“So, he drank your blood?” Peter asked, incredulity ringing in his voice, already on his feet, his fiery gaze burning on a confused Kane.
“Did you drink his too? Did you bite my son, ancient? Did you compel him?”
He then looked at Derek, as if his son was not there, as if someone else had taken control of his son, as if he was a puppet to some vampire master. Lucille’s fear had come to pass.
“Is he among you people now? Would he now feed on blood, instead of normal food like normal people…”
“…careful, Alpha. This is a sensitive matter, and I suggest you tread carefully. Kane didn’t force your son to drink his blood. It had been his choice alone.” Nathan interrupted Peter’s charade gently, yet firmly. His eyes were strongly fixed on Peter who chose to ignore him, rather than answer him.
“Yes, Dad…I made the choice myself. I wasn’t compelled or whatever…”
“And how would you know if you were compelled or not…”
‘You better shut your mouth if you don’t want to break the alliance we have formed with them.’
Peter gritted his teeth, when he heard Melvina’s voice, and kept quiet. He already had ‘nights that would be spent without the comfort of his mate’ on his tab. He didn’t want more. But still…
“Dad, stop it please. Can’t you see that I am better?” These words were delivered in a gentle tone, a sharp contrast to the way it would have been if Derek had been how he was, a week ago.
“And no, I don’t drink blood. I still eat normal food. The blood wasn’t given with the intent to convert me, but to create a mind path. I would have to confess though that it had strengthened me for the journey ahead. If I’m to be honest, it was the most enthralling and nutritious thing I have ever tasted.”
Mouths fell open. An act that was peculiar to the mages and the werewolves. Anthony seemed to be the most surprised, for even with the communication that had continued between his brother and him, he was surprised that the latter hadn’t told him of this development. Secretive much?
“I don’t know how to describe it. It’s just… Well, I asked Kane if I could receive it on a monthly basis…you know…to strengthen the mind path..”
Blenda and Julius chuckled now, a sharp contrast to Melvina who couldn’t help but shake her head in unbelief. How could the blood of an old man be nutritious? Had her son gone wacko?
“The ancient had turned me away fortunately. According to him, If I wanted blood, I should meet Emma. If Emma was an ancient-I hope she is-then she would let me enjoy this goodness during intimacy.”
Derek spoke as if he was talking about the weather, as if he hadn’t just been suggestive of sex and intense love making when he had spoken of Emma. Freya and Luculle found this funny, yet felt a little sad for him-Emma wasn’t going to make things easy for him.
“So you want my daughter back because of her blood?”
Derek shook his head vigorously to Nathan’s question.
“Not at all, sir. Forgive me. I just got lost in one of the perks of mating with an ancient.”
Sheila blushed red when Melvina stared at her with a questioning yet suggestive gaze.
“So, you don’t have to worry, Dad.” Derek reverted to his father. “The mind path between me and Kane works like the normal pack mind path. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with me. I am not an ancient either.”
Peter huffed for the umpteenth time, looked away from his son, and sat down, pretending to be still annoyed. He wasn’t. His son’s gentle speech, even when he had been thrown under the bus, told him of the changes that Kane had wrought in his son. He was grateful for that. He only hoped that Emma would be forgiving.
“Kane…”
Kane held his breath as Nathan called to him.
“You flouted the ranks. You know that right? It’s different if the bond had been created with another ancient-creating private mind paths between friends is not rare or bad in our kind. But with another kind…”
“I’m sorry Nathan. It won’t..”
“Let me finish Kane.”
Kane shut his mouth meekly. Nathan was his Prince first, before best friend.
“It’s not actually permitted with another kind, except in dire situations. Derek’s situation was dire. Seeing him now, I would have to commend you for doing what you did. Maybe, he would have a fighting chance for my daughter. Not that I am advocating for that… I will leave the choice to my daughter to make. But still, thank you, Kane.”
Kane got past his shock in a few seconds, and smiled gratefully at the Prince who scrunched his face in faux annoyance and looked away; the latter, unable to help the smile that buttered his lips too.
“Thanks Nathan.” Kane sighed and relaxed well on his seat, aware of the pride rearing its ugly head for the third time. He allowed it this time around, and not even Lucille’s taunts could bring him down from the cloud he was floating on.
“So, you will be training with Kane and his twin from now on.. okay with that?” Peter asked his son, after a few beats of comfortable silence.
“Yes. I would like that. I would also like Agrip to take over my academic classes. I don’t actually see the need for college, for me. I have weightier matters to consider.”
Agrip pouted, to the amusement of Derek and Anthony. They both knew that he had felt a little jealous–he would be caught dead before he admitted it though–that Kane would be Derek’s teacher.
But how could the old man think he was replaceable? Derek wondered, as his eyes found Lucille and stayed on the redhead for a second. The second of Emma’s sisters, and the last. She had the most similarity with Emma, seeing as her red hair was the exact length and thickness of his mate.
His mate. He needed to find her.
“Dad, I have another suggestion to make…” He said, remembering the decision he had made during his time in solitude.
“What is it?” Peter queried. heightening the curiosity level in the room.
“I don’t want to be the Alpha.”