“I’m not hurt.”
His breath was still too short. The tension in his body and the roaring rage coursing through his veins pulsed like a heartbeat in his mind.
His wolf growled, its frustration clawing at the barrier separating them.
Mark wanted to yell at the animal. It was its subservience to Caster’s dominance that had caused them to lose their prey, but his voice wouldn’t cooperate.
He paced the length of the room, his mind awash with strategy.
He needed to find this Bastian. He’d tried over the years to locate the vampires who’d been there that day, but all he had to go on was their scent, fading as his wolf retreated further from his control.
He doubted he would have been able to detect it today had his wolf not awakened.
Even in the haze of his rage, he recognized Caster’s role in his wolf’s resurgence. But he couldn’t dwell on that. He had a lead. It was only a name, but it was more than he’d had in the ten years he’d spent searching.
The warning whine of his wolf stopped his strategizing mid-thought, and his hands balled into fists, his muscles coiling with tension, ready for another fight. The door to his room burst open, and all the tension drained in an exhale when he saw his brother.
Dean’s Alpha influence flooded his mind, his wolf acquiescing to the Prime Alpha’s dominance in predictable fashion. For the first time since he’d given everything to Caster last night, Mark relaxed, allowing his brother to take control.
If Dean felt his surrender, he didn’t show it. He reached for Mark’s shoulders, his grip tight enough to prevent movement. “What happened? You OK?”
Mark didn’t try to shrug him off. “I’m fine.”
Dean didn’t seem to believe his words, his eyes searching Mark’s body for injuries even as his Alpha’s influence did the same with his wolf.
“I’m not hurt.”
Dean’s blue eyes held so much determination. “There was so much blood.”
“It’s not mine.”
Dean stared at him for a long moment, his Alpha’s influence soothing his wolf enough to bring him the relief he didn’t want. Then he nodded once and released his shoulders. “Tell me everything.”
He walked to the door he’d left open and closed it.
When Mark took too long to gather his thoughts into coherent sentences, he closed the distance between them again, the urgency of his energy crackling in the spacious room.
“Mark, you had a grudge match with someone. Who was it? Let’s start there. ”
“They said his name is Bastian.”
Dean tilted his head to the side, his eyes narrowing a fraction.
“Caster called him Bastian. He’s one of them.”
“One of whom?”
The comfortable couch in the adjacent living area called to him, taking a bit of the tension that had built up as soon as Dean’s Alpha influence had dissipated. He sat, but couldn’t relax enough to lean into the couch. Dean remained on his feet. “Your looming over me is not helping.”
His brother sighed and sat next to him.
“He was there that day.” He didn’t dare look at his brother, afraid the pain he’d hoped to overcome was too present. “There were six vampires there that day.”
His brother’s sharp intake of breath filled the weighted silence that followed his pronouncement.
Why was this so hard to talk about? “I recognized his scent.” He stared straight ahead, the memory of what had transpired a few minutes earlier a blur. “Then I just couldn’t help myself.”
“There were six?” The rage in his brother’s tone was almost tangible in its intensity. “All Born-Vampires?”
He turned to his brother. “I couldn’t tell.” He closed his eyes to keep the tears from clouding his need for vengeance. “All I remember is the scent. It was so clear.”
Dean shot out of his seat. “Where is he?”
Mark shook his head. “Damien took him away somewhere.”
His brother broke into a stride, his intent to question Caster and Damien unmistakable, but Mark rushed to stand in his way. His brother’s momentum meant they’d walked towards the door before Mark could gather enough strength to stop him.
“Stop.” He pushed at his brother’s chest to get his attention.
Dean’s eyes flashed amber, his jaw tightened, his body hardening, his usual control all but gone. “What? Why?” He indicated the door. “If they know who hurt you, they will tell me, or I will tear this place apart for answers.”
“No, you will not.”
His brother’s frown deepened.
“All I have is a scent and now a name.” He kept his hands on Dean’s chest, the futility of the action not lost on him.
He couldn’t keep Dean from pushing him out of the way if he chose to, but this was not the time for brute strength.
“Think for a moment. If they are here, like he was, or they are related to Caster and Damien, there is no better place to be. We can find out why they did it and their connection to the witch. End this.”
Dean smiled, the tension in his body dissipating. “I knew I kept you around for a reason.”
Mark wasn’t buying his sudden change of mood. “Promise me you won’t do anything. Not until we have more information.”
“Sure.” His brother shrugged and moved back to the sitting area.
Mark didn’t believe him. “Promise on Mother’s memory.”
“Shit.”
He chuckled, but the weight of what he asked his brother to do killed his mirth.
He sat next to his brother. “One day, when all this is done, I will tell you everything.” The weight of his declaration settled between them like a stone.
“I have a clue. I have an idea of why it happened, and I need your help to find out more.”
“Tell me what to do.”
Mark leaned into the couch. “Where’s James?” They were going to need Dean’s long-time right-hand to get through this.
“You want him to find out more about this Bastian?”
He nodded.
Dean stood. “I’ll get him on it right now.” He walked to the door, but didn’t open it. “We don’t tell Mikey anything.”
He was right. Mark saw little need to burden his little brother with this. “And Dean?”
His brother turned to him. “Tell him to be discreet. This could be bigger than we know.”
“Why would you think that?”
He couldn’t be sure. “Just a hunch.” The enormity of the situation was complicated by Bastian’s familiarity with both Caster and Damien.
If he were related in any way to them, then the treaty would come into play.
He was prepared to get vengeance at any cost, but he hadn’t considered how it would affect all wolves.
The war was not a prospect he would wish to revisit.
Dean nodded and left him to his thoughts.
He reached for the psychic barrier holding his wolf back and reveled at the connection that was still present.
He’d retreated further back in deference to the Prime Alpha, but now warmed his body with his presence.
Mark didn’t want to analyze Caster’s role in restoring it.
He couldn’t. Not when his mind was consumed with renewed burning desire for vengeance.
Could he heed his own advice and wait for more information?