Creed

“She will. He’s got a soft spot for humans since Jill. Aveoth has never killed a woman or had one enslaved since he became our lord. Those were just bullshit rumors circulating, that he murdered his lover. Lane came to him already broken in spirit, and it was only a matter of time before she couldn’t live with the pain she felt. She leapt off that ledge of her own free will.”

“He challenged his own father and took leadership. Lord Aveoth is ruthless.”

Kelzeb shook his head. “I’m going to share something with you that stays right here on this spot. Am I clear?”

“Yes.”

“Your word?”

“Given.”

“Lord Abotorus was one cold bastard. Aveoth and I never trusted our fathers, so we would eavesdrop on council sessions they held together. We were listening when Lord Abotorus and the council decided adding Lycan bloodlines to our clan had been a mistake. They were plotting to murder the Lycan mates—and all the children the Gargoyles had with them. That included me, Aveoth, you, and your brothers, if I need to point that out. That’s when Aveoth challenged to be lord. We told the clan what they were plotting recently, but not the exact details of how we discovered what they were up to. Here’s another secret. Ever wonder what happened to Tuno and Yessa?”

“They were the only pure-blooded Gargoyle mated couple. They left to seek a life with another clan.”

Kelzeb snorted. “Wrong. No mated pair leaves their young children behind. Elco and Winalin don’t have parents because Lord Abotorus pla

Creed let that sink in. “Yessa was already mated to Tuno.”

“And she wanted to keep it that way. They died fighting side by side, making sure she didn’t become a forced breeding vessel for that prick Abotorus. Both our fathers helped him attack them, but they fought to the death. We didn’t know until after the fact. We saw them removing the bodies from the cliff and overheard enough to learn how they’d died. It’s why Aveoth hasn’t banished the siblings for their constant bad behavior and plotting. He feels guilt. They lost their parents because our fathers murdered them.”

“The clan should have been told.”

“It was our word against theirs back then. We couldn’t follow them when they flew the bodies away, and had no idea where they’d disposed of them. Not to mention, what could anyone have done if we’d managed to prove it? Abotorus and the council were in charge. Aveoth had to challenge his father and kill him.”

“I had no idea.” Creed was stu

“Aveoth is nothing like his father. He’s an excellent lord. His mother was an influence in his life. It means he has a heart…and occasionally listens to it. I’m sympathetic to you and this Angel. There’s a really good chance that he will be too.”

“He’ll have to make an example of me. Most would see it as a weakness on his behalf otherwise.”

“Aveoth doesn’t really give a damn about what others think of him. Anyone who’s had doubts about his abilities to lead our people have met his sword. It tends to make an overall impression. He handpicked his enforcers. Do you know why he chose me as his first?”

“You’re an old friend and an excellent fighter. He would trust you without question.”

“I am and he knows I’d never betray him.” Kelzeb nodded. “I’m also a half-breed. Most of his enforcers aren’t full-bloods. He chose us because we’re not like our fathers. We’re loyal to him and we believe that change is needed for our survival. He took Jill as his mate. You live here, so you missed the fallout. There was a shit-storm over that in our clan. She’s got human and VampLycan blood ru

Creed tried to hide his surprise. “I wasn’t aware.” Vampires were their enemies, and while they’d made an alliance with the half-breed Lycans with Vampire bloodlines, they didn’t mate with them. The full-blooded Gargoyles wouldn’t stand for it. Their hatred had lived too long to accept them into their clan as members.

“Do you have a problem with Aveoth’s mate?”

“No.” He didn’t like Vampires, but he hadn’t spent centuries fighting with them until all he knew was that hatred.

“Good. You’re not too much like your father then. Our fathers, along with the other two council members, tried to band together to strip Aveoth of his title after he mated Jill. They even demanded he leave our clan. They failed.”

“I wasn’t told.”

“You should have been. Our fathers were smacked down hard and punished for their defiance.”

“How?”

“Do you wish to seek vengeance for whatever your father suffered?”

“No. I’m only curious.”

“I personally got a chuckle out of my old man being brought down. He’s such a highhanded prick at times. They had to bow to Aveoth in front of everyone and apologize. They were stripped of their ranks in our clan. There’s no more council of full-bloods. They hold no power and no longer have the ability to help enforce the laws they created. Aveoth allowed them to stay but all of them know they will be banished if they ever attempt to go against him again. He said he’d personally put them in a box and ship them back to one of the established clans in Europe.”

Creed tried to imagine his father bowing and apologizing. “I wish I’d been there to see it.”

“It was priceless.” Kelzeb chuckled. “I whipped out my cell phone and shot a video. I got a few disapproving glares from some of our people but I don’t care. I wanted to treasure that moment forever, after all the times my father has torn into my ass.”

Creed felt a hint of envy. He could relate. His father had always disapproved of him. There had never been a time when he’d known pride from Kado. His father’s superior attitude and haughtiness had been difficult at times.

“Are you ever resentful that your father swore you to duty for a hundred years?”

“Yes,” Creed acknowledged. “It was done at my birth. I was raised in the lower caverns to begin my training young, before being sent out to guard the borders to the far north at the age of fifteen.”

Kelzeb winced. “That’s hell. No one is supposed to do more than a year. The council had you out there for about ten straight, didn’t they? It’s so damn cold it makes flying impossible most of the year. Why did you do it?”

“My father decided it would build character to keep offering to extend my assignment. He did it fourteen times in a row. Lord Aveoth realized how long I’d been there and reassigned me here. I believe he worried about my sanity.”

“No shit. We would have pulled you sooner if we’d known, but it was the full-blood council who assigned most of those duties. Your father letting you live in a barren zone for all those years was flat-out cruel.”

“Yes.”

“That makes a lot of sense now, the one incident you caused. You are a guardian but spent all that time protecting nothing.”

Creed frowned. “What incident? This is my first real offense.”

“The human girl. It was a first for one of us, taking a human child and giving her to a Lycan pack. Your report stated she was abused and the situation was grim but it came as a surprise. Humans kill their children sometimes. It’s sad but it’s their problem. You made it ours. It was a big risk if the human authorities got involved. The full-blood council wanted to punish you for possibly exposing us to the outside world.”

“Angel needed someone to help her.” Creed was certain his father had been the one to lead that front. He’d received a harsh conversation after he’d filed that report. Kado had threatened to lash him himself but his mother had intervened. She’d ordered Creed to return to his assignment and had faced off against his enraged father. He’d stayed long enough to make certain she was in no danger.