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Caden fists his hands at his sides. “I fucking hate magic. Humans can end a relationship, drown their sorrows in whiskey for a few weeks, then carry on. Lucan…”
“I’m sorry. We brought you here to decide what should be done. We can’t keep him restrained like this for long.”
“Are you suggesting we put him down like a sick animal?”
“That’s your decision. I’m merely stating that you may never get back the brother you know.”
“You pompous bastard. He will recover. I’ll make damn certain of it. Do we have any clues on Anka’s whereabouts?”
“Other than we think the Anarki took her, no.”
“Where is Mathias’s lair?”
“He’s not a comic-book villain, and I doubt he’s stupid enough to stay in one place. If you want him, you’ll have to hunt him. But I don’t advise it. He’s one of the most powerful wizards of all time. If you go it alone, your parents will have your life and your brother’s sanity to mourn at once.”
“I refuse to sit here and do nothing.”
“Then help your brother by fighting with us. Together, we stand a better chance of finding Anka. Lucan told me you’ve had human combat training in the American military.”
“I was a marine.”
“You can be useful to both the cause and your brother. A huge portion of Mathias’s army is impervious to magic, so we must fight them through human means, which the rest of the wizards know little about.”
He scowls. “I practice shooting at a range in Texas. I box regularly. I’ve taken up martial arts. I learned to fence years ago.”
“Perfect. Join us. We need all the combat-ready fighters we can get if we’re going to save Lucan and magickind. When we’re not training, I’ll send one of the others out with you to look for Anka.”
Caden glances at his writhing, snarling brother, then back at Bram. He sticks out his hand. “Until we find Anka, you have a deal.”
* * *
Minutes later, Bram gathers Ice, Duke, and Marrok in his office and introduces Caden to the lot of them. The warriors all offer their concern for Lucan but no solutions.
Bram attempts to contact Shock. If he’s mated in his heart, though not in fact, to Anka, he should care that she’s missing. But the big, leather-clad wizard doesn’t respond. More than one face among the Doomsday Brethren shows the suspicion that Lucan may have been right about Shock’s loyalty to his family…and Mathias.
After that, training commences with grim purpose.
I watch for hours, checking on Lucan periodically. I never get too close to the man-turned-beast strapped to the bed, but I worry for him. And for Marrok. Will this be his fate if we ever end his curse and he breaks our mate bond? Maybe not. Ours isn’t the century-old union Lucan and Anka shared. Marrok isn’t magical. And he would gladly embrace death.
The thought nearly crushes me. Selfishly, I want Marrok to stay, but of his own free will, not out of obligation or fear of Lucan’s fate.
In less than a week, our connection has grown. Real emotion fills my heart. I want his devotion…and I fear it’s because I’m in love with him.
Yes, I’ve been craving someone to love me my whole life. But my yearning for my parents’ devotion pales in comparison to my need for Marrok’s.
When watching Lucan’s agony becomes too heartrending, I leave his room, only to realize night has fallen. Vaguely, I remember Sabelle calling me to dinner, but I wasn’t hungry.
At the end of the hall, Bram and Marrok climb the nearby stairs, deep in conversation. Despite their obvious exhaustion, they make a solid wall of testosterone as they look up.
Marrok scowls. “Why are you not in bed?”
Acutely aware of Bram watching, I swallow all the worries in my heart. “Not tired. Training go well?”
“The wizards are improving faster than the average human.”
“Praise?” Bram gasps mockingly.
Marrok snorts. “Do not accustom yourself to it.”
