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alien fathers.
Gabrielle nodded, showing no surprise or confusion. Evidently Lucan had
already filled her in on the otherworldly origins of the Breed, as well as the
bloody war that arose within the Breed during the fourteenth century of the
human era.
It was a tumultuous time, rife with treachery and violence most of it carried
out by the long-lived, savage creatures from a distant planet who prowled the
night and fed without discretion, sometimes wiping out entire villages of
humankind. The Ancients were ravenous and brutal, supremely powerful. Without
the Order to intervene, they d been a bloodthirsty pestilence that made even
the worst Rogue look like a misbehaving frat boy.
Gabrielle s gaze went from Lucan to Tegan. What happened to Dragos?
Killed in battle a few years into the war with the Ancients, Tegan supplied.
Can you be sure of that? she asked. Until last summer, everyone believed
that Marek was dead too&
Lucan gave a firm nod. Dragos is dead, love. I saw his body with my own eyes.
None of the Breed can resurrect when their head is taken.
Tegan recalled that night as well. It was a moment that marked many losses,
starting with Dragos s Breedmate, who took her own life upon hearing the news
of his death. Kassia had been a good, caring woman, as close as a sister to
Sorcha. It wasn t long after Kassia s death that Tegan lost Sorcha as well.
Dark times that he preferred not to think on, even now. He d learned to
suppress the pain, but he still had so many memories&
Tegan sharply cleared his throat. Which brings us back to the name Odolf. Who
is it? And what can it mean to Marek?
Maybe Gideon can turn something up in the IID, Lucan suggested, handing the
book back to Tegan as he got to his feet. The database isn t a complete
record, but it s all we ve got.
You two run your search, Gabrielle interjected when they reached the
corridor outside. I m going to check in on Elise. It sounds like she s been
through a lot tonight. Maybe she could use some company and something to eat.
Lucan s eyes darkened as he held his woman s gaze. He whispered something low
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in her ear, then pressed a kiss to her lips. There was a faint pink tint to
her cheeks as she broke the embrace.
Tegan glanced away from the exchange and started the trek toward Gideon s lab.
Lucan was behind him in no time, Gabrielle heading in the opposite direction
to look for Elise.
It was impossible not to notice the calm that enveloped the warrior whenever
he was around his Breedmate. Not that long ago, Lucan had been a powder keg
just looking for an open flame. He d pretended an iron control, but Tegan knew
him longer than any of the others at the compound, and he knew that Lucan had
been only a few steps away from total disaster.
Bloodlust was the fatal flaw of all the Breed a tipping point that could push
even the most stable vampire over the edge into a permanent addiction. All of
the Breed needed to consume blood to survive, but some took it too far. Some
turned Rogue, and it had stunned Tegan to discover that Lucan was teetering on
the very knife-edge of that abyss. He d been nearly lost.
Until Gabrielle.
She grounded him somehow, gave Lucan what he needed through their blood bond,
yet trusted him not to fall. She d saved the warrior, and it was clear that
she continued to do so every moment they shared together.
You re well mated, Tegan said as Lucan caught up to him and strode along at
his side in the corridor.
He d meant it in praise, but it came out sounding harsh, almost an accusation.
Lucan didn t seem surprised by the rough tone, but he didn t rise to the bait
like he might have at one time either. I think about you and Sorcha
sometimes, when I look at Gabrielle and imagine what my life would be like
without her. It s sure as hell not a place I like to visit often. How you ever
got through it
It passes, Tegan murmured, a bit too tightly even to his own ears. And the
only ghost I m interested in talking about right now is Dragos.
Lucan dropped the subject as the two of them entered the tech lab. Gideon was
at his usual post behind the long console, keying something into one of the
many computers. What ve you got? he asked the moment they strode in, his
eyes and fingers never leaving his task.
Tegan put the airbill and journal down on the table. Need you to check the
origin of this package, but first run a search of the IID records for the name
Odolf.
You got it. The vampire grabbed a wireless keyboard, dropped it into his
lap, and started typing. Am I looking for criminal records, birth records,
death records& ?
Any of the above, Tegan said, watching the monitor screen fill with a
scrolling list of data. It kept running and running, turning up zilch. Then
one record stuck at the top of the screen while the program scrolled for more
results. You got one?
Deceased, Gideon replied. A one Reinhardt Odolf, of the Munich Darkhaven.
Went Rogue in May 1946. Deceased the following year by solar suicide. Another
entry, this one for Alfred Odolf, lost to Bloodlust in 1981. Hans Odolf,
Bloodlust, 1993. A couple of missing persons on record& here s one more for
you: Petrov Odolf, Berlin Darkhaven.
Lucan moved in to get a better look at the computer. Also deceased?
Actually no. Not yet, anyway. Petrov Odolf, institutionalized for
rehabilitation. According to the record, this boy s been Rogue for the past
few years and a ward of the Enforcement Agency in Germany.
Is he coherent? Tegan demanded. Can he be questioned? More importantly, can
his answers be trusted to be valid?
Gideon shook his head. The record s not complete about his current condition,
other than he s breathing and under the supervision of the institution in
Berlin.
Berlin, eh? Lucan turned a questioning look on Tegan. Think you can call in
any favors over there?
Tegan turned away from the monitor and pulled out his cell phone. Guess it s
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as good a time as any to find out.
CHAPTER Eleven
Elise looked down at the healed wound on her left arm, then over at Tess,
whose gifted hands had erased all traces of the bleeding cut and mended the
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