Loving the leech (Guardians of Red Moon city #4)
39. Respect

Kaylin’s POV

Nathan’s pack is kind and welcoming. Now I haven’t met all of them. But the beta, gamma, delta, and top warrior have all been friendly. Miles was the first person I met; he’s Nathan’s right hand and best friend. Balto is the gamma, Patric delta, and Raven top warrior. The men are respectful and pleasant company. This amazes me considerably since I’m well acquainted with the disputes that have occurred between vampires and werewolves for centuries. Even so, they haven’t shown any signs of dislike towards me, which they probably wouldn’t dare to do in their alpha’s presence, making me question their genuineness.

For the first time in a very long time, I feel at home, and I think it’s only now that I realize that “home” isn’t a house with four walls but where Nathan is. He’s my home, and where he is, I am. Hopefully, William can also become such a big part of me again, even though our storm wind romance has been anything but ordinary and, many times, probably accelerated. I know it was mainly my strange feelings and hormones that made me unable to control myself. After the arena and being locked up for months, I began to realize what a victim I’d previously been.

I never again want to feel that I’m not enough or that I can’t defend myself. Despite the pain it contributed to, the events have also strengthened me and made me more perceptive than before. In my dream world, I, Nathan, William, and Aurora, manage to build a life together where we can all be happy without inhibitions. However, it remains to be seen whether my beloved genuinely meant what he said or not. I’m prepared to withdraw my rejection if he proves himself worthy. Yes, I was aware that it wouldn’t break our bond.

Maybe it was cruel of me, but in the heat of my feelings, I wanted to hurt him as much as he damaged me, regardless of the cost. But in all honesty, I don’t regret it, as I’ve noticed significant changes in William’s behavior since then. Just such a thing that he talked with Nathan to solve their problems, for my sake, is something I value highly. It suggests maturity and responsibility for past actions, which is all I wanted. Some day I’ll be able to release what has happened entirely, but not today and probably not tomorrow either.

It all starts with communicating, and neither I nor my beloved have been conscientious on that front, even though we should’ve. I don’t want to put everything on William since it’s just as much my fault, if not even more. There’s a lot I could’ve done differently, just like him. At the same time, there’s no need to continue digging into the past if, nevertheless, it ultimately causes pain to those involved. Instead, it’s better to try to move on and let go of what has hurt to build a strong future together we can be proud of. Moreover, it isn’t just the two of us, or rather, the three of us anymore, that are affected.

My Aurora takes as much damage as the rest of us if conflicts and accusations continue to fly in the air like bullets during World War II. No, she deserves a stable existence, and so do the rest of us. That’s why I’m staring at a map Nathan has on the wall, trying to figure out where Joseph is hiding. I can’t protect my daughter if I don’t know where the threat is. Nathan and his partners discuss something I don’t participate in. I’m not familiar with the subjects and still need to solve my own problems.

My mate has a whiteboard in his office that has nothing written on it at the moment, which allows me to exclude places that my enemy wouldn’t be in strategically. I pick up a pen and start writing down the different areas while staring intently at the map as if it has hurt me. Joseph would hardly camp up in the mountains, given that it’s the dragons’ territory and not even an ancient vampire has a chance against their clans, near the coast is also not very likely, considering that mermaids, just like dragons are aggressive when it comes to their homes.

In addition, it’s rumored that a hydra, the last of its kind, which, according to legend, is living down in the dim, darkest depths of the ocean. No one knows if the tale is accurate, and according to my studies with Salazar, it’s unlikely to be true. Although no one knows, all creatures keep a considerable distance, in case it’s there. The forests are mainly werewolves’ territory and a far too significant risk for a lonely vampire if he’s alone, which I don’t know for sure. But given that he, like many others, is terrified of Salazar’s wrath, chances are excellent.

I cross over all the villages nearby that aren’t of interest and put a circle around the only area we can replace him in—the desert, far beyond Red moon city’s borders. The men behind me are silent, but I’m not letting my focus off the board but instead start painting up a detailed strategy on how we can capture him without spilling any lives. Nathan clears his throat, and I slowly turn around to meet the men’s inquiring glances.

“What are you doing?” my mate asks in surprise.

“I’m making a draft of a strategic military plan,” I answer as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world.

“Over what?” Miles asks and seems interested.

“Joseph,” Nathan replies for me in a growling tone, and I nod slowly.

“Who is Joseph?” Raven asks with confusion evident in his facial features.

“You haven’t told them,” I declare, and Nathan shakes his head.

“It didn’t feel like it was my place to do it without talking to you first. But I can do it if you want?” Nathan replies, and I feel a warm feeling spreading in my chest, causing me to nod in response. “Kaylin is the vampire princess, and Joseph is one of the vampire council members. He was one of those who challenged her in the arena and...”

Nathan looks at me with sadness in his eyes, my own pain reflects in them, and I realize that he can’t manage to say it. By instinct, I close my eyes hard and exhale deeply, resulting in me feeling a new strength within me.

“Joseph forced me to kill my dad for me to survive,” I answer, and the men around the table become stiff as statues. “I didn’t want to do it but knew that I had no choice. The angry and violent rogue wasn’t my father. My mother asked me to send him home to her, which I did, even though it felt like my soul was tearing apart.”

Nobody says anything. On the other hand, what would they say? “I’m sorry you had to kill your father for survival. At least you made it, hooray”?

“After Joseph’s challenge, it was Felicity’s turn, and I was forced to fight my beloved’s ex. With the help of a witch, our appearances changed, and Jennifer looked like me while I got her features. Since she’s a criminal and wanted, I had to take her punishment. They were about to burn me when Aleida showed up to tell them the truth,” I explain, and the men look at me sadly, but I can also see that they know this isn’t the whole story.

I look at Nathan uncertainly, and he nods to indicate that I can trust his closest men to tell about Aurora. With heavy breaths and tears threatening to fall, I walk up to the window to look out at the puppies playing on the lawn outside.

“I was pregnant when I took my punishments.”

The men gasp when they hear my words, and the thought that I could’ve lost my daughter gives me a pulsating horror in my chest that I’ve never known before.

“What happened to the child?” Patric asks, and with tears on my cheeks and a smile on my lips, I turn around.

“She survived and is with Aleida right now.”

“Damn! You’ve become a father, Nate!” Miles exclaims, astonished, before throwing a hand over his mouth.

I laugh at his surprise while Nathan smiles at the title. To you humans, it may seem strange that Miles says Nathan is the father of my child when he isn’t the biological father. However, it would be best to remember that our traditions and rules are different from yours. Nathan is my mate, and thus he becomes like a dad to Aurora anyway. You can compare it to Aleida and her mates; in addition to the oldest twins, no one knows precisely who’s the father of which of the others. It could be one of them or both. Regardless, they’re both considered fathers of their puppies, and, in my opinion, that’s a beautiful thing.

Honestly, I sometimes worry that William won’t be the father figure that all children deserve to have. The strong, protective, loving, and caring one that’s always there no matter what obstacle is in the way. I feel honored to have Nathan as the father of my child, biological or not. William, I’m unsure of right now since we’ve got a long way to go before our conflicts can be resolved once and for all, but with Nathan, I know I won the lottery for the world’s best mate.

Salazar’s POV

I’m boiling over the information I’ve just heard. How can one of my closest council members betray not only me but our princess? The woman who, in time, will take the oath to protect our race to the last and help us reach new heights? I feel disgusted at what Joseph has become, a hateful and angry man who no longer sees any difference in right or wrong. If it’s any consolation, he hasn’t always been this way. I remember once when he was loyal to the reigning family and was ready to do everything for them. However, that changed when his beloved was captured, and the king didn’t send all the warriors to retrieve her from the enemy.

Joseph didn’t consider at the time in his anger and fear that it was a trap. All the men sent away would’ve died, which would’ve been far too great of a risk for our race. Chloé was also one of the queen’s closest patrons and was prepared to give her life for her beloved, people, and royalty. Joseph never got over it, and although I don’t blame him for his loss, I agreed with the king in his decision. After that, I saw one of my closest friends change into something dark and vengeful that no one could handle. However, in recent years, he has calmed down, which is why I allowed him to remain on the council.

It’s the only thing that kept him afloat all the years after Chloé’s passing, and since he fulfilled all his free time working, doing an impeccable job, I let him be. But this, I can’t forgive. Joseph is a dead man walking, for real this time. Nobody touches the princess, not under my watch. Especially not when the princess happens to be someone important to me personally. You see, my fascination with Kaylin isn’t solely because she was a good student during our studies and training. I carry a heavy secret, a lot of them.

None of them have I been able to tell her, not when I personally received a direct order from the goddess of darkness when she visited me. But I can tell you, and I sincerely hope you understand why I haven’t said anything to my protegé yet. Kaylin is my granddaughter. Miranda was my daughter, and Kaylin is very similar to her mother. There are many times I wanted to tell her the truth while realizing that fate plays a significant role in what’ll happen in the coming time. The most vital gift I’ve received as a vampire is to see glimpses of the future, and I’ve prayed to every goddess there is that my dear granddaughter shouldn’t have to suffer any more pain.

Now is the time when it’s no longer avoidable. All my secrets that I’ve carried heavily within me must reach the light of day, and Kaylin must know the truth, not only about our relationship but also about what to expect. The problem with being able to look into the future is that I can’t say too much since it can affect it for the worse in many more ways than you humans can understand. Joseph is a direct threat to my granddaughter and her daughter; I can no longer overlook that. Several scenarios can play out in different ways, much like in a game of chess.

Each time a piece is moved changes the conditions for the rest of the game and can affect whether there’ll be a loss or victory. The same is true when I predict the future and have therefore been forced to remain silent, although many situations scare me more than I dare admit. Kaylin is strong, and she got that after her mother, clearly. But honestly, I’m not sure if she’ll manage to take the pain that awaits her. I need to see her and tell her the truth; that’s the first step. Queen Aleida gratefully accepted my call when I called her and asked to visit her territory.

She has granted my wish, and it may seem strange to you that I show another race’s queen that respect. On the other hand, the werewolves have shown my dear Kaylin only respect from the beginning. The least I can do is repay that debt. Moreover, the fact that the werewolf queen was merciful enough to protect my grandchild when I executed a judgment that wasn’t hers to take only shows even more that she deserves everything I can give her. I asked the queen to prepare everyone for my visit, and she promised to make sure Kaylin was back until I reached the territory.

Even though they’ve invited me, I feel some resistance to emerge alone among creatures who’ve been enemies with my race for centuries. Old habits die hard, after all. However, my nervousness is more like a fear that Kaylin won’t want anything to do with me. How would I manage to lose the last one I have? Yeah, I’m not counting her daughter since I know I’ll never see her if her mother doesn’t want to talk to me. I knock on the door of the packhouse and wait for someone to open it. A man I recognize as one of queen Aleida’s mates opens the door and gives me a respectful nod witch I return.

“Councilman Salazar, welcome. Let me show you to Aleida’s office; they’re waiting for you,” he says, and I follow him into the house.

It takes no more than a minute to reach the room, and when I step in, they all quiet down. I don’t care, but what I do care about is my granddaughter holding a baby in her arms. The vision reminds me of when Miranda told me that she was pregnant. The happiness she showed was something of the most beautiful things I’ve seen in my long life, and that I now get to experience again warms my old heart. Queen Aleida gets up from her chair and walks up to me to shake my hand.

“Councilman Salazar, I welcome you to my home,” she says, and I smile.

“Thank you, Queen Aleida. I appreciate that you could arrange this at such short notice,” I reply, and my gaze glides over to my granddaughter again, staring at me with a searching look.

“What are you doing here, Salazar? You’ve got something to tell me,” Kaylin says, and I look around at the different men in the room.

In addition to queen Aleida, her two mates, their betas, gamma, and the Everton family, Kaylin’s apparent mate stands behind her with a steady hand on her shoulder, as if trying to transfer his strength to her.

“First of all, I want to say that I’m sorry that I let this happen. It’s my job as council head to ensure that the royal family is safe,” I begin and keep her gaze steady. “Then I also want to apologize for not telling you anything before. I wanted to do it but couldn’t when I received a direct order not to.”

She looks at me but says nothing, only nodding encouragingly to me, indicating that she’s listening and waiting for the rest.

“I’m your grandfather.”

I see Kaylin’s eyes widen, and a number of those present gasp at my declaration. We got close while preparing her for the battle in the arena, but I don’t think even she could predict this.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” she asks, and a tear falls from her eye.

I’m surprised at the grief reflecting on her facial features instead of the anger I prepared myself for. My granddaughter slowly walks up to me, hugging me with one arm as the other holds the baby. I hug her and hear her pull in a shaky breath before we break apart again.

“I wanted to tell you, Kaylin, I promise. It wasn’t the time, and I couldn’t say anything because it could adversely affect the future.”

“You’re a seer,” she declares, and I smile at how quickly the pupil overcame the master.

“Yes, and you if anyone knows what effects it can have, don’t you?” I ask, and she nods.

“Why does it feel like that’s not all?” she asks and looks frightened.

“Because it’s not,” I respond with a deep sigh and rub my face before giving her the death blow. “You didn’t kill your dad in the arena.”

“What?” she asks in a whisper.

“Excuse me, Councilman Salazar,” Ozzandra Everton suddenly says, and my gaze lands on the woman. “But we were there and saw it happen.”

I shake my head and smile sadly at Kaylin.

“Your father is very much alive but isn’t who you think he is. Carl was a good man, but he wasn’t your father.”

I let the words sink in and see her draw in yet another shaky breath.

“Who’s my dad?” she asks after a few seconds of silence.

“Have you ever wondered why your control over fire is your strongest ability, and the other ones have weakened?” I ask.

“You said it could happen for high-ranking vampires. Everyone has different abilities and different strengths,” she replies, and I nod.

“Yes, and in your case, it’s because your dad is Alaric Gotfire,” I respond, and Kaylin looks at me with big eyes. “Yes, Kaylin. You’re thinking rightly. Your biological father is the dragon business mogul.”

A / N:

Good day, everybody!

Sigh... It doesn’t seem like Kaylin will ever get any peace and quiet at this pace, or what do you say? There’s much information to take in at once, and it’ll be exciting to see how she’ll handle it all.

❀ Was it easy to figure out Kaylin’s and Salazar’s relationship?

✿ Did you realize that her father was not her biological one, or did it come as a shock?

❀ What kind of future do you think awaits our warrior princess?

I would be delighted with some comments about your thoughts and opinions. Remember that it’s you who help me become a better writer and be able to deliver better books with your feedback. Lots of love<3