Vane's heart pounded as he listened and understood. Fury really was his brother. But that wasn't important to him at the moment, only Bride's safety was.
One of the Arcadian men came at Vane's back. He spun about and blasted him away from them. "You're lucky I'm not the animal you think I am," he growled at the Arcadians. "But if you ever come near my mate again, I will be."
Dare laughed cruelly. "Fine, take your woman. The full moon isn't for another three weeks and that gives us plenty of time to hunt you down and kill you.
You have to sleep sometime. Then you'll be ours."
Fury shook his head. "You didn't hear a word I said about Vane, did you? It's such a pity I wasn't the one born with his power. I'd have killed all of you if I were. But I guess he's a better man than I am."
Vane smiled coldly at his "human" brother. Dare looked much like Fang when Fang was human. It was a pity that their parents' hatred of each other had come to this. That it had bred and poisoned a whole new generation.
But then, Vane had never thought to coexist with his Arcadian kin. They had thrown him out and written him off centuries ago.
Vane smiled evilly at Dare. "Unlike you, little brother, I don't need no stinking moon to time-jump."
And in one blink, Vane, Bride, and Fury were back in New Orleans, safely inside Kyrian's house.
"I think I need a Tylenol jug," Bride said as she staggered away from Vane and sat down on the nearest couch. "And a lot of vodka to wash it down."
Kyrian, Amanda, and Tabitha came running into the room.
"That was quick," Tabitha said. "Damn, Vane, you don't mess around, do you?"
Vane ignored Tabitha's question as he knelt in front of Bride. "Are you okay?"
"I don't know," she answered honestly as she stared at him in numbed hysteria.
"My boyfriend is a dog, his mother's psychotic, and I just nearly missed being the main attraction in some low-budget porn flick, complete with bad costuming and food. I mean, what is this? 'Welcome to the family, you now get to sleep with all my brothers, and I do mean all my brothers, cousins, friends, hell, everyone'? You know, most in-laws just bring over a casserole, not a four-hundred-year-old vendetta."
It was so good to be able to rant, but a part of her was still terrified.
Nothing felt secure to her now. Nothing.
"Am I safe, Vane? Or is someone else going to poof into the living room and grab me and take me who knows where? I don't want to see Barney the real dinosaur with the naked cavemen chasing him! I don't want to see anything except my normal life here in New Orleans."
Vane cupped her face in his hands. On some level, his touch comforted her. "You're safe, Bride. I'm not going to let anyone else grab you. I swear it."
"And I can believe that, why?"
"Because I give you my word."
"Well, that just settles it all, huh?" Bride shook her head. "After this, I can't wait to meet your father. I'll bet he's just a barrel full of laughs." She stared at Vane as the horror of the last few hours washed through her. "Any other freaky family traditions I need to know about? Bones hidden in the backyard? Crazy aunts? Fleas?"
She looked over at Fury. "I don't have to sleep with him now, do I?"
Tabitha arched both her brows at that. "What kind of place did she go to?
Sounds like it could be fun."
"Wanna go?" Fury asked. "I can take you there."
"Fury," Vane snapped. "You have enough to answer for already. Don't mess with the humans."
"Or Tabitha, either," Kyrian said.
Amanda elbowed him in the stomach.
"What?" Kyrian asked innocently.