Free Web NovelChapter 99: Chapter 99
Mason POV
Katie is half vampire.
The realisation sticks sideways in my brain, and all my bodily functions cease.
Well, at least that explains why she is so strong. Nobody has ever pushed me as hard as she did. I guess it also explains how she knows Braden, or at least, how he knows her.
“How can Katie’s blood heal Braden?” Kane asks, tearing me away from my thoughts.
“A wolf shifter’s blood has a natural resistance to wolf bite venom, and so do hybrids,” Rhiannon explains. “They are the only vampires with natural immunity to the venom, an immunity that can be transferred to another vampire through drinking their blood.”
“Could you draw Katie’s blood and give it to Braden?” Gabriela asks.
“It won’t work,” Rhiannon shakes her head. “It must be at full potency, directly from the source.”
“Braden has to bite me and draw the blood himself?” Katie asks, and I am surprised that she does not seem or look scared at all. I would be shitting my pants if I were in her shoes.
“Yes, dear,” Rhiannon replies sympathetically. “It’s the only way. But I wouldn’t recommend it.”
“Why not?” Katie shrugs. “It’s not that big of a deal.”
“Once vampires latch onto their victims, it’s extremely difficult for them to stop drinking their blood,” Rhiannon explains. “He would have to have incredible control, otherwise he’ll wind up killing you.”
“She’s right,” Braden croaks from the couch. “I haven’t had human blood in decades. If I tasted Katie’s ... I don’t know what would happen.”
“Then that’s not an option,” I said firmly, my gut twisted into a nervous knot.
“My body, my choice,” Katie says sternly, pointing to herself.
“I can’t let you do this to save my ass for being an idiot,” I protest.
“I’m not doing it to save your ass,” she argues. “I’m doing it to save him.”
“Katie,” Rhiannon calmly places a hand on Katie’s shoulder. “There could be other consequences for you even if Braden cannot stop himself. I’ve only heard stories of this cure. I’ve never witnessed it working myself.”
“Isn’t there another hybrid?” Kane pinches the bridge of his nose with his fingers. “One in the prisons or something? I know it sounds cruel, but ...”
“That’s because it is cruel,” Gabriela interrupts icily.
“Aside from cruelty,” Rhiannon says. “Hybrids are a dying breed. I couldn’t even tell you where to find one at this point. Someone is targeting hybrids, and I don’t know if it’s the Council or what, but whoever it is has enough power to cover it up.”
Rhiannon turns to Katie.
“Perhaps that’s why someone put a spell on you,” she says softly. “To protect you.”
“Can you tell who cast the spell on me?” Katie asks.
“It’s impossible to know,” Rhiannon shakes her head, and Katie’s face falls. “I can detect the magic itself, but not the specific source.”
“Ma, we need to speak privately,” Kane says to Gabriela.
Gabriela looks at him, startled, blinking rapidly as she meets Kane’s eyes. I suddenly realised how strangely quiet she has been through this whole thing. What are these people hiding?
“Sure,” Gabriela says stiffly. “Rhiannon, can we use a back room to chat?”
“Of course, take the old place.” She motions to a back hallway.
The old place? Why has Gabriela been here before, and why is she keeping company with witches in the first place?
“Rhiannon,” Katie looks at her as Gabriela, Kane, and Axel leave the room. “Can you do a spell to recover my memories?”
“I can certainly try,” Rhiannon smiles.
Kane POV
“What the fuck are we supposed to do now?” I explode as soon as I walk into the room. “Katie is a fucking hybrid, and according to Rhiannon, it sounds like that put her in more danger than Braden drinking her blood.”
“Do you think Rhiannon would let us leave Braden here in her care?” Axel asks. “We could pay her off to burn the body and get rid of the evidence once the poison takes hold.”
“She would never go for that,” Mother shakes her head vigorously. “She’s already in hiding; she won’t risk letting someone trace a vampire’s death back to her.”
I know there is more to it. There is a reason why Mother wants Braden alive, probably the same reason she is friends with witches like Rhiannon.
“Are we really going to bend backwards to save a vampire we don’t know from Adam to clear Mason’s name?” I ask. “Mason might be Father’s son, but he isn’t part of our pack, and I still don’t know if we can trust him, or if he is plotting against us as we spoke.”
Especially after he caught us with Katie in the showers, but I do not say it out loud in front of Mother.
We already got Father out of the way; it is better if we do the same with Mason and make him deal with his own problems.
“Why can’t we just drop Mason and Braden in rogue territory and let Mason, and the other rogues deal with the consequences?” Axel asks, irritated.
“What if other vampires get wind of what happened to Braden?” I reason.
“Boys, listen,” Mother says, her expression turning darker and more foreboding. “If Braden’s coven finds out about his death, they will attack the rogue wolves. Do you want that blood on your hands?”
I think back to our time in Stillwood, of how kind and calm everyone was. I glanced at Axel, and his face twisted in a kind of horror. We are not the Alphas
of the rogues, but we are also not killers. fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓
“No,” I say, shaking my head. “I don’t want any shifters to die because of Mason’s stupid mistake.”
“Good,” Mother says. “Because if vampires attack any shifters, even rogues, then the Great Wars treaty is broken, and all hell will break loose.”
Axel and I are already on thin ice with the Council, and if more vampires start flooding our territories, we will be stripped of our titles faster than we could blink.
“It’s best if Mason agrees to hand himself into the Council,” Mother sighs. “They’ll figure out a way to handle things with Braden without breaking the treaty.”
“But what if he refuses?” Axel asks.
“Then we make him,” I say simply. “He’ll do it if he knows that that’s the only way to protect Katie.”
“So that’s settled,” Axel exhales deeply. “Now what the fuck do we do about this whole hybrid situation?”
“Nothing,” Mother says abruptly. “Katie will keep that information to herself to protect Stella. As long as the spell holds and no one else finds out, everything will be fine. I’ll drive her back to Stillwood tomorrow, and she can resume her life.”
Like hell she would. Katie is coming back to the mansion with us one way or another, but that is an argument for tomorrow.
My mother holds our gazes for one long moment before sweeping out of the room.
“What the hell is up with her?” Axel asks.
“Mother’s been keeping secrets,” I say. “And now they’re all coming apart.”
