As she ran down the hallways, she briefly wondered why she needed to get Kaj.
Then it hit her.
She came to an abrupt halt as she stepped into the tunnels that led from the mansion to the Lair.
Oliver.
The original vampire.
“Oh, my God.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
Kaj rubbed his eyes, trying to maintainhis focus on the computer screen in front of him.
Not an easy feat considering he fucking hated this shit.
Emails. Questions. Concerns.
What the fuck was he supposed to do about all this? It wasn’t like he could simply shoot off a quickSure, let’s do thatorHey, let’s get together and chat more about it.There had to be a precedent set, right? And where would he go to visit with these people making the requests? Not like he could show up on their doorstep and say, “Hey, I’m the Alpha. Want to chat?”
Nope.
Kardobahn had handled the task with grace and authority, but he’d also had an army of support. There had been significantly more Zenith, an abundance ofvestrahn, plus office staff and helpers galore. Kaj had never really considered all that his father had done, all the trips, not to mention risks, that he took. It had been Kaj’s responsibility to lead the Zenith, to protect the Alpha. And he’d spent all his time focused on that, ignoring the minutia of Kardobahn’s responsibilities.
The very same responsibilities that now rested firmly on his shoulders.
Had he known it would come down to this one day, Kaj would’ve spent more time with his father, learning the ropes.
Huh.
He hadn’t realized until just then that he actually wanted the responsibility, he wanted to lead the race. All this time, he’d considered it a burden, something forced upon him without his consent. But somewhere along the way, the shoes had started to fit, and he realized he didn’t want to pass the buck, so to speak. He didn’t want Khari to rule their species. Not because he suspected the original vampire wasn’t capable—although that was certainly in question considering where the male had been for the past who knew how long. No, Kaj wanted this for himself. He wanted to matter in the grand scheme of things. This was his place in the world and it was the first time he’d accepted it.
His gaze refocused on the computer screen. So how did Blaz expect him to respond?
Sighing, he was about to flop back in his chair when the doors to his office flew open, Acadia stumbling inside.
He was on his feet in an instant. “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know. It’s Bijou and Oliver. Something’s … wrong.”
His blood froze in his veins. “Is she hurt?”
Acadia shook her head. “Oh, God. No. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said it like that. Not her. She’s fine. It’s Oliver… He’s having another seizure.”
Fucking great.
Just what he didn’t need, that fucking ancient vampire getting antsy.
“Obsidian told me to come get you.”
Realizing she was out of breath because she had run over here, Kaj moved around his desk and pulled her into his arms. “Is Apollo with him?”
“Yes.”
“Then there’s nothing we can do. Not immediately. So take a deep breath, then we’ll head back over.”
She nodded, then leaned into him, her lungs working overtime.
