Blood Ties

17

Cadence hadn't the faintest clue on how that would happen. Gabriel wanted him here as does Alexene — Rexton's loyalist companions. Gabriel would go against Lycus, he would fight for their younger brother and there was no telling of who's blood would be shed.

"I don't think I'll be able to kill him," Cadence admitted thickly, lowering her head between her knees.

"What do you mean? I thought that's what you wanted."

"It is. But I'm not ... strong enough. I'm not like my mother. She could've had this done with by now. She killed many lycans and werewolves. I'm not like her, Accalia."

And nothing would have stood in Katerina's way. No companions, no treaties and connections to others. She would be cutthroat and do what needed to be done. Cadence wanted that, she needed to be that with a silver sword in her hand, but how could she?

Rexton overpowered her without effort, wrestled her to the ground, caged her and made her weaker with little strength.

Cadence wanted to be cutthroat and ruthless, with no hesitation. She wanted to go out like her mother, through a bloody battle with silver at her side.

"Rexton is naturally going to be stronger than you, Cadence. He's stronger than Lycus and that's going up against the strongest lycan to ever exist. Let's not forget, Aunty Katerina made you, me and Tristan read anything we could on lycans. Every single thing we could find. We don't know about hybrids, we don't know much about vampires either. Rexton is unnatural and that's something we can't control. Trust me, you're like her. Relentless, quick to fight and always protecting your own. Aunty was like that and so are you."

Water twinkled Cadence's eyes and she wiped it away before Accalia could see.

They pulled into the long driveway leading up to the Fenris manor and Accalia killed the engine, turning in her seat to face Cadence.

"I want you to sleep in my room for now, okay?" Accalia murmured to her cousin.

Cadence cringed, nose scrunching. "Ew, no. You already have a sleeping buddy."

A jab was thrown into her arm and Cadence winced. "That hurt, you dumb—"

"Not true, Lycus and I hardly sleep—lay in the same bed together." Accalia clarified with a curt nod.

Cadence waved her hand in Accalia's face to annoy her. "Sleep, huh? You two fornicating? Doing the love-making, yeah? The devil's tango?"

Accalia covered her face with shaking hands as her cheeks reddened a deep red. "Shut up. We're—we're not doing that stuff."

Cadence laughed, unbuckling her seatbelt with a crooked smile. "Definitely soon though, huh?"

Accalia punched Cadence in the arm again. "Not like that! You're very immature."

Before another punch swung her away, Cadence opened the door and stumbled out of the car, laughing at Accalia with a smug expression. "Aw, Lycus is waiting for you, isn't he? So sweet."

Accalia slammed the door and jogged around the car. "I'll let this nonsense slide once, only because you've gone through a lot today."

Cadence followed after Accalia and tugged a lock of her wayward hair. "Don't spare me, cousin, I'm only joking. I don't like Lycus, but he doesn't treat you badly."

Accalia opened the door and clicked the light on. "He doesn't. I do care for him, Cadence."

Cadence rolled her shoulders back, face passive as she grappled for the correct wording from a confession like that. "That's ... comforting?" Cadence nibbled at her nail with a careless shrug.