Gabrielle was huddled under the strong curve of Lucan's arm as the SUV pulled onto the road leading to the compound's estate. He'd been holding her close to him since they'd escaped the asylum grounds, shielding her eyes as the entire complex of buildings had gone up in a hellish ball of fire.
Lucan and his brethren had actually done it - they'd taken out the Rogues' headquarters in one awesome strike. The helicopter had managed to elude the explosion, vanishing skyward into the black smoke and cover of night.
Lucan was pensive, staring out the tinted window, up into the canopy of stars. Gabrielle had seen his look of surprise - of stunned disbelief - when he'd been up on the roof and thrown open the helicopter's cockpit door.
It was as if he'd seen a ghost.
The mood carried with him even now as they entered the estate and Nikolai drove toward the garage. The warrior pulled the vehicle to a stop inside the huge hangar. When he cut the engine, Lucan finally spoke.
"Tonight we scored an important victory against our enemies."
"Hell yeah," Nikolai agreed. "And we avenged Conlan and Rio. They would've loved to have been there to see that place blow."
Lucan nodded in the dark vehicle. "But make no mistake, we are entering a new phase of conflict with the Rogues. This is war now, more than ever. Tonight we've stirred the hornet's nest. But the one we needed to get - their leader - is still alive."
"Let him run. We'll get him," Dante said, grinning confidently.
But Lucan gave a grim shake of his head. "This one is different. He won't make it easy. He'll anticipate our moves. He'll understand our tactics. The Order is going to need to strengthen its strategies and increase its numbers. We need to organize the few remaining cadres around the world, bring in more warriors, the sooner the better."
Gideon pivoted around in the front seat. "You think it's the Gen One out of the West Coast who's leading the Rogues?"
"I'm sure of it," Lucan answered. "He was in the helicopter on the roof tonight, where he was holding Gabrielle." He stroked her arm with tender affection, pausing to look at her as if the mere sight of her reassured him in some way. "And the bastard's not a Rogue - not now, if he ever was. Once, he was a warrior, like us. His name is Marek."
Gabrielle felt a cold blast coming from the SUV's third row of seats and knew that Tegan was looking at Lucan.
Lucan knew it, too. He swiveled his head to meet the other warrior's stare. "Marek is my brother."
Chapter Thirty-four
The weight of Lucan's revelation followed them as they exited the vehicle and took the hangar's elevator down into the compound. Standing beside Lucan, Gabrielle laced her fingers through his as they descended. Shock and sympathy clawed at her heart, and when he glanced over at her, she knew he could read the worry in her eyes.
Gabrielle saw similar looks of concern reflected in the eyes of Lucan's warrior brethren as well, an unspoken acknowledgment of what the night's discovery meant.
The time was going to come that Lucan would have to face killing his own brother.
Or be killed by him.
Gabrielle hardly had a chance to absorb that cold fact before the elevator doors opened on Savannah and Danika, who were waiting anxiously for the warriors' return. There were relieved welcomes, dozens of questions about the outcome of the night's mission, as well as worried inquiries into what on earth had made Gabrielle leave the compound without a word to anyone. Gabrielle was too tired to answer, too exhausted from the entire ordeal to even try to express what she was feeling.
But she knew she would have to provide some answers soon, to Lucan at least.
She watched as he was ushered away by the other warriors amid talk of war tactics and new battle strategies to be used against the Rogues. Gabrielle was swiftly pulled in an opposite direction by Savannah and Danika. They fretted over her sundry scrapes and bruises, insisting that she take a warm meal and a long, hot bath.
Gabrielle reluctantly agreed, but not even Savannah's amazing cooking or the fragrant heat of the soak that followed could relax her.
Her mind was spinning with thoughts about Lucan, Jamie, and everything that had happened that night. She owed Lucan her life. She loved him more than anything, would always be grateful to him for his rescuing her, but it didn't change how she felt about the way things had been going between them. She couldn't stay at the compound like this. And no matter what he said, she wasn't about to enter one of the Darkhavens.
So, what did that leave? She couldn't go back to her apartment, either. Her old life no longer fit. To return to it meant she would have to deny everything she'd experienced with Lucan these past weeks and work to forget him. She would have to deny all that she now understood about herself, and her connection to the Breed.
The truth was, she didn't know where she belonged now. She didn't know where to begin looking, but as she walked the compound's maze of corridors, Gabrielle found herself standing outside Lucan's private quarters.
The door to the main apartment was ajar; a soft light glowed from within. Gabrielle pushed it open, then stepped inside.
Candlelight flickered in the adjacent bedroom. She followed the ambient warmth to the threshold and paused there, marveling at what she saw. Lucan's austere bedroom had been transformed into something out of a dream. Four tall black pillar candles set into intricate silver sconces burned in each corner. Red silk draped the bed. On the floor before the fireplace was a cushioned nest of fluffy pillows and even more crimson silk. It looked so romantic, so inviting.
A room intended for lovemaking.
She took a step farther inside. Behind her, the door closed softly on its own.
No, not quite on its own. Lucan was there, standing on the other side of the room, watching her. His hair was damp from a shower. He wore a loosely tied, satiny red robe that skated around his bare calves, and there was a heated look in his eyes that melted her where she stood.