“No one is that stupid.”

“We’re talking about Nabby and the idiots who tossed in with Decker.”

Lorn growled. “They wouldn’t dare go after the GarLycans. It would be suicide.”

“Nabby thinks it’s only a matter of time before we’re attacked anyway, and he’s spreading that garbage. Veso played nice with Nabby and the others to gain information for a long while. He was really on our side, Lorn. He couldn’t fucking stand any of them. Veso’s the one who let it slip to Davis about Decker’s plan to use his own granddaughter against Lord Aveoth. We knew Davis was feeding information to the other clans so they could help us stop Decker.”

“You said nothing to me.”

“I know.” Remorse flashed on Lavos’s face. “I wanted to keep you out of it, Lorn. You’ve been miserable for years. I love you and wanted you to run away with Kira. It was the only way you’d be happy. Now everything has changed. You’ve lost your chance to mate her. You have to let her go.”

“You’re wrong. I’ll feed her—and it is going to work. She’ll turn VampLycan with my Lycan side offsetting the Vamp blood. I’ll deal with our father—and kill anyone who goes after her.”

“What part of ‘slim chance’ did you miss? If she remains a Vampire, you’ll have to flee the clan to keep them from killing her. Nabby will get us slaughtered if you don’t stop him from taking leadership. He’ll start a war that will cause everyone to die.”

“I’d never put Kira in that kind of danger. I’ll send her somewhere safe if she remains as she is.”

“You besotted fool. You’ll mate her even if she’s a full-on Vampire. She’s your true mate! You won’t be able to resist. Once the blood flows, it’s over. You’ll damn us all.”

“I can resist!”

“Bro…” Lavos sighed, sadness creased his features. “Everyone knows the truth but you, Kira, and Davis. Denial is a bitch. It was clear from the moment you met her when we were kids how strongly you felt. Living with you has been hell on everyone.”

“I love her, Lavos, but I don’t think she’s my true mate.”

“Keep saying that if it helps, but it’s a lie. You attack anyone who looks at her sideways. Even when you stopped spending time with her, everyone knew they’d pay if they hurt her.”

“Kira needed my protection.”

“Yeah, she did. It was more than that though. It was crystal clear after you hit puberty what was really between the two of you. You couldn’t be alone with her.”

“It would have put her in danger.”

His brother shook his head. “You’ve never been attracted to another woman.” He snorted. “You would have claimed Kira as yours if you’d fucked her, and Decker would have ordered your mate to die, so you refused to admit the truth to keep her safe. We all understood that.”

Lorn frowned.

“Most of the clan must know. They’d have to be pretty dense not to. Davis is unaware because he doesn’t know how far you’ve gone to keep his daughter safe. I figured out your deal with our dad long ago. You jump when he snaps his fingers because he’s kept Decker from killing Kira outright. Come on, Lorn.” Lavos growled. “You couldn’t stand the thought of anyone touching what’s yours.”

“Because they think she’s weak and not worthy of fair treatment!”

“Bullshit! It was pure jealousy and possessiveness that had you making those threats.”

“They just wanted to use Kira.”

“You mean just have sex with her and toss her aside?”

“Yes.”

“You’re one to talk, Lorn. Look at how you treat our women.”

“I don’t abuse females.”

“You don’t do anything with our women. You shun them when they sniff after you.”

“It’s always a bad thing to fuck women from your clan. It can make a mate uncomfortable to have to deal with a bunch of past lovers.”

“That’s true but that’s not why you refuse to nail any of them. You have little interest in women at all.”

“I’ve had lovers, Lavos.”

“Are you talking about when Mother Nature makes the call and you have to screw someone? That’s just more proof. You travel far from home to find those women and you’re a nightmare afterward.”

Lorn frowned.

“Don’t deny it. You sulk around for weeks after you’ve made one of those trips, provoking fights with anyone just to release some aggression. You scrub your skin almost raw in the river before you go within a mile of Kira. She can’t pick up another woman’s scent on you since she doesn’t have the nose for it, but you do it anyway. I’ve seen you avoid eye contact with her, looking guilty as hell, as though you’d cheated on her.”

“I just resent feeling forced to sleep with women when the urge gets too strong.”

“Sleep? Ha!” Lavos snorted. “I’ve visited the other clans. Do you know what they say about you?”

“I don’t want to hear it.”

“You’re ice cold. You don’t want to get to know the women you choose. It’s just about sex and getting out of there as soon as you’re done. You don’t cuddle with them or even spend the night. One of them asked me how your mate died. That’s what they think. You act as a grieving widower would. Face it. Your hand knows your dick better than any woman ever has. You actually prefer jacking off to touching someone who isn’t Kira.”

“That isn’t true.”

Lavos arched his eyebrow. “Really? You’re healthy and young but you avoid touching women unless you’re in heat. Answer me this. When you’re in bed alone, taking care of business, who are you imaging to get off?”

Lorn looked away, not willing to admit it was Kira.

“I know the answer. I lied about finding a mate because I figured it would finally force you to face the truth. I couldn’t take watching you suffer anymore, year in and out. Dad’s an asshole. I knew he’d demand you take a mate, and you would have refused. He would have threatened to kill Kira, the way he always does.” Lavos sighed. “I figured it was the push you needed to take off with her. I even thought we could use it to our advantage when I heard what Decker planned to do. It seemed the perfect opportunity to spring my plan.”