Page 109 of Kingly Bitten
She didn’t wake.
But her mind began to calm as I tugged on our connection, pulling her into my mind to venture through my memories again.
She went immediately to the downfall of humankind, witnessing the war where mortals had stood no chance against their betters. I hadn’t fought in it, instead trying to find a way to create a peaceful coexistence where vampires and lycans ruled and humans had some semblance of rights.
Calina yanked on a specific strand, calling a vision of Cam to my mind. It was a conversation where we’d discussed alternative fates—something we’d done frequently in those days—but this one had ended differently.
Because it was the night Cam and I had said goodbye.
“You know I’m right. My sacrifice will be remembered,” Cam said, his blue eyes intense.
“Assuming Lilith allows it.”
“I’m counting on her not allowing it,” he replied. “Outlawing my name will only make me a memory that evokes thought and concern.”
I considered that for a moment, then nodded in agreement. His plan was sound. We needed to lull Lilith into a state of comfort, to learn her true plan for this new world. She claimed to want to form an alliance of lycans and vampires, and to divide the lands equally.
But we all knew she looked down upon the wolves.
Like many of our brethren, she felt vampires were superior.
What she failed to understand was that lycans shared a semblance of our DNA, marking them as our equals.
Just as she failed to understand the importance of human life. Without mortals, we would all perish. Vampires required human blood. No other essence would do.
“What if she kills you?” I asked.
“She won’t.” Cam sounded so confident, his familiarity with Lilith far deeper than my own.
“Just because Cane turned her—”
“Cane…,” a new voice whispered, female in nature, and not at all tied to this memory.
I opened my eyes, not having realized I’d fallen into the recollection of my past.
Calina’s hazel irises were a startling blue shade with no sign of green today. I parted my lips to comment on it, but she started speaking before I had the chance.
“I know that name. Lilith spoke of him.”
“Cane?” I asked, struggling to recall whom she meant. Her irises were just so beautiful. Like liquid sapphire. The kind of color a smitten man could drown in.
“Yes. She mentioned Cane regularly.”
“I imagine she would,” I replied, still lost in her pretty eyes. “Cane was her maker. He also happened to be my other cousin. Cam and Cane’s father was my uncle.” Making us all cousins.
She frowned. “Your uncle? As in a blood relative? Or because he was brothers with your maker?”
“Some would say there isn’t a difference,” I remarked, my fingers still in her hair. I finished combing through the strands and palmed her cheek, my gaze lost to hers. “How much do you know about our origin?” I wondered out loud, curious about what Lilith might have told her.
As a researcher, it would make sense for her to understand the distinction between royal lines and diluted vampiric bloodlines.
“Vampire genetics were never my primary focus. Only lycans.”
I should have guessed that since I’d reviewed a lot of the files with her and I had spent the last several hours sifting through her memories. “That’s very interesting, considering your end goal had been to strengthen human longevity. One would think vampire genetics would aid in that attempt more than a lycan could. Although, lycans are technically our descendants. Perhaps Lilith wanted to find a way for humans to continue the bloodlines via weaker, more vulnerable strands.”
As I puzzled it out loud, I realized the truth of it.
“Yes, that’s exactly what she had intended.” It made perfect sense. “She knew lycans came from vampire bloodlines, so she wanted to create a stronger semi-immortal race from lycans. But without any of the benefits. Just the one that kept them alive longer and made them a little tougher on the outside.” So they couldn’t be killed as easily by vampires.
