Ascended (War of the Covens 3)

An overwhelming ache flooded through him, his stomach churning, his heart palpitating. After the last horrendous days, Lucien hadn’t known he could feel any worse. “If what you’re telling me is true, then we have a serious problem.”

“I have to do this.”

“No. You don’t.” He took a shuddering breath and momentarily squeezed his eyes shut. He opened them just in time to see he was hovering a little too close to the car in front. He eased off the accelerator, wishing he could do the same with his relationship with Caia. “If you do this, and I let you, my word with the pack will be worth nothing. And after all they’ve been through, they need a strong leader. They need me more than anyone else needs me right now. I owe them this.”

He knew she understood at the sound of her harsh indrawn breath. “You’ll kick me out?”

He pounded his fist against the wheel. “Damn it, Caia!” he roared, shooting her a venomous look. “Don’t do this!”

Her eyes widened with shock. “You’re kicking me out?”

“No! You are not doing this!”

“I am doing this,” she persisted. “And you’re kicking me out?”

Panic overwhelmed him. He fought to breathe. “You’re not doing this.”

“I am.”

A wave of nausea rushed over him but he maintained control, staring straight ahead. How could his life change so much in the matter of five minutes?

He hardened his heart against her. Fine, if she wanted to play hardball, he’d play it right back. There is no way she’ll walk away from the pack, he told himself. No way. An ultimatum was the only way to stop her.

“Then I’m kicking you out.”

16

Banished

“You can’t be serious,” Ryder responded in a hushed tone, his body language betraying his shock.

Jaeden sneered, throwing Lucien a look of disgust. “Oh, he’s serious, all right.”

Caia stood in the dining hall of the hotel Reuben had given to the pack as part of their bargain. The last hour of the drive with Lucien had been one of the worst of her life. The silence had been brittle and furious, and dislike for one another had resonated in every corner of the van. How could he do this to her? How could she do this to him?

Lucien gathered everyone in the dining room as soon as they arrived and updated them on Caia and Reuben’s plan to take out the Septum. The pack stared at them in disbelief. She hugged herself, trying to stop the trembling.

“Caia, tell him you’re not going to do it.” Magnus turned on her gruffly, his kind eyes bright with worry. “You can’t do this.”

She shrugged wearily, hating to see the disappointment on his face. “I’m sorry, but I have to.”

“For the love of …,” Ella whispered. “Please don’t do this to us.”

“She’s not doing anything,” Jaeden snapped and brushed away from them all to stand by Caia’s side. Caia felt the heat from the lykan as if a warm blanket had been placed around her. She smiled gratefully at her, momentarily forgetting she was part of the reason this was happening. If Lucien knew she was being blackmailed into this, he wouldn’t be kicking her out of the pack. She felt like she’d been kicked in the gut.

Lucien is kicking me out of the pack!

He stood across the room glaring at her, Rose and all his pack gathered around him protectively. Only Laila and Vil stood close to her uncertainly, and now Jaeden. Oh, and now Alexa.

“Yeah,” Lex snapped at them. “Lucien’s the one kicking her out. Kicking her out for doing something that, as our Pack Alpha, he should be doing!”

“Alexa,” Mal warned, shaking his head. “Lucien’s doing what’s right.”

“How can you say that?” she cried. “Our parents are dead, and he’s not doing anything about it! But he’s going to kick out the one person who will?”

“Enough!” Lucien growled and strode into the center of the group. His silver eyes blazed into Caia’s. “My word is law. I said there would be no acts of vengeance. This war is no longer ours. If Caia breaks the law … then she’s out of the pack.” He might as well have taken a knife and shoved it right through her heart. She couldn’t hate him for protecting the people they both loved.

The pack chattered in confusion and hurt, completely certain that Caia wasn’t doing the right thing but uncertain that Lucien was. Caia shook her head and moved to meet him.

“Don’t,” she said sternly, and they all quieted. “Lucien is right. I have to do this, and I don’t expect any of you to understand.” She struggled to hold back the tears. “It’s for the best. I would’ve been pulled back into the war no matter what happened, and I don’t want to drag you back in with me.” A sound to the right drew her attention. Reuben was there waiting for her. “You’ll be protected here.”