A Cold Winter's Day 25 by Lynn Hagen Read Free Book Online

expression, it wasn’t an invitation to tea.
    “He’s one of mine, Maverick. I can’t do that.” Malcolm nodded again. “I understand.”
    Luke clung to Malcolm as his mate hung up the phone. “Is it that bad?”
    Malcolm looked like he had aged ten years just from that one phone call. Worry lines formed at his eyes, and his face held a deep scowl. “Maverick isn’t too happy about one of his kin being threatened.”
    “But you explained to him that D hadn’t meant to, right?”
    Malcolm shook his head, his grey eyes softening as he looked down at Luke. “Some things require more than a sorry, I didn’t mean to set vampires on your cousin . He wants me to bring D to him.”
    Luke had heard of Maverick, the timber wolf alpha who had granted the wood elves five hundred acres, but Shanta had cursed the alpha as well. The leader of his tribe had described Maverick as barbaric and ruthless. He said the only reason they were given land was because Carter was now the pack’s whore.
    Would D face that same fate?
    “You can’t take D to him. He doesn’t deserve the punishment Maverick will place upon him for a misunderstanding.” Luke had to convince Malcolm to keep D safe. He had heard horrific things about vampires as well, but from what he had seen in D, Luke was starting to think he had been misled.
    What other lies had Shanta told?
    Luke starting questioning everything he had ever been taught by the leader. Now that he thought about it, Shanta was the one who had become barbaric and ruthless that last decade or so. Luke had heard stories about how Shanta had killed innocent men, but Luke had refused to believe it.
    Now he wasn’t so sure.
    “He’s family, Luke. I wouldn’t sooner turn him over than I would one of my own cubs. Maverick agreed on my point, but he said until this is resolved, we’re on our own.”
    Luke jumped when the phone rang. After the past few days of fighting to get away from his tribe, of running through countless acres to get away, of finding his mate, Luke was jumpy as hell. He wasn’t sure what to expect anymore.
    His nerves felt raw and exposed as he stood there.
    “Lakelands,” Malcolm answered the phone. His expression turned tense as he let out a long breath. “Hang on a minute.”
    Luke watched Malcolm walk from the kitchen, only to return a few seconds later with D trailing behind him. Malcolm pointed to the phone.
    D’s eyes turned misty as he bit his bottom lip, his hand shaking as he picked the phone up. “Hello?”
    Luke felt a growl starting in his chest as he watched D wince and then turn even paler than his complexion already boasted. “But I—”
    He nodded as he ran his hand over his head, his eyes downcast. “I’m sorry, Sloane. I didn’t know.”
    Luke watched as D slammed the phone down and ran from the room, heading up the stairs. Sobs followed in his wake. Luke glanced at Malcolm and then took off after the vampire. He saw him head into the last room, so Luke followed.
    D was lying on his bed, curled up with his knees tucked in as his entire body shook. Luke wasn’t sure what to say to the man, but he couldn’t leave him wallowing in despair. It wasn’t right. No being should feel like that.
    “D?”
    The vampire turned over, bloodred tears running unchecked down his cheeks as he looked at Luke like he was a ghost. Already his eyes were swollen and red. That might be the blood he was crying, though, but Luke doubted that.
    “He said he releases me from his claim on me.” D sniffled, wiping his nose along his arm. “H–He said that since I want him dead, then he is, to me.” Fresh tears fell from D’s dark-colored eyes as he turned back over, giving Luke his back.
    Damn, that was pretty harsh .
    But how would Luke feel if he found out that Malcolm had called in his relatives to take care of Luke? How would he feel if he had feared the unknown so much that he had tried to have Malcolm dealt with?
    There was no easy answer.
    Luke patted D’s