Bane of Tenebris (Wolfgods Book 2) Blaise Ramsay (classic literature books txt) 📖

No one said anything else as Damien resumed his spot on the floor. Kain could swear he heard Jill snickering below him. It made his heart smile.

Damien rubbed the bridge of his nose with his thumb and fingers. “Now, can we please focus? Tonight’s the dinner at the coven here in Big Timber. We need to come up with a plan in case it’s a trap. Gabriel, I want you, Kain and Jill to come with me. The rest of you can stay here. Make sure the packs are settled in and inform us if anything happens. Remember, think like a human or a hunter. Anthony isn’t targeting lycans, he’s targeting humans.”

Chapter Thirteen

Tala met Kain in the kitchen after the talk in the living room. She could tell by how high his shoulders were drawn and how tight he gripped the marble counter that he was stressed.

She sashayed over to him and lay her head against his shoulder and running her nails over the scars on his forearm. In his injured hand, he gripped the keys to his car, the other held his cell phone.

“You’re really going?” she asked, concerned.

Kain said nothing. He didn’t need to.

“I don’t like this and think it’s beyond insane, but if you believe it’s the right thing, I’ll support you and wait for you.” Tala stood on her tip toes and kissed the bottom of her lover’s jaw. “I want to be with you when you get home. Can we go hunting together again?”

The suddenness of Kain’s embrace made her jump, bringing about a shocked squeak. His arms held her tight to his body, the smell of him captivating. Their lips met in a brief kiss.

“Nothing would please me more,” Kain purred while running his hand through his mate’s silken hair. “Keep our bed warm. I will be home soon.”

Tala walked with Kain out to the front lawn where Gabriel, Damien, and Jill waited beside his car.

Tala kissed Kain one last time before watching him walk down to the car. Their eyes met for a short time before he got in the driver’s side and pulled off.

When the lycans arrived at the metal gate surrounding the coven’s mansion in the high mountains outside of Big Timber, Kain felt Damien tugging his mind. The feelings and memories of the night they had to save Damien from Lilith ran through Kain’s thoughts as if they were his own.

Kain reassured Damien that this visit wouldn’t be like his last one. To distract the young lycan, he told Damien a story between the two of them about how Kain attended many of these meetings with his father. They were often used to either promote peace or to try and come to terms before a major battle.

As Kain thought, Damien quizzed him about how the meetings often went. Despite the number of questions, Kain was glad he’d managed to distract his friend long enough for them to go through the automatic gate.

Zane stood at the base of the concrete steps leading up to the large double doors of the house. Damien stopped beside Kain, his eyes glancing toward the second-floor window to the right of the door. He squeezed his eyes closed.

Kain placed his hand on Damien’s shoulder, once again reassuring him Kain wouldn’t let anything harm him. Kain focused on Zane and reminded Damien of the feelings the alpha had about trusting the vampire. Inside, Kain couldn’t explain it but he too felt he could trust Zane. Something about the vampire reminded him of his early days in the Blood Wars.

Damien shocked Jill and Gabriel by walking up to Zane and taking the vampire’s hand in a firm shake.

“Uh, Kain, explain please?” Gabriel asked.

Kain didn’t explain. He only shrugged and followed his alpha’s lead, leaving Gabriel baffled.

They walked into the halls to find them lavishly decorated much like the many mansions Kain attended the most luxurious parties in. Through his boots, he could feel the plush carpets. Along the walls, paintings of the coven’s monarchs lined the crimson red wallpaper.

Zane stood close to Kain, his eyes glancing at him occasionally. Kain nearly said something before the vampire spoke. “Damien is impressive. He held no fear when he approached me.”

“The Purifiers feared neither race according to legend. Damien has had his fair share of problems with your kind but still he chooses to try and bring peace.” Kain’s reply came without emotion.

Zane half-chuckled. “You should be pleased. He trusts you, seems to care for you. A good trait to have in a leader with so much on his shoulders.”

The vampire’s words made Kain both curious and uneasy. He didn’t say anything else but didn’t let the lingering discomfort go considering the vampire’s interest in him and Damien.

They arrived in a grand hall with a table so long it looked like it could seat at least thirty people. At the far end, Desdemona sat with her fingers laced together. Her daughter Ramona sat to her mother’s right. Both of them so astonishingly beautiful, Kain had to remind himself of the vampire’s secret weapon he’d fallen for once in his life. He still dealt with the consequences.

Desdemona rose from her chair once Zane returned to her side, greeting her subordinate and accepting a kiss to her hand before he stood behind her. His hands behind his back like a soldier at attention. Ramona smiled briefly at Gabriel before returning to her reserved posture.

The lycans sat close together near the vampires.

“Welcome, my esteemed guests,” Desdemona said in greeting. Her voice a sensual purr echoing in the room. Its tone betrayed a subtle Transylvanian accent. “I trust your journey here was a pleasant one.”

“We appreciate your invitation, Ms. Cardoza. If our hostess would forgive us, we wish to cut the pleasantries and get to the reason she chooses to call,” Kain answered, his voice holding the formality befitting a noble as old as Desdemona.

A smile of pleasure at Kain’s greeting