“I could take him out.”

Lorn glanced around again, making certain they still had privacy. He finally stared into his brother’s eyes. “I know you could, but who would you trust to watch your back if I wasn’t here? You know not everyone here has honor. Some of the clan might break the rules, jump into the challenge fight and outnumber you. This is going to take more than one person to keep it fair and just.”

“I have friends I trust.” Lavos lowered his voice. “I won’t be going at this alone. They’ll watch my back.”

“I know your friends. They’re excellent fighters when the need arises but they aren’t lead-enforcer material.”

“They could be.”

“Not everyone was raised as strictly as we were, Lavos. They are too immature to take on that kind of responsibility. Maybe in twenty or thirty years, Garson and Kar might be ready, but it would be difficult for them.”

“Motivation is strong.”

Lorn didn’t want to argue or point out that one of his brother’s best friends had just been punished three weeks previously for playing pranks worthy of a teenager. “Nabby is Decker’s insurance that things remain the same while he’s gone, but I’m certain he has others who secretly support him. They will reveal themselves during a challenge. I don’t trust anyone except you not to underestimate their tactics. You have some good friends but they aren’t prepared for that level of deceit.”

Footsteps sounded and Lorn spun around to see who approached.

Davis. He’d always liked the man. Lorn’s tense stance relaxed.

“Kira didn’t return,” the older VampLycan hissed. “Something’s wrong. My daughter swore she’d be home before dark. Will you help me find her?”

The sun had set a bit ago. Lorn set his beer down on the nearest table. “Why did you wait so long to say something?”

“I was busy. I thought she was in her bedroom but I just realized she’s not there.”

“She has to be here.” Lorn quickly glanced around, staring at each and every face of the clan assembled. “Maybe she joined the party.”

“She’s forbidden,” Davis snapped. “Her weapons aren’t there either. She always takes them off when she comes home. She never returned, and she promised to be in the apartment before dark. Something is wrong. I feel it.”

An image of Kira flashed through Lorn’s mind, along with all the horrible scenarios of what could have happened to her. He lunged out the nearest door and toward the woods, swearing he’d kill anyone who’d attacked her if that turned out to be the case. She was too attractive—and far too weak to defend herself against some asshole who’d had too much to drink, or felt the rules no longer applied since Decker had fled. The combination of both made men stupid.

It was possible some male had been leaving the party and caught her coming to the lodge, possibly forced her to go with him. Rage tore at him over the thought of a fellow VampLycan attempting to do her harm in any way.

“What if she got hurt on patrol?” Davis ran after him, keeping pace. “She told me last week a snake almost bit her. We have to find her.”

Lorn remembered that Kira had mentioned the south sector. He tore at his clothes, never slowing as he began to change. What his fingers didn’t destroy, his shifting body did as bones popped. He stumbled a few times during the process but then his claws tore into the ground as he picked up speed.

The sound of two other bodies moving swiftly through the woods behind him assured him Lavos followed too.

Chapter Three

The cold water helped invigorate Kira enough to stay awake as the current pushed her along under the water. Her foot bumped sand and rock, proof that she was deep beneath the surface. The pain in her starved lungs became a warning that she needed to get air. She kicked, tried to swim in the direction she thought was up, and managed to get her head above water long enough to gasp in a deep breath before sinking back under.

It was a process she’d repeated enough times to lose track of how long she’d been in the river. She stayed under until her starved lungs forced her up again. The icy water had been freezing at first but it had long since numbed her body. It was worrisome as she pondered how bad her injuries were.

Her hip slammed into a rock hard enough to make her grunt and she kicked up again, this time fighting to keep her face above water to get a look at her surroundings. The moon gave her enough light to see a large boulder cluster as she was swept past it, on the edge of the bank on her left.

The boulders were very familiar, and she instantly knew her location.

Fear became enough motivation to frantically paddle toward the embankment. A series of falls were ahead if she remained in the water. She doubted she’d survive them.

She made it to the bank but had to face her next task. All her limbs protested while she battled to get out of the water. The grass she collapsed onto was thick and welcome as she lie flat on her back. Heavy panting assured her she still lived as she stared up through the tree branches at the moon.

A twig snapped nearby and her eyes opened. She realized she must have passed out. It was a struggle to form thoughts but they slowly came. She was at least a few miles downriver from where she’d gone in, but that wasn’t far enough to hope that one pissed-off Vampire couldn’t continue the search for her. She rolled over, tried to get to her feet but failed.

Going back into the water wasn’t an option. It had taken too much effort to get out the first time. The falls would kill her for sure if she dropped onto the rocks below. She crawled, forcing her gaze to scan the area to look for anything that would hide her body heat. Vamps could detect it with their night vision.

Her gums began to ache and so did her head. A sharp, stabbing pain in her stomach almost knocked her flat as she softly groaned. Kira ended up curled in the fetal position, suffering as she became aware of more pain. The icy water no longer shielded her from the reality of what was happening to her body.

Hot tears filled her eyes as she considered just remaining there. She quickly discarded that idea. The bloodbag would kill her if she didn’t find somewhere safe to hide. The taste of his blood had been washed away after her desperate swim but it was already in her body, in her veins. The symptoms she experienced assured her of that. Her gaze stared at the sky to judge how long it would be before dawn.