Those beginning days in a new world had been terrible. He’d lost everyone he’d ever known, only to find a new family who only found him worthy because of his size, because of the damage he could do. When he’d tried to form relationships, searching for softness and affection, he’d quickly been shown the error of his ways.
“I learned to stand strong. The weak don’t survive in Lawless hands.”
“Didn’tsurvive,” she corrected him. “They’re no longer a clan. Nev perverted what it means to be a Ravager. We’re strong because we’re pack. He preyed on his own people.” She sighed. “He turned everyone with him into mindless killers. Beasts with no compassion or sense of morality.” She looked into his eyes, hers dark and deep. “But I don’t sense that about you.”
He flushed, embarrassed he’d told her so much when he’d had no intention of sharing his past. He glanced around, even more embarrassed to see Logan staring at him from some distance away, obviously having heard everything.
Kellen rose, missing the nearness of Kate but needing some space. “So here I am. Five years spent gathering information outside Cross Step. It’s not pretty out there.”
“What did you learn?” Logan asked as he joined them. “Are there really large groups of Ravagers in Europe?”
“The group here is by far larger, and I’m going by our numbers from five years ago. Has the Ravager population increased much since then?”
“From five years ago?” Logan asked. “Yeah. But not by much. Then we—all Ravagers, not just our clan—were maybe a thousand strong? Only a dozen or more have come through the Voids in all that time. But we have hope. For the longest time we haven’t had young. This is the first year we’ve had a banner run of pregnant females.” He winked at Kate, who turned pink. “Not my mate, but several others are expecting, all thanks to Prime finding a true queen.”
“But she’s a Norm.” Kellen didn’t understand it. He held no bias against humans, but how could a human female temper the clan’sguerto encourage conception?
“She’s a Conduit,” Kate corrected. “She has her ownguer, and she’s in complete harmony with her mates. Eric, Dom, and Malcolm true-bonded with her. We don’t understand it, but we accept it.”
“She’s our future,” Logan said with excitement. “I mean, for the clan. Kate and Jesse are my future. You have a future too, Kellen. You just need to accept the possibility.”
“You say that, but I don’t know.” He was so confused. “I saw a lot of death and war on the outside. The Ravagers outside of Cross Step aren’t all like this group, working together. In the places I’ve been, there was only one clan who might be building toward a cohesive unit. But they’re constantly fighting against the smaller groups trying to maintain their own power. And the area I’m talking about is much larger, spanning cities.”
“Maybe that’s why we can be stronger,” Logan said. “Because we have a smaller area to protect but a denser population to work with.” He paused. “Were the other Voiders in those areas hostile to Ravagers, or did they work together?”
“Oh, they were all hostile. Except for a group of Valks who pretty much ran northern Europe. They convinced the humans up there that they’re actually elves, taking advantage of superstition and myth and running with it.”
“Smart.” Kate nodded. “When the Feln first arrived a few years ago, some groups were calling them dryads and nature spirits. Now the Feln are protected by the U.S. government, even outside Cross Step.”
“Yeah, because of their affinity to nature,” Logan said. “They make things grow, and Norms like to eat.”
“We all like to eat,” Kate said with a teasing grin. “You especially.” She glanced at Kellen. “And no doubt this one eats a ton. He’s got a big body to fill.”
His arousal returned, though it had only been on the back-burner through sheer willpower. And it wasn’t all Kate’s doing. Logan appealed to Kellen in a big way as well. But taking on Logan meant dealing with Jesse. And Kellen knew neither male wanted him close to Kate.
It shocked him when Logan clapped him on the back and kept a hand on his shoulder. “Hey, no picking on us guys with hefty metabolisms. You’re no lightweight yourself, Kate.”
Kate flipped him off, and Logan grinned.
Kellen, surprised to hear Logan insulting his mate, stared at the pair.
“Oh, don’t worry, Kellen. You think Logan’s bad, you should hear Jesse teasing.” Kate linked her arm through Kellen’s, then dragged Logan to her other side and linked her arm through his. “Now let’s show you the great spots in the woods for hunting and other spots to avoid. Some of the Ravagers out here have a tough time keeping it in their pants.”
Logan coughed and said something under his breath that had Kate laughing.
He didn’t get the joke, but Kellen didn’t mind. They walked, arm in arm, deeper into the woods. And he couldn’t contain his elation to be included, though he didn’t let either of them know.
He had a badass reputation to uphold, after all. Being the new guy, and a Lawlessscumat that, it wouldn’t do for him to look weak. He didn’t trust any of the Savages yet, but he sure did like a few of them.
Kate and Logan weren’t half bad.
In fact, they made him want more than mere skin contact.
Something that would be a disaster for all of them.
Chapter Twenty
Jesse and Logan had been keeping careful watch on Kellen for the past two weeks, and the stubborn bastard managed to say little and give nothing away unless Kate happened to cross his path.
