Werewolf's Way [Chronicles of the Shifter Directive 1] (Siren Publishing Epic Romance, ManLove) (23 page)

He trailed off and paled when his eyes fell on Shtamakarein. “Karein…” he whispered softly.

Graham twitched at the familiar address. He had always disliked the fact that Caelyn thought of the Dog-Catcher in those terms. It meant nothing, but Caelyn’s old engagement to Graham’s worst enemy was still a sore spot for him.

And the Dog-Catcher knew it, damn him. He got up, smirking as he looked from Caelyn to Graham and back. “I have to admit I see the appeal of both of you. I can already tell you two have a lot of fun together. Isn’t that right, my dear fiancé?”

Caelyn winced. “Look, Karein, I’m sorry I deceived you, but there was no other way. I love Graham.”

The fake pleasantness on Shtamakarein’s face melted into something dark and unyielding. “Do you remember what I told you that day, Caelyn? Do you remember what I said during our dance?”

“You said many things then,” Caelyn replied without missing a beat.

“Indeed, I did, and it was all useless. You didn’t understand that it wasn’t me that you needed to fear. And now, it’s too late.”

Those words were Graham’s only warning before Shtamakarein lunged for them. He moved so quickly, frighteningly so, but Graham had been waiting for him to make a move. Before the draechen prince could reach them, he leapt at Shtamakarein, shifting in midair.
“Run,”
he sent to his mate through their bond.
“Go.”

He was well aware that he couldn’t possibly face the draechen in battle and win. But if he could at least stall for a little while, he’d give Caelyn the chance to escape. He had to make sure his mate and child were safe, and he’d do so, even if he had to sacrifice himself for it.

They had a single thing that could help them, although Graham knew better than to rely on it. A crossbow, one that Raul had given to them when they’d left New York. The bolts it used were diamond-tipped, and according to Raul, could even pierce dragon scales.

Out of pure precaution, or perhaps anticipating this, Graham had brought the weapon along. But it was in their bag, out of Graham’s reach. To get to it, Graham would have to go through Shtamakarein.

He might have been able to do so if things had been like before, but this time, though, the Dog-Catcher didn’t seem inclined to play games or show any mercy. No sooner had their bodies come into contact than Graham felt that strange power seep into his body, draining his strength. He managed to scratch his opponent’s chest and shred his shirt, but that was just a minor annoyance, barely even succeeding to draw his attention.

“Graham!” Caelyn shouted, immediately rushing to his side.

“Angel, you have to get out of here,”
Graham replied with his last remaining strength.

“How could I possibly leave you?”
Caelyn slowly caressed Graham’s fur, his eyes filling with tears.

“It’s all over now,” Shtamakarein said, looming behind Caelyn.

Caelyn’s spine went rigid. As he looked away from Graham, the room began to shake. “It’s not even begun.”

* * * *

Despair and fury exploded through Caelyn. He didn’t know what Karein had done to Graham, but he refused to just back down without a fight. He wouldn’t abandon his mate in the draechen’s clutches.

“You have to, angel. He doesn’t realize how powerful you are. Get the crossbow. Distract him somehow and run. You need to live for our child.”

It was such a horrible choice to make, and the hopelessness of the situation, the sorrow, agony, and loss rushed out of him, transformed into power. The same armchair Karein had been sitting on flew at the draechen prince, hitting Caelyn’s foe. Karein grunted, but didn’t fall, catching the item of furniture with very little effort. Frowning, he narrowed his eyes at Caelyn. “Interesting,” he said as he threw the armchair aside with a lazy gesture. “It seems the dog taught you to bite.”

Caelyn didn’t deign that with a reply. Instead, he focused every drop of power within him, attacking Karein with everything he had. Lamps shattered, windows broke, the flooring cracked and even the wallpaper peeled back. All the while, he focused on the bag and the item he knew to be inside. He had thought it unnecessary when Graham had packed it, but now, it had become their only hope.

Using his power, Caelyn summoned the crossbow and six bolts to him. The weapon flew at him. With some difficulty, Caelyn caught them, only to find himself facing a new problem. He was no elf. He had no idea how to use the damn weapon.

“You must be joking.” The draechen prince scoffed. “Bolts, Caelyn? I’ve taken bullets and survived without a scratch.”

Caelyn ignored him. In the end, he didn’t need the crossbow to propel the bolts. Through the sheer force of his mind, he propelled the projectiles at Karein.

His aim was true. Karein managed to dodge three of the bolts, but the other three hit their target, striking Karein in the shoulder, stomach, and leg. All the while, Caelyn threw pure telekinetic force at the draechen, struggling to push him back.

That wave of power threw Karein back, and with a hopeful gasp, Caelyn grabbed his mate’s fallen body and started to carry him away. Even if sprites weren’t known for their advanced physical strength, he was stronger than a human his size would have been. Trying to help him, Graham shifted back into his legged form.

They didn’t have time to make their escape, though. An angry roar sounded behind them, and through the corner of his eye, Caelyn caught sight of Karein pulling out the bolts in brisk, efficient motions. Before Caelyn could try anything else again, Karein had reached his side once again.

“Do you know what my ability is, little Caelyn?” he asked. “I drain and manipulate energy. Nothing you do can harm me.”

He passed a finger over Caelyn’s cheek and just like that, any opposition Caelyn might have tried to put up crumbled. With a gasp, Caelyn dropped to his knees, his mate falling right next to him.

“I see that you prepared some surprises for me.” Karein glared at them. “Tell me, Caelyn, exactly where did you get these very interesting weapons?”

Caelyn stubbornly held his tongue. The last thing he wanted was to implicate someone else in this disaster. “So, your fae friend,” Karein concluded, growling. “Just perfect.”

As if things hadn’t already been bad enough, Karein leaned in closer, “Hmmm… Wait a second. Something’s different about you.”

Caelyn tried to hide it, to keep the beauty of the new life within him from being tainted by the hatred of the draechen. Karein’s powers, though, seemed to read him like an open book. “You little fool.” Karein cursed. “How could you be so irresponsible as to bring a child into this?”

“And what’s your solution, draechen?” Graham shot back, finally finding his voice. “You’d keep the entire ninth caste from reproducing, just so that you can control us. But guess what? You can’t touch that child. He’s also half-sprite.”

It was true. The Shifter Directive clearly forbade shape-changers from reproducing outside their own caste, with a few exceptions. But magical creatures weren’t bound by the Directive, and so, Graham and Caelyn could legally have as many children they wanted.

It was also true that the Directive had been largely meant to control the reproductive process of the lower castes. In the beginning, it had been a huge problem since even if draechen-shifters had been far more powerful, their numbers had been insignificant at best. Now, though, the balance had completely shifted, and Caelyn and his new family were right in the middle of the chaos.

“You think the Directive will protect you.” Karein glowered at them. “You’re more foolish than I thought.”

Karein’s tone sent a wave of dread through Caelyn. “W–what do you mean?” he stammered.

He knew what they risked, and he was realistic enough to realize that, under the circumstances, their lives might very well be forfeit. But he at least had hope that his unborn child would be spared, if only to live as a member of the ninth caste, under the leadership of the draechen.

“Don’t listen to him, angel,” Graham said. “He’s just trying to hurt you through his words.”

Karein released a frustrated sound. “Look at me, werewolf,” Karein said. As Graham obeyed and angrily glanced toward him, he continued, “My father will torture you for ten months, ripping you apart slowly, until no inch of you is left unscathed. And then, when your child is born, he’ll tear that baby limb from limb. When he is done, he’ll proceed to your mate, and you will beg for death as you watch him destroy everything you’ve ever held dear. Do you understand, Graham Powers? Do you finally grasp your position?”

Karein’s father, Emperor Kavehquader Tersain. It hadn’t occurred to Caelyn that he might take a personal interest in the issue, which had probably been foolish of him. Of course he had. Caelyn’s behavior, the fact that he’d broken a promise toward his son, was a humiliation that Kavehquader could never allow.

“Why should we believe you?” Graham asked Karein, trying to get up, but failing. “You’ve only ever been known to hunt down my kind.”

“Yes,” Karein answered, crossing his arms over his chest, “I do hunt you down. It’s my job as commander of the Wyverns. But I have never, ever lied regarding my intentions. I have no reason to lie now. After all, I’ve already caught you.”

He was right. Karein had already defeated them, and prolonging this further would be useless to him. It might have seemed like a petty sort of vengeance, but there were far more effective tools that could be used for that purpose.

From that line of thought, it naturally followed that Karein was telling the truth. Trembling, more afraid than ever, Caelyn clutched Graham’s hand as tightly as he could. Was there truly no hope? Were they truly doomed?

“Angel, we’ll find a way,”
Graham said desperately through their bond.
“We’ll come up with something to escape.”

But even as Graham said this, Caelyn realized he didn’t truly believe it. It was unlikely that anyone could assist them now. Caelyn couldn’t possibly expect Sari to help him again. It had been difficult the first time, let alone now, when they had basically become enemies of the throne. Even Graham, with all his natural skepticism toward draechen words, could hear the stark truth in Karein’s words. They were all alone, helpless in the face of their fate.

Unless… Caelyn glanced up Karein, wondering. The draechen prince didn’t have to tell them all this. He could have already knocked them out and taken them to his father, forgetting all about them. Caelyn had lied to him and attacked him, and yet, Karein appeared to be almost frustrated by Caelyn’s situation. Could it be that, at the very least, Karein might empathize with their child?

Karein had seemed attracted to him once. Caelyn licked his lips, hating what he was going to do, but knowing there was no other way. Jenarra above, his mate was right there, and Caelyn intended to sexually touch another man. But he had to, if he wanted their child to have even one chance of survival.

“I’m so sorry, Graham,”
he whispered through their bond.
“This is all my fault.”

Even as he spoke, he moved away from the werewolf, reaching for Karein’s groin. Graham released a sound of dismay, and his pain and anger struck Caelyn, as if a thousand needles had embedded themselves in his heart. And the worst thing was that he felt no accusation in that agony, only Graham’s guilt and shame that he hadn’t been able to protect Caelyn.

Caelyn hated himself for putting both of them in this position, but his beauty was the last weapon at his disposal, the last ace up his sleeve. Much to his surprise, though, Karein took a step back, moving away from his touch.

“Don’t humiliate yourself, and me, by doing that,” he said coldly. “I don’t want kisses that taste like lies and despair.”

“Please,” Caelyn replied, “please help us. Our child is innocent in all of this. If you could at least find a way to slip him out of the Emperor’s reach…”

Karein growled, his eyes flashing with barely restrained anger. “You truly don’t understand what you’ve done, do you? Let me put it to you this way. Remember your childhood friend, Sareltae Norrenddare? Yes, well, your family remembered him, too, and was more than eager to point us in his direction when you escaped. And now, given what I’ve seen there, I can only surmise that he also provided you with weaponry especially built against draechen. Do you realize what that means?”

Caelyn released a choked noise. “Sari had nothing to do with it,” he lied.

“Uh-huh.” Karein snorted. “It doesn’t even matter anymore. Even the slight suspicion of his involvement is enough to cause a war between draechen and fae. I need to throw my father a bone to prevent it.”

A war. Caelyn was dumbfounded. Could it be true? Had he inadvertently caused a war by involving Sari in his own personal problems?

Surely, it wasn’t possible. The draechen had no proof that Sari had indeed been involved. Caelyn had been very careful. He’d even destroyed his cell phone beforehand, so that his phone call to Sari wouldn’t be found. Yes, the bolts were tangible evidence, but no one could actually trace them to Sari.

“This is madness,” he gasped out. “You can’t be serious. The draechen aren’t all-powerful. Your father can’t just do whatever he wants to. The Great Krites—”

“Your judges can’t touch the Ornozian emperor,” Karein interrupted him. “Be serious. In any case, I don’t have time to discuss this with you. It’s done. The decision is made. It’s your survival or world peace. Guess what I’m going for?”