5. Kenrid

Chapter 5

Kenrid

A knot formed in my gut as I followed Nathan out of the meeting room and down the hall to his office. The fallout from his comments to Brance would be severe. The fae would not tolerate the accusations that Nathan threw out for everyone to hear. If I hadn't known the truth, I'd be offended as one of the fae. We couldn't lie, and Nathan had called them liars.

Nathan entered his office and headed straight for the mini fridge. Unlike the well-appointed space he had at the club, this one was completely utilitarian and devoid of windows. A large desk was centered in front of the back wall, and two guest chairs faced it. The dry bar with a mini fridge filled the left, and a bookcase took up the entire right side.

Closing the door behind me, I watched as he opened a fresh bottle of blood. Normally, he'd put it in a glass and warm it, but now, he took several swallows straight from the bottle and grimaced.

"Sorry," he muttered. "Being that close to her—and pretending it didn't matter—was much harder than I anticipated. "

I gaped but had no idea how to respond.

"After seeing Brance's expression just now, we need to be careful, especially with the way everyone is doubting him," Nathan continued, putting the bottle back in the fridge. "I suspect he'll be barging through that door at any moment."

I nodded. Nathan was right.

"Should I text Damon or Elliott and ask them to join us?" I asked, pulling my phone from my pocket.

"It's probably a good idea." Nathan moved to the large desk in the center of the windowless room, but he didn't sit down.

I sent a group text to Elliott and Damon, then moved to stand at Nathan's side.

Sure enough, a few seconds later, the door burst open, and Brance barged in.

"How dare you?" Brance bellowed. "I should kill you for what you've just done!"

I glanced over at Nathan, expecting him to transition to his vampire, but I should've known better. Nathan rarely reacted irrationally. My boss tapped his fingers on the back of his chair and stared at the fae. Red circled his irises, but that was the only sign of his vampire.

Alyssa stepped up to Brance's side, and I could see two more fae in the hallway.

"I presented the facts," Nathan said in a low voice that made my skin crawl. "I'm fairly certain they were the same facts I stated to the Exiled at your last meeting. The clan should be intelligent enough to make their own decisions based on the information provided."

"The fae cannot lie," Alyssa said. "Yet you made it sound like we were all liars. "

"Aren't you?" Nathan asked. "Everything I see contradicts the rumors you're spreading about Lorna. You've seen it with your own eyes, yet you still refuse to accept the truth."

Alyssa frowned, but I thought I saw indecision when she cut her eyes at Brance.

"I know I'm right," Brance snarled. "You'll regret your decision to protect her."

Nathan's vampiric magic heated my skin, and long claws replaced his manicured fingernails still gripping the back of his chair. Damon's huge form filled the doorway behind Brance and Alyssa a moment later.

"Don't threaten me, Brance," Nathan warned. "You'll regret your decision to make me your enemy."

"Nathan's enemies are also my enemies." Damon's voice startled both fae. Apparently, they hadn't felt his looming presence.

Red runes flickered against Damon's dark scales and a thick fog made the air around him pulse with magic. Brance stepped to the side and spun around to face the demon. Alyssa stifled a scream and rushed to the corner of the room. At least one of them had some sense of self-preservation.

"I think it's time for you to leave," Damon said.

"Yes, it is." Nathan circled to the front of his desk. "It's obvious where your loyalty lies, and it's not with the clan. Pack your personal belongings and get out."

His command made my eyes widen. The decision made sense. Brance clearly wasn't changing his mind, but I never expected Nathan to kick them out. He'd always leaned toward acceptance and forgiveness.

Alyssa's sharp intake of breath drew my attention. Her face had paled, and she covered her mouth with one hand. Brance snarled, balling his hands into fists at his side. His fae magic swelled in the small room, needling my skin with its intensity .

I responded immediately, extending a magical shield between Nathan and Brance. I wouldn't let anything happen to the man who'd stood by my side despite all my secrets.

As Damon stepped into Brance's space, his fae magic disappeared, almost as if Damon consumed it with his presence.

"Leave."

Brance had to crane his neck to look up at the demon bearing down on him. Some of his bravado slipped, like he realized that Damon could squish him like a bug. Brance threw one more scathing look at Nathan, then edged past Damon and fled out the door.

Everyone's attention fell on Alyssa, who still stood in the corner. Her eyes darted between the three of us. I'd never seen her look so shaken. The haughty arrogance she normally carried was nowhere in sight. I released my magic and let the protective shield fall away. She was too afraid to even think about attacking us.

"Why does Brance continue this charade?" Nathan asked.

Her nervous gaze settled on Nathan but only for a moment before it fell to the floor at her feet. "He told me that he's found a way to secure our entry back into Fairie."

I took a step forward wanting to ask how, but Nathan beat me to it.

"I didn't think it was possible," Nathan said. "When I accepted you all into our clan decades ago, you told me you could never return. I believe your exact words were, ‘Once a fae is exiled, they can never go back.' You said the realm's magic wouldn't allow you to return."

Alyssa shifted her weight from one foot to the other and clamped her hands together. She was trying to find the right words to deceive us. I scowled and rounded the desk to stand next to Nathan. Damon stepped closer to her as well, trapping her in the corner .

"I can't tell you," she squeaked. "Brance didn't reveal all the details to me. I know he's confident that he found a way, just like he's confident that your girl is the last dhampir."

Damon growled and flexed his wings. The room darkened with the swell of his magic.

Alyssa pressed her back into the wall, covering her face with both hands. "I just want to go home," she whispered, then broke into stuttered sobs. "I hate this realm. I didn't deserve this fate."

I couldn't help but feel sorry for her; most of the exiled felt the same way. Earth was nothing more than a pale shadow in comparison to the fae realm. It lacked everything we needed as a magical species, but we were stuck here.

Or were we?

"I understand your desire to go home," Nathan said, his voice only a little less harsh. "But I won't allow anyone to jeopardize the safety of my clan. If you can't follow the rules, you need to leave with Brance. Feel free to spread the word to any other fae within the Exiled community."

Alyssa rubbed her eyes and pulled her shoulders back. Tears stained her face, but she lifted her chin and nodded. "I understand as well."

Damon stepped back, giving her a path to the door. She looked directly at me and stood a little taller.

"I'm disappointed in you," she said, a little bit of arrogance bleeding into her voice. "You should've been the one to find a way home for us."

She brushed a stray hair from her face, then rushed out the door. Damon followed her, pausing in the hallway. The cloud of dark magic surrounding him slowly dissipated, and the air became a little easier to breathe.

"I'll be surprised if they leave willingly," Nathan said, moving past me.

"Me too."

"I know the three of you have been vigilant about staying with Lorna, but until we know for certain that Brance is gone, it might be best to keep her in the tower. "

I spun around and looked at Nathan. He'd gone back to the mini fridge. This time, he poured the dark red contents in a glass. I tried not to overanalyze his need for blood. He rarely drank it in front of me, but Lorna's presence had clearly shaken him.

"Lorna might not agree with you," I said.

"No, she won't." Damon came back into the office and closed the door. "If I need to encourage the fae to get out, I'm happy to do so."

I didn't want to think about the type of encouragement he would use.

"Let's give them twenty-four hours," Nathan said, putting his glass in the microwave. "Then we'll decide."

Damon nodded, but I could see the fire still flickering in his eyes. His demon was never on edge like this, but none of us had met our soulmate before. Protective instincts did weird things to everyone, no matter who they were.

A soft knock on the door interrupted any further conversation.

"Come in," Nathan called, just as the microwave dinged.

The door slowly opened to reveal two vampires from the clan – one tall with dark hair and eyes. The other was stout with a long beard and bald head. I couldn't remember either of their names, but I didn't normally interact with the vampires.

"Can we have a few minutes, boss?" the tall one with dark hair and a slender face asked.

"Of course, Ted," Nathan replied, grabbing his beverage and moving to the desk. "Take a seat."

The vampires gave Damon a wide berth, then sat down in the chairs facing Nathan's desk.

"I was kind of hoping we could chat in private." Ted cut his eyes at me for a second.

Nathan shook his head. "I've forgotten how many times Kenrid has proven his loyalty to me. He stays along with Damon. "

Nathan's declaration of faith in me had me standing just a little straighter. The vampires exchanged looks but didn't argue.

"Well, um, I know you said the girl isn't dhampir, and all your arguments made perfect sense, but …" Tedd licked his lips, and a wave of unease washed over me. "But she smells amazing, man."

Damon growled, and my own magic swelled in response. The need to rip the man's tongue out was overwhelming. How dare he talk about tasting my mate!

"Whoa!" Tedd held up both hands, twisting in his seat so Damon wasn't at his back. "I ain't doing nothing to your mate. I'm just saying that vampires can identify the supernatural species by tasting their blood. It'd be pretty easy to find out what she is."

"She's my mate," Damon stated. "I don't need to know her family history. It's irrelevant to me, and it's none of your business."

Nathan rose from his seat and braced his palms on the desk. "Damon's right. Lorna's privacy is more important than your curiosity. I would never condone allowing a vampire to feed off someone else's soulmate. In Damon's case, I'd be sentencing that vampire to death."

Tedd swallowed hard and his buddy elbowed him. "Sorry Nathan. We didn't mean any disrespect."

Nathan narrowed his eyes at the two. "Any other questions?"

"Nope."

They both jumped to their feet and hurried out of the room. Nathan dropped back into his chair and rubbed his palm across his face. I understood his frustration. It seemed like no matter what we said, people believed whatever they wanted .

Damon closed the door again, then locked it. "We might consider making our claim on Lorna open," he said. "The clan needs to know that they'll be fighting more than one mate if they harm her."

"If my family discovers mine, she'll be in even more danger," I said. "But I agree with you. If she claims Elliott, they shouldn't hide it."

Nathan barked out a harsh laugh. "You do a better job of hiding your affection than Lorna. It's obvious how much she loves you. I'm pretty sure your secret is already out, which just enforces my need to lock Lorna in the tower."

I shook my head. "It might be safest for her, but I don't want to be the one to tell her."

Damon grunted, and Nathan downed his beverage but didn't respond.

"Can you really tell what other species might be in Lorna's blood?" I asked, thinking about the vampire's claim.

"Technically, yes," Nathan replied. "But only if I'd already tasted the blood of the other species. Most vampires aren't trying to bite a siren, fae, or shifter. They might be able to entrance a witch because they're mostly human."

"So Tedd just wanted to feed from my mate," Damon said before I could.

Nathan met Damon's scowl with a raised eyebrow. The answer was obvious. I might agree to help Damon dispose of the vampire who was stupid enough to suggest such a thing.

Another knock on the door echoed through the room. Nathan glared at the interruption.

"Just a minute!" Nathan yelled then turned to me. "Do you think you can question some of the fae to find out if their loyalty is with us or Brance? Preferably before they get back to the fae manor? I'd really like to know if we'll have a coup on our hands or just a mass exodus."

"Sure thing," I replied. "I can think of several fae who have built a life here and wouldn't want to leave. I'll start with them."

"Be careful," Damon warned. "Call if you need us."

I nodded and headed for the door. "I'll let you know what I find out."