Hearts of Warriors Ch. 09

He paused as if struggling with the next words, as if they left a bitter taste in his mouth. "She's found her mate."

Loretta wrapped her arms around Andrei's waist knowing how hard it was for him to admit this to everyone. When he'd told her earlier of his talk with their daughter there had been such guilt in his eyes. Convincing him that it wasn't his fault had been hard but there was nothing he could have done to interfere with genetics. It was just a part of life they all had to live with.

Of all of them, Alexei was probably the one who could most understand the agony his brother was experiencing, having lived with it for so long. He laid a comforting hand on his twin's shoulder, silently adding his strength to that which his mate was giving him.

"That changes things," Rafe finally sighed, though his eyes promised Rhianna they'd be having a chat later about just what was acceptable to keep hidden from him. She shot him a rueful smile, but her lavender eyes couldn't conceal the distress she was feeling. He hated being at odds with his sister even more than she did.

Andrei's acceptance, the shock of hearing that Lily balanced on the edge of crossing over as her father did was enough to soothe Rafe's wolf. He was an Alpha wolf but he was also a man who knew that none of the people in this room would ever do anything to hurt his pack.

If he accepted that Annie was always right then he had to abide by her decision even if he didn't like his lack of inclusion in it. He sighed again and reached over to ruffle her curls to let her know they were okay. He couldn't stay mad at Annie for very long.

"It changes everything," Kallum spoke for the first time moving to stand behind his father and give him his support. "It's highlighted the fact we need the Praetorians in a different capacity now. Lily is thriving there and now that she has her mate, I know she's going to be fine."

He glanced around the room gauging everyone's reactions to his next words. "Some of the other Vârcolac could do with spending some time with the Praetorians too."

He expected uproar from the adults, denials of some kind but the reaction he'd expected came from a completely different direction.

"No." Elina rose from her seated position beside Liam, her voice carefully modulated to hold no emotion.

"You can't send Liam away where he doesn't feel safe. It's taken long enough for him to find a balance here among the pack. Strangers will be too much for him." Her words were for Kallum but her eyes were fixated on the strange vampire in their midst whose cool blue eyes appeared to be boring into her soul.

Ashleigh was on her feet, too, worry etching her face as she looked at her son. "Elina's right." She hated sounding like an overprotective mother but Liam didn't function well around strangers.

She turned pleading eyes to her mate. "Nors, you can't let them take him away." She could see indecision on his face, as if he was conflicted about the possibility.

"Ash, honey, no one's said anything about Liam going but maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea?" Nors asked gently reaching for her hand. He was just as concerned about his son's struggle to contain his empathic abilities but he could divorce his emotions to a certain degree, better than his mate could. If the Praetorians could help him in some way...

Disbelief crossed her face and he let out a deep groan. "Ash."

She turned away from him to her Alpha. "Rafe, don't agree to this. Maybe it would help some of the others but not Liam."

Rafe was at a loss with what to do. Changing the whole concept of the Praetorians' remit was staggering. Allowing vulnerable members of his pack to be spirited away went against every instinct he possessed. But deep down, he knew that some of the Vârcolac needed more than he could give them.

A loud cough attracted everyone's attention to Karn who was scowling blackly, not the least intimidated by the people in the room. "I think you all seem to have forgotten one very important fact. You don't get to decide who comes to the compound. I make the decisions and if Mac agrees with me then the decision stands."

He stared down Rafe ignoring everyone else. "If you decide as Alpha that being with the Praetorians can benefit some of the Vârcolac then I will choose which of them I feel will gain the most good from the experience."

Silence greeted his words though Kallum fought a smile. Karn was just as impressive as Mac when he was pissed. His words were also indisputable unless the triumvirate overrode him.

Rhianna shrugged her shoulders. "Mac has protected the Vârcolac most of their lives. We've never had cause to doubt his decisions and I see no reason to now. If you're in agreement, Rafe, then Karn, as his representative, has final say as to who should go." She looked at Caleb and Gard who instantly nodded their agreement. The triumvirate had given their approval; it was now up to the Alpha.

Rafe looked at Lacey, saw her unwavering support and knew she would back up any decision he made. It still didn't make it any easier as he looked around the parents in the room. Their children may be grown but they were still their children and Ashleigh was already distressed over Liam.

But he had to balance the needs of the Vârcolac, as well as the pack. "If the Praetorians can help, then I have no objections to their remit being changed," he finally said. "But if any harm comes to my people while in your care I will come down on the Praetorians with every able-bodied wolf I can find."

"They are safer with us than in the pack," Karn answered confidently. He'd already chosen the ones that needed help, had done so the moment he'd entered the room. He wouldn't take them at the same time though. They already had Lily, one more would be enough to handle.

"You need to let us do things our way, though. No interference. I don't do pretty words and tenderness and you aren't helping the Vârcolac by doing so either."

He strode across the room to stand in front of Liam, ignoring the woman at his side even though her scent was the one in the room he would from this moment on always find first among the Vârcolac. "You'll come with me tonight."

Ashleigh stifled down a gasp of dismay as Elina let out a long, slow hiss. "You didn't hear me the first time, vampire. Liam is not up to going anywhere, least of all with an uncontrolled male like you." Her tone was still devoid of emotion, her expression calm despite the hiss she'd given.

Nors was pulling Ashleigh into his arms to soothe her distress; Elina was fixated on the male who looked through her as if she didn't exist. His huge size and pretty face, the inherent maleness of him which sparked something unknown deep within her, it all did nothing to counter the cold fury she fought to contain inside.

Karn turned his gaze on Elina allowing himself the luxury of scrutinising her now she was talking directly to him. He took in her heart-shaped face, her cold beauty and multi-coloured hair.

His lips curled in an unpleasant smile. "I heard you just fine the first time, Vârcolac. Repeating yourself isn't going to change my mind. Liam comes with me and you're not invited to the party."

Elina's mouth dropped open at his dismissive tone. She had to work hard to keep her emotions in check, something she hadn't had to do for a very long time. "Where Liam goes, I go," she managed to answer evenly, while battling the unfamiliar emotion of hate which was quickly forming towards the vampire in front of her. His arrogance was outrageous, the way he towered over her unacceptable.

"Not in my compound you don't, Missy," he shot back instantly, his eyes hard, and his smile never wavering as the delightful creature matched wits with him and tried to stare him down.

He knew despite her cold aloofness, that her emotions were whirling deep inside her. He could tell because Liam's stress levels were starting to escalate despite his expression never wavering. It was a little known fact that Karn shared one of the Vârcolac's abilities. He could sense emotions, which was why he was so good at what he did, why he was Mac's second-in-command.

"You're part of the problem so you need to be taken out of the equation," he continued ruthlessly. "Now if that offends your sensibilities -- tough shit. You've helped cripple Liam so I'm not feeling particularly charitable towards you at the moment."

Fury like nothing she'd never experienced washed over her. Green eyes began to glow as a loud hiss escaped Elina. "Who do you think you are?" She wasn't even aware that her voice had risen, that her cold façade had cracked and Liam was wincing at her side.

"I've spent my entire life helping my cousin. I've been there for him every second of every day. Where the hell do you get off saying I've crippled him? You don't even know him and you think you can come in here and make snap judgements about people?"

Karn growled, facing down the furious woman who was making his gut tighten in need as she literally crackled with power and rage now that her emotions had been released. She was fucking glorious and he knew one day he would have her. Not today because the timing sucked but one day soon he would have all that pent-up fire and passion in his bed. He would bathe in her and she would scream his name as they rolled in his sheets.

He dampened down the desire he felt, hid it from prying eyes and noses as he kept the smirk on his face, feasting on her.

"Do you want a fucking medal?" he barked. "What do you want me to put on it for you? Saint Elina – Black Widow to all who love her? You may not eat your lovers but you know how to cut a man off at his balls with your brand of love."

His words whipped across her flesh, harsh and stinging but he kept going. The truth often hurt but it was undeniable. "You've made Liam so dependent on you he's never had the opportunity to learn what he's needed to do to protect himself. Great fucking job there, Missy. Let's all give you a round of applause for your selfless act."

Dayton let out a furious roar as his daughter went chalk white, a harsh gasp escaping her as she took a step back from the raw fury burning in Karn's eyes. He was out of his chair in an instant ready to beat the vampire senseless.

Freya reached out and wrapped a hand calmly around his wrist, using her vampiric strength to halt her mate even though her own fury was bubbling deep inside her. She had made her daughter a promise twenty four years ago. She would keep that promise and so would her mate.

"Don't interfere, honey," she said levelly. "Elina is more than capable of taking care of herself and she won't thank you for it." She sounded reasonable though her eyes were almost bleeding to black belying the calm she was exuding.

Dayton shot her a disbelieving look, tugged at his wrist but she held firm. If he pulled hard enough she would release him but he could see that it was important to Freya that he allow their daughter to be strong even if it went against every protective instinct he had. He glanced at Elina but her gaze was on the vampire. She was completely oblivious to her parents' family drama.

"You'd better be right, Freya," he finally conceded unhappily, sitting down while still plotting as many ways to kick the shit out of Karn as he could think up.

Liam rose to his feet towering over Karn for a moment, his brown eyes thoughtful before turning to his cousin. He reached out and pulled her into his arms, for once being the one to soothe her.

"It's okay, Elle," he whispered stroking her hair gently. "Karn's right on some levels, just not all of them. He doesn't know you, doesn't understand what it has cost you to give so much of yourself to me. But I know and I will always be grateful for it even as I will always be ashamed for taking from you so selfishly."

It was hard for Karn not to snort out loud, not to react to the tension in the room. He knew exactly what it had cost Elina all these years. His mouth may have said one thing but his mind was fully aware of the amount of damage suppressing her emotions had done to her.

It was as crucial to separate Elina from Liam as it was the other way around. Liam needed to learn to shield his abilities on his own but Elina needed to learn how to experience her emotions too. She was so close to breaking it was a wonder she hadn't cracked earlier.

Elina swallowed hard staring into Liam's face. She worked on her emotions, utilising years of painstaking discipline to batten down her defences and construct the necessary barriers to shield her cousin from her distress. She stepped back knowing what it cost him to touch her.

"I regret nothing, Liam and I never will," she finally answered, her cold eyes turning to look at Karn for a moment before she turned back to her cousin. "If you feel you need to go with the vampire then you must do what is best for you. Call me if you need me. And I'm so sorry for this."

"Elle?" Liam's confusion was nothing compared to Karn's when Elina stepped around her cousin to face him.

Liam felt the surge of violence and braced for it as Elina's fist connected with the vampire's face sending him flying clear across the room to crash against the wall. It obvious she hadn't contained her strength.

"That's my daughter," Freya sighed smugly into the silent room as Karn slid to the floor in a daze.

Elina stared at the male, cringing at the violence she'd committed. He had hurt her with his words and she'd wanted to hurt him back. She couldn't even blame it on her emotions taking control. She'd made a conscious decision before she hit him, otherwise she wouldn't have apologised to Liam first. What kind of person did that make her?

Ashamed of her actions, she crossed the room heading for the door as Karn struggled to his feet a wide grin on his face that contained nothing but delight. "Is that the best you can do, Missy?" he taunted as she walked past him, her expression a mask of serenity. "I'll look forward to the rematch."

She ignored him and kept walking leaving the room with as much grace as she could muster after her shocking loss of temper. Liam was going away and for the first time in her life she had nobody to rely on her. The vampire was taking away the one person who truly needed her and she was battling a hatred towards him that threatened to consume her.

She was battling fear too because if she wasn't needed to help Liam, if she had to admit that she had hurt her cousin more than helped him over the years as Karn had accused her, then she didn't know how to deal with it or what else she had in her life. Everything had always been about Liam. If he was gone then she was all alone and that thought was more frightening than anything else.

Kallum broke the continuing silence with a bark of laughter. "Now I know why you're single, Karn. Your chat up lines suck."

"Truth hurts sometimes," the vampire snorted, stifling down a groan. The witch had snapped a couple of ribs which would hurt like a bitch until they healed. It still didn't stop him grinning though. Elina Alexander was glorious in her fury. It was just a pity she'd repressed her emotions so badly trying to help her cousin she'd inadvertently stifled her own growth. Learning control was going to be just as difficult for her as it was for Lily.

"Have we covered everything now?" he asked Rhianna, his gaze sliding to Rafe's for confirmation. "I need to get back to the compound." He was about done with his first foray into pack life, though it had been pretty entertaining for the most part.

"I don't think the pack can take much more at the moment," Rafe commented somewhat dryly. Conceding control to the vampire had been a difficult experience. He wanted the other male gone so he could spend time with the others and ensure himself they were fine.

A quick glance to Liam and he nodded his consent for him to leave. The expression of relief which crossed the younger man's face was enough to tell him he'd made the correct decision.

Liam crossed the room to say goodbye to his parents as Kallum turned to his.

"Lily's fine," he reassured them hugging his mother tightly. "She'll be home tomorrow with Mac." He watched his father intently, saw the instant he put two and two together and worked out the significance of Mac coming to the compound.

"Mackenzie?" Andrei growled softly conflicting emotions welling up inside him. He'd known Mac for centuries, had fought at his side a time or two. He knew just what the other vampire was capable of and also knew just how dangerous he was. Part of him liked that because he knew Mac could keep his daughter safe. Another part of him wasn't best pleased though. Mac came with baggage, a past he'd never appeared to have truly recovered from. He was Lily's mate?

Alexei started to laugh and slapped his twin hard on the back. "Who'd have thought Lily would pick someone as screwed up as you?"

That got Loretta's attention and she frowned. "What's wrong with this Mackenzie person?" She was overjoyed her daughter had found her mate, but if there was something wrong with him...

"What's wrong with Andrei?" Alexei countered with another laugh as Cedar nudged him to halt his teasing. She could see her friend was worried enough as it was. Having Alexei goad the other couple wasn't helping matters.

"There's nothing wrong with him," Loretta answered firmly, sticking up for her mate loyally. Andrei may have his odd quirks but he was hers.

"There you go then," her brother-in-law smiled.

At the confusion on Loretta's face Kallum burst out laughing. "What my uncle is trying to say is that Lily has chosen a mate just like Dad," he soothed her. "He's a good guy, Mom, and he adores her. She adores him too." The last was said for his father's benefit.

Andrei nodded to his son and sought comfort in his mate's arms. He was desperate to see Lily again, needed to reassure himself she was safe and well. Dealing with her mate at the same time would be a bit of a challenge but as he held Loretta close and felt the soothing calm she gave selflessly to him, he knew that if Mac gave his daughter that same balance then he'd accept him with open arms.

As Karn rounded up his charges he sensed Kothari watching him and turned his head to find the Vârcolac standing close by. He raised an eyebrow in query waiting for the other man to speak.

"You didn't choose me," Kothari commented a carefully constructed expression of curiosity on his face.

Karn snorted. "I choose those I think I have a hope in hell of shaping into the best they can be. You, boy, you don't even know who you are at the moment. Until the day you decide who you are there's nothing I can do for you."

Kothari's lips quirked in a brief smile which was gone almost as soon as it formed. "I think I like you, vampire. Doesn't mean I won't rip you to shreds if you hurt any of mine though. You should bear that in mind the next time you meet Elina." He turned and walked away unconcerned if Karn was offended by his words.

"Nice talking to you," Karn quipped back rolling his eyes and turning to usher Kallum and Liam from the room. Yeah, he was most definitely finished with the Armand-Hanlon pack for a long time. It was time to go home to the relative sanity of the Praetorian compound. He left the pack to their business.

*****

Lily yawned and tried to stretch sleepily only to find her movements constricted by an arm wrapped around her front and a thick muscled thigh resting securely between hers. For a moment she panicked, her eyes flying open in shock and then the events of the previous evening flooded back and she smiled.

Mac had her securely wrapped up in his arms, his body curving over hers in a way which was both protective and propriety. She could tell he was still sleeping but had a feeling if she tried to get up all that would change quickly. So she settled back against him and luxuriated in the feeling of utter peace invading her soul.