Hearts of Warriors Ch. 13

"I don't feel any different," Mac commented. "Perhaps the wolf gene is muted because of Lily's unique heritage?" He, too, looked to the Alpha for an explanation.

Rafe shook his head his frown deepening as he thought back to the first matings and how none of them had realised the vampires were his until the night Loretta and Ashleigh had been taken by Daniel.

"No, it's something other than that," he answered. He met Mac's eyes and held them for a long moment before he had to concede the unthinkable.

"I'm not your Alpha."

The words hung on the air, the tension in the room thick.

"But that means..." Loretta choked out shooting a glance at Lily and seeing the understanding crossing her face.

"That I will be leaving the pack after all," Lily finished, sadness creeping into her voice as her eyes filled with tears. There could be no other explanation and it hurt to think that she would be separated from her family in such a significant way. Being part of the Armand-Hanlon pack was all she knew. She trusted Rafe.

Her distress was enough to snap the fragile hold Mac had on his emotions. He tightened his hold protectively around Lily's slender frame. "Explain for the non-Were," he ground out, leaning down to brush his lips against his mate's temple as her tears silently flowed down her cheeks.

"Loretta was in the Hanlon pack at the time of her mating to Andrei," Rafe answered with a deep sigh. "He didn't bond with Jared Hanlon but instead bonded with me as did the others. When I accepted my position as Alpha, it broke the bond the girls had with Jared and they joined with me and became part of my pack. The same will happen with Lily."

He paused and let the words sink in, keeping his gaze fixed on the angry vampire. "Somewhere out there, you have an Alpha who hasn't accepted his position yet. When he does...Lily's bond will break with me and she'll become part of his pack."

Lily raised her head from Mac's chest to glance tearfully at Rafe. "But you can manipulate the bond. You just said so...we can put it back."

Rafe sighed again, his eyes sad as he tried to explain. "I could, Lily, but the natural Alpha bond is instinctive. I can't sever another Alpha's bond. He would have to give it up willingly. He may agree with you but the likelihood of him doing so with Mackenzie is very low. Your mate has never been part of my pack therefore I have no prior claim."

Mac was quickly piecing the information together, a low growl sounding from his chest as Lily's tears flowed faster as she realised there was nothing they could do. They would be at the mercy of the whim of some unknown Alpha somewhere.

He knew that his woman wouldn't stand to be separated from him by being in another pack. She would stay with him wherever the Were bond placed him which meant she would be cut off from her family and friends. It was another blow, more pain that he was heaping on the woman he loved and he cursed himself.

Lily struggled to control her tears, glancing at her father, who was remarkably silent through the discussion. He was so still it was hard to imagine what he was thinking or feeling. A strong surge of love rushed through her as their eyes met.

"The changing of the Alpha bond won't affect the other bonds in place?" Andrei asked quietly, his heart banging in his chest. He had no idea if Rafe had ever had the power to sever the familial bond they had with their children. He wasn't the type of man to but if this new Alpha was...

"I don't believe so," Rafe answered carefully. "Though we lack the knowledge because this is all so new to us. I don't think even Caleb or Annie would know but we could ask them. The Alexanders retained their familial bond though it is nowhere near as advanced as the Vârcolac one. And neither I, nor, Jared would have done anything to interfere with it either."

"So we're basically reliant on what kind of man this unknown Alpha is?" Andrei asked.

"We just don't know." Rafe hated feeling so helpless. He didn't want to lose Lily or any of the other children but the signs were there that it would happen, with Lily at least and possibly some of the others depending on whom their mates turned out to be.

He cleared his throat as the room remained silent, everyone lost in their own thoughts. He would check with Caleb and Annie but he wasn't expecting any answers from them. But it would have to wait while he pressed on with the reason he had come over.

"We'll have to shelve this for the moment," he announced, gesturing the others to take a seat at the dining table. "Caleb received disturbing news from Mara which impacts on everyone."

The tension level ratcheted up another notch and Mac frowned deeply as he took the chair beside Lily, keeping her hand firmly clasped in his and resting it on his thigh. "Pietro?"

Rafe nodded his expression solemn. "You were right to be concerned, Mac. When Demetri arrived in Scotland, Pietro was already in trouble. From what I've been told, the European vampires have created some kind of poison which breaks down your healing abilities. Given in too strong a dose, it effectively rots a vampire from the inside out."

"Oh my God!" Loretta gasped, looking first at Andrei and then her daughter. Fear rippled through her as the news sank in and suddenly she was being faced with the knowledge that her entire family, who she'd always considered as indestructible, were now at risk.

Mac kept his expression neutral though his hand tightened on Lily's. He was instantly in protective mode, his mind whirling as he considered what this meant for the Praetorians and how they could work to keep the Vârcolac safe in the face of this new threat.

"Is Pietro alive?" He asked the question they were all thinking.

"Demetri was able to save him but at a cost. He retains scars from his experience and by all accounts he is fragile mentally at the moment. The damage was severe and his recovery time is being estimated in months rather than days. The triumvirate have asked the pack if we'll allow him to recuperate here and I've agreed."

"He stays with us," Andrei bit out, fury on his face as he gripped the table hard. The thought of the coming threat was enough to send him over the edge; the news his friend had come so close to dying incensed him beyond measure.

Loretta placed a hand gently over his, her own concern evident. "There's no question about it," she concurred. "We have the room now that both Lily and Kal are up at the Praetorian compound. He'll have privacy to recover here."

"I thought you would say that," Rafe nodded, glad he didn't need to ask. If Pietro was as bad as Caleb had informed him, he most likely wouldn't want to interact much with the pack when he first got there.

"Caleb's asked for a meeting tomorrow here at the compound. There's more but now isn't the time to go into it. We can form an action plan once everyone can be updated on the situation. Demetri is on his way with Pietro and I wanted to prioritise getting him set up somewhere he'd feel safe first and let Mac know of the impending danger so he can alert the Praetorians."

Mac nodded. "Do you want the Vârcolac home?"

Rafe hesitated, watching Lily press against Mac's side. With the threat against the vampires it made more sense for the Vârcolac to be surrounded by Weres who weren't endangered by the poison. But Caleb had said there was no sign of a move state side yet so they had some time and he didn't want to separate Lily from her mate. Mac would have to do his job as a Praetorian and wouldn't be able to come to the pack with her.

"No, they're safe for now, Mac. I may patrol some Weres up close to your compound as additional backup, so let your people know. Caleb gave me the location when he called. They can do outer sweeps so you can keep closer to the compound and everyone is at less risk."

"Makes sense," Mac answered, not the least put out their location was now known to the pack. The time for secrecy was past and he'd use anything and everything available to keep Lily safe.

He stood up, pulling Lily up with him and securing her under the shelter of his arm. "It will probably be best to have less people around Pietro when he arrives. I want to get back up to our compound as soon as possible as well to alert my people."

The others stood and Loretta hugged Lily tightly whispering in her ear before nodding to Mac. "I'm going to organise a room for Pietro. Should I call Mallen over?" she asked Rafe.

"He's watching for their arrival and will come over when they do," Rafe answered.

"Give me five minutes to grab some things from my room, Mac," Lily said, her expression grave as she kissed him quickly and followed her mother from the room.

"Who are you sending up to the Praetorian compound?" Andrei asked the moment they were alone.

"AJ and Ben, possibly Thorne too," Rafe answered after a brief pause. "They can do with the experience. I'll send up Harley and Sam as well and sound out Lacey on whether or not she wants to tag along. I need Aaron here and it's too risky to send anyone up with vamp DNA. We'll work out where best to place everyone else after the meeting tomorrow. For now, I want our strongest fighters close to the pack."

Andrei nodded his agreement as Rafe quickly worked through the logistics. Both Aaron Junior and Ben displayed an Alpha tendency which wasn't surprising considering who their father was. Thorne was also showing signs of being a strong Beta along with his brother DJ.

They were still young compared to most Weres but with the more experienced members of the pack going along too it would be a good proving ground for them if the danger level was reasonably low.

Mac listened to the conversation though his main concentration was on the direction his mate had disappeared in. He waited impatiently for her to return, anxious to be on his way to alert his people. His respect for Rafe Hanlon was building as he listened to the Alpha discuss options with Andrei. He was a man he could quite easily come to be friends with. He exuded a calm, authoritative confidence which Mac liked a lot.

Finally, the sound of Lily returning caused a little of his anxiety to recede. He took her pack from her as she paused at the kitchen doorway. The fact she allowed him to without commenting showed how distracted she was.

Lily had packed as much as she could in the short time frame she had. The trip home hadn't turned out as she'd expected and her thoughts were in turmoil at everything that had occurred. On top of that, she could sense something wrong with Mac. Oh, he made all the right gestures, acted like the usual dominant male most mates were but there was a slight reserve about him.

She had tried to place when she'd first noticed it but she couldn't put her finger on the exact moment. Was it before or after he came out of the study with her father? It nagged at the back of her mind even as she tried to concentrate on the impending threat.

"Do what Mac tells you," Andrei said, coming to gather his daughter into his arms and hold her close. "I'll talk to Kallum but make sure he and Liam do the same. No heroics from any of you. If Mac says move, then you shadow instantly and get the hell out of danger."

"Dad, we'll be fine," Lily sighed, even as she held onto him tightly. She could feel some of his fear leaking down their bond. "Rafe said the danger isn't imminent. Stop being such a worrier."

"There's no harm in pointing out the obvious," Rafe answered, stealing a quick hug when Andrei released her. "You're all vulnerable to this poison with your vamp DNA and we don't know for sure what the method of delivery is. Caleb may have been reasonably certain we have time on our side but that doesn't mean we shouldn't be prepared for all eventualities."

"Yes, Rafe." Lily smiled. She'd be better off asking them to stop breathing than to ask them to stop being overprotective.

Mac gathered her against his side and shouldered her pack. "Let us know if you hear anything before the meeting. We'll be back in the morning, early." He nodded to the others and escorted Lily out of the house and towards their Jeep.

Once he'd stowed her belongings in the back seat, he pulled her close and caught her lips with his. His own fear was in his kiss, searing her like a hot flame as he dived into her sweetness.

Lily moaned and pressed close to Mac, threading her hands in his hair as he took her mouth ruthlessly, branding her his in every way possible. His body was hard and unyielding, his grip tight around her body as he fit her curves to his.

Her head swam and desire rose instantly, her breasts swelling with need, wet heat blooming between her thighs. She battled her tongue against his, rubbing against his instant erection and causing him to groan into her mouth.

Reluctantly, he dragged his mouth away from hers and stared down into her flushed face. She looked stunning in her seductive red dress and he wished he had time to strip it slowly from her body so he could lick every inch of her soft skin and drive her wild with pleasure.

Only the consequence of doing so was unthinkable. They were mated now. If they made love there was a high probability they could create a child. As if everything else wasn't bad enough, he still had that to contend with.

"Mac, what's wrong?" Lily breathed quietly, a frown marring her exquisite features.

"We'll talk later," he sighed, resting his forehead against hers. "We need to get back to the compound. I need to alert everyone to the situation and start doing my job of protecting you."

"You're at risk too, Mac. All the Praetorians are."

He released her and walked around the Jeep to open the door. As she stepped inside he ran a hand through his hair. "Yes, I know. That's only going to make our job harder but it's not going to stop us from doing what we have to."

He closed the door and slid into the driver's side. Starting the engine he gave her a brief glance before he put the car in gear and headed towards home.

Kothari stepped out of the trees as they passed and released his shadowing abilities when they were out of sight. He leaned against the side of the house for a long moment digesting all he'd heard. He could feel his rage building, the surging darkness within him fighting to take hold.

It would only be a matter of time before it erupted. It was too deeply rooted. He moved back into the trees taking off at a run to get as far away from the compound as he could. He shadowed as he ran, the rage building fast and furious at the threat to his pack, to his family, to her.

A soft glow began behind his dark glasses, quickly turning into a harsh glare as they melted away from his face and dropped in a molten mess to the forest floor. Fangs elongated and talons erupted from his fingers, a long red gouge streaking down his face as he fought to contain the coming storm.

With an inhuman shriek he cast his fury outwards as blood began to pour down his face. Ahead of him a swathe of trees turned to ash in an instant, the ones behind them snapping and splintering where they stood.

Barely five seconds had passed and the glow in his eyes vanished but the destruction before him remained.

Kothari closed his eyes and took a deep breath as his wound healed leaving a trail of stickiness in its wake. He wiped at his face as he opened his eyes once more to survey the damage. Silver orbs rimmed by a deep crimson red took in the devastation and he breathed out a sigh of relief that he'd made it far enough away from the pack.

It had been close this time but the release would take the pressure off for a while. He'd be able to control himself over the following week as long as he kept up his mediation and Tai Chi exercises. He wouldn't endanger his angel or anyone she loved. The pack was safe from him for a while.

Reaching within his inner core, he conjured up a new pair of dark glasses, hiding his eyes from the world as he turned in the opposite direction heading towards his special place where he could be alone and clean up before he had to return to the pack.

So the European vampires thought they would come here and hurt what was his? He would kill them all if they tried. Not one would leave pack lands alive.

What chilled Kothari's heart wasn't that he was prepared to kill to protect his people but that he knew he would take pleasure in it. Just the thought of it had his lips curling in a smile he didn't want to be smiling but couldn't contain.

The monster within was pleased with the turn of events.

*****

Mac was silent the entire way home which Lily couldn't help being concerned about. The few times she'd attempted to engage him in conversation, he'd merely given her a small smile and answered in monosyllables. She knew he had a lot on his mind but something told her there was more to his silence than just the news they'd received about the poison.

She was fighting not to become angry at being shut out. It was hard though because things should have been different now they were mated. Mac should be treating her as his partner not like any other Vârcolac. His distraction was really starting to irritate her but they were at the Praetorian compound now and the opportunity to talk with him about it was slipping away.

Before she knew it, Mac urged her forward into the house, his sharp gaze scanning the area continually until they were safely inside. Karn was just coming out of the kitchen and stiffened immediately when he saw his friend's expression.

"What?"

"Get everyone together in the sitting room. I'm just going to get Lily settled," Mac replied. "Where's Kal and Liam?"

Karn's gaze turned to the stairs. "They're in Liam's room."

Mac nodded as he wrapped his arm around Lily's waist and headed in that direction. "Station some guards outside his bedroom window. They can be updated on the news after the meeting." He all but pulled Lily upstairs with him as he spoke.

"Mac..." She tried to pull away but he kept his grip firm as they made it onto the first landing. Lily tugged at his arm and he released her, his expression inscrutable.

"What's wrong with you? You've been acting weird and don't tell me it's because of what we've just learned. Something was wrong before Rafe arrived. What happened in the study? Did my father say something to you?"

Mac stared down at her, easily reading Lily's building irritation. He knew he wasn't being fair on his mate. They had so much to talk about but first he had to get his people briefed. He was also aware that he was being a coward. He was almost happy he had something else to concentrate on rather than talk to Lily about their personal issues.

"You know what we're facing, Lily. I've got a job to do and don't have time for this right now. We can talk later once I've briefed everyone." His tone was sharper than he intended and he wanted to claw the words back the moment they left his mouth. The flash of hurt in Lily's eyes was quickly replaced by anger.

"You've barely said a word to me since we left the pack and now you're blowing me off? You're using this poison business as an excuse to hide something and I want to know what it is. I'm your mate. There should be no secrets between us."

Lily could hear a shrill note starting to creep into her voice and she battled hard to calm down. The stress of going home, the news that Rafe wasn't Mac's Alpha and the added stress of a bunch of wackos out there somewhere running around with a poison that could take out most of her family and friends, not to mention her mate, was too much to handle. Mac keeping additional secrets on top of that was the final straw.

Mac's resolute expression fuelled her growing anger as he thrust her pack into her arms.

"I said we'd discuss this later and that's an end to it, Liliana. Take your things up to our room. You can let Kal and Liam know what's going on though Andrei's probably already been in contact with Kal. If you want to come down to the sitting room fine, if not the three of you stay in Liam's room. I don't want you split up while we're preoccupied. I'll come get you when I'm finished."