Until the Sun Falls from the Sky (The Three #1)(131)
Author: Kristen Ashley

He lifted his head and looked across the table at Avery, Gregor and Rudolf.

“This does not make me happy,” he muttered his understatement.

He’d just seen The Prophesies or what they would allow him to see. He had no idea what else there was. However, they had shown him some of what referred to Leah and himself.

“That’s understandable,” Rudolf replied.

“Do you now understand why we’ve asked you to refrain from hunting your father?” Avery asked carefully.

“I understand it but I don’t like it,” Lucien answered tightly.

“As you can see from those documents, he is surely the general of the insurrectionists noted in them. If his death is precipitous, it could tip war and we’re not ready,” Rudolf explained.

“I did read that in the parchments, Rudolf,” Lucien muttered with irritation.

“You will have your time,” Avery assured him quietly.

He f**king well would.

Lucien nodded.

“She’s already exhibiting the abilities,” Gregor stated, looking at him closely.

Lucien briefly weighed the wisdom of answering, glanced at Avery who already knew and decided.

“She has exceptional powers of the mind. She can mark me. Track me. Sense my mood and, therefore, when she’s with me, sense danger when I do. She can speak to me with her mind and, as the days go by, this power increases significantly. Indeed, if I wished, I could call to her where she’s sitting at a café across the street and she’d hear me. She could do the same. We also have begun to share dreams, having them separately and, on occasion, simultaneously.” He gestured to the papers on the table before him. “However, she does not demonstrate uncommon speed or strength.”

“You are vampire, she is mortal, Lucien, would you know if she had uncommon speed or strength for a mortal?” Rudolf asked an excellent question.

Before he could answer, Gregor spoke.

“We would like to ask you to speak to her about submitting herself for testing.”

Lucien’s felt his body prepare for battle, his adrenalin releasing, his muscles expanding and he immediately replied, “Absolutely not.”

“Lucien –” Gregor began but Lucien leaned forward.

“You get near her without my permission, I’ll tear you apart and then you’ll burn,” Lucien vowed, his voice low and unmistakable.

Gregor gestured to the table. “You can see from what you’ve read that it’s important we understand we’re in the position to combat this threat.”

“My bride is not a mutant warrior in this war to be prodded and researched,” Lucien clipped. “There are yet two other lifemates to unite. We will allow matters to play out and as they do, she and I will decide how we will proceed.”

“We don’t have a great deal of time. Callum will mate with Sonia before Christmas this very year,” Gregor told him and Lucien held his eyes.

Callum was King of the Werewolves. Lucien knew him. Lucien respected him.

Sonia, he knew, was the name of Gregor’s mortal charge.

“Sonia?” Lucien asked.

“Yes, Sonia,” Gregor answered then clarified, talking quietly, “My Sonia.”

“So this is why you took her into your care,” Lucien surmised.

“That and I held deep regard for her parents prior to their deaths and affection for her prior to her losing them,” Gregor replied.

Lucien nodded but he did not share further words on the topic. The Prophesies were vague as Prophesies tended to be but it was not vague what would befall Sonia, the woman who would soon be the mortal Queen of the Werewolves. Gregor knew of this. And Gregor was hiding his despair at the knowledge.

Instead, he asked, “Does she know? Callum?”

Gregor shook his head. “No. And they won’t. As this was kept from you and Leah, it will also be kept from the other mates. As you read, it is essential that every immortal demonstrates his ability to make a crucial, selfless sacrifice for his mortal lifemate. And it is essential that every mortal demonstrate her generosity to or protection of immortals. To establish an eternity of peace between the species, The Three must personify that we can live together through diversity and in harmony.”

He’d read this in The Prophesies. It was annoying but it was understandable.

“And the third lifemates?” Lucien asked.

“They have not been located,” Rudolf answered. “We believe the male is living amongst mortals. Their story is vaguer in The Prophesies but we believe from studying the parchments that he knows who he is, what he’s capable of. He feeds from mortals, he morphs to wolf. But he does not know of the existence of others of his kind. He thinks he is an anomaly, hides his abilities and lives underground. Therefore, it is difficult to find him.”

“Perhaps he has not yet come into existence,” Lucien suggested.

“No,” Avery whispered, “Sonia’s destiny will play out shortly. The Noble War is nearly upon us. He’s out there as is she, whoever she may be.”

Lucien tipped up his chin then remarked, “If he thinks he’s an anomaly, he’s correct. Unless I’m mistaken, he would be the only vampire, werewolf hybrid in history.”

“In the years to come, many things will change, Lucien,” Avery replied. “Many. What was impossible will be exceptional but possible. Then it will become commonplace.”

As it always had been. As, he hoped to Christ, it always would be for a very long time.

Lucien moved on.

“I’ll be telling Leah of The Prophesies,” he announced and the three other men in the room tensed.

“This is unwise,” Gregor muttered.

“Why?” Lucien shot back and Gregor’s eyes slid to Avery. “It isn’t unwise,” Lucien stated and Gregor’s gaze came back. “You’re intent to keep your secrets from being revealed. But I can assure you she won’t speak of them.”

“Can you be certain?” Rudolf asked.

“She is mortal but there are many mortals who are far from stupid, Rudolf,” Lucien returned. “I’ll explain to her the importance of keeping the secret and she’ll understand it. I’ll also explain the consequences of not keeping it and she’ll definitely understand that.”

“Of course but she is also in the life. Her family is in the life. What is to come, her part in it, she may be moved to warn them,” Rudolf replied.

“She won’t speak of The Prophesies,” Lucien repeated.