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“Oh, fuck!” Dani exclaimed. “We’re in trouble. ‘Creative’ doesn’t even begin to cover Ash’s mind.”
“It will be crucial for you to master control of your emotions and instinctive reactions. Even then, sometimes you will slip, as I’ve proven to such humiliating effect.” Mikhail winked at Maerlin, and she blushed again. “I can show you how to create a pocket dimension when you need a moment to cool down or relieve the pressure.
“You should avoid using magic that affects the whole world or large groups of people. If that happens, I will feel it and pull you into a safe place to talk it through. Impulses and gut reactions can lead to tragedy when you don’t take the time to think about what you’re doing, and you’re so powerful that no one can hold you accountable. I know it’s restrictive, but?—”
Ash held up a hand. “I’m relieved there’s a safeguard. I tend to have a bit of a hero complex and feel compelled to act, sometimes without thinking. I don’t want to become a power-crazy maniac, and I sure as fuck don’t want to be worshipped. You can’t imagine what a relief it is to know there’s a plan to protect everyone if I go off the deep end.”
Luca told Mikhail, “This overshadows my UN news.”
Ash heard his comment and crossed the room to hug him. “You were amazing, Luca. I’m sorry I didn’t say it before. I am so proud of you, baby.”
Luca wrapped his arms around her and inhaled her unique scent. Everything else faded from his awareness. “Don’t be sorry. You have a lot going on, and our lives come with a certain amount of chaos. I love you, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
I’m not too freaky for you? Ash asked via their mating bond.
Never. I’m going to miss feeding you, though. It was something else.
You sweet, innocent man. Just because I don’t have to drink blood to survive doesn’t mean I can’t. You’re right, it was special.
Turning to her parents, she offered them her most cajoling smile. “I need to establish a vampire seat of power, choose a location, and design it. I’m twenty, and I don’t know shit about housing and caring for the needs and comfort of thousands of people. Please help me?”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Maksim’s Childhood Home, Friday, January 18, 2013, Night
After fleeing from the traitor bitch’s unexpected show of power, Maksim had flown for days, killing anything he saw, though he kept to the wilderness. The animals he found provided no relief for the thirst that seared the dragon’s throat far more effectively than its fire had burned his enemies.
He’d lost everything. Nadya had been savagely murdered. He’d taken control of her legacy but lost it in a matter of days. He was a pathetic excuse for a vampire, and he knew nothing about being a Therian. He didn’t want to, either. They’d proven themselves every bit as horrible as his father and Nadya had claimed.
Though he’d taken a long and winding route, Maksim’s meanderings brought him closer to his childhood home each day. He longed to reconcile with his father and earn his approval for the power he now wielded. If Timofey joined him and became a vampire, they could take on the Therians together and exact the justice the old dragon so richly deserved for his wrongful exile.
Maksim sensed something stirring and dove through the clouds, then vanished into shadows the moonlight couldn’t touch and reappeared a hundred feet above the ground. He landed lightly and stretched his wings, grateful that he no longer crashed each time he touched down. The shadows let him jump to where the light wasn’t.
Navigating his new powers was a learning process. He’d been staggeringly unprepared for the fight with Ash. Nadya hadn’t left him an instruction manual, and he no longer had the lesser vampires to learn from. He knew nothing about being the alpha vampire. He felt the power within him but knew he’d only scratched the surface of what he could do.
He hadn’t had much time with the man, but even Nadya’s right hand, Jean-Pierre, hadn’t known the full extent of her skills, so he’d been unable to guess what else Maksim might be able to do. He’d regretted abandoning the vampires at Nadya’s home to Ash and her Therians immediately after he’d done it but didn’t see what he could do about it now. He had considered seeking out others, but he wanted to feel more like a king before he looked for his subjects. He felt lost and was overwhelmed by the role he’d foolishly assumed. He longed for guidance.
The familiar outline of the isolated mansion his father had built for his human mother came into view. It was the one place he belonged and understood how the world worked.
Before he landed on the front lawn, Maksim saw Timofey step out onto the elegant porch to stare at the black and red dragon with horror as well as fascination. When he was on the ground, Maksim shifted to human form and took a knee, looking at Timofey with hope in his crimson eyes. “Father!” He rose. “I’ve come home.”
Maksim didn’t know what else to say. He had changed since the last time he’d seen his father. He’d left as the half-human spawn of a Therian and returned as a king. He made no effort to hide what he was and waited tensely to see how his father would react. He offered a hesitant smile, which broke the older man’s shock.
Timofey rushed forward and pulled his son into his arms, trying not to let his heartbreak show. “My boy! Where have you been?”
Maksim pulled away to meet Timofey’s gaze. “I have so much to tell you, Father. The power I’ve gained is beyond anything I ever thought possible.”
“Let’s go inside, then. I’ll pour us a drink, and you can tell your tale.” Timofey ushered his son into the house, grabbed two cut crystal glasses and a bottle of vodka from the freezer, and joined his son at the table with a smile. He’d missed the boy.
They downed the shots.
Timofey leaned forward to refill their glasses. “Tell me, son.”
“I’ve awakened the power within me, Father,” Maksim began.
Timofey eyed his son. He dreaded the answer he knew was coming, but he asked anyway. “What power?”
“We both knew that being your son granted me strength and a long life, but I was far more human than Therian. With the help of Nadya and her vampires, I awakened my dragon.”
