“You don’t know they’re innocent!”
He threw her a disgusted look. “Is that your argument? Jeez, Caia… do you even know if they’re innocent? Have you checked out the Midnight’s trace?”
“I haven’t had a chance yet.”
Lucien drew a deep breath. This was Caia. There had to be a reason she would even consider doing this, some reason he didn’t know about. His Caia would never – could never – hurt anyone, unless it was absolutely necessary.
“Why?” He managed quietly, calmly. “Why? There must be a reason.”
“There is. Lucien, Marita will only get more powerful with the trace. If I can get rid of the trace then she’ll be a much easier target.”
OK, that was not a good enough reason.
“Is this about the pack? About revenge… because I already told you the pack is not getting involved in a vendetta. We have to move on.”
“And you can. But I can’t. I’m a part of this, and while I am, I might as well get some justice out of it.”
His fingers turned white on the wheel. “Caia, you have to give me another reason. There has to be another reason. You wouldn’t do this. You couldn’t.” He glanced at her and he saw her mouth tremble. There was more. There had to be more.
“No. I just really want this to be over.”
“So you’re going to kill the Septum? Seven innocent people?”
“Seven against thousands. Do the math, Lucien.”
An overwhelming ache flooded through him, his stomach churning, his heart palpitating. After the last horrendous days Lucien hadn’t known he could feel any worse. “If what you’re telling me is true, then we have a serious problem.”
“I have to do this.”
“No. You don’t.” He took in a shuddering breath and momentarily squeezed his eyes shut. He opened them just in time to see he was hovering a little too close to the car in front. He eased off the accelerator a little, wishing he could do the same with his relationship with Caia. “If you do this, and I let you, my word with the pack will be worth nothing. And after all they’ve been through they need a strong leader. They need me more than anyone else needs me right now. I owe them this.”
He knew she understood at the sound of her harsh in-drawn breath. “You’ll kick me out?”
He pounded his fist against the wheel. “Damn it, Caia!” he roared, shooting her a venomous look. “Don’t do this!”
Her eyes were wide with shock. “You’re kicking me out?”
“No! You are not doing this!”
“I am doing this,” she persisted. “And you’re kicking me out?”
Panic overwhelmed him. He fought to breathe. “You’re not doing this.”
“I am.”
A wave of nausea rushed over him but he maintained control, staring straight ahead. How could his life change so much in the matter of five minutes?
He hardened his heart against her. Fine, if she wanted to play hardball he’d play it right back. There is no way she’ll walk away from the pack, he told himself. No way. An ultimatum was the only way to stop her.
“Then I’m kicking you out.”
16 – Banished
“You can’t be serious,” Ryder responded in a hushed tone, his body language betraying his shock.
Jaeden sneered, throwing Lucien a look of disgust. “Oh, he’s serious, alright.”
Caia stood in the dining hall of the hotel Reuben had given to the pack as part of their bargain with one another. The last hour of the drive with Lucien had been one of the worst of her life. The silence had been brittle and furious and dislike for one another had resonated in every corner of the van. How could he do this to her? How could she do this to him?
Lucien had gathered everyone into the dining room as soon as they arrived, and proceeded to update them on Caia and Reuben’s plan to take out the Septum. The pack all stared at them in disbelief. She hugged herself trying to stop the trembling.
“Caia, tell him you’re not going to do it.” Magnus turned on her gruffly, his kind eyes bright with worry. “You can’t do this.”
She shrugged wearily, hating to see the disappointment on his face. “I’m sorry, but I have to.”
“For the love of…” Ella whispered. “Please don’t do this to us.”
“She’s not doing anything,” Jaeden snapped and brushed away from them all to stand by Caia’s side. She felt the heat from the lykan as if a warm blanket had been placed around her. She smiled gratefully at her, momentarily forgetting she was part of the reason this was happening to her. If Lucien knew she was being blackmailed into this he wouldn’t be kicking her out of the pack. She felt like she’d been kicked in the gut.
Lucien is kicking me out of the pack!
He stood across the room glaring at her, Rose and all his pack gathered around him protectively. Only Laila and Vil stood close to her uncertainly, and now Jaeden. Oh and now Alexa.
“Yeah,” Lex snapped at them. “Lucien’s the one kicking her out! Kicking her out for doing something that, as our Pack Alpha, he should be doing!”
“Alexa,” Mal warned, shaking his head. “Lucien’s doing what’s right.”
“How can you say that?” She cried. “Our parents are dead and he’s not doing anything about it! But he’s going to kick out the one person who will?!”
“Enough!” Lucien growled and strode out into the center of the group. His silver eyes blazed into Caia’s. “My word is law. I said there would be no acts of vengeance. This war is no longer ours. If Caia breaks the law… then she’s out of the pack.” He might as well have taken a knife and shoved it right through her heart. She couldn’t hate him for protecting the people they both loved.
The pack began chattering in confusion and hurt, completely certain that Caia wasn’t doing the right thing but uncertain that Lucien was. Caia shook her head and stood out to meet him.
“Don’t,” she said sternly and they all quieted. “Lucien is right. I have to do this and I don’t expect any of you to understand.” She struggled to hold back the tears. “It’s for the best anyway. I would have been pulled back into the war no matter what happened and I don’t want to drag you back in with me.” A sound to the right drew her attention. Reuben was there waiting for her. “You’ll be protected here.” She turned back and looked Lucien straight in the eye. With that look he begged her one last time not to do this. But she shook her head slightly and his face mottled with uncontrolled anger. “Will you keep Laila and Vil here with you? Please?”
He nodded and she thought he might not trust himself to speak.
“I’m leaving with Reuben. Now.”
“Caia, we’re coming with you.” Alexa and Jaeden rushed over.
Lucien opened his mouth to speak but Caia beat him to it. “No, you’re not.”
“But, Caia-”
“Do you want me to do this?” she hissed, feeling so angry at them. Stupidly she’d hoped their conscience would suddenly make an appearance, and they’d tell her no. Not that it would matter because Reuben would still take away his protection if she didn’t do it.
Jaeden blanched but Alexa just nodded enthusiastically. “Of course we do.”
“Then stay here.”
“Bu-”
Jaeden grabbed onto Alexa’s arm. “Be quiet, Lex. We’ll stay,” she agreed, and Caia could see a shimmer of guilt in her eyes. So she wasn’t so comfortable with blackmail after all. Too late.
Caia turned away from them and gave Vil and Laila a reassuring smile. “You’ll be fine here,” she promised and strode towards Reuben who stood at the doorway, waiting for her.
“Caia, wait!” Magnus ambled after her. He grabbed her arm and spun her around. She had never seen him look so mad before. “Why?”
Impetuously, she pulled him down to hug him close so she could whisper in his ear where the others couldn’t hear. “I can’t explain. I wish I could. But I can’t. I’m still me, I promise.” She choked on tears and he squeezed her tight.
“I love you,” he told her softly.
That was it. She had to get out of there before her control broke. “I have to go,” she mumbled and pushed away from him, hurrying from the room. Through the glass fronted doors she caught sight of Saffron waiting by Reuben’s car in the driveway. She crossed the foyer and felt Reuben at her back.
“I hate you,” she told him quietly.
After a moment of silence came his sad reply, “I know.”
Caia flinched at the sound of Lucien’s almighty roar from the dining room. It was followed by a horrendous crash. A shower of tinkling ensued.
Reuben sighed as he held the front door open for her. “There go my windows.”
Jaeden had never felt this guilty in her life. She still couldn’t believe Lucien had actually thrown Caia out of the pack. And everyone had let him! Ryder had let him! She wanted to beat the crap out of him for that. She ambled wearily along the corridors of the hotel. The place was surprisingly big and surprisingly nice. Everywhere was hardwood flooring and bright lighting. Faux flowers added a little romance here and there, and the paintings and décor were modern and airy, giving the whole place a sense of openness and space. The bedrooms were huge as well. She had taken one next door to Alexa and was studiously avoiding Ryder, who for the moment was thankfully preoccupied with making sure Lucien was OK. Their Alpha had cut himself up pretty good when he started throwing chairs through windows and smashing, crushing and basically destroying anything in his path after Caia had left. If it hadn’t been for Laila and Vil, who managed to magik them up some new windows, they would all be freezing their asses off. So… pfft! Who gave a damn if Lucien was hurt? He’d thrown Caia out.
You’re angry at yourself, not Lucien.
Like hell!
Dad would be so mad at you.
She growled at herself and stomped through the halls. She was looking for Lucien’s room. She wanted to give him a piece of her mind.
“There you are.”
She tensed at the voice and turned slightly to see her mate walking towards her determinedly. “Ryder.” She nodded at him as if they were strangers instead of mates.
He grunted at her, “Jaeden. Nice to see you. It’s been a while.”
“I’m not in the mood for your pathetic wit.”
At that he pushed her up against the wall, his eyes sparking with irritation. “I’m not in the mood for your childish behavior but still I’m going to put up with it because you’re my mate… or have you forgotten that?”
The feel of him close to her, his scent, his heat nudged at her heart, adamant to start it beating again. And she so wanted to just let go, to just fall into his arms and tell him everything and make him persuade Lucien to retrieve Caia. But she wouldn’t. Instead she pictured the gory sight of her father’s body.
She wanted revenge more.