blood 03 - blood chosen (12 page)

“Twice,” Adi piped in and he looked at her, nodding when he saw she was in agreement with his comment, the corner of his mouth giving a small upwards twitch.

“But you are Were...” Marcus said, somewhat puzzled by his comment.

Jason's eyes narrowed, green leaking through the hazel as he spoke, “And by your own admission... I'm plenty Singer too.”

Lawrence, Manny and Slash exchanged uneasy glances.

“What?” Truman asked, looking from one to the other. And Julia's nose scrunched, she stared hard at the new Were. His voice... his manner.
Who was he?

“Sacrilege,” Slash stated baldly.

Jason looked at Julia, then back to the Were with the scar. He folded his arms across his chest. “Explain.”

Marcus put his hands out. “This can come later. It is the matter of Jacqueline vying for the throne that must be addressed.”

“Father,” Scott said. “This...” He looked at his mother then gave a grunt of disgust, “
woman
... no one can accept her as ultimate ruler. Our Rare One has been anointed, the Combatant has formed the circle, she is blood chosen—there are no others.”

Marcus was quiet for so long Scott opened his mouth to say more. “Silence!” Marcus hissed, giving tired eyes to the group as Jacqueline continued to smirk in triumph. “Every mating that happens between Singers who possess the blood quantum to produce what Julia has become... they might also be placed on the throne if the heir apparent does not, for whatever reason, solidify their calling.” His eyes met Scott's. “Even if the Rare One is meant to rule.”

Julia stood there for a moment, taking in those damning words. “So there never was a choice.” Julia's low pitched words were flung out at the crowd, the Singer's broken hearts in their eyes as they gazed back at her. Finally, Julia's eyes fell to Jacqueline.

Hers held the certainty of her calling as an absolute.

Julia was resolved. With her soulmate at her back and two males of different supernatural species standing behind her, she made her choice.

“You won't be Queen, because I will do what it takes to fulfill my birthright.” Julia felt Scott stiffen behind her and it was all she could do, all that she was... to not touch him, skin to skin and offer what she could to make this horror of a decision less. But there was nothing but soldiering on. Julia ignored what the reality meant for her, powering through the consequence.

“I won't,” Jason said. “This is... bullshit.” He looked out at all the people who stood gathered, then Scott and finally, William. “I know I was a Singer but that Were lit into me in Homer and left me for dead. There was no concern about how wrong it was for him to attack me, that I'd turn, die—whatever. So don't shove us newbies around. I have a point. I was human, I had a
wife
.” His eyes blazed at Julia like fire on her skin, scalding her. “And she's right fucking there.” Jason pointed to Julia, her face in grim lines of resignation. Each word he spoke hit her like a wound.

“You were never human, you know that now,” Truman said quietly. “Hell... I know it,” he added, skimming his palm over his changed body.

It finally clicked into place.
He's Karl Truman
, Julia realized in wonder. Somehow, he looked the way Truman would if he were young. Her thoughts were shattered suddenly and her head snapped to the noise.

It was Tony who began to clap loudly, his palms cracking together in a slow, rhythmic slap that made those who stood near him flinch and the guards that flanked him draw closer in expectation of what he could do next.

Except William. He didn't flinch but narrowed his eyes on the Were.

“Stop that, Were,” Marcus warned, continuing, “you are standing covered in the blood of my Combatant. I cannot kill you for fear of retaliation from the local Were den.” Marcus' voice said clearly that the thought had occurred to him. He slid a glance toward Lawrence, who gave him neutral eyes in return. “However, if you had killed the Queen's guard... it would have been within my rights to do.”

“A pleasure to do, I imagine,” William added, his eyes like slits of a storm.

Tony stopped clapping and looked at the vampire. “Y'know, you're beginning to get on my last nerve, drinker.”

William's lips curled in disgust, a hint of fang showing. “Which part insults you most? That you seek a violent end for its own sake? That you manipulate all for your own gain?”

Tony grinned at William, baring his teeth. “Your existence for starters. And yeah, I never said I wanted to lead—I want to rule.”

“So my decision stands,” Julia interrupted the posturing.

Jason looked at her incredulously. “I don't give a crap if you want to mate two other guys while you're married to me and you think you can throw me a bone...”

Adi laughed in the background and Jason looked at her again and she clapped a hand over her mouth. The irony of his last comment wasn't lost on her.

He continued, “... by
allowing
me to be one of the three. No. What self-respecting dude would say yes to that messed up option?” He made a sound in the back of his throat and paced a few angry strides away from the main group.

William came forward. “I will take what Julia offers. Only the young and foolish, who have never been tested, would dismiss that which needs a unique solution—based on rash emotion alone.” His pewter eyes flashed in the paleness of his face. It glowed by the moonlight that had come to pierce the dense growth of forest. Bare patches of burnt ground lay proof to the deaths of many all around them like tortured islands of singed grass, the night air not allowing the scent of the undead to dissipate completely. “If it means saving Julia... because
she
means her death,” William said, pointing an elegant finger at Jacqueline. “Then I will comply.”

“Everybody wants a piece of Rare One pie,” Tony laughed, his hands on his hips. Suddenly, he mimed an obscene hip thrust and guffawed. Raking a hand through his hair, he swiveled his hips into the open air, “Give. Me. The. Whole. Slice!” he yelled and Scott launched himself at the Were.

Julia yelled but it was too late. Scott had a target for his frustration and anger. He was tired of having Julia stolen from him. Though he knew it would ultimately save her he felt like he was relegated to the position of cuckold.

The Were was equal size to Scott, both trained to fight, both fearless but for opposite reasons of the spectrum.

But Tony did not have Scott's anger.

Jacqueline sent Scott off in a spinning leap before he could lay hands on Tony that sent him against a porch post. It cracked, the wood splitting up the center and Scott slid down, his ass landing on the butt end of the boards.

Like an enraged bull he shook his head and Julia yelled a second time, “No Scott... don't!”

“I can't seem to help myself...,” he said, moving toward Tony again and Julia ran at him. Leaping into his arms, she wrapped herself around him, winding her legs around his waist. Scott had no choice, he held her slight frame against his large one and put his face in her hair.

Scott had never wanted to cry in his life. But his eyes burned with it now and he gulped his sorrow over Julia's choice down so deeply, it was like a grave inside his soul.

“Don't,” she whispered, all heat and fragrance against his throat and Scott was lost. Lost to the meld, lost to his nature as Combatant.

Still, he felt his eyes find Tony of the Were over Julia's shoulder.

The heat of his anger was cooled, but it lay like a hidden spring under the earth, waiting to escape to the surface.

*

“This is an outrage!” Jacqueline sputtered. “I will not be cast out to the nether regions of the compound like a dog set to punishment.”

“You shall.” Marcus leveled an expression of contained rage at her. “You have allowed your greed to overcome all integrity.”

Jacqueline whirled away from him. “If you were not such a weak leader you could have a Queen who was seasoned... not this unsure girl.”

“Wow... you're just a bitch. Nobody would follow you anyway,” Adi said in her normal unfiltered way.

Jacqueline's eyes narrowed on the female Were, marking her and Adi gave her a smile in return. “You can stare at me like that all day long and it doesn't make you more powerful... or more anything,” Adi said, her brows arched.

“Don't,” Scott warned, his eyes narrowed at his mother.

Jacqueline turned to him. “I could kill her for her disrespect.”

“You could try, ya wench.”

Slash stepped forward. “It doesn't sound like you're in much of a position to negotiate any terms but the meager ones you managed from some ancient text.” He'd said it logically, but with bite. It didn't seem to Slash that this Singer understood subtlety. That she needed a more overt method. That worked; Slash was great at delivering.

“I don't have to be old to be fair. I don't want to control people, Jacqueline,” Julia said quietly. “If I'm to go through with this... then it will be the first of many selfless steps I'd make for our people. What are you willing to do?”

Jacqueline remained quiet. Finally, she replied, “I'll choose to do things that you would be unwilling to do. You hope to gain the regard of our people through kindness and love.” Jacqueline made a small sound of dismissal in the back of her throat, discounting the speculation of a rule that Julia had yet to begin. Jacqueline moved closer to Julia and the Combatant circled her like sharks as if she were bleeding. Jacqueline stopped before she was detained.

“What is wrong with leading through love? When kindness and honesty can be honored,” Julia asked the woman who'd tried to poison her.

Jacqueline leaned forward. “You simpleton. Do you think it will be enough? Have you not paid any attention to what we
can
do? Love will not do it... there will be those, there always is, who challenge your authority.”

“So what would you have me do?” Julia asked rhetorically but Jacqueline answered anyway.

“You?” Jacqueline gave a seductive laugh of pleasure. “It is me. What would
I
do.”

“Yes, what would
you
do if not to rule through compassion.”

“Fear,” she replied easily, instantly.

“Fear?” Julia asked, her stomach in knots.

Jacqueline nodded. “When reason doesn't work, then fear is a fine substitute.”

They stared at each other until Marcus said, “Take her away... along with him.”

Tony growled low in his throat and out of all the men, Julia was surprised when it was Victor who caught the Were's jaw with his fist. It was unexpected and executed perfectly.

“There,” Victor commented, shaking out his hand with a smile of satisfaction. “His commentary is no longer needed or wanted.”

Lawrence looked as if he'd raise an objection, but with thirty pair of Singers eyes looking at him, he chose to remain silent. It was bad enough that Tony had taken Adi and the Singer female. But to have aligned with the vile murderous
cum
throne candidate? It was a delicate position. And some didn't know of his past.

“You'll be sent to the guest cottages at the edges of the property,” Marcus said.

“Wait,” Julia said. “Why is she here at all?”

Marcus met her eyes. “You have three days from the time she uttered those words of blood, to...” he didn't finish the sensitive information.

He didn't need to; Julia extrapolated it perfectly.

“The guys have to be willing...” Jason said. His eyes met hers. “I'm not sharing you... with anyone. In fact,” his eyes drilled hers. “I don't know if I want you at all. The Singer gig isn't mine. Being Were is a curse.” His eyes bled to his wolf's, green like fresh summer grass. “Why can't everything be like it was?” he asked everyone and no one.

“Yeah,” Julia agreed so softly no one heard her.

“Don't be a dick, Jason,” Cyn spoke for the first time, walking over to him, her eyes on Julia. “Think about someone else besides yourself.”

Julia gasped out loud as her heart soared, Cyn was here and safe. Thank God. Then she looked back at Jason who turned his back on her, hands on his hips, saying nothing. It stole some of the joy of seeing Cyn safe and sound.

Cyn met Julia's eyes. “I say go for it.” Cyn suddenly grinned and Julia heard Adi mutter, “Here it comes.”

Cyn's eyes went to Jacqueline, a thin arm in the mighty hands of the Combatant, an unconscious Tony thrown over the shoulder of another.

“Hell, I'd do it for the sheer joy of pissing Jacqueline off. That alone would be worth it.”

Julia smiled. It was so good to have Cyn here. It was as if a piece of her that'd been broken was getting fixed.

It faded with Jacqueline's words, “But you are not the Rare One, are you?”

There was no answer for that particular truth.

Cyn's eyes narrowed on their common enemy, tolerated for ancient scripture that seemed to provide a loophole for her to stall... and maybe more.

Julia walked to where Cyn stood and silently took her hand as they watched the Combatant drag Jacqueline away.

Julia felt the weight of that black stare like a physical weight long after Jacqueline was gone.

CHAPTER NINE

Jason

Jason watched the retreating backs of Tony (perched over the shoulder of a Combatant) and Jacqueline as she gave an angry wrench of her arm, staring up at the Combatant who held her and he glared back. But he allowed her to walk ahead of him.

Jason couldn't blame Lucius' wariness or desire to distance himself from the scheming troll. Jason would've loved to be the one to put a foot in her ass and watch her fly. Maybe she'd land in a big pile of shit like the one that Singer brother of Scott's was always yakking about.

She couldn't play her bag of parlor tricks when every Negator at Region One was assigned as her guard. They were taking shifts so she couldn't try for Julia again, or otherwise ambush any other Singers as collateral damage.

By Jason's measure, the dumb bitch should have been put in Singer prison, if there was something like that—or executed.

Apparently, when you had royal blood, that was not an option.