Aveoth Read online

  Fear struck that he was about to wake. She turned and rushed as quietly as possible to the ledge. Heights had never been her thing but she feared them less than the man on the bed. She needed to get away from him. He was a Gargoyle or a GarLycan or whatever. He had wings and an association with her sperm donor’s fucked-up family. That was more than enough to tell her he was bad news. She couldn’t forget his clawed fingers either, or the sight of them buried in Boon’s head.

  It was a beautiful, sunny day. The breeze felt good on her skin as she eased onto the side of the ledge. She faced the rock wall and put the view at her back. It helped not looking down or seeing how far she’d fall to her death that way. She scanned the rock and found places to grip with her fingers and where she could put her feet.

  “Damn.” She turned her head, seeing the cuts in the rock to the ledge below. It seemed like a really long way to climb down, but she didn’t have a choice. It was possible there might be a way out if she entered through another ledge. Aveoth had mentioned caves the night before. If there were a lot of them, maybe he’d only used some of them as his living space.

  “I want the hell out of here,” she muttered and shoved back her fear. “I can do this, even if I have to climb all the way to the bottom of this damn cliff. I’m going home. Fuck this messed-up shit.”

  * * * * *

  Galihia gripped Aveoth’s arm, preventing him from stepping into the moonlit courtyard. He paused, turning his head to stare into her cobalt-blue eyes. They were the same ones he saw every time he looked at his reflection. Her silky black hair was piled in an elegant braided bun.

  She’d given birth to him but he never called her mother. It wasn’t allowed.

  “Do not show emotion regardless of what he says. He’ll test you. Don’t fail. I realize the sixteen years you’ve lived are too few to learn control, but your life is at stake.”

  The warning stiffened his spine. She took a risk even speaking those words. He resisted the urge to ask questions. They didn’t have time. Lord Abotorus waited.

  Galihia released him and stepped back, waiting for him to exit. He inhaled slowly and held the air in his lungs as he faced the event he dreaded.

  The full moon mocked him. Aveoth kept his attention on the silent forms waiting to witness the moment when two clans sealed an agreement for continued peace. He wasn’t happy with the way it had come about, but he hadn’t been asked. His father never took his wishes into consideration.

  Three tall figures stood unhooded near Abotorus, but it was the smallest one, still completely shrouded, who deflated his lungs. He didn’t know her name, nor anything about her personal life. To ask questions would have been an offense. It was his duty to heed his lord’s demands. Any show of hesitation would be viewed as defiance.

  He couldn’t even look directly at her, instead staring at the altar. He did use his peripheral vision to gather every detail he could about the young woman. The hood hid a lot but not all of her. She kept her chin down and her black hair hung to her waist down the front of her cloak. Delicate shoulders, and her slight height deeply disturbed him. She was either a very dainty teenager or hadn’t even hit puberty yet.

  His hatred for his father, Abotorus, grew stronger.

  “We gather here today to deepen the links to our clans.” Abotorus paused. “Let us hope we are more successful than the last time we attempted this.”

  Aveoth allowed the insult to roll off him. He knew he’d been a disappointment since birth. He’d never been allowed to forget it. Memories of being punished flashed through his mind but he kept his emotions masked. He could feel his father watching him for a reaction, so he gave none.

  “Let us begin, Lord Abotorus. This shall permanently cement our clan bonds.” The VampLycan allowed his impatience to sound in his voice.

  “Doubtful, Decker. I don’t see any of my kind living with your clan, yet I keep being expected to take yours into mine.”

  The VampLycan clan leader softly growled. “We’ve offered, but your clan members have refused to leave the cliffs.”

  “That’s because we’re not heathens.”

  Aveoth focused on his heartbeat, keeping it steady. Lord Abotorus seemed determined to insult their guests. It was one time he didn’t feel embarrassed by the rudeness. The VampLycans might take the girl away and cancel the agreement.

  His luck wasn’t that good, because no one moved.

  “Do you concede to our agreement, Decker? I grow bored. What is her name?”

  “Margola. She is the younger sister of my own mate.” The leader of the VampLycan clan reached out an arm and steered her closer to the altar.

  “Wait.” Abotorus grumbled. “Didn’t your mate come from another clan? Does this girl belong to your clan or another?”

  “Mine,” Decker stated clearly. “She wanted to live with her sister and I accepted her. Let’s get on with this.” Decker motioned to the girl. “Give your agreement to accept Lord Abotorus’s son as your lover to unite our clans.”

  Aveoth silently urged her to decline. It would be best for both of them if she did. She raised her chin, not that it helped make out her features without looking directly at her. He didn’t dare.

  “I do,” she whispered.

  “Aveoth agrees as well,” Abotorus muttered.

  “That’s not how it should be,” Decker protested. “He must speak the words.”

  “I accept her as my lover,” Aveoth stated loud and clear.

  The small female shivered. He didn’t blame her if she felt fear. It was an indication of intelligence. He also pondered why she’d agreed to allow him to house her inside his new home. It had been his gift months before on his sixteenth year. He’d been kicked out of father’s dwelling. He figured his father didn’t want him underfoot any longer. That had been fine with him.

  Aveoth had been assured the VampLycan he was to take as a lover was mostly Lycan, but even a drop of Vampire blood made it impossible for him to ever accept her as a mate or allow her to birth his children. Did the VampLycan clans fear a war between their people so deeply that they’d encourage one of their women to agree to this madness?

  His hatred for his father notched a little higher. The bastard had probably enjoyed concocting the hellish deal. Lord Abotorus felt the VampLycans were beneath them, and asking for one of their women to offer her body for sex with his son until Aveoth found a mate was insulting to all concerned. He didn’t have fond thoughts toward the VampLycan Decker, either, for basically whoring out one of the women under his protection.

  Pity surfaced next. He might have no choice but to agree to take her as a lover. But he silently swore to never visit her bed. What happened behind the closed doors of his home would be no one’s concern. He only wished he could tell her of his decision. She wouldn’t be afraid of the future.

  Aveoth steeled himself for what would come next. He couldn’t show any compassion. That would come much later, when they weren’t under the steady watch of his father.

  “I hereby decree that the alliance has been reset, and grant the date five years from this night when Aveoth fully claims her,” Abotorus announced.

  Decker hissed his displeasure. “I believed you’d take her now and our alliance would be immediate.”

  “She’ll be of legal age at that time. My son doesn’t want a child in his bed.”

  Aveoth did the math and hid a cringe. The girl was only thirteen. He was surprised his father had enough compassion to not force her to his home at her current age. His fingers stiffened but he forced them to relax. He wanted to hit Abotorus for forcing a mere child into that kind of promise in the first place. He wasn’t much older than her, but he’d had a harsh life. He’d aged beyond his years.

  “I’ll give you an older woman,” Decker offered. “You’re the one who chose this one.”

  “I did it for a reason. You’re too eager, and I don’t trust you. This will give me time to watch you.”

  Aveoth glanced up at the VampLycan leader to see the