"She handled it with remarkable grace and dignity. Of course, it helps that her twin sister is certifiable. So, all things considered, I was the lesser of two evils."
Vane gave him a droll look.
"Does Bride have any loons in her family?" Kyrian asked him.
"Not that I know of."
"Then you're screwed."
"You have no idea," Vane said under his breath. "My pack knows I'm in New Orleans. They've already called out a tessera for me."
Kyrian felt for the wolf. He'd been in a similar situation and it was hard to be true to your preternatural nature while your heart was entangled with a human.
"You want to leave her here?"
Vane looked at the baby in Kyrian's arms and a part of him ached at the sight. He'd never really thought about having children before he'd found Bride. And in truth it was strange to see the former Dark-Hunter playing daddy.
What would it be like to hold his own child?
In the back of his mind, he could see a small daughter with red hair and pale skin like her mother.
"I can't endanger your family," Vane said quietly.
"I might be mortal now, but I'm still capable of fighting."
Vane shook his head. "No you're not. Neither is your wife. My people live their lives commanding magic and the forces of nature. You've never fought the Katagaria before and you have no idea what they're capable of."
Kyrian shifted his daughter in his arms as she started fussing. "So what are you going to do?"
"I don't know." And honestly, he was getting tired of not knowing. A year ago, Vane had known exactly who and what he was.
Exactly how to live his life and how to kill anyone who threatened it.
Ever since the night Anya had died, he'd been lost.
It wasn't until that evening in Bride's shop that he'd felt something other than despair.
Now he didn't know what he felt.
"Kyrian!"
Both men jumped at Amanda's call from downstairs. Kyrian clutched his daughter as they ran for the steps.
Vane was halfway down the curving stairs when he saw something that made his body run cold.
Jasyn Kallinos, one of the Katagaria hawks who was living temporarily at Sanctuary, was in the foyer in human form, bleeding. Amanda stood with her hand on the doorknob. From where she had invited him in.
Vane jumped over the banister and landed on the black-and-white marbled floor in a crouch just before Jasyn. Coming to his feet, he ignored Bride's gasp of alarm.
"What happened?" Vane asked.
"Those fucking wolves attacked us." His breathing ragged, Jasyn met Vane's gaze and the horror there singed him. "They killed Fang."
Vane couldn't breathe as Jasyn's words echoed in his head. Fang dead?
No! It couldn't be. His brother couldn't be gone. He couldn't. Fang was all he had left and he had sworn to see his brother whole again.
He howled from the pain that skidded through his heart and sent him reeling. How could this have happened? How could they have gotten to Fang?