“It was pretty egotistical of Valerian to think they could solve the puzzle that others could not,” Brady murmured.
“True,” Oracle replied, “but he was proven correct in the end. In order to create the creature, it required a vampire and a witch who had access to a demon…and one other person.”
“Who?” asked Remy.
“A human,” Oracle said. “It was the one thing that never occurred to the others who attempted to create the creature.”
“Why not?” asked Carson.
Shrugging, Oracle said, “I am not positive but I believe it was because vampires regarded humans only as food, so no one thought of using one for any other purpose.”
“No…” Brady growled, “tell me it’s not true. My mate isnotthat creature!”
Lucius’ eyes widened in sudden understanding. “I can’t be…I’m a vampire!”
“Indeed you are,” Oracle agreed, “but one with unusual abilities.”
Brady thought a moment, his mind calculating the possibilities, before saying, “Wait a minute…Lucius was bitten by Valerian, turning him into a vampire. According to the prophecy, he needed blood from a witch and a demon, not just a vampire. So, if you’re correct about my mate, who…or maybe how was it done?”
“I’m a demon?” Lucius asked, his voice barely above a whisper.Oh, shit!, Being a demon is worse than being a vampire…and I thought that was bad.
“No, dear,” Oracle assured him, “youarea vampire…but you do have demon blood in you along with witch’s blood. To answer your question, Brady, Valerian didn’t turn Lucius that night. Instead, he gave your mate an injection of a powerful sedative, rendering him unconscious. Strix then took them back to the cellar of Valerian’s house in Spain where the next part of the experiment was conducted.”
“Which was?” growled Brady, tightening his arm around his mate.
“Strix had finally figured out he needed a human…and not a vampire or witch…in order to make the creature.”
“It’s a case of Lucius being in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Logan muttered.
“Unfortunately, yes,” Oracle said, before turning to Lucius. “Strix summoned a demon, forcing him to give him some blood. Then, mixing it with his blood and Xavier’s, he injected it into your body before Valerian finally bit you. The pain you remember was not only caused by your body morphing into a vampire, but from being altered to give you attributes of both the demon and the witch.” Oracle paused to let Lucius process what she’d said, before continuing. “As Brady well knows, dear boy, you suffered greatly during your transformation…it was much worse than what a human normally experiences when he is turned.”
Shaking his head, Lucius said, “That can’t be…I remember Valerian biting me in the alley.”
“Leelan…are you sure it was a bite and not the prick of a needle?” asked Brady.
Knitting his brows together, Lucius searched his memories of that night. They were buried deep in his mind; he’d spent years trying to forget his foolish decision on that Saturday—the one night he’d allowed himself to have fun; some respite from working at his job or helping his mother on their apple farm. And he’d regretted that decision ever since he awakened and realized what had happened. But it was all water under the bridge now, as his mother was so fond of saying.
Combing through his memories, he finally found the fateful night when the tall handsome man who singled him out and kept buying him drinks. When Valerian then suggested they go out back, he was all for it.How stupid I was…to think someone like him would be interested in me.
“Stop it,leelan,” Brady whispered in his ear. “Don’t assume blame for Valerian’s actions that night. He knew what he planned to do was evil…that’s all on him.”
Warmth filled Lucius at his mate’s words. He knew Brady was right, but it was still hard to expunge years of listening to his master ridiculing him for his foolishness at accepting the Valerian’s offer. Sighing, he pushed his negative thoughts aside and said, “I just remember a sharp pain before everything went black. When I finally regained consciousness and was able to speak, I asked Valerian what happened and that’s when he told me he’d bitten me. I just assumed the pain I felt was from that.”
“It wasn’t,” Brady replied.
“How can you be so sure?” asked Lucius.
“Because vampire bites don’t cause pain. By the time their fangs pierce skin, they have already assumed control of their victims’ minds, keeping them in thrall so they feel nothing,” Brady replied.
“I wasn’t bitten that night?” asked Lucius, looking first at his mate and then at Oracle.
“No, dear,” Oracle said softly. “Valerian lied to you about when he bit you, along with a great many other lies. Do not blame yourself…there was no way you could have known anything about vampires since you grew up as a human.”
“Leelan…Oracle is correct,” Brady said. “Valerian counted on your lack of knowledge of the paranormal world, confident that you wouldn’t be able to reject his lies. Always remember,youare the victim here. And if Valerian wasn’t already dead, I’d make sure he would be, by every means available to me.”
A shiver shot down Lucius’ spine at the thought of Valerian being anywhere near his mate. Raising his hand to Brady’s face, he ran his fingers down the side of it. “That means a lot to me, my love, but I’m thankful it won’t be necessary. Just the thought of the danger you’d be in if he decided to go after you… I wouldn’t want to…”
“Hush,leelan,” Brady crooned, wanting to sooth his mate. “He’s dead and can’t hurt either of us anymore.”
