Three Queens of Cerberus

Chapter 2

Three Queens of Cerberus

Chapter 2

Ulysses’s POV

Tie has been nothing but a complete gentleman, holding doors, pulling out chairs, I almost laughed when he cut my steak for me at the restaurant. I like him very much, and I’m happy to be here in Vandergrift Manor. I’ve heard stories of the Dark Prince, but my father always told me he was just a man. Luka did not seem demonic, nor did Baxter. Tie certainly isn’t, he’s kind and considerate. I’ve looked for Cain, but Tie hasn’t introduced him yet. I’ve only met two of the three Heads of Cerberus. My father respected and admired Cain. He always said he was equal in power to the Dark Prince but had no interest in politics. He’s a War Lord, Ulysses. Perhaps in training… that’s where I might find him.

He walks me back to my cabin, leaning against the railing post for the wrap-around porch; having already helped me carry my groceries in, and got them stored properly. “I’ll let you settle in, beauty. You know where to find me if you need me.” He conjures a phone, putting his number in before passing it to me. I find he also entered Luka and Baxter’s numbers.

“If I don’t see you before, I’ll come for you in the morning. You can come to training with me, and I’ll place you in a group fitting your skill.”

“I appreciate all you’ve done for me, Tie. I’m happy I met you.”, he smiles, the joy my words bring him reflects in his bright yellow eyes. He’s a gorgeous man, especially with his easy smiles, and lighthearted laughs.

“I’m happy to have been the one to find you, beauty.”, he twirls a few strands of my long hair around his finger, letting it fall against my shoulder as he strokes my jaw.

I think I’m developing a crush on Tie. He makes my stomach flutter and my chest tight. His scent grows heavy under my gaze, he’s attracted to me too. Being a shifter as well, I’m certain he scents the effect his touch has on me.

Tie leans down, brushing his lips over mine. I open my mouth to him, and as he moves to take advantage, “Tiberius!”, a female voice interrupts. Tie looks into my eyes, pulling back some to answer. He doesn’t turn back to see her. “Yes, Sena. What do you need?”

I look down at her coming up the path. She’s a petite fae, long blonde hair, sweet and angelic looking. She eyes me and I don’t miss the anger in her eyes. She conceals it in her voice though. “We are serving dinner at the main house, would you like to eat with me?”, she asks overly sweet.

His gaze remains on me, “No, I appreciate it, Sena. I’m staying home tonight.”

She’s disappointed and glares daggers at me. What is she to him?

“The Guardian will miss your presence.”, she tries to convince him.

“Luka knows I’m with Ulysses. Beauty, this is Sena, an Aunt at the main house. Sena, this is Ulysses. She’s new to Verbana, taking a guard position.”, he makes introductions, finally turning toward her.

“Are you… courting her?”, Sena questions him.

He grins at me, “I would love to be, but sadly, no. We’ve only just met this morning. Perhaps I’ll convince her though.”

I blush, not expecting that response. Sena did not like that answer at all. “Oh…”, the sadness barely concealed. “I’d be happy to bring something down to you, or make you dinner at your house.”, she offers.

“That’s alright, Sena. I’ll be fine. You can go eat.”, he assures her. She nods as he returns his gaze to me. She gives me a glaring once over before turning to leave.

“You’ve upset her.”, I try to gauge his response to that as he twirls my hair, focusing on the strands in the setting sun.

“She’ll be fine, it’s just a crush, beauty.”, he dismisses.

“You wish to court me?”, I ask, wondering whether it was true, or his way of pushing his unwanted crush away.

“Very much, since the moment I spotted you entering the river.”, he answers, searching my eyes. “If sparing Sena’s feelings is your wish, you should open your mouth for me again; or I may never forgive her.”

I smile at his teasing and he leans in, placing his lips to mine. I open to him and the sweet mint of his tongue filling my mouth becomes my favorite flavor. I kiss him back, sucking his tongue when he withdraws. He nips at my lower lip when he releases me. My body flushed and warm, reacting immediately to his kiss and thick earthy and soft melon scent. He hums at me, tracing my lower lip with his knuckle. “I forgive her now.”

I laugh and he grins at me. “I’ll let you get settled. I’ll be in my cabin, if you need me.”

I nod and he backs off the porch before turning and walking up the trail toward his cabin. I go inside my own cabin and without Tie, the reality of all I’ve lost and how alone I am setting in. Having taken a shower before going to town with Tie, I just brush my teeth and strip down, pulling pajamas on. Laying in my bed, I cry for Reynaldo and my parents. I’ve nothing left of them, only memories.

Tiberius’s POV

I could hear her soft cries at night and the sound haunts me. I wish I could take her pain or give back all she’s lost. It’s not in my power. I could take her back to her home to see if there’s anything, but that’s extremely unlikely. Vampire burn everything when the destroy a family, to prevent them from being followed. She’d only be more devastated by the pile of ash and rubble. I know Elder Louise forced himself on her, I could scent him all over her. They bite into their victims and take advantage of their feed induced daze, it’s what familiars are used for, feeding and f*****g. His scent was what originally brought me to where she was. Luka and Baxter scented it as well, amused greatly at her killing him for all he’d done. The Elder took on a beast more powerful than he’d realized, believing her to be a helpless shifter teen. The surprise he must've had, finding she was capable of shifting only after it was too late to protect himself. She’s been through so much at only twenty-four years old. She’d only just figured herself out, when who she was died with the rest of her family. I’ll need to give her time to find who she is now. Kissing her was the highlight of my entire life, but moving too quickly could cause her to be overwhelmed and run.

I debate over going to get her before I go to the training grounds. Maybe I’ll offer to let her sit out today. She can sleep and try to find some peace. The thought is interrupted by knocking at my door. I dry my hands, going to tell Sena I’m fine. She’s most likely trying to bring me breakfast. I have another hour and a half before I have to be at training. I’ll make my own breakfast. I open the door to be hit with that sweet tart strawberry and lime scent of Ulysses. I hold the door wider, giving her room to enter. “Come in. Have you eaten?”, she skirts by me, entering the open living and kitchen area.

“No, I was coming to find you before training. I wasn’t sure what time we were supposed to leave.”, she answers, looking around the room. Her confidence makes me smile, they hurt her, but they didn’t break her.

“We have some time. I’m making my breakfast, would you like to eat with me?”, I offer, passing her to the kitchen so I can get it going.

“You have enough?”, she questions, not wanting to take from me. It’s sweet, her consideration.

“I have plenty. How do you like your eggs?”, I ask, flipping the bacon I already have cooking in the large skillet.

“Over medium.”, she sits at the island across from me, watching me cook. She smells so good, having finally got his scent from her. She’s all I crave now, my hunger for food vanishing. “Coffee is on the counter if you’d like some.” She follows my gesture, making herself coffee before reclaiming her stool. Black, one sugar. I make a mental note of how she takes her coffee. I sip my own, looking up at her.

“Are you nervous about training?”, waiting to gauge her response.

She shakes her head, completely unbothered. “No. My father trained Reynaldo and I for as long as I remember. I’ve had less training fully shifted; my mother said the natural instincts were all that were necessary once the human body was fully trained.”

“That is true, knowing yourself, the enemy, and each of your limitations is more important than experience fighting fully shifted. You should train shifted though, it does help.”, I understand what her mother was saying. Were-tiger are insanely agile and their instincts are spot on. Even if she weren’t my mate, Ulysses is quite a find. Being a hybrid only enhances the strengths her kind has, making her even more lethal. Crushing an Elders skull before they break free is impressive, even if she caught him off guard. “Just don’t actually bite. Your jaw strength can cause some serious injuries, even if you were holding back.”, I advise, realizing many of the guards cannot take her shifted. She’s massive, large enough to carry or drag a man my size with ease. Her paws bigger than my head and her back reaches my ribs, on all fours. If she stood, she’d tower me.

“I won’t shift for training today. I don’t want to hurt anyone.”, she returns.

I make her plate adding toast and setting it in front of her before making my own. I’ve made her plate the same size as mine. She didn’t eat much at lunch yesterday, probably still working through her trauma. Once able to shift, the caloric needs of a shifter are much higher. She can’t stay healthy eating so little.

“This is a lot.”, she comments, picking up a slice of bacon.

“You need it. I know you’re going through your own struggles right now but try to finish it. You’ll starve, eating as you did yesterday.”, I coax, wanting her to eat enough.

We eat in comfortable silence. She finishes half her bacon, all of her eggs, and toast. She munches slowly on the bacon left as I finish my plate.

“You’re full?”, I ask her, knowing she’s trying to do as I’ve asked.

She nods, “You should help finish it, so I’m not being wasteful.”, she pushes her plate toward me. I chuckle, taking a slice of the bacon. I’m full as well, but I can always eat more.

“Your father, you said he was an Elder. Where is his coven?”, I ask, curious as to why they were alone in Benton.

“He left his coven for my mother. They didn’t approve of him mating a were-creature. I’ve never met any of his coven. I saw a man once, when I was about thirteen. My father killed him; he and Reynaldo drug his body into the forest.”, I can tell by the way she furrows her brows that she’s trying to remember who the man was.

“Your father, what was his surname?”, I ask, she only gave me her first name at the river.

“Klarevol.”, she answers. Jensen-Klarevol, the Grand Elder abandoned the coven decades ago. His brother is still there, they’re allied with Louise-Borne.

“I knew your father, Leslie Klarevol. I remember when he left his coven, but I didn’t know it was for your mother. I’d never met her.”, I tell her, in the interest of transparency. I don’t need it coming out later that I knew her father or had fought with his coven over territory centuries ago. I liked Leslie, he was a good man. I don’t know if he felt the same about me though.

“You knew my father?”, she asks, turning to study me.

“Yes, we weren’t friends, or anything like that. We had disagreements on who ran neutral territories, some fighting occurred. He eventually agreed to our terms in neutral zones, and we hadn’t had a problem with his coven since. That was over a century ago. He was difficult at times, but honorable.”

“You’re Cain?”, she asks. I was always respectful toward her father, thankfully. I should hope he hasn’t polluted her mind.

“Yes. I am Tiberius Cain.”, I acknowledge that I am who she believes me to be.

“My father liked you.”, she says, looking down at her almost empty coffee cup.

“I liked him as well. He was a hard man, but noble.”, I’m relieved by him having said good things, rather than what he could’ve spun that story to be.

“Reynaldo was named after you… Reynaldo Cain Klarevol. He’d said he hoped he’d grow to be a man of your caliber.”, she comments with a sigh. Her pain at losing her brother reflecting in her voice.

“That’s flattering. How did he die?”, talking about it may help her if she’s willing to.

“They said he hung himself in the cells.”, she rubs her face.

“You’re certain Reynaldo is dead?”, it is difficult to kill a were-creature. He could possibly die by hanging, but it’s highly unlikely.

“They said he was, not to me, but to Elder Louise. I don’t imagine they’d lie to him.”, she returns, drinking the rest of her coffee.

I’m going for him today. I’ll bring back his body, if that’s all there is. Her father named him after me, I should honor her father by doing what he would’ve asked. “I’m going to Louise-Borne for her brother’s body. Do not mention it to her, I don’t know that I’ll find him. I need you to take training, if I wait too long, they’ll have disposed of him.”, I link Baxter.

“Take your team, Tie. They’d be stupid to attack you but deter the thought as much as possible.”, he returns.

“Let’s get you to training, beauty. I have errands to run this morning, but I’ll get you settled into your group first.”, I stand, taking both our plates to the trash, waving them away and leaving only the crumbs in the bag. She rinses her cup and places it in the sink. I wave both our cups away and hold the door, allowing her to pass before me.

Luka’s POV

“I’m covering Tie on training. He’s going for his mate’s brother.”, Baxter tells me as he stands to leave the study.

“Tell him to take his team. She killed a Grand Elder; Tie showing up to take the kid, and refusing to return the girl, is going to piss them off royally.”

“Their anger won’t matter for long. She’s his, and underage; they’ll all be dead by nightfall.”, Bax returns as he opens the door.

Dammit, he’s right. Tie’s going to kill them. I stand to follow Bax out. “I need to talk to Tie before he goes. Louise-Borne can’t be slaughtered outright, at the moment. I need to get someone else to deal with the hoards the hybrids formed.”

Baxter winces, “Luka, you telling him not to is going to set him off. He’ll see it as a betrayal of your oath, and a disregard for his claim to Ulysses.”

“I can get him to hear me, I’ll fix it.”, I’m positive I can get Tie to work with me some on this.

Tie is introducing her to the groups when we get out there. Bax takes over, telling Ulysses to spar with him first, so he can place her. Tie supervises, waiting for his team to enter the training ground.

“Tie, don’t kill them if you don’t have to. I need them for just a little longer.”, I link.

“You don’t get to tell me what to do with the men that held my mate and abused her, Luka.”, Tie’s tone is firm.

“Tie, I have to get someone else to handle those hoards being moved. I’m not saying you have to deny challenges, return the girl, or leave without the boy. Just don’t kill anyone that you don’t have to.”, I try again. I completely understand his anger, but I need him to control it right now. I can't have those hoards descending on the river villages. His head tilts as he turns to face me. I can see the anger in him, even with his walls up.

“You want me to look the other way? Some f*****g hybrids pulled some dumb s**t, that you don’t want to deal with; so, I need to turn my back? Is that what you’re saying to me right now?”, he crosses the short distance between us, drawing Bax’s attention.

“Luka, stop pushing; he’s going to challenge you. He’s more reactive now, she’s unmarked.”, warning me of what I already know.

“That’s not what I’m saying. I acknowledge your claim and will uphold my oath. She is mine, as she is yours, brother. Kill anyone that challenges you, then give me a week to get things moved around. After that, I’ll go with you, and we’ll kill everyone that even knew they’d planned to take Klarevol on. No escapees to hunt, no risk of losing an Elder. A week, that’s all I ask.”

He studies me, considering my offer. He doesn’t want any of the villages harmed, I know he doesn’t. He just isn’t thinking it through yet. “If she asks it of me sooner, you’re out of time, brother.”, he relents some.

She doesn’t know she has the power to ask something like that of him. I have my week. “I’ll have it worked out by then. Thank you, Tie.”, I’m asking a lot of him, I know I am. I’ll make it up to him.

Tie’s POV

“Cain… what can we do for you?”, Elder Borne eyes me suspiciously.

“Reynaldo Cain Klarevol. Where is he?”, I ask, tilting my head as the other Elders begin entering the drive.

“Near dead. The fool tried to kill himself and isn’t healing properly.”, Elder Borne answers in disgust. Of course, he isn’t healing properly, he’s bled daily and probably not given adequate nutrition. “How do you know of him?”, Elder Louise asks, the brother of the man Ulysses killed.

“He’s given my namesake. His father is not here to claim him; I stand in his place to accept your challenge.”, I call to them. I don’t know which Elder he belongs to, but I can take two of these Elders at a time, Elder Borne being the only remaining Grand Elder. None would take my challenge alone. A near dead hybrid isn’t worth it.

“You have the girl?”, Elder Borne questions.

“Yes. She’s mine as well. I’ll accept challenge, if need be.”, I return. They chitter amongst themselves. I understand their language, but it grates on my nerves.

“She killed Grand Elder Louise; she should be returned for punishment. You may claim the other. He’s near dead anyway.”, Grand Elder Borne finally speaks to me.

“If Elder Louise hadn’t died by her hand, he’d die now by mine for violating the Code. She’s underage, he had no business touching her. Even the lawless uphold the Code, do we not?” I’ll not be forced into releasing her to them, and they won’t be coming for her. I’ll make certain of that now. If that means burning their coven to the ground, so be it. I’ll deal with the damn hybrid hoards myself.

“Cain… you’re being very unfair here. Demanding we release him, refusing to hold someone accountable for their actions. This is unlike you. You don’t interfere in business outside your territory.”, Grand Elder Borne comments.

“What is fair, Borne? You kill the brother of your allies, and take his children? It is you failing to take accountability here. Are you telling me you allowed your highest council to feed from and rape a girl you believed to be fifteen?”, he would not dare admit he knew. It would open him to the attack of both reptilian and dragonian. Our kind are the Enforcers of the Code. We don’t have to be mated to the female to claim vengeance on her behalf. They’re not to act against any unmated female beneath the age of maturity. My men hiss behind me, angered by my words. They’d never tolerate such a violation.

“I did not say that, Cain.”, he denies without lying. “I never touched that girl, nor allowed anyone else to. Elder Louise acted alone.”

“Then you’ll disregard her act against him and be thankful she killed him before coming to us. Had he been living; your entire coven would burn. It still may. Release the boy, or accept my challenge.”, I order, trying to hold my temper. He knew, that’s why he phrased it the way he did.

“You’ll have to come get him. I can’t risk your temper, having him die in transit. He’s not well.”, Borne returns, turning to guide me to where they’re keeping Reynaldo.

My team follows as we enter a grungy warehouse type structure, full of vampire. It makes me a little uneasy, but I still feel our odds are fair here. They wouldn’t succeed in killing me, only making their problem larger.

We enter a room that smells as if he is already dead and has been for some time. Some of my team cough and cover their faces, drawing a wicked smirk from Elder Borne. “Something amusing, Borne?”, I question, looking over Reynaldo. He’s in really bad shape.

“Nothing, Cain.”, he returns, wiping the smirk off his face. I touch Reynaldo’s forehead, looking into him to see what exactly is going on.

“We can move him.”, I tell my team, stepping back to let two move forward. I conjure a gurney to move him on, they lift and transfer him carefully. “Farewell, Borne.”, I call as my team begins pushing him out.

The Elders follow us as we take him to the truck, lifting the gurney into the bed, four of my team jump back with him. The other gets in the passenger side of my truck.

“You’ll remember my generosity, Cain.”, Borne calls to me, implying I owe him.

“You’ll remember mine, Borne.”, I deny any debt; he didn’t have to give me Reynaldo, but I didn’t have to let them survive. I reverse and turn out of their drive. Now, if I can just keep him alive long enough to get him back.

“What’s wrong with him, Tie?”, Morton asks as we pull onto the road.

“Malnutrition and blood loss. He has some pretty serious infections also.”, I need to get this truck back to the river, the dam opens soon. We can transport him faster on the water.