Chapter 6
Vane caught Stefan about the waist and the two of them went bursting through the hard oak door, into the hallway.
Aimee Peltier jumped away from them and started screaming for help while Vane pulled Stefan up from the floor and slugged him hard and furiously.
Instead of attacking, Stefan changed to wolf form and ran for the stairs.
Vane started after him. But before Stefan could head down them, Wren, who was bounding up them in human form, caught the wolf by the neck and hauled him back into the hallway.
Stefan snarled, trying to bite Wren. The leopard held him with an ease of strength that gave Vane pause. He'd had no idea the young, quiet Katagari was so strong.
Vane stood back, breathing raggedly, as Nicolette came out of her room at the end of the hallway.
Aimee ran to her mother while Wren maintained his grip on the snarling wolf.
"What is going on here?" Nicolette asked.
Vane gestured toward the wolf. "He was in Fang's room."
Stefan switched to human form, flashed into his clothes, then pushed Wren away from him.
Wren barely moved a step away and the look on his face promised Armageddon if Stefan touched him again.
That harsh look succeeded in calming Stefan a degree as he took a step away from the leopard. "I wasn't doing anything. I was only checking on them to see if they were really here." Stefan curled his lip at Vane. "Vane attacked me."
Stefan turned back toward Nicolette with an expression that was almost respectful. "I thought it was against the rules of Sanctuary for anyone to attack without provocation."
Vane narrowed his eyes as understanding dawned. He realized only too late that this had been a set-up.
Stefan was smarter than Vane had given him credit for.
"Vane?" Nicolette looked at him. "Is what he says true? Did you attack him?"
"He was coming to kill Fang. You know he was."
"But did he attack him?"
Vane stiffened as he glared at Stefan. "He would have had I not stopped him."
"Did he attack first, or did you?" Nicolette insisted.
Vane's anger snapped out of control. "What are you? A fucking lawyer?"
"Watch your tone, Vane," Nicolette warned harshly. "I am the supreme law here and you know it."
Vane apologized even though it stuck tight in his craw to do so.
Wren gave him a sympathetic look that said he too would like to rip into Stefan.
His whole body was coiled for it, but he stayed put.
Nicolette lifted her chin in acceptance of Vane's apology. "Now tell me the truth. Who attacked first?"
Vane wanted to lie, but Nicolette would sense it and that would only make matters worse. "I did."
She closed her eyes as if that pained her. When she opened them, her expression told him how much she regretted what she was about to say. "Then I have no choice except to banish you, Vane. I'm sorry."
Stefan's eyes gleamed.
At that moment, Vane hated all of them equally. So this was what it came down to. He was punished for protecting his brother.
So be it. It wasn't the first time this had happened. At least Nicolette didn't take a whip to him as punishment.
"Fine," he said between clenched teeth.
Vane headed into Fang's room to collect his brother, only to discover Aimee Peltier rushing to cut him off. She slammed the door closed, then ran to block him from the bed.
He tried to step around her, but she wouldn't let him.
"Vane, listen to me. Maman is only angry. Give her time"
"No, Aimee," Vane said in a low, deadly tone as he fought not to take his anger out on her. "I knew the rules and I broke them. Your mother will never forgive that and you know it."
Aimee held her arms out as he tried to step past her. "Leave Fang here," she insisted. "You and I and even maman know what Stefan is doing. I will make sure that Fang is never left alone. I will stay with him myself every moment of the day and night. No one will hurt him so long as he resides in Sanctuary."
Her offer confused him. He didn't understand why the bear female would care what happened to them. "Why?"
Her pale eyes were soft and kind as she looked up at him and dropped her arms back to her sides. "Because no one should be hurt like the two of you were.
What they did was cruel and unnecessary. It was a human punishment, not an animal one. I have lost brothers and I know firsthand the pain you feel in your heart for your Anya. I will not let Fang die, I swear it."
She glanced down to his hand where his mark was hidden, then she looked to the door behind him as if she were afraid someone might overhear her. She lowered her voice. "You have another to protect now. The last thing you need is Fang with you in this state. Go and guard her. You can call me anytime, day or night, to check on your brother."
Vane pulled her into his arms and hugged her kindly. "Thank you, Aimee."
She patted him on the back. "Anytime. Now go, and I hope you kick the shit out of that wolf outside."
He laughed halfheartedly before he let go of her and went back to the hallway. Stefan arched a challenging brow at him, goading Vane to hurt him.
But he wasn't that stupid.
Vane would hurt him all right, but it wouldn't be on Nicolette's property. Instead, Vane turned toward Nicolette to make sure Stefan understood what he intended to do. "Fang broke no rules. Is he safe to stay?"
Nicolette nodded, then passed a meaningful glare at Stefan, who cursed. "He is under our protection and we will make certain no harm befalls him."
The look on Stefan's face was priceless. And it told him one thing. This was far from over.
Bring it on.
Vane headed for the stairs.
"This isn't over," Stefan growled.
"I know the cliche," Vane said wearily as he paused to look back at the wolf.
"It won't end until one of us is dead." He gave Stefan a taunting smirk. "And for the record, it won't be me."
Stefan growled low in his throat, but wisely kept his distance.
As Vane started for the front door, Stefan tried to follow, Wren stopped him. "Rules of Sanctuary," he said quietly. "Vane gets a head start and if you try to follow, you'll be limping Permanently."
Vane tried to decide what he should do. Part of him was terrified of going anywhere near Bride lest he lead Stefan and the others straight to her. The other part of him was terrified of leaving her alone.
Especially with Fury there.
There was no way she could defend herself against any of them.
He cringed as he remembered the scars on his mother's face and neck that she had received from fighting his father and his tessera. Tessaras were small groups of wolves sent out as soldiers or scouts. They usually killed anything they came in contact with.
And he would kill anyone who touched his Bride. No one would ever cause her harm. Even if she rejected him, she was still his mate, and he would spend the rest of her life making sure she had anything she needed.
As for Fang, he was safe under the protection of the bears. Vane had no doubt of that.
But Bride What should he do? He wished he could remove the mark from both their hands. Of all the times to find a mate, this wasn't one of them.
If she were Katagaria, he'd only have to wait for her to decide to finish their union. Very few Katagaria females refused their mates. If they did, the male would remain completely impotent until the female died. The female on the other hand would be free to take as many lovers as she liked, but she would never be able to breed children with them.
That was why the males took great care to please their females and to woo them during the three-week mating period.
Although his knowledge of humans was limited, he didn't think Bride would approve of him flashing himself naked in her bed and then offering himself and his eternal loyalty to her.
It might even scare her.
Not that he should even be thinking of mating with her anyway. He had no idea what kind of children they would produce. What would she do if she birthed a puppy?