Blood Father (Blood Curse Series) (28 page)

When Nathaniel continued to laugh, long after everyone else had stopped, Kagen shot him another heated glare. And then he reached out on a private bandwidth, hoping to garner some brotherly sympathy from his twin.
Ye
ah, because I would have just grabbed her by the
h
air and dr
agged
her to the nearest cave.
Damn. What the hell?

Nachari laughed out loud. “I heard that,
T
winsies
.”

“Would you quit doing whatever wizard-ly thing you’re doing then?” Kagen snapped.

“I heard it, too,” Marquis chimed in.

Nachari smiled. “You spoke on the wrong frequency, brother.”

“And thank you for saying that out loud,” Kagen replied.

They were just about to take it up a notch, really get the banter going, when Keitaro raised his hand and waved it through the air to silence them all. His eyes grew narrow; his expression hardened; and all three sons halted in their mockery…at once.

And then, as if he had never been absent from the valley, Keitaro Silivasi switched into paternal mode, becoming the supreme, unquestioned leader of his family once more. His eyes swept over Marquis, then Nathaniel, each male in turn, and he lowered his voice. “Master Warriors.”

The warriors stood up straight and waited.

“Considering what happened with
Shelby
”—he almost stumbled over the word, but he quickly regained his momentum—“you are not to leave your brother unattended,
un
supervised
,
for even a moment until this Blood Moon is complete. Do you understand?” He didn’t wait for a reply. “You will each take turns guarding both Kagen and Rielle around the clock—you can trade off standing watch in twelve-hour shifts—and I do not want to hear that either of you, for any reason, were ever more than two hundred yards away, not until the sacrifice is complete.” He crossed his arms in a gesture of finality.

Nathaniel whistled low beneath his breath and turned to face Keitaro as an equal. “The sentinels will also be close by, and—”

“And you are family. It is a different obligation, a sacred duty.”

“Of course,” Nathaniel said respectfully, bowing his head in deference. “I make no objection. I just wish to point out that there will be
extra protection
at hand.”

Keitaro nodded. “Two hundred yards,” he repeated.

Nathaniel shared a knowing glance with Marquis and turned away. “As you will, Father.”

Kagen cleared his throat. Apparently, he wasn’t the only one Keitaro was willing to take to task, and for a moment, he couldn’t help but wonder: If memory served him well, had the Ancient Master Warrior always been this stern? This abrupt? Nodding his head, he smiled. Indeed, he always had. Perhaps, with four strong vampires to raise, he’d had no choice. And now that he was back, his authority was music to Kagen’s ancient ears. That said, Kagen also remembered how he and his brothers had handled their father’s many dictates: by appealing to the male’s compassion and wisdom…and sometimes digging in. “Um, I think that’s all very well and good,” he said, careful to keep his voice pitched low and respectful, “but there is the element of privacy…and intimacy.” He stared at Marquis and cringed. “Somehow, I don’t think staring up into that one’s brutish mug is going to be comforting or
bonding
for me…or Arielle.”

“His mug is not brutish,” Ciopori cut in, flippantly. When they all stopped and stared, she huffed and rolled her eyes. “I’m just…
saying
.” She smoothed Nikolai’s already impeccable hair. “He’s rather handsome in my opinion.”

Keitaro snorted with laughter. And then he waved his hand in a dismissive gesture so similar to the one they were used to seeing from Marquis that Jocelyn and Deanna had to do a double-take. “Two hundred yards can be interpreted many ways,” Keitaro said. “If you’re inside your home, your brothers can be outside. If you’re strolling through the forest, your brothers can hide behind a tree. I don’t expect them to stand in your bedroom with you. Just the same, they will be within a stone’s throw at all times, ready to respond to the threat of an enemy in the blink of an eye.”

Kagen bit his bottom lip and nodded.

Well, so much for digging in.

He looked up at Ciopori and then Jocelyn, trying to register how they felt about giving up their mates,
e
very
other twelve hours
,
possibly for
the next
twenty-
four
d
ays
, but they seemed just fine with the idea. Or at least, if they weren’t, they were not about to express their objections.

Nachari sat forward. “I could help, if you like.” He held up his hands in jest. “After all, I’m a wizard, not a fledgling. I do have a few…unusual…skills that might prove helpful.”

“He’s a panther…at times,” Marquis offered gruffly.

Keitaro stared pointedly at Marquis; he gaped openly at Nachari; and then he simply shook his head, apparently deciding to leave it alone. “Great celestial gods,” he murmured. He redirected his attention to the wizard. “I have no doubt that you are more than capable of looking after your brother, Nachari—I did not mean to imply otherwise.” He sighed then. “It’s just that I would like to work with you on a different, more pressing matter, something more befitting of a Master Wizard.”

Nachari cocked his eyebrows.

“You do know how to create energetic wards?” Keitaro asked.

Nachari nodded. “I do.”

“Good. Then there are some things I saw in Mhier, things I learned about the lycans, things we can employ here at home—and the sooner the better.”

“Like?” Nachari asked.

“Like wolf traps,” Keitaro said succinctly. “Using what we know of their species to create specific, energetic wards to repel them, to craft alarms and detectors that we can place throughout the forest. I would like to make certain that they never attack our valley again…that they never again go undetected.”

Nachari’s deep green eyes lit up with curiosity and interest. “Of course, Father.”

“Very well,” Kagen said, his gaze fixed on Keitaro’s intelligent eyes. “So now that we’ve settled things—I will go to Arielle, and Nathaniel and Brutus will follow me around—I’m afraid I do have to insist,
as a healer
, as your doctor, that you remain in bed for the next forty-eight hours. At the least, you need to remain under observation.” His tone brooked no argument. “If I agree to devote all of my attention to my
destiny
—which is truly what I want—then you must agree to take it easy for a couple of days, to devote your full attention to your recovery. Deal?”

Keitaro looked at Kagen like he had cow dung smeared on his face and laughed. “You
will
agree to devote all of your attention to your
destiny
—because it isn’t a request—and as for what I
must
or
must not
do? Let me get this right;
you
insist
?”

Kagen visibly wilted. “I…I highly recommend that you remain in bed for the next forty-eight hours.”

Keitaro tilted his head to the side, and his top lip twitched, almost imperceptibly.

“I honorably request that you consider—”

His lip twitched again, only this time it was accompanied by a faint, guttural snarl.

Kagen collapsed on the edge of the bed, just to the left of Nachari, and buried his face in his hands. “Oh, hell.
Please
, Dad.”

Keitaro chuckled then, and his expression relaxed into a teasing scowl. He reached out and leaned forward to muss Kagen’s hair, rubbing his head far too vigorously for comfort. His teasing eyes alighted with joy. “Of course, healer,” he said, grinning. “I would not place an undue burden of worry on your shoulders at this time. And for what it’s worth, I know that you both honor and desire your
destiny
with every ounce of your being.” He winked at him and smiled.

Kagen shrugged and held up his hands in question. “Then what was all of this about then?”

“Your
destiny
, your safety, and your undue fear.” Keitaro’s voice was suddenly serious, and Kagen frowned, confused.

“Son, I know that you love me. You don’t have to prove it every moment of every day. You came to Mhier to rescue me, and now, you can go to Rielle with my blessing…and do what you must.” He turned to regard Marquis and Nathaniel. “And warriors, I can feel your anxiety—it’s like a bolt of electricity pulsing in the air—following Kagen around will relieve some of that stress and help you to bring the last week into perspective. I am home now, and I am not going to disappear again—but you won’t know that until you have tested it, until you leave and come back, and leave
and come back
, again and again. And again. Twelve hours, for the remainder of Kagen’s Blood Moon, should be just about right.” He turned to regard Nachari next, and he visibly wore his heart on his sleeve. “And wizard, in some ways, you carry the heaviest burden of all because your soul is by far the most sensitive, and you were only twenty-one when I went away. Right now, you need me more than your brothers. You need me to know who you are, to see the male you’ve become; and
I will
, as we work on this project together.” He regarded all four of his sons with unconcealed affection, and his voice was a balm to their hearts. “I love you boys more than life itself. I know what you risked in Mhier, and I know what you achieved. And I’m home now.
I’m home
.
I’m
not
going
an
ywhere
.”

Damn it all to hell!
Kagen did not want to cry.

He could not
afford
to cry.

For the sake of Auriga, he was one thousand years old!

Yet, his father was home, and he still knew each of his sons intimately. He still knew what made each male tick and what each vampire needed…above all else.

As the realization set in, the tears began to fall.

And they fell in endless rivers.

Kagen knocked three times on the guest room door before gently turning the handle and pushing the heavy wooden panel open. He dropped a small blue duffle bag on the floor and stepped gingerly inside the room. “Arielle?”

His
destiny
was seated in a soft leather armchair, facing a large, open window. She was staring out at the wooded hills that surrounded Kagen’s estate, and her legs were tucked up to her chest, her arms hugging her knees. She wore a heavy white bath robe in lieu of her soiled animal-skins, and she turned to glance over her shoulder in response to his approach. “Healer.” The word was formal and stilted, and by the drained look on her face, her swollen, puffy, and red eyes, Kagen could tell she had been crying. Again. “How is Keitaro?”

“Sweeting,” he said in response, strolling directly to the chair. He placed his hand on her shoulder, careful to move slowly, to act cautiously, and he gazed out the window with her.

“Is the father of my heart still alive?” she asked, her concern mounting as the moments passed.

“He is,” Kagen reassured her, unable to restrain the smile that curved along his lips. “He is alive
and awake
, and he would like to see you soon.”

“Of course,” Arielle said. Her voice brightened for the first time. “Will you take me to him now?”

“I will…take you soon,” Kagen said. “As soon as you and I have had a chance to talk, to reconnect.” He steadied his resolve. “Right now, Keitaro is visiting with my brothers, meeting his new extended family, and greeting his grandchildren for the first time. If you are comfortable waiting—”

“Yes…
yes
…of course.” She rushed the words. “He should have this time with family…uninterrupted. I understand.”

Kagen sighed. He had done it again, placed his foot squarely in his mouth. “That didn’t come out right, Arielle.
You
are his family—there can be no doubt. He loves you.”

She smiled faintly. “Of course…
always
…I just meant…” Her voice trailed off, and she drew back to appraise him more thoroughly. “Why are you here?” she asked him bluntly, her voice rising with curiosity. “I mean, shouldn’t you be with your father and your brothers? Your in-laws? This is a rare and precious moment, Kagen. It has been 480 years. You should not be away from Keitaro.”

Kagen sank down into a squat so that he was practically kneeling in front of her, their gazes meeting at eye level. “You are a rare and precious gift, Arielle. This moment is divine to me. And I should not be away from your side.”

She inhaled sharply, her resplendent eyes narrowing with censure. “Kagen…”

He reached out and tilted her head up by the chin, his fingers trailing softly along her jaw. “You do know, Arielle, that the time for objections has passed. You
are
my
destiny
.
My heart. My life.
My desire to know you and to please you, to see to your comfort, is greater than any other concern right now. I cannot stay away, not a moment longer, not even if you ask me to. We need to…talk.
We need to r
econnect
. To begin to work through this blessing…and this Curse.” If Kagen hadn’t known better, he would have sworn that the look in her eyes was one of subtle fear as well as hesitation. Arielle felt like a trapped animal, and the realization stung him as much as it broke his heart.

They had made such inroads in Mhier.

However small, however brief, their connection had been powerful, intimate, and real. He ran his hands gently along the outline of her shoulders, then up and down her arms, as if to quell a chill. “Talk to me, sweeting. Please.”

Arielle blinked back moisture from her eyes and pursed her lips. Her eyes darted around the room nervously, taking in the furniture, the décor, the architecture—anything but him—before she reluctantly met his eyes. “Throughout the years…in Mhier…times I spoke with your father, he told me about this land, about Dark Moon Vale and the Blood Moon. He told me about the Curse and all that it entails: the conversion, the sacrifice, the…pairing.” She cleared her throat several times, even though there was nothing wrong with her voice. “I will…try…to comply, Kagen.” She steadied her resolve and repeated the words with more insistence, with forced determination. “I
will
comply—I give you my word.” She looked off into the distance then, staring out the window. “I will not let you die, Kagen. I owe you my life; and I could not do that to Keitaro.”

This time, Kagen cleared his throat. He hung his head and raised his brows. “I see.” He stood up then and took a few paces away, moving closer to the window, in order to give her some space. “First of all, to be clear: You owe me nothing, Arielle. But I thank you. And I am truly grateful.” He smiled, his voice settling into a patient but challenging tone. “When you say you will
comply
: Do you mean the way you
compl
ied
near the shallow ravine in Mhier, the night you kissed me with such passion and abandon, beneath the Mhieridian moon and stars? The night you thought I was compelling you, when I wasn’t? Is that the compliance you speak of?” He turned to face her and tilted his head. “Or are you referring to later, that same night, when you asked me to hold you in my arms, the night you cried so many unshed tears? Was that, too, a form of compliance? Did you open your heart to me for our
father
? Or for Arielle?”

Arielle seemed to wilt where she sat. “As always, you are so
direct
. That was different, healer.”

“Healer?”

“Kagen.” She shut her eyes. “That was different, Kagen.”

“How so?”

She shrugged, placing her hands in her lap. “We were in a different place. It was a different time. There was so much going on, and I was so afraid for you and your brothers, for Keitaro, for—”

“No.” He placed his finger over his lips to stop her—they could not go forward with untruths. “You were afraid to risk your heart—or your love—to lose either one to a male who might abuse you. You were afraid to give yourself to a vampire who was sworn to a
destiny
other than you
,
to a woman chosen by the gods.” He held her gaze in an unforgiving stare. “You forget, I was there, sweeting. You were afraid to give
yourself
to me because you feared I would leave you, abandon you, when the affair was over. You told me quite plainly: You were afraid of being hurt.” He spoke with deep conviction. “Arielle Nightsong, if you have heard nothing I have ever said to you, hear this now:
You
are my chosen
destiny
. You are that rare, priceless gift bestowed upon me by the gods.
You
. And I am grateful beyond measure—I cannot regret this fate—because I wanted you the moment I first saw you; I could not conceive of giving my heart to any other woman; and now, I will never have to.” He took several steps toward her, linked his hands beneath her arms, and gently lifted her out of the chair. As a large section of her robe slid down her shoulder to reveal her flawless skin, he bent to place as gentle a kiss as he could on the exposed flesh and then he nuzzled her neck, just below her ear. Trying to restrain his passion, he drew back. “What we share is
not
an affair. What I will give you will be more than you ever imagined: my love, my loyalty, my commitment. The promise you required is right here—it is yours for the taking, for always…for eternity.” He tilted his head to the side to gain her full attention. “Look at me, Arielle.”

She met his gaze with reticent trust.

“I will not hurt you. I will not leave you. I will not abuse you…ever. You have nothing to fear.”

Arielle swallowed so hard Kagen felt the vibration deep in his own throat. She grasped the fallen corner of her robe, slid it back over her shoulder, and wriggled out from beneath his arms. “I…I…” She seemed too flustered to form coherent words. She burrowed her face in her hands and struggled to breath. “I remember the first night in the cave.” Raised goose bumps appeared on her arms. “I know what you can do to me…what you can make me feel…if you want to. I also know how territorial and possessive you can be when you are provoked.” She peeled her hands away from her face and peered up at him. “And it isn’t even that.” She seemed so unsettled. “It’s just…
it’s just
…”

“It’s just what?”

She huffed in exasperation, as if she were unable to find the right words.

“Shh, sweeting,” Kagen implored. He smiled lovingly and slowly backed away in a demonstration of respect and good faith. “I am all those things and more: territorial, passionate, perhaps even domineering at times. I
am
Vampyr
.
But even the most primitive of instincts can be tempered with love. You are right when you say,
T
hat
isn’t it
… That isn’t what troubles you so deeply. It’s
just
that you’re completely overwhelmed. You’re scared out of your wits. Not only by me, but by the entire idea of the Curse, the conversion, the sudden reality of a family, something you’ve never really had…and perhaps even of bearing a child…so soon.” He felt more than just a little empathy for her situation. “You have no idea where you are or whether you can even adapt to a world such as ours.” He pointed at the modern, solar-powered clock hanging on the wall, and the digital, cordless phone resting on the nightstand. “You have no idea what many of these things are, and you feel lost without your familiar surroundings, your usual routine, your rebel family. By all the gods, you are grieving the loss of everything—and everyone—you ever knew, no matter how hard and desolate life might have been in the world of the lycan. But you are not alone in this experience. Both Princess Vanya and Princess Ciopori have stood in your shoes. They’ve been where you are, and they will gladly help you make the transition.” He held out his hands, palms facing up. “Arielle, we will take it one moment, one step, one touch at a time. I will teach you all there is to know about this modern world, and it won’t be hard for you to learn because I can simply transfer my memories, impart my knowledge, into your mind, as if it were your own. But more important, we will ease into…
us
…together. I will ask nothing from you that you are not ready to give. I will take nothing from you that you are not
willing
to concede.”

Arielle nodded with appreciation, and then she stared into his eyes as if trying to gauge his next reaction. “And what if I’m not ready…in time?”

He smiled warmly then. “You are my true
destiny
. There is much between us that cannot be explained. There always has been.” He slowly nodded his head. “You will be ready—I’m not worried about that.” He walked toward the door, bent over, and picked up the small blue duffle bag, unzipping it with one fluid stroke of his hand. He reached inside to retrieve a simple but elegant garment. “Now then, this is a bathing suit—you can wear it under your clothes.” He reached back into the bag to retrieve a rugged pair of shoes. “These are hiking boots. The tread helps stabilize your footing on uneven terrain.” He reached into the bag one last time and pulled out a pair of khaki pants and a warm, long-sleeve shirt. “And this is supposed to be a comfortable outfit for exploring. Jocelyn, Nathaniel’s mate, packed it for you. You two are about the same size.” He flashed a hopeful, entreating smile. “Get dressed, get your bow, and I’ll be back for you in five minutes.”

She furrowed her brow in curiosity. “Where are we going?”

“Someplace more familiar, more comforting.” He walked to the window and pointed at the top of a nearby mountain. “There’s a natural hot springs just beyond that peak. The water is decadent; the scenery is breathtaking; and you can hear dozens of birds singing in the trees. You can feel every subtle shift in the breeze and smell over a dozen scents of pine. I don’t live in the city or the local town, Arielle. The world you knew in Mhier is much like the world I embrace on earth. Let me show you my world. Let me take you someplace familiar, and we will talk
and get to know one another better…at our own pace.”

“And what about your father?” she asked, sincerely.

“Keitaro is well and truly healed. He will still need to build up strength and acclimate to a whole new life, free of captivity, but he is no longer in danger of dying. While I want nothing more than to see the two of you reunited, my greatest desire is to bridge this gap between us right now. Come. Spend the afternoon with me, and later, we will visit Father together, once our own bond has been mended.” He left out the fact that these were also Keitaro’s orders.

Arielle raised her eyebrows. “And why do I need my bow?”

Kagen smiled impishly then. “When was the last time you felt safe without it?”

Arielle paused to consider his words. “I guess…never.”

Kagen nodded. “
Exactly
. Besides, you and that weapon are like one fluid entity. Perhaps I can show you where the rivers meet in Dark Moon Vale, much like they converge in Mhier, and you can teach me how to hit a target at one hundred yards,
on the first try
.”

Arielle shook her head and rolled her beautiful eyes playfully.

And then she did the most wondrous thing of all…

She smiled with abandon.