Bane of Tenebris (Wolfgods Book 2), Blaise Ramsay [best young adult book series txt] 📗

The older female pushed her loose ponytail to her opposite shoulder. Her raven hair refusing to be tamed, defied her. “I can. Let me ask Ivy if she’ll watch the pups. Any particular reason why?”

Tala’s cheeks heated, earning a laugh from Jill. “I want to take Alex out, but I don’t know where he likes to go. I thought you might show me some of his favorite spots or a good place to –

“Make-out?” Jill replied, a teasing smirk on her face.

Tala nodded.

Jill repeated what she said about Ivy and left the kitchen.

Tala loved Jill. She saw the older female as a sister and role model. The relationship between Jill and Damien made Tala envious. She wanted to build a bond with Kain in the same way.

It hurt her that they still hadn’t shared blood. Tala wanted nothing more to know what such a bond felt like. She’d heard stories from her mother and some of the other females of her pack. It often made Tala feel like a princess waiting on her Prince Charming in one of those fairytales.

It made her laugh at the irony since Kain’s bloodline was indeed a line of knights.

Kain woke to find Tala already gone. Her scent lingered in the room showing him she hadn’t been gone long.

He lowered his eyes, disappointed. The night before he wanted to make love to her, to seal their bond and make her his. His body burned with a desire to show her a side of him only Jillian truly knew.

A resigned sigh escaped his throat as he sat up to check his phone to see a text from Gabriel telling him he needed to speak with Kain. With a quick reply, Kain got up to go downstairs, not bothering to put a shirt on.

Damien met him in the kitchen while Kain poured a cup of coffee. When he saw the younger lycan, Kain offered to pour Damien a cup as well.

Curious as to where Tala might be, Kain asked, “Have you seen Tala this morning?”

Damien took a quick drink of his coffee. “She went out with Jill earlier. They should be back in a couple of hours. How’re you doing, Kain? Your ankle alright?”

Kain joined Damien at the small table. “It’s healed up for the most part. My shoulder as well,” Kain looked up to find Damien staring intently at him. From their time together, Kain knew Damien acted like this when he had a vision. “What have you seen?”

Damien jerked his eyes away. “Nothing. Just a rough last few nights. We’ll be taking Maggie to her First Moon event in a couple of days. I’d like it if you went.”

Kain glared at Damien. Instead of pressing the issue for the moment, Kain agreed to go with Damien and Jill to the First Moon. He hadn’t been to one since his time as an alpha. It always made him happy to see the pups accepted as members of their packs.

“Did you speak to Cade?” Kain asked.

“Yeah. He’s on board. All we have to do is send out a howling call.”

“Good. I have a feeling when the time comes, we will need all the help we can get. We still don’t know what Anthony’s plans are. He’s been quiet, at least here.”

Kain thought about the encounter with Bard, deciding to tell Damien about the cause of the burns on his hand. “Damien, Bard’s accepted an evil gift from the dark god. His missing forearm has been replaced with a claw like the one that attacked you in the snow a year ago.”

Damien’s brow creased. “How’s this possible? Before, all Barghast did was attack us in the celestial realm. How is he able to manifest like this, now?”

Kain shook his head. “That I do not know. When I got close to Bard’s arm, I felt like my blood, my life, was being ripped from me. Much like those red fibers we encountered. It is the reason I was so weak.”

“What can we do?”

“Nothing yet. Just be on your guard and keep your thoughts open to me. I will do the same. Whatever is going on, it is worse than the Circle of Stones. Barghast was paid a great insult there. He will not be so quick to forget.”

Damien clenched his teeth, growling through them. The heel of his hand landed against the edge of the table, jarring it. Once again, Kain got the feeling that Damien hid something from him. A portion of the young alpha’s mind remained in shadow, hidden from Kain’s bond with him.

It impressed Kain to see how strong Damien had gotten. Not just anyone could block Kain from their thoughts or feelings, yet Damien managed to do it.

Chapter Nine

Tala and Jill returned two hours following Kain and Damien’s talk in the kitchen. The women carried a few bags, dropping them in the foyer. Jill called to Damien to help her carry her bags upstairs following a heated kiss and some sensual touching.

Tala’s cheeks heated at the sight. Her eyes met Kain’s as he came out of the living room into the foyer, stepping around the embracing lycans. She almost said hello but Kain stopped her by wrapping his arms around her, his hands gripping her hips as he kissed her.

The passion she could feel in the firmness of his embrace excited her. Warm, hard muscles met her hands as she reached to caress his bare chest and stomach. His hands on her hips made her breath hasten. Her mind filled with images of them tangled together under the sheets of his bed, the scent of him drove her carnal senses mad with need.

When he pulled away, their eyes met briefly. Kain offered to help her take her bags up the stairs. It confused her when he took them to his room instead of hers.

After setting the bags down, Kain took a small portion of Tala’s hair between his hand