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All the missing pieces started to fit together. Five years ago, a container had arrived by ship to the port, filled with rogue vampires, feral shifters, dark mages, and summoned-trapped demons.

Dante’s enemies from across the vast ocean had sent the container ahead of their own arrival, thinking that by the time they arrived, Dante and his clan would have been wiped out.

Like Dante would be so easily taken out.

His clan was the most powerful in the world for a reason. They’d fought wars for each other. Claimed territory and grown the clan to one recognized by Dante’s name. That came with enemies, some of his own kind, and more from other supernatural beings.

Dante had gotten lax. He could admit that now. Choosing to settle in Eureka centuries ago had allowed Dante to hold his claim over the city. He had to deal with local supernaturals but none of them had shown more than a passing interest in taking control from him.

It hadn’t been the local supernaturals that had come for him. Self-appointed King Isiah from a different continent had thought he could take what belonged to Dante.

By the time that the clan had gotten word about the attacks taking place on the streets of his city, there had already been innocents killed.

Dante had sent every clan member, called in favors owed by the wolves, mages, and human government. It had only taken a couple hours for Dante to get control back of his city. Capturing a few of the rogue vampires had resulted in answers as to why they attacked and who had sent them. Dante had returned every piece they could recover of the attackers and sent them back to King Isiah with a message.

Next time send more

And that should have been the end of it.

The wolves had taken the humans injured by shifters, mages had healed those they could, the bodies of humans drained had been buried. Dante thought that he’d covered all their bases.

In the days and weeks after the attack, they’d checked in with the city residents. Made sure no one needed help while also giving them a potion cooked up to make the humans forget all about that night.

They’d obviously missed someone.

Carver.

He must have been turned that night. Probably drained and meant to die but Carver was a fighter. Of course he would fight to live. The rogue that turned Carver was probably killed not long after draining Carver.

“He’s been alone all this time,” Dante said softly. “He didn’t have anyone.”

“He has his friends. Two of them. I haven’t seen either of them but I can hear them inside.”

“Humans?” Dante inquired.

“As far as I can tell.” Yulian cleared his throat. “I informed you what I overheard.”

“It’s vague,” Dante hedged.

“It’s a clear threat to you,” Yulian argued.

Dante wanted to deny it. Knowing more about Carver’s situation explained so much. The half-starved baby vamp not knowing anything about their kind. The scent of deceit that layered over Carver’s entire body. Carver was doing what he thought was right. Dante couldn’t fault the boy for that. “He doesn’t know what he’s doing.”

“It won’t matter what I say. You’re going to save him.” Yulian didn’t sound surprised or even all that bothered making the statement.

“Carver belongs to me,” Dante declared.

“How can you be so sure?” Yulian asked. “I’m not questioning you, sir. I am truly curious.”

Dante took his attention from the house for the first time since he arrived. Yulian was still staring ahead with tense shoulders. The bond between them thrummed lightly. This answer mattered to Yulian.

“You always seem sure. Like when you invited me into the clan. You didn’t even know me back then. I was just an angry vampire taking out my frustrations on the world around me.”

Yulian’s words had a smile coming to Dante’s mouth with the memory of a younger Yulian. Dante and his much smaller clan at the time had been crossing Russia, trying to get out of the territory before full winter fell and they were trapped without any food sources.

It was not an understatement to say that Yulian had been more than just angry. Yulian’s sire had been an absolute bastard of a man. Yulian’s sire used and abused the children that he’d sired and for some reason Yulian took the bulk of his sire’s hate.

One look at Yulian and Dante had known that Yulian belonged by his side. Stepping forward, Dante grasped the back of Yulian’s neck and yanked him close until their foreheads were pressed together.