Gabe glanced at his father, the humor receding. “She is mine.”
Liam paced away, hands on his lean hips. “She is a crossbreed, Gabrial.”
“Yes, I noticed.” Gabe did not regret his mate. Although had he been given the choice he may not have chosen her, he was glad the decision was taken from his hands. Kel was perfect for him. She was just perfect.
Liam sighed and turned to face him. “Insolence, Gabrial? You give me insolence? This is no matter to be treated lightly. I can assume the bond was spontaneous?”
“Yes. The night I followed Karl into the city.”
“She was the woman Karl attacked,” Liam guessed. “You most likely initiated the blood exchange then.” He gave a humorless smile at Gabe’s surprise. “The threat to her by another male would have strengthened the drive to bond, especially if you scented her blood. You have obviously bled her. Any side effects?”
“There has been no dementia. No.” He was being overtly vague and his father’s eyes narrowed on him. How much of his reaction to Kel’s blood should he share with his father? His father was the doyen of his House and would feel obligated to forward the information he was given to the House elders.
“That does not sufficiently answer my question.”
“There have been…changes,” Gabe admitted with a sigh. He would not be able to hide the changes Kel’s blood had wrought in him and he hoped to return to his House eventually. They would find out sooner or later. How was he to explain this to his father? He could barely understand what was happening. “My blood has changed. There is a scientist here who is trying to determine exactly what has happened. It will take time to know for sure but she is fairly certain the changes are permanent.”
Liam’s eyes hardened. “You have bonded without the elders’ consent. And to a
crossbreed.
” There was a wealth of loathing in the word and Gabe found the darkness in him rising. “Now her blood is changing you. This will have to be placed before the elders.” Liam paced away again, kneading the back of his neck with one hand.
“My bond with Kel is not open to the elders’ approval, Father. The bond is permanent.”
“Gabrial, you are my son and I love you, but the traditions are there to keep order. If the House marshal and future doyen cannot respect that, how can we expect any other member of the House to adhere to them?” His long fingers gingerly touched his swelling eye. “Your bloodmate does not agree, but she was not raised in our House nor does she understand our culture.”
That darkness of the beast that had developed along with the bond to his bloodmate rose and seethed restlessly. This was his father and his doyen, but Kel was his mate. His natural inclination was to defend his mate. Even against his father. “She is well aware of our culture but you are correct in that she doesn’t understand. I’m not sure I disagree with her.” When his father spun to deliver a hard look he held up a hand. “Our traditions, our laws, have caused harm, Father. Our preoccupation with the purity of our blood, our race, has weakened us. The elders even choose our mates for us, a process that may be best left to natural selection.”
“Gabrial, you know it is necessary to strengthen our line. This is the reason why those with the disease are forbidden to have children. It is for the good of our House.”
“I believe that the intentions of the elders are good but they only hurt our House. They interfere in matters beyond their wisdom. Do you know, Father, that no other blood besides my mate’s can provide sustenance? My body rejects all others.” And the blooding had become synonymous with lovemaking, but he could not reveal such a thing to his father.
He knew his father regularly bled other females. Was that because his mother was not truly his father’s mate? Did the elders harm their race with their interfering?
Liam paced back toward him. “It is not natural. The blooding of many females is natural and healthy.”
“But what if it isn’t? What if we are meant to blood only one female, that female that perfectly complements us?” Perhaps by allowing the elders to mate their people they were circumventing evolution. Evolution was necessary for the strength of any species.
“Damn it, Gabrial, the taking of impure blood will weaken you.”
“Weaken?” Gabe’s laugh was dry. He stood and pulled his hospital gown up to reveal the bandages. Peeling them away, he showed his father the healed wounds. “Strength. Her blood has done nothing but strengthen my every weakness. Since our blood bond I can tolerate the sun.” He said no more than that. The complete truth might be a threat that needed careful consideration before becoming common knowledge.
Liam stared at the puckered scars, his brows lowered. Normally such healing would have taken weeks. “How can this be so? It is unnatural. We have always only bled our own people and we have sustained for thousands of years. Something of this magnitude must be put before the elders.”
Gabe sighed and pulled his gown down. His father was as much a slave to tradition and the old ways as the elders. “The elders cannot make wise decisions for our people anymore.” At his father’s outraged expression he continued, “Unless they accept that the old ways are not the best path any longer. I think we should do as the Rainier House has done and give all those with Sanguen blood full acceptance in the House. Pure or not.”
LIAM FERRAR LOOKED at his son for a long time. Gabrial had always been very headstrong. His allowing him to attend college outside the safety of the House complex with that Rainier boy was responsible for his difference in belief. He did not want to see his son put out of the House by the elders but he feared that was what the future held for him.
“I did not come here to argue House politics.”
Gabrial frowned. “I assumed you were called when I was injured.”
Liam shook his head. “I contacted Kyeros Forestor to procure an invitation into Incog. I came here because I was concerned about your behavior and wished to see for myself what you are involved in. Your female was very irate. She took exception to something I said and made her objections very clear.” He rubbed his face. “Also, I remembered an incident you might have interest in.”
Liam sank into a chair when his obstinate son cast him a confused look. He had very few regrets for the more than half century he had been serving his House. Any death in his House pained him but none more than the loss his House suffered nearly fifteen years ago.
“Fifteen years ago we opened our House to a woman and her child. Her father was a good friend of mine, and he requested asylum for his daughter and granddaughter. He was dying from the disease and without sons, a new line would be taking over the House. He feared for their safety once he was gone. I promised to look after them.” Liam smoothed a weary hand over his hair. “Days after they arrived, the child disappeared.”
Gabe sat forward. “Disappeared? Was she ever found? A body?”
“No, nothing. Your uncle and I looked for months.” It had been the first time he had ever seen his older brother, Maxim, so involved with House business. Maxim, although older, had been born with the disease and was forbidden from marrying or having children and thus taking any position of power within the House. It had affected him deeply and he was always prone to fits of depression. It made Liam feel guilty for his own health and position in the House. At the time he hadn’t known that Maxim had fallen in love with the woman.
“Were there any suspects? Could she have run away?”
Liam shrugged. “We suspected the new doyen and his family were involved, perhaps had taken her because she in some way threatened their position in the House. The elders found it unfounded because she was female and could not assume any positions of authority. Your Uncle Maxim said the child was unhappy and very spoiled, that her mother had been having difficulties with her. Perhaps she ran away. I always felt responsible. I had promised her grandfather they would be safe.”
“What happened to the girl’s mother?”
Liam stood and walked to the window. This was his favorite time of day. The sun had set but night was not fully upon them. “Several months after her daughter disappeared she was found in her cottage. She had slit her wrists.”
When Gabrial said nothing he turned to once again study his son. He had become a good man with strong convictions. His mate, though not of pure blood, was a strong woman. Although the effect of her blood on his son was still questionable his gut told him that the pair would make strong, healthy offspring. He only feared that those offspring would not be the future of his House. Tradition was important but he did not believe the elders would dispose of thousands of years of tradition overnight. Change would come, was inevitable, but he feared it would not be in time for his son.
“I must return. Come soon to visit your mother. You know how she worries.” He paused. “And tell your mate that although crossbreed children were not welcome members of our House, they were never mistreated. Every child was well loved in their foster homes. I saw to it personally.” Liam laughed as he started to fade. “And tell her she has quite a right hook.”
Liam reappeared in his inner office. Never had he been so dissatisfied in his position as doyen. Of course, he’d never before disagreed with the politics within his House. Their traditions had always been black-and-white but this was the first time he found himself seeing the gray areas.
There was a tap at the door. “Brother?”
“Enter,” Liam said with a sigh as he sank down into a chair. Maxim shuffled in.
“Things did not go well with Gabrial?”
“I’m afraid it is worse than we initially believed, Maxim. Gabe has taken a bloodmate.”
Maxim stiffened. “That should be good news, brother.”
“Yes,” Liam said, rubbing his forehead. “It should, but my son has bonded with a crossbreed.”
Maxim sank down across from him. His brother’s face was set in lines of thoughtful concern and Liam was glad he was there. Maxim had been a great asset, giving him an outlet for the concerns and misgivings he could not reveal to the elders. It was a relief to share his concern for his son with Maxim.
“Agreed, that is not good. I assume she is at least half Sanguen?”
“Yes.” Liam reached up and gingerly touched his eye. “I will hazard a guess and say the other half is Guardian.”
Maxim’s rheumy eyes narrowed. “She struck you.”
Liam chuckled and leaned back. “I may have deserved it. My son was seriously wounded and she was very upset. I allowed my temper to control my tongue.” The image of her rose in his mind. The woman had seemed inconsolable, covered in his son’s blood and nearing hysteria. He wondered if she’d told his son she loved him or if his son had told her the same. Most likely not if she was half as stubborn as his son was. Their offspring would be incredible, a true asset to the blood of his race. If she were only full Sanguen.
“That is inexcusable, brother. Did she not realize who you are?”
“Oh, Maxim, I believe she struck me because she knew exactly who I was. That is the least of our problems. Gabe’s bond with her has created new problems.”
Maxim was silent, as always patiently waiting for Liam to confide in him.
“Her blood has created a permanent change in him. His wounds healed within a matter of hours, Maxim. It was very disconcerting.”
Maxim’s face had paled. “We can sever the bond.”
“I fear that will not be possible. Since their blood exchange his body will not accept the blood of another. I have heard of such a phenomenon before, long ago. If we sever the bond he will die.”
Liam frowned and jerked up when his brother looked so pale, his frail body swaying. “Maxim, are you ill? Should I call the physician?”
Maxim jerked and gave a wan smile. “No, Liam, I – I am fine. I am just shocked. The elders will have him exiled for this.”
With a sigh, Liam slouched against the chair. He was only this relaxed with Maxim. “Yes, I fear you are right. The elders would never allow such a thing to occur within the bloodline of the imperial family.”
Liam frowned at his brother’s obvious unrest. Maxim was fragile, his body having been ravaged by the disease for so many years. Years ago their father had sent Maxim away to a special medical center managed by the Triumvirate to help research the disease that plagued the Sanguen race.
Once Liam had ascended as doyen he’d immediately contacted his brother. Maxim had the right to choose whether he wanted to spend his remaining years with his family or in the cold confines of a medical facility. Their father, who had ascended as elder, had protested vehemently that Maxim was better off at the facility but the elders had agreed to have him brought home. Maxim had fared so much better than many who suffered from the genetic blood disease. He attributed Maxim’s health to his being within his own House.
“Brother, go and rest. You look peaked. I will call you when I take this before the elders.”
Maxim blinked and nodded weakly. “Yes, perhaps I will. I do feel tired. We will do our best for Gabe, Liam.”
Liam nodded as he watched his brother shuffle away.
“YOU PUNCHED THE doyen of my House in the face?”
Kel glanced up from where she lay back on the lounge chair in her usual tank and a pair of boy shorts, despondently listening to the night sounds of the city. They usually soothed her. This balcony with its view of the bay was the sole reason she’d taken the tiny apartment, especially since her salary at Incog would allow for a much nicer place. Tonight she just couldn’t find peace in the sounds of the city.
“He was being a jerk at a really bad time for me,” Kel said dryly, returning her eyes to the flickering lights on the bay. His scent drifted to her on the cool breeze and she closed her eyes. Those emotions welled up in her again, that gut-wrenching fear and the even worse sense of overwhelming loss she’d experienced when she thought he would die. Her eyes and nose stung. God, this was impossible.
She felt his gentle touch somewhere deep inside her. She instinctively accepted the merge with him. He felt so vital and strong. But the memory of the agony she’d experienced for that brief moment when she thought she’d lost him rose up hard, choking her. Immediately she mentally pulled away from their bond, closing herself off from him.