Within you I found home

thirty five

       WITH NICO SEARCHING FOR MITH, Rian found himself in need of a distraction.

        He teamed up with Kane when he arrived, barely having their greetings out of the way when Rian suggested a vampire hunt. The two of them took out the nest alone and Rian thought there would never be a day where he didn't get pleasure out of ripping bloodsuckers apart.

        He'd been surprised when Conan hadn't wanted to join them, but then the Enforcer had followed up with 'Where's Aerilyn?' And with the crazed look in his eye—the tightness of his voice—Rian realised: she's got a thing for Enforcers then.

        It took days to clear out the nest. Days of torture and questions. Rian concluded that they didn't do a terrible job considering it wasn't either of the Alpha's speciality, but he'd seen Nico do it enough times to pick up a few tricks.

        When he returned home and found you no longer breathing and Conan stinking of your blood, his stomach plummeted. Rian shared a hardened look with Kane, speaking without words—this was the beginning of the end of their alliance. Nico would see to that.

        And Rian wouldn't stop him.

--

       They placed your body in the medical hut and covered it with a white sheet because even Rian found it hard to look at you—bruised, beaten and battered with more blood on your skin than in your veins.

        "We'll come to some kind of agreement," Kane was saying, standing by the door in the waiting room with his arms folded over his chest. White hairs trailed from his pecks to his stomach.

        Rian sat opposite him, elbows on his knees and chin resting on his hands. "If you think Nico will let him live, you're a fool."

        "He's my Enforcer. He's too valuable to my pack," Kane said in that calm way of his. He was never one to lose his temper or cool. Rian had once heard a story he'd stared a death reaper in the eyes and didn't so much as blink.

       Rian's eyes lifted from the window to the Alpha. "Your Enforcer acted without orders. He's on my land. He killed one of my people." He stood, fists clenching. If there was ever a reason to go to war, it was for this. "He tortured her to death. She was Nico's intended." His heart—or what was left of it—squeezed as if trapped in his wolf's jaws. He knew the pain his brother was going to face well. "She may have been in questioning. She may have even been guilty. But she was a member of my pack. He didn't have permission to act as he did. Conan overstepped. . .and he's going to pay the price."

       Kane nodded. "I understand your stance. I do. But you must understand mine, too."

        "I do." Had Nico done the same, Rian would have fought for his life. No doubt about that. "But Conan won't be leaving those cells. Nico will decide what to do with him." When he returns. Where the fuck are you, brother? "I suspect he'll already be dead by the time you come back with more people. Should you attack anyway, all I ask is you spare our women and children." If you even manage to get passed the first perimeter.

       Kane's jaw ticked, but otherwise remained emotionless. "I'll speak with Aerilyn, and see if she's ready to return home. And then I'll be out of your way. For now." With that, he left.

        Rian sagged back down into his chair and covered his face.

--

        Nico dropped the duffle bag from his jaw and shifted. Forcing the front door open, he let Mithun go first before following behind him and placing the bag inside.