Lorn (VLG #3) Read online

  Lorn

  VLG – Book Three

  Vampires, Lycans, Gargoyles

  By Laurann Dohner

  Lorn by Laurann Dohner

  Being raised among a race of half-breed Vampires and Lycans has been far from easy for Kira. VampLycans despise humans—and her mother’s human blood runs deep in Kira’s veins. Unable to shift, having few VampyLycan traits at all, Kira is denied acceptance from the clan…and the love of the man she’s wanted since childhood. A little girl’s crush that’s bloomed into a desire so strong, it threatens to consume her. Suffering the pain of Lorn someday finding a mate is not an option.

  With their evil clan leader, Decker Filmore, currently on the run, it’s the perfect time for Kira to escape; to leave Alaska behind and attempt happiness elsewhere. Just one more day, and she’s gone for good.

  Lorn has a difficult decision to make, one that will change not only his life, but the lives of everyone he knows. He’s been asked to take control of his clan. With Decker gone, the time for such a drastic power play is now. It’s a responsibility Lorn has never wanted—but the choice is made for him when Kira is unexpectedly attacked, changing her in a way that should mean her death. Now, he’ll do what it takes, kill whoever he has to, to keep her from being executed under clan law.

  If he can defeat his enemies and gain leadership, Lorn will change all the rules for Kira—or die trying.

  Dedication

  Always and forever, my thanks to my wonderful husband.

  I’d also like to thank Kelli Collins. She ROCKS as an editor.

  Kele Moon - The best friend a person could have and a fantastic author.

  VLG Series List

  Drantos

  Kraven

  Lorn

  Lorn by Laurann Dohner

  Copyright © May 2016

  Editor: Kelli Collins

  Cover Art: Dar Albert

  eBook ISBN: 978-1-944526-16-0

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal, except for the case of brief quotations in reviews and articles.

  Criminal copyright infringement is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is coincidental.

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Lorn - VLG – Book Three

  By Laurann Dohner

  Chapter One

  The party was about to start. The mating ceremonies were always a depressing event to Kira, a reminder of what she’d never have. She ducked her head to avoid eye contact with the guests as she passed through the main area of the community lodge, her grip firm on her shotgun. She’d have slipped out the basement door but too many people had gathered at the back of the building, so she’d taken the stairs to the main floor, hoping to avoid most of the guests. The side-door exit loomed.

  “Not so fast,” her father ordered.

  Her spine stiffened and she turned, watching him come out of the kitchen area. He walked directly over to her.

  “I want you back before nightfall and inside.” His voice lowered. “Some of them might get a little frisky once this ends. They’ll be drinking heavily tonight.”

  Anger burned slow and steady as she carefully chose her words. “I know my place.” She lifted her chin to stare into blue eyes very similar to her own. Remorse was easy to read as she studied his expression but it didn’t change the harsh facts of her life. “So do they.” She glanced at some of the men gathered to wait for the happy couple to arrive before looking at her father again. “Decker always made his wishes very clear. I’m not worthy of their precious time.”

  A muscle in her father’s jaw twitched and his own anger shone through as his voice deepened. “It’s not fair that you should pay for my mistakes.”

  Her childhood flashed through her mind. The pain must have shown because he suddenly reached out and cupped her chin, forcing her to keep eye contact.

  “You are the best thing that ever happened to me…but I know it’s been difficult for you here. I just meant that you shouldn’t have to pay for the choice I made to return to Alaska. I loved your mother. Not a day passes when I don’t miss her and wish she were still at my side.”

  Hot tears burned behind her eyes. “You never should have brought me here after she died.”

  “I was alone, and I had no idea if you’d be safe anywhere else. You were just an infant. I wasn’t sure what traits you’d inherit.”

  It was an argument they’d had a hundred times, one she wished to avoid repeating. “I know, and I understand that.” She tried to withdraw from his hold.

  “It was to protect you. Kira…your mother and I couldn’t foresee that a teenager would decide to rob that store, or that he’d panic when the police arrived and shoot people. Her life was gone before I could reach her.” Pain laced his voice and showed in his eyes. “I was in mourning and didn’t know what else to do. You were all I had and I wanted you protected, regardless of the costs of coming back to this clan. You were safest being raised here—”

  “Stop.” She jerked hard and freed her face. “I don’t blame you for no one accepting me. That’s on them. I have to go, Dad. I have to patrol and protect while everyone else has a life.”

  “Damn it, Kira.” He invaded her personal space and wrapped his big hands around both of her arms. “You were away from here when you went to college. I wish you’d have stayed there.”

  “You know I didn’t have a choice in the matter.” She studied his chest to avoid eye contact. “Decker sent that enforcer to order me home. We both know Boon would have killed me if I’d refused to do Decker’s bidding. Your clan leader is ruthless.”

  “Ours,” he corrected.

  She glared up at her father. “No. I’ve never been a part of this community. I’m a weakling, an unfortunate mistake, or a dozen other derogatory titles your people have stuck me with over my lifetime.” She took a deep breath. “I’m mostly a liability unless I make myself useful enough to keep earning the right to live. I need to go. I have a job to do.”

  His voice lowered and he glanced around to make certain no one in the room was close enough to overhear what he had to say. “Decker pissed off the wrong clans and lost loyalty with some of our own after he kidnapped that child. Our future is up in the air. Maybe you should leave, baby.” His blue gaze narrowed when he looked at her. “I want you to pack your bags tomorrow morning and I’ll drive you to the airport when I go for supplies. You’ll be long gone before anyone realizes what’s happened.”

  A lump formed in her throat but she swallowed it down. “I could never come back, and who’s to say Decker won’t order me killed for running? He’s not going to just disappear forever. We’re not that lucky.”

  “Who is he going to send? His most trusted enforcers are protecting his ass, and the loyal ones he left behind are too busy intimidating everyone to try to keep things exactly the way they were. This is the best time for you to go. We’ll talk about it tonight.” He released her. “Be home and locked inside the basement before dark. Promise me.”

  “I will.”

  She stepped around
him, her thoughts in turmoil. It was a good time to flee Alaska. She’d have to change her name to get lost somewhere in the lower states. It meant she’d never see anyone from her clan again, including her father. Pain gripped her as she rushed out the side door, down the porch steps, and rounded the large lodge she’d been raised in. Their two-bedroom basement apartment wasn’t much but it afforded her and her father some privacy from the clan.

  The wall of solid mass she slammed into came as a surprise and two big hands caged her hips. The shotgun nearly slipped from her grasp and she jerked her head up to discover who she’d walked into.

  The most beautiful gray eyes she’d ever seen stared back at her. He was over a foot taller at six-five, compared to her five feet four. His hair fell in pale waves to the top of his massive shoulders. The lips she’d dreamed of kissing tightened into a firm, grim line.

  He was the last person she wanted to see. It always hurt.

  “Hi, Lorn.”

  “Who are you in such a rush to get away from?” He had a deep, titillating voice that always caused her lower belly to quiver. His intense gaze lifted away from hers to study the area behind her back. “Is someone chasing you?”

  She inwardly winced at the slight growl his tone took on. They used to play together as children and he’d always been protective of her. That was possibly the reason she’d fallen in love with him. It also could have been because he was extremely handsome, a really nice guy, and hadn’t treated her as though she were defective in any way.

  Of course, all that changed when they’d hit their teens. His hormones had kicked in and she’d been forbidden to him. Their friendship had ended at that point, only followed by occasional run-ins that left her grieving for what might have been if he’d loved her back.

  “I’m just late for work.”

  He adjusted his hold on her hips. His long, strong fingers curved around the top of her ass and he dug his thumbs into her soft lower belly. More butterflies fluttered inside her stomach and she only hoped her scent wouldn’t change. The fantasies she’d had about Lorn over the years were kind of pathetic, in her opinion, since he’d never make love to her, but her body didn’t listen to reason. It just wanted what her heart did, the man in front of her.

  He stared deeply into her eyes. “But the ceremony is about to begin. You have to patrol?”

  She pressed her lips together, took a second to answer, then just decided to be blunt. “It’s not as if I was invited to join in the festivities.”

  He didn’t seem to like her response because he scowled. “It’s almost evening. You shouldn’t be working in the dark.”

  “It’s my second shift of the day. This one is only for a few hours. Poachers have been breaching our territory in the south sector. The weather has been nice enough that some of the more brazen idiots have felt the need to climb fences. I’ve been flashing the badge at them to make them leave. I just have to run a perimeter check in the section I was assigned and then come right back.”

  His gaze lowered down her front to the necklace badge that hung between her breasts. “I wasn’t aware they made your job official. I just thought you patrolled close to home. You’re working near the fences?”

  That hurt. He didn’t even attempt to keep tabs on her. “Yes. Veso thought I’d be more intimidating with a badge to scare trespassers off. Just shooting people would draw too much attention when someone reported them missing.” She forced a smile. “Plus, I’m not big on murder. I have no problems defending the clan but most of these jerks are just morons looking for a good time. They take off the instant I mention a five-year prison sentence for trespassing on protected land, and don’t return.”

  “I don’t like you dealing with outsiders. They’re unstable and dangerous.”

  It was almost sad how touched she was over his concern. “I can take care of myself.”

  His gaze fixed on the shotgun. “With that?”

  “Yes. I’m a decent shot, and it’s not the only weapon I have.”

  He released her and stepped back. Heat seemed to infuse her from head to foot as those amazing eyes of his seemed to slowly study every inch of her. Pathetic, she reminded herself. He doesn’t want me. He never has and he never will.

  He finally halted his visual examination when he gazed back into her eyes. “Where?”

  “I have a gun holster on my ankle and a hunting knife along my back. It’s about as close to a sword as I can conceal.” She tilted her head to the side and shoved her hand into the opening of her loose shirt at her nape to grip the handle and ease it upward enough for him to see. She pushed it back into the sheath strapped onto her body. “I also trained with Veso.”

  Anger lines appeared around his mouth. “I heard.”

  “Yeah. He’s kind of a jerk but he’s an excellent instructor. All those bruises were worth it. I’m a skilled fighter now.”

  “Bruises?” Lorn snarled.

  It astonished her how he reacted.

  “He hurt you?”

  Lorn definitely seemed livid, and it wasn’t just the snarling that gave the emotion away. His eyes changed slightly as they began to eerily glow. With the gray irises, they appeared to almost turn white.

  “I’m mostly human.” It was a reminder she was certain he didn’t need. No one in the clan would ever allow her to forget it. “He wasn’t purposely trying to hurt me. I deal with human men on patrol when they breach the fences. He wanted to make sure I was tough enough to win if they ever disarmed me in battle.”

  “What else did he teach you?”

  Chills ran up her spine and she sensed danger. Rage poured from him with enough force that even the hairs along her arms and at the back of her neck prickled. “Lorn?”

  She peered up at him with curiosity, rather than fear. She didn’t believe for a second that he’d attack her, despite the menacing body language. He was a born predator, one of the deadliest in the clan, but they’d played together for years as children. There’d been plenty of times they’d argued but he’d never once swiped at her with his claws.

  He turned his head and took a deep breath, expanding that impressive chest even more. He’d always been big, but in his teens, he’d packed on a lot of muscle. He finally looked back at her.

  “You should go patrol.”

  “Yeah.” She paused though. “Are you okay?” It wasn’t like him to express such a range of emotions. He was usually very calm and unreadable.

  It was a bad idea, she knew better, but she still rested her hand on his blue shirt near his heart. Warmth from his body seeped through to her palm and fingers. “Is something wrong?” She’d braved doing something reckless like touching him only because they used to be very close. “You can still talk to me. Anything you say will stay between us.”

  His big hand wrapped around the back of hers so fast she startled, and she expected him to tear it away from his chest. To touch a clan member who wasn’t family or a very close association wasn’t permitted—unless they had to grab you for some reason. Like to keep you from falling over if you walked into them, as Kira had. Decker had made that law. His touch had been warranted but hers hadn’t.

  It was a surprise when he just clasped her hand to keep it in place.

  It was stunning when he actually stepped closer and lowered his head to peer at her. “I’m under a lot of stress.”

  “I’m certain the other clan leaders are aware that not everyone knew what Decker had planned. I can’t see them attacking us.”

  “It’s more than that. My brother was ordered to go visit a Lycan pack last week, and while there, he found his mate. She’s handling some family matters first but then he’ll bring her here to claim.”

  Her heart felt ripped out of her chest.

  Lorn’s father had helped write their clan laws, and would insist his sons follow them. Some were downright barbaric. Lorn didn’t need to say more.

  Lavos was younger—Lorn would be expected to mate before his brother could.

  Kira forgot ho
w to breathe. The idea of the man she loved tying himself to someone else for life actually made her sway as her knees threatened to give way.

  “Kira?”

  She recovered but closed her eyes, lowering her chin to her chest so he couldn’t see her emotions. “I need to go,” she whispered. “I promised my father I’d be home before dark.” She tried to jerk her hand away but his grip only tightened to the point he easily could have broken bones.

  “Look at me.”

  She couldn’t do it. He’d see the tears she tried to suppress.

  He suddenly gripped her face and forced head up. It was so surprising, she opened her eyes. His widened in response as she blinked rapidly to clear her vision of the tears.

  “You care,” he rasped.

  She tried to turn her head but he refused to allow her that dignity. She did lower her gaze. It was pure torture forming the questions when she knew the answers could possibly cause more pain. “Do you know who? Did you find your true mate?”

  “No.” He paused. “My father insists I mate now. He sent word to another VampLycan clan and they found a candidate. There’s a woman who lost her true mate to death before they bonded. She’s desperate enough to agree to settle with me.”

  Kira couldn’t bring herself to ask him if he found the woman beautiful. Most of the clan women were. It was in their bloodlines. The men were always sought after for their strength but the women were pursued for their beauty. They made for handsome children who grew into striking adults in the VampLycan culture. It wasn’t much different for Vampires. They appreciated attractiveness and only turned others they found beautiful. It would be a given that whoever the woman was, she’d want Lorn. Not only was he handsome but he was big, strong, and had gained a reputation of not being someone to mess with. Any prospective mate would appreciate all those traits.