2. Kali
Chapter 2
Kali
I drummed my fingertips on the counter, wasting as much time as I could. Pax had brought me up to Zan’s room so I could use the bathroom, and I’d been more than happy that I didn’t run into anyone else when we came up here. I didn’t want to see Amaros or any of his sons—even Pax—but he was better than the other choices. I’d grabbed some clothes from the dresser before coming into the bathroom, the jeans and tank top I was wearing were usually what I wore when I worked downstairs at Impulse. But that wasn’t going to happen anymore.
I’d taken a shower and been standing in here so long, my hair was almost dry. A sharp knock proved Pax was losing his patience. With a sigh, I opened the door, wondering what the hell was going to happen now. Would I stay here or go back to Amaros’s property?
I lifted my eyes, and my stomach dropped. I fell absolutely still, my breath locked in my chest. Because it wasn’t Pax who was standing in front of me.
It was Zan.
His features were impossible to read, but I caught a small flash of guilt in his green eyes before it disappeared. I hadn’t spoken to him since I was forced back to Impulse after everything happened. Fury exploded within me, and I glared daggers at him for a split second before I moved to shut the bathroom door again. His palm slammed against it, forcing it back open. I clenched my teeth, pushing on the wood as hard as I could. I’d rather stay in the bathroom all damn day than face him.
“I’m one of you now,” I spat out, shoving my entire body into the door. “Careful, Zan. I could actually kill you.”
“You could have done that as a human,” he gritted out. “I told you to do it at the beach. You didn’t.”
“I should have,” I shot back, pain radiating in my voice. “I thought you weren’t the monster your father was. I was wrong.”
He let out a grunt, shoving the door fully open, causing me to stumble back a couple of steps. By the time I righted myself, Zan was already inside the bathroom. My hands curled into fists, and I swung at him, even knowing it wouldn’t hurt him much. He caught my wrist as he backed me up until my spine hit the wall. I kept my gaze on his chest, unable to meet his eyes.
“Get off me,” I snarled, fighting even harder when he snatched my other arm.
“You might be gaining strength,” he said gruffly as he kept me pinned against the wall. “But you forget, not only am I a Shadow, but a Kane. Even when you reach full strength, I doubt you’ll be able to best me on power alone.”
“Then I’ll have to get creative,” I snapped, my chest heaving.
“Look at me, Kali.”
“Fuck you.”
With a sigh, he let go of one of my wrists, and a second later, his hand was tangled in my hair. When he tilted my head back, I swallowed thickly, doing everything I could to shut down my emotions. But when I met his stare, the pain and rage washed over me all over again.
“I’m sorry,” he breathed out, his voice barely a whisper. “I didn’t have a choice.”
My lip trembled, tears blurring my vision as the prior night played in my head again. The hardest part was I couldn’t just hate Zan for doing what he did. Because he hurt me so fucking much. His betrayal shattered me almost as much as Warner’s death. I trusted him. Believed him. And he wrecked me.
“Don’t waste your breath,” I hissed. “Nothing you say will make me forgive you.”
“Zan, we’re waiting.”
Amaros’s voice filtered through the air, and I froze. Nausea roiled my stomach, and I couldn’t stop the panic clawing in my chest. I wasn’t ready to face any of them. Without saying a word, Zan pulled me away from the wall while letting go of my hair. His grip on my arm stayed firm as he led me out of the bathroom. His bedroom was empty, but as we walked down the hall, I spotted Viggo standing in the living room. He didn’t look at me as he leaned against the counter, smoking one of his cigarettes.
My mouth grew dry at the sight of Amaros standing near the couch. Unlike Zan’s brother, he wasn’t avoiding my stare. He gave me a vile smile while motioning for me to sit on the couch. I fell onto the cushion stiffly while Zan remained standing.
“Kali, I hope you got some sleep,” Amaros drawled. “Transitioning can be difficult. You need your rest.”
His eyes trailed down me in a way that had my skin crawling. This was even worse than when he wanted Zan to mate with me. I could see it on his face. He had every intention to use me in whatever way he needed. And this time, I had no trust Zan would protect me.
“I have nothing to say to you,” I clipped out.
“Good, then you can listen.” Amaros glanced at Zan. “My son can’t help but try to appease you. We’re going to have to fix that going forward. An heir will have to wait. We have so much to plan.”
Questions were on the tip of my tongue, but I stayed silent. He wasn’t going to tell me anything unless it helped him. Amaros was trying to get me to talk, and I refused to give in to his games. Zan shifted on his feet, looking uneasy. Now, I was on edge even more.
“Want to know another secret, Kali?” Amaros asked, pulling my attention back to him. “Go ahead, Zan. Tell her.”
Zan hesitated for a moment, his jaw muscle ticking. “There’s only one way to turn humans into vampires.”
His words had shock strumming through me, and I straightened up, unsure where he was going with this.
“A human has to die with our blood in their system,” he continued slowly. “Shadows along with regular vampires can turn humans.”
“None of that applies to me. I’m a…” I paused, nearly choking on the next words. “I’m already a Shadow.”
“No, this isn’t a concern for you,” Amaros agreed. “But it is for him .”
The door suddenly opened, revealing Pax. He looked at me immediately before reaching back and pulling someone into the living room.
I couldn’t have swallowed the gasp even if I tried. Blood drained from my face as I whipped my head toward Zan. His eyes were dark with guilt as he stayed silent. I jumped to my feet, disbelief vibrating inside me as I returned my attention to the person standing ten feet away from me.
“Warner?” I choked out in a tortured whisper. Was this some kind of game they were playing?
Warner didn’t say a word. His sad eyes met mine. Pain was etched on his features, and he stood rigidly next to Pax, not making a move to come toward me. His blond hair was a mess, and there were dark bags under his eyes. He was wearing different clothes than he had on the other night. My mind was racing as I glanced at Zan again.
“What is this?” I shrieked, not understanding any of this.
I’d seen him sprawled on the ground. No heartbeat. Not breathing. He had been gone.
When no one said a word, I strode forward, my entire body shaking as I went toward my best friend. Until Amaros stepped in my way and grabbed my arm. Disgust rolled through me when his grip turned almost painful.
“I have to admit, I was not happy to find out Zan didn’t obey my order,” Amaros murmured, his voice lethal. “But I guess in a way he still did. Though he knew.”
“Knew what?” I screamed, my heart pounding against my ribs.
“Kali, I found Warner in Project Hope when I was looking for you,” Zan cut in, his voice just as emotionless as his facial expression. “There was a fight, and he got shot. He wasn’t going to survive.”
“I don’t understand.”
I couldn’t think of anything else except the fact Warner was in front of me. Amaros didn’t release me, my struggles doing nothing.
“He was dying. I saved him,” Zan admitted gruffly.
I shook my head, trying to understand what he was saying. When it dawned on me, I fell absolutely still. My lips parted in shock when it all fell into place. Dread weighed down my limbs when I realized what Zan was telling me. My eyes darted between Warner and Zan.
“You saved him…” My knees threatened to buckle. “You gave him your blood?”
“I did.”
“Yes,” Amaros spoke up, sounding disappointed. “My son was well aware of what would happen when he broke Warner’s neck.”
My gaze cut back to Warner. “You’re not…you can’t be?—”
Amaros chuckled cruelly. “Yes, Kali. Your loved one is a vampire. And I have a feeling he’s going to be very valuable to us.”