters, Thane didn’t expect any support from him this time around either. After all, Upir had been the first to lay judgment and pin the murder of Thane and Gavril’s parents on Thane.
“Do you know why you’ve been called again?” Luxar inquired.
“One can only speculate that it has to do with my breakout from Area S2.”
“Your escape from Area S2 didn’t cause as much concern as the destructive way in which you and your Epsilons chose to execute said escape.”
Zeff and Ulrick shuffled behind Thane.
“It wasn’t planned that way,” Thane replied.
“Let’s have them speak for themselves,” Luxar demanded.
Ulrick stepped forward. “Area S2’s prisoners aren’t exactly law-abiding citizens. We entered their territory to claim our Alpha, and they were violent toward us as soon as we got there. We killed several that hunted us down as we searched the area for our Alpha. I didn’t go there to get slaughtered before carrying out my mission. My brother and I are more than willing to pay the price.”
“Area S2 will need some renovation. The ease with which you breached the wall indicates this. Cleanup will be costly, however. I don’t think your Epsilons’ salaries will cover it.” Luxar arched a brow and his attention shifted to Zeff and Ulrick.
“Area S2 belonged to Gavril. He caused this mess. Let him clean it up,” Ulrick blurted.
The tension in the room lifted, and Thane held out a hand and gestured for Ulrick to assume his stance and remain quiet.
“For the record, when I got news of the numerous drugs that he’s been testing and forcing on innocents…” Luxar said between clenched teeth. “…I stripped him of everything he owns. The two prisons that he owned no longer belong to him. I tried to strip the Silex company, as well. However, after looking at the ownership records, it has come to my attention that Gavril isn’t the rightful heir. He isn’t even the owner. According to your uncle’s will, ownership is in limbo. So, I couldn’t take action or make decisions about the company. Obviously, the production of D996 in its altered and illegal form has to stop. Someone must pay for this mistake—this attempt to try and reveal what we are to the world. One thing I can do, and will if I have to, is go down the chain of command until your family no longer owns anything.”
Thane growled. “You throw me in a prison for a crime I didn’t commit and now you want to threaten my family lineage?”
“One shifter family is a small price to pay to ensure that we all live freely without human speculation about our existence. Right now, a member of your family is a threat to this same lineage you speak of. Don’t you think so?”
“I know he is, but I won’t be responsible for Gavril’s actions. I don’t condone them. My uncle never condoned them. Gavril murdered my parents because of his self-righteousness. I am doing everything in my power to restore things to the way they were before Gavril took control of the company,” Thane said.
“So you admit that you lied to the Council before by admitting to being responsible for the deaths of your parents. You withheld information about what Gavril was up to.”
“I had no idea about the drugs until I saw the physical evidence. I took responsibility for the murders to protect someone very dear to me.”
“The young woman, you mean? Houston’s only child and rightful heir to Silex?”
Thane nodded.
“You’d do a lot of things in the name of family, wouldn’t you?”
“I’d do a lot of things in the name of both family and Pack. I was brought up on those values, and I promised both Houston and my father before they died that I would take care of Danika.”
“Other than creating a drug that would lead to the possible exposure of our kind, a more serious crime has been committed by your brother,” Luxar stated. His tone had suddenly gone dry.
“I’ve already placed trusted individuals in key roles at Silex to clean this up. They will ensure that no other illegal drugs are produced in our labs. Humans who were exposed to the drug will be contacted once we pull their information from the system,” Thane said. “The drug’s creation, along with its misuse, and the murder of my parents are the only crimes that I know of to date. I’m sure there are others, but until I gain proof, I’m unable to speak on those.”
Luxar nodded. “That’s advisable. I’m going to give you one more chance to clear the air. Did you murder your parents or have anything to do with the murders?”
“I would never…” Thane growled.
“I misunderstood you the first time around, but partly because you withheld information. Now I see clearly what’s been happening. You’re not off the hook just yet, however. You’re being considered responsible for another very serious crime—a crime that you are without a doubt connected to.”
Thane shook his head slowly, puzzled. “What is that?” Other than the raid on Area S2, he couldn’t think of anything else.
“You’re responsible for the death of a Council Head—Upir Lyons.”
Thane’s head reeled in shock, and he heard audible gasps from both Ulrick and Zeff behind him. “That is very unfortunate, but I assure you…I had no hand in Upir’s death.” He didn’t expect them to believe him. After all, they’d pinned the murders of his parents on him without reasonable evidence.
“Upir was slaughtered in the compound that your entourage raided to retrieve Danika Silex. We already know the raid wasn’t the work of shifters, but you ordered it, and now one of UCON’s Heads is dead. That crime is punishable by death.”
“You have concrete evidence that I was at Area S2 when Danika was retrieved.”
“Yes.” Luxar lifted both elbows onto the table and linked his fingers together. “Yes, I do.”
“How do you know Upir is dead?” Thane asked. Upir not only represented the shifters in UCON affairs, he had also sat on the Council for several decades. Not as long as the others currently sitting, but long enough to have gained ultimate respect of several of the oldest wolf Packs across the country.
“His body has been identified based on ceremonial markings.”
Upir had once been an Alpha to two well-known Packs in the western U.S., so identifying him by his marks would’ve been easy.
“Did you or did you not order his death because he cast a vote against you here?”
“I did not. You said it yourself. He was there at Gavril’s compound at the time of the raid.”
Luxar was silent for about a minute as he exchanged glances with the other members at the table. “You have a strong urge for revenge in your heart…yes?”
“Yes,” Thane growled between clenched teeth.
“Are you trying to eliminate most of us here?” Luxar waved his arm to the left of him where the majority of the other Heads sat.
“You think that I mean to kill those who cast a vote against me?” Thane almost laughed. “My only aim was to rescue Danika and clean up the mess my brother made. It’s only coincidence that Upir, now dead, was part of the three-to-two vote that led me to Area S2. I had plans to clear my name, but killing Council Heads wasn’t part of that. Not even remotely.”
The Heads exchanged glances once again. Blanc, who was directly to the right of Luxar, leaned in to speak to the master vampire.
“Upir was just in the wrong place, at the wrong time,” Thane added.
“No, Thane. Upir was in the wrong place at the right time.”
Thane shook his head. “I don’t understand.”
“We found evidence in a UCON-owned vault. Evidence that suggests that Upir was funding Gavril’s little research projects—D996 among them. Gavril and Upir were working together on other projects, as well. We’re currently following leads as to what those projects might be.”
Thane’s breath escaped him in a rush as he processed the shocking information being laid before him. “Why would Upir help Gavril do this?”
“It’s too soon to confirm reason. We have only had enough time to speculate since this all happened. We all know that Upir was once Alpha of the NorthSky Pack before he gifted the title to another in order to accept the UCON position. Area S2 was owned by the NorthSky Alpha before he was killed.”
“Yes, Gavril killed him. That’s how ownership of Area S2 passed to him. That Pack disbanded over a year ago because it was left without a leader,” Thane replied.
“Precisely. We believe that Upir helped Gavril claim ownership of Area S2, which would then lead us to speculate that they both wanted the NorthSky Alpha dead for some reason.”
“And now Upir is dead and Gavril is missing…”
“And this is a surprising coincidence that there is—or was—a traitor on UCON helping your twin brother,” Luxar said. “And we had no idea up until now.”
Thane nodded. “Surprising, indeed.”
Luxar waved his hands in front of him at a few empty chairs. “Sit, please.”
Thane accepted the seat, but his thoughts raced through his mind quickly as he tried to piece together the missing information.
“What was the condition of your Pack and your estate when you returned?” Luxar questioned.
“Physically the same as it was the day I left. In terms of my people, they are still shaken up by what happened to my parents at the hands of their own son. They know that Gavril is still out there and they all want revenge.”
“That day will come,” Luxar said. “Judgment will be passed as it should have been months ago. I can’t promise your brother will live when this is all said and done.”
“Gavril was man enough to kill innocents. He should be man enough to accept his punishment.”
“If you reach him first, you will turn him over to us. Understood?”
Thane swallowed. “What will you do to him?”
“I’ve just uncovered all of his wrongdoings. Once I’ve mounted the rest of my evidence, I’ll ensure the punishment fits the crime.”
Blanc slid a thin sheet of vellum-style paper in front of Luxar, who then picked up a quill pen. Just as he had the day he sentenced Thane to exile, he pierced the vein on his wrist with the tip of the pen and signed the document in blood.
“Thane Silex, Alpha of ShadowRock Pack, I release you from your sentence.”
Luxar handed him the document. “Just remember, if you capture him first, I want to be the first to know. We need answers, and are very well prepared to extract them from memories. All of them. Every last memory, until all of them are gone.”
Thane nodded and grabbed the document that cleared him of all murder charges and released him from his exile sentence.
“Oh, and before I forget, there’s one more thing…” Luxar’s lips were set in a grim line and his expression was stone cold serious.
Thane could sense more bad news pending, but by now, he was getting used to it. “And that is?”
“The human that escaped with you? The raven-haired woman…” Luxar tapped his quill pen as if contemplating something. His forehead wrinkled as though he were in deep thought. “She was involved in sexual relations with your brother. And before you lay blame on Tomas for ratting you out, it wasn’t his fault. As you know, secrets travel very quickly within the vampire community. It doesn’t take long for news to reach us through the blood while the memories are still fresh.”
“Explain,” Thane inquired.
“Tomas belongs to Tor’s coven, but he courts a female who has pledged to Blanc’s coven,” Luxar said. “Word spreads quickly in the vampire community. Through the blood is one of the means in which we communicate. In this case, we cannot trust Kalena—“
“—Gavril lied to her and nearly had her killed. She had nothing to do with his crimes.” Blood pulsed violently against Thane’s temples.
“Are you certain?”
“Yes.”
Luxar shook his head. “We can’t risk it. She has no memory of certain events, and even after being called before us, Tomas admitted that some memories were lost. If she doesn’t know what her role was with Gavril, then how do we know?”
Thane’s heart beat frantically, and he was certain the vampires at the table picked up on it. He hadn’t questioned Kalena before—he’d had no time to—but every fiber in his being trusted her. Even if she were somehow coerced into helping Gavril, he knew in his heart that she wasn’t the type of person to knowingly do something that could harm and possibly alter the lives of dozens of people.
“You’ve known this woman for a very short time. How could you trust her? You’re an Alpha, one of the highest positions under our spectrum. Has she clouded your judgment?”
“My judgment has not been affected by any of this,” Thane stated.
“You’ve given her the blood, haven’t you? She’s been altered, yes?”
Thane nodded.
“Then she’s now inextricably tied to our kind and bound to follow our rules, as you are. You have two choices, only because I like you very much. For the judgment call you made without adequate contemplation, you will either: Relinquish the female to UCON or relinquish your title.”
Thane rose quickly from his seat. “You’re wrong on this matter, Luxar, just as you were wrong to sentence me prematurely before.”
Luxar raised one brow. “You’re right, one of us is wrong. You couldn’t extract all of her memories, but we can. Especially any memories she may have about where to find Gavril’s hiding place.” He grinned. “The choices have been laid before you. Choose. The girl or your title.”
“The girl. I relinquish my title,” Thane declared.
Complete silence washed over the room for several minutes until Luxar spoke again. “I didn’t expect that.” Luxar frowned. “You are sure?”
Thane growled. “She’s mine. I will lash out if she is harmed.”
He shrugged indifferently. “Fine. Your decision stands.” He leaned over the table, his next question directed toward Silvano. “Name an interim Alpha of the ShadowRock Pack.”
“Brant Cedona, Thane’s Beta,” Silvano replied.
Thane let out a slight sigh of relief at the mention of Brant’s name. Had UCON named someone he wouldn’t have chosen himself, he would have felt uneasy about the decision. What was important was that he knew he’d made the right choice. He would never turn the woman he cared about over to someone else to be chastised or questioned relentlessly.
“If I were you, Thane…I would find your brother. I would find him quickly and turn him over. The Council has pressing matters on our radar other than this one and Gavril’s tactics are becoming a nuisance to our advancement. I suspect you agree. If you want your Pack order restored, you will act accordingly.”
“I assure you…I will find him.”
“I’m glad we had this discussion and a chance to meet again to clear the air. I’ll be seeing you again soon I suspect,” Luxar stated and promptly excused himself from the meeting by getting up from the table and exiting the room.
Chapter 27
“YOU DON’T SEEM like the type of woman who would date Thane.”
Kalena nearly jumped two feet away from the bookcase when she heard the voice of the girl in the room. She spun around quickly to find her seated on a leather couch just inches from where Kalena stood. When the girl had entered the room was beyond her.
She was the youngest person Kalena had seen at the mansion to date, but then again, age was mostly irrelevant here. She had a thick mane of light blonde hair and a slender build, yet her style of dress gave her true age away the most. Kalena had volunteered at a public library in the youth section, and the girl’s choice of designer clothes and accessories labeled her as a teenager.
Kalena shook her head. “You are?”
“Danika Silex. The troublemaker.” She smiled. “You’ve been moping around here all day.”
Kalena pressed her lips together in defiance. “I wasn’t moping. You were held by Thane’s brother, right?”
Danika frowned slightly and averted her gaze for only a second.
“I’m sorry about what happened.”
“Everyone’s sorry.” Danika shrugged. “You don’t plan to stay here, do you?”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“It’s just that history shows that most humans are simply interested in living longer. They accept the DNA and months later they’re gone. Living among wolves and vampires that have lived for hundreds of years can be a lot for an innocent human such as yourself.”
Kalena took a seat in the lounge chair adjacent from where Danika sat. “I’ve thought about that already. I’m not here just for the DNA.”
“Don’t tell me you’re here for Thane.” The girl’s smile was almost teasing, but her eyebrows rose in question. “I guess you can say he’s old in spirit, but young at heart.”
“I love everything about his spirit and his heart,” Kalena said without missing a beat. “So in answer to your question, yes, I’m here for Thane.”
Should Kalena feel selfish about being here for Thane because she couldn’t process the thought of leaving him behind so soon?
Danika narrowed her gaze, skepticism evident in her expression. “You have no idea what it’s like living the life of an Alpha’s mate…”
“And you do?”
“My dad, Houston Silex, was Alpha of the ShadowRock Pack until he handed the title down to Thane. And then old age crippled him. He’s long gone, but yes, I know the trials and tribulations of being the daughter of an Alpha. My mother was human, but she couldn’t take the daily pressures that came with her role. She left my dad to live a normal human life. She would probably still be living today if the man she married hadn’t insisted she fly all over the world with him whenever he went out of town on business. I have human stepbrothers that pretty much disowned me.”
“What happened to your mother?”
“She was in a private jet that crashed into a mountain. When they found it, almost nothing was left, other than the ruins of the plane. Just ashes and metal.”
