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Marcus was on his feet in an instant, his entire body becoming tense as if he were preparing for a fight. “He is.”
“But he’s not blood.”
“He’s mine! There’s no arguing it. He’s a Varik.”
“And he’s an outsider that we’ve brought in. That makes us a clan.”
Marcus’s expression closed up and became troubled. He crossed his arms over his wide chest and turned slightly away from Rafe as if he was trying to protect his heart. “You never said anything against Ethan before.” Marcus’s voice was low and soft. Rafe’s own heart ached at the tone. He loved irritating the hell out of Marcus, but he never wanted to hurt him.
“Because I have no problems with Ethan. Even if you hadn’t taken him as a mate, I would have argued he was a Varik. He’s proved it time and again.”
“Then why…?”
“Because we’re hypocrites!” Rafe threw up his arms and stomped across the room. “Or snobs. I don’t know. Maybe both.”
“Rafe, you’re making about as much sense as Bel. What are you talking about?”
“If one of us were to suggest bringing outsiders into the Variks, each of us would be clutching our proverbial pearls in horror. Until Ethan, Varik meant family and family meant blood.”
Marcus sighed. “Blood meant trust. Not one of us was willing to trust an outsider with Julianna. That’s why we never became a clan. We couldn’t promise an outsider would be safe, and we didn’t want to worry about Julianna being safe with an outsider.”
“Mother,” Rafe whispered. “What if she hadn’t been killed? What would have become of Ethan?”
“I don’t know,” Marcus said, though Rafe could barely hear the words. Rafe suspected that Marcus would have tried to let Ethan go in an effort to protect him from Julianna. Human or fledgling, she would have been a horrible threat to him.
“And what about now?”
“The issue of politics hasn’t changed. None of us wants to be involved.”
Rafe snorted. He strolled over to his brother and placed a hand on his shoulder. Lowering his head so that he could look Marcus in the eye, he smirked. “We’re involved whether we wish to be or not. I’m hearing whispers that vampires have flocked to Hartford just to see what we do next.”
“So you wish to become a clan in a bid for power?”
“No, this isn’t about politics. It’s about offering security.”
Marcus looked surprised at Rafe’s words and he couldn’t blame his brother. This subject was too damn serious for the likes of the nightclub owner.
“What has brought this on?”
“Gideon.” Rafe frowned and shook his head at the thought. “And Lola. And Ryder.”
Marcus’s smile returned, and the tension flowed out of his body like water rushing down the side of a mountain. Had his brother been expecting this conversation? That couldn’t be right.
“What’s that look for?” Rafe snapped, feeling as if Marcus was catching him off balance. That was Winter’s specialty.
“I’ve been expecting this.”
“What?”
Marcus gave a little shrug as he returned to his spot on the sofa. “Ethan asked me not long ago why Lola wasn’t a Varik, and I’ll admit I didn’t have a good answer. She’s been your near-constant companion for almost a century. She didn’t hesitate to help us with the Black Wolf clan. You trust her. If Mother was the only reason for keeping her outside of the Variks, then that reason is no longer valid. Why isn’t she a Varik?”
If Rafe had been standing near a bookshelf, he was pretty sure he would have chucked a book at his brother’s head. He made it sound so reasonable and easy.
“Truly, brother?” Rafe demanded.
Marcus’s expression turned sheepish. “Blame Ethan. We have all been trapped in this mindset for so long. I doubt any of us would have seen the obvious much sooner. Is this what you want? To bring Gideon, Lola, and Ryder into the Variks?”
Walking over to the sofa, Rafe flopped down on the opposite end and scrubbed one hand over his face. “They deserve it, Marcus. They’ve stood by me for so long, and they’ve had no reason to. Certainly not obligated like you, Winter, and Bel.”
“You know we’re not with you out of obligation,” Marcus growled.
Rafe waved off his comment. He knew better and didn’t want to get into it with Marcus. They were getting off the point of their conversation. “It’s more than a reward for standing beside me. They deserve protection as well. What would happen to them if I were killed? I worry they wouldn’t come to you or any of my brothers. I need to know Gideon will be watched over if I’m killed.”
“You propose we file to become an official clan, and we invite Lola, Gideon, and Ryder to become Variks.”
“I do.”
Marcus leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees while folding his hands together. “I need to think about this.”
“What’s to think about? You know Lola and Ryder would die for this family. Gideon is no threat. He needs our protection.”
