Lorn Read online

  Bitterness surfaced and Kira couldn’t stay silent. “Your father was alright with Lavos’s mate being pure Lycan?”

  “Yes.”

  It figures. The clan would accept a pure-blood Lycan over someone with human blood. It made the pain worse for her.

  “Kira?”

  She still refused to look at him. It broke her heart. All those nights she’d spent dreaming about him, hoping that somehow they’d end up together, haunted her. It had been stupid and foolish to even consider that somehow she’d be the one to get to spend her life with Lorn. He was a VampLycan and she was mostly human. Few of her father’s traits had been passed down to her, except a heightened sense of smell and she aged slower than a human. She’d never be able to shift forms or grow claws. The strength wasn’t there either. She’d taken more after her mother.

  All the carefully constructed protective walls crashed down with Lorn’s hands on her, and being so close, she could feel his heartbeat under her palm. They’d played together every day as kids until that fateful trip to the river when she’d been fifteen. She’d never been a good swimmer to begin with but then a log had slammed into her from the strong current.

  That day replayed in Kira’s mind. The air had been knocked out of her and she’d been pulled under water. It had taken her seconds to fight beyond the pain in her side before she could struggle to reach air. The other problem was part of the log had snagged on the shirt she wore, holding her under. She couldn’t break free. Death seemed imminent—but then Lorn had been there. He must have seen what happened and had come to her rescue. His strong arm had wrapped around her waist and he’d torn her away from the log. How he’d gotten her out of the water was a blur, but they’d ended up on the river’s embankment.

  Lorn had hovered over her while she lay flat on her back gasping for breath.

  “Are you okay? Speak to me!”

  She’d stared into his face and realized that he’d saved her life. She wasn’t able to form words but had given a firm nod.

  That’s when his gaze had lowered to her chest…and his mouth dropped open.

  She glanced down and stared too. Her shirt was gone. It was probably still tangled with the log, lost somewhere in the river.

  Her hands had clutched at her breasts to hide them. They’d grown a bit over the summer, the reason she’d taken to swimming in t-shirts instead of a bathing suit top. Her hands barely hid them and the mounds only seemed bigger when she did that.

  A low growl had burst from Lorn and he suddenly rolled away to get to his feet. His hair had been longer back then, midway down his back. He’d shoved the wet strands away from his face and refused to look at her.

  “Let me get you my shirt.”

  His voice had sounded funny, deeper, and she sat up. “Are you okay?”

  He’d slowly turned around, and Kira’s mouth was the one to drop next. Her gaze had jerked up, from the front of his shorts to his face. Her father had given her the talk about sex. Lorn was aroused, there was no hiding that, and it was sight she’d never forget.

  “I’m getting you my shirt. Stay there.” He frantically glanced around. “Don’t move. Someone else could see you.” He almost ran down the embankment to where they’d left their towels.

  She’d grinned, happy that he thought of her that way. One day she wanted to be his mate. She wouldn’t mind if Lorn wanted to kiss her. She’d allow it.

  He’d rushed back within a minute and just tossed her his shirt, then spun around to give her his back.

  “Put that on, Kira. Hurry up.” He glanced around again. “The others are near. I’ll kill someone if they notice how much you’ve matured.” He growled. “How did you manage to hide it from me?”

  “I wear exercise bras. They flatten me out a little and I wear loose T-shirts over them. Dad insisted.”

  “He should.” Lorn glanced back then, seeing she was covered. “Why weren’t you wearing one today?”

  “We were swimming.” She frowned as she got to her feet, feeling surprisingly good for almost drowning. “We always get dressed in different locations so I just planned to put it on after we were done.”

  “Wear them all the time.”

  She laughed. “You’re being silly.”

  He growled again. “I am?”

  “Yes.”

  “Go home.” He spun and dove into the river.

  That had pretty much been the last time Lorn had spent time with her.

  She had cried when he’d just walked away every time she’d tried to approach him. Her father had finally realized something was wrong and had sat her down. It had been a painful talk.

  “You’re too attractive, baby girl. You take after your mother.”

  “I know I look like her.”

  “You take after her in more ways than just sharing her pretty face. You’re smaller than the other women, you can’t shift, and you smell totally human.”

  “That’s because you’re half VampLycan but Mom wasn’t.”

  “Yes. The problem is that you are so human.” He’d taken her hand then and shattered her world. “Lorn is turning into a man, honey. He just realized you’re growing into a woman. He’s not allowed to ever be with you that way.”

  “You like him, Dad. I know we’re too young but in a few years—”

  “I do like him and trust him with your life. It’s not up to me though. Decker demands we keep the bloodlines strong. I broke that law when I spent time in the outside world and fell in love with your mother. I stayed there to be with her. I only returned home after she died because I couldn’t raise you myself among humans. I didn’t know at the time that you’d never shift. I couldn’t risk leaving you with a babysitter while I worked, in case you sprouted claws or changed forms. It’s important that they never know we exist.”

  “You could have made her forget what she saw.”

  “I had to work to support us. She might have panicked and called others before I could get home to wipe her memories. It was just safer to return to the clan.”

  “But Lorn likes me too.”

  “It’s forbidden, Kira. Lorn’s family would never allow him to leave this clan because he’s the oldest son. It’s his responsibility to carry on their bloodlines and take care of his family when his father gets too old. And Decker wouldn’t allow him to be with you. I’m sorry. One day I’ll send you into the human world and you can find a nice one of them to mate with.”

  “I don’t want anyone else!”

  He’d hugged her then. “I’m so sorry. Lorn and you aren’t meant to be.”

  The sound of Lorn inhaling brought Kira back from her memories into the present and she closed her eyes when the low rumble of a growl could not only be heard, but felt under her palm still resting on his chest. He seemed mad, and he obviously smelled her pain. There was no hiding her feelings from him anymore. All the years they’d avoided each other suddenly seemed meaningless.

  “Damn it, Kira. Why didn’t you tell me you had feelings for me?”

  “What was the point? I’m mostly human and there’s no getting around that.”

  He released her and stepped back, out of her reach. “Expect me at breakfast tomorrow. We’re going to talk. I know you have to patrol and I need to go right now. I was ordered to witness the official ceremony. The couple just arrived.” He glanced around. “I can smell my father nearby too. He’s approaching.”

  She’d take his word for it. Her sense of smell and hearing weren’t nearly as keen as his. “What do you want to talk about?” She avoided looking at him still. “Are you going to offer to run away with me?” Her lungs froze as she stopped breathing, hoping he’d say yes.

  “You know I can’t do that, but—”

  “Enough.” She cut him off. That jabbing sensation in her heart felt like a twisting knife. “Then we have nothing to discuss. Enjoy the party. Wish the couple congratulations for me.”

  “Kira, I—”

  She rushed away before he could say anything else.