Claiming Marcus (Lords of Discord 1)

“Lower your voice,” Aiden said in a harsh whisper. “And while I know that such a thing has never crossed the minds of this family, others aren’t so confident. The Variks are seen as an unknown. We’ve kept to ourselves far too much over the last century. We do not involve ourselves in politics, and that has left others to fill the silence in with their own speculation.”

Marcus frowned. He’d not taken Aiden’s suggestion seriously only because he knew his brothers. Rafe thought about nothing besides his nightclubs and sex. Bel couldn’t be drawn out of his laboratory. Winter…well, only God knew Winter’s plans, but Marcus felt secure in believing his little brother was not after power. And then Marcus wanted only to keep his family safe.

But it didn’t matter what the truth was—it was what others believed. He knew he couldn’t simply announce to others that the Variks were not chasing power or planned to be involved in the current struggle. Not one person would believe him.

For now, their best option was to strengthen their defenses and hope to speed up the move. The sooner they were in their new home and hidden from other vampires, the safer they would all be until this latest power struggle was over.

“I’ll speak with my brothers. Make sure they are aware of what is happening.”

“I’ll see what I can do about uncovering potential threats. I may reach out to Winter for help on this.”

Marcus smirked. “I think Winter would be happy to help you sneak about. It’s what he enjoys the most.”

Aiden nodded. “I’ve always thought you were wrong to believe that Rafe is the biggest troublemaker. Winter enjoys stirring up mischief far more.”

“Maybe, but Rafe tends to be the most flamboyant about it, while Winter’s methods are far more secretive.”

It also went without saying that Rafe’s version of trouble tended to have a much lower body count when all was said and done. Winter had no qualms about turning one clan against another if he thought it would protect his family.

Marcus picked up his glass and started to take a drink when he paused just before it touched his lips. His gaze had caught on a familiar face. Meryl was standing at the bar, her glass raised in a mocking toast, but Cain was nowhere to be seen.

Lowering his glass and setting it on the table, Marcus turned his attention back to Aiden. “We need to leave now.”

“What—”

Aiden didn’t get to finish the thought before muffled screams could be heard from the first floor. Considering the amount of soundproofing that separated the two floors, Marcus could only assume that anarchy had broken out in the nightclub.

Grabbing Aiden’s arm, he pulled the older vampire to his feet and started walking through what had been a quiet respite from the world. Other vampires were rising and hurrying toward the door to either investigate the growing sounds of chaos or to escape.

Human servants rushed around, and Marcus could only hope that they had their own hiding spots within the building. Any wounded vampires would be seeking them out before the night was over as a quick and easy meal. The humans were the least likely to survive if things grew worse.

Heart pounding within his chest, Marcus started for the exit with the others, constantly scanning through the panicked throng for signs of Cain. Meryl was a danger all by herself, but Cain’s size and strength naturally made him a formidable adversary as well. Marcus would rather not find himself fighting against both of them if he could avoid it, even with Aiden at his side.

Before he could get more than a few steps, Aiden was stopping him and leading him down a dark corridor. He followed without question, praying that it was an alternate exit. At the end of the hall, they pushed through a swinging door and into the bright lights of a kitchen filled with stark white walls and stainless-steel counters and appliances. The scent of cooked meat and vegetables rose up. There were hints of spices and something sweet, maybe chocolate for a decadent dessert. A couple of humans were working on orders and preparing plates. They gasped and shouted at the sudden intrusion. The noise from sizzling food and general shouts from the staff as they worked had drowned out the cries from the first floor.

“Get out!” Aiden bellowed before anyone could argue. “There’s an attack on the first floor. Everyone out.”

No one lingered to question Aiden. They just flowed through the kitchen, running toward another exit at the back of the room. Marcus started to follow, but Aiden grabbed his arm and motioned with his head toward the chopping block at Marcus’s hip. A butcher knife with a black handle was resting among some fresh cuts of beef. Without a word, Marcus snatched up the knife and stepped away from Aiden, giving them both some room to maneuver in the aisles of the kitchen.