Roman cursed quietly as he made his way through camp. He'd dropped Katyia off at his tent, leaving Lucern to watch over her. He was in a heap of trouble. Once his body recognized the girl as his mate, it had gone into overdrive on the whole Neanderthal protection concept. Even now, he began to question if letting her near his uncle was the right thing to do. What if something happened? What if his plan backfired? Her needs were already pushing themselves ahead of everyone else's in his mind.

Right now, he needed to be thinking of his people first. Katyia stood as the only chance of gaining entrance into his uncle's stronghold. She'd be going up against other witches. Could he put her in that kind of danger? Every instinct he possessed screamed no.

A growl emanated from him, sending people in his path scurrying away. They knew to let him be when he was in a mood. He tended to take to the training grounds when in foul mood, but they hadn't set it up yet. They'd only arrived here yesterday morning and were still in the process of finding a permanent camp.

Roman pinched the bridge of his nose, a headache starting right behind his eyes. He did not need this right now. No. Maybe if he ignored it, stayed away from her until after he confronted his uncle? Could that work? His stomach cramped. His muscles seized and his breathing took on a ragged edge. He slowed, trying to get control of himself. He'd heard that trying to deny one's mate could cause physical pain, but he'd scoffed at the very idea. His body's reaction to trying to do just that confirmed otherwise. He couldn't deny her.

Dammit.

A sigh rumbled out and he turned around, heading back toward his mate. The pain thrumming through his body eased immediately. The problem was very few vampires found true mates. They were very much like humans in picking the people they spent the rest of their lives with. Because of the stigma attached to their kind, they had few choices available to them. Finding a true mate was rare. Many of them had forgotten the old lore about mates. Especially the physical link between the two.

He spotted Greggor showing some of the younger ones how to handle their swords. Even without a true training ground, Greggor could be counted upon to keep them on their feet. He grimaced. Greggor was going to have a field day with this information. He motioned to the man. Might as well get it over with.

A few minutes later, his brother joined him under the tree he lounged against. "What has you scowling so hard?" Greggor asked.

"I am up the proverbial creek without a paddle."

"What?" Greggor quirked a brow.

"The girl...Katyia. She's my mate."

"You're sure?" Greggor started at him, eyes wide with disbelief.

"Aye." Roman nodded, looking down at his clenched fists. "I'm sure."

"Congratulations!" Greggor slapped him on the back. "That is wonderful news."

"No, it's not," Roman barked. "How am I going to reconcile using her to get near my uncle and still keep her safe?"

"Oh."

"Yes, oh." Roman looked toward his tent, where the girl rested. Even now, the need to shield her overrode all else. "What the hell am I going to do?"

"Hell if I know." Greggor's foot kicked at a loose rock.

"Not helping."

"Does she know?"

Roman shook his head. "I didn't tell her. She just had her first real feeding. From someone she knew from home."

"That had to be hard on her."

"Aye. I think the woman had more to do with convincing her to feed than anything else."

"She has to eat." Greggor frowned.

"I'll feed her myself every day if I have to."

"That's not a good idea." Greggor nodded toward Roman's tent. "You know she needs fresh human blood to complete her turning. Our blood can't sustain her forever."

Another oddity that no one could explain. Roman was sure the answer as to why they all needed human blood had been lost over time, but it was something he'd love to know. Since the ravagers invaded their world, many things had been lost, lore turning to myth and legend.

"What should I do?" Roman turned to look at his brother. "Do I risk my mate for the chance to get our home back?"

"Your mate?"

Both men turned to see Delia standing behind them, a look of horror on her face. "That abomination is your mate?"

Roman turned, reaching his sister in a flash. He towered over her, his growl feral. "Yes, she is my mate. You will treat her as such. If I hear one more unkind word from your mouth, or if you should ever lay a finger on her either by your hand or another, you will be banished from this clan. Do you understand?"

Delia backed away, her eyes wild. "You wouldn't."

"She's my mate." His voice was flat, cold. The same voice he used to deal with any rule breaker in his clan. "No one will harm her."

"She's..."

"Don't." He stopped her before she said it. "I have spent the last few hours with her. She is not an abomination. I was with her during her first feeding just now. She stopped herself. Have you ever seen a newborn able to do that on their first feeding?"

"But it wasn't her first feeding, was it?" Anger blazed to life on her face. "She almost killed someone this morning."

"That wasn't her fault." Greggor stepped forward. "They brought her someone with the sweet sickness in the blood. She reacted like any new turn would. You know that, Delia."

"But..."

"No." Greggor interrupted her this time. "She is your brother's mate, your sister. You will respect her as such."

"And if she turns on us all?" Delia snarled. "What then?"

"Then you can say I told you so," Roman said, tired of her nonsense.

Delia's mouth opened, but she snapped it shut and marched off, her spine stiff with fury.

"That went well." Greggor smirked. "I don't think you've ever denied her anything."

"Maybe I should have done more of that." Roman sighed and stared after her. "I spoiled her, but after our parents, I just wanted her to feel safe and loved."

"I know. Doesn't mean it was the right thing to do, though."

Roman agreed. Delia was his one weak spot. His sister had been his only priority after their parents' death. He'd done everything to make her happy. That meant giving her what she wanted when she wanted. An indulgence that was now coming back to bite him in the ass. She would respect Katyia, though. Sister or no, if she harmed his mate, he'd have no choice but to banish her.

He shrugged. "She'll get over it."

Greggor looked thoughtful. "Have you spoken to Katyia yet about your uncle's stronghold?"

"Aye, but for a moment." His need to kiss her interrupted that particular conversation. "We never really got around to discussing it in detail. Her hunger surfaced."

"Ah," Greggor said. "Do you think she'll want to help us?"

"She said she would." He still didn't know if she'd said it in the heat of the moment or if she'd meant it.

"There you go," Greggor said. "She's already agreed."

He shot his brother a glare hot enough to scorch a desert. "Aye, but how can I put my mate in that kind of danger?"

"It's not up to you." Greggor faced him. "The choice lies squarely in her hands. If you try to control her, you'll end up losing her. I think that girl has had more than enough of being told what to do, of having her choices taken away from her. You do that to her, and she'll refuse you as her mate."

Damn. Greggor had a point. After all she'd suffered yesterday, she might not take too kindly to having anther choice taken from her. Given what he suspected about her stepmother, he wasn't sure he was willing to do that to her. Even if she wasn't his mate. Katyia had suffered enough for three lifetimes.

He rubbed his temples. The headache intensified. A mate was not something he needed right now. Damn Fate for doing this to him right when he was in a position to attain all his goals.

"This is a good thing, Roman." Greggor laid a hand on his shoulder. "Finding a mate is something we all dream about. You've found yours. Don't agonize over decisions that don't need to be made today. Let the girl get used to being in her new life. Hell, getting used to your surly disposition is going to be enough for her deal with as it is."

"I am not surly." He might be. He could admit that much to himself.

"Uh huh." Greggor rolled his eyes and slapped him on the back. "I'm sure she'll still fall for you."

That gave Roman pause. Just because they were mates didn't mean she had to accept him. Hell, she could refuse him. He was a hard man, cold to a certain degree. How to make her see the better side of himself he kept buried? He suspected she had already glimpsed parts of it without him knowing based on her words from earlier. He didn't romance women, though. They served a purpose in his life, but he'd never tried to make one fall in love with him. How did he even begin?

He shook his head again. Why did he care if she fell for him or not? It would be easier if she refused him. His life would remain as it was, a path leading to avenging his family and providing for his people.

Perhaps he should continue to be cold? That would ensure she'd refuse him. Would that cut the physical bond between them if she didn't want him? Or would he go through the rest of his life trying to break it, always in pain?

So many questions with no real answers. He needed to work off some stress. A good fight would be just the trick.

"Let's go put together a makeshift training field and teach our young ones how to fight."

***

Katyia yawned and rubbed her eyes. Rolling, her face rubbed up against a scratchy surface. A stiff, coarse blanket appeared to be the culprit. She looked around and found herself not waking from some nightmare, but knee deep in a reality she hadn't asked for.

And one where everyone wanted her dead.

She should have expected that, though, given how she herself felt about her tainted blood. Her first instinct had been to take her own life. How could she be offended at everyone else for thinking the same thing she had?

Not that she had given up on that plan. She might still rid the world of the abomination she'd become, but first she'd see Oliva brought to her knees. Her mind rolled around to the problem of the wards protecting their sector. If Nicolette truly wasn't powerful enough to pass the test set forth by the First Regent, then her people were left open to a massacre.

Becoming Regent was all Nicolette had been groomed for. Katyia had never even considered becoming Regent. Since she was a small child, she'd been cautioned to hide her magic. After a while, it was impossible to do that, but she'd learned to dumb down her capabilities. Maybe her father knew what her mother was capable of doing if she found out how strong Katyia's magic really was? Then why would he suggest she take Nicolette's place? He had to have known the kind of rage that would spark inside Olivia.

Questions plagued her. When she thought of Ivan, her vision blurred. Her father's betrayal hurt more than anything else. Oliva had crushed her with the knowledge of how she truly felt, but her father's actions nearly killed her. Her heart lay shattered inside the empty shell that she'd become. How could he have let them take her? Why hadn't he come to see her, at the very least?

Because he cared more for his legitimate children than he did for her. That answer echoed inside her heart. Katyia had never felt that from him, but his actions spoke louder than any words he'd ever said to her. Did he love her? Yes, in his own way, she knew he did. But he didn't love her enough to save her from becoming a bloodthirsty monster. He gave her up to them without a fight.

Admitting her father's weakness caused Katyia more pain. She'd looked up to him as a child, but she couldn't ignore what he'd done. Not only to her, but to their people. Weak. To her, he'd been invincible, all that was good and right in the world. He'd made her feel special. Thinking back now, she realized it was more her putting him up on a pedestal than him actually being perfect. All little girls wanted to think their papas were gods. Sadly, her bubble got busted in the worst way when it came to her father's image.

How would her sister feel if she had to give up the role of Regent? Especially to Katyia? Olivia would poison Nicolette against her if that happened. Her sister might hate her forever. At least she'd be safe, though. They'd all be safe. Katyia had no doubts she'd pass the tests. She'd known that for a long time, but it never mattered. The role belonged to her sister.

As she'd told Roman, her sister deserved the chance to attempt the test. Roman. The man's name set off a shiver in her. Good God, could he kiss. She sighed with the memory. She could still feel the touch of his lips against hers. Her fingers ran over her lips, relishing the memory. For a man of few words, and harsh ones when he did speak them, he could bring a girl to her knees with his touch.

Katyia didn't know what to make of Roman. One minute he was all angry and rude, the next full of concern and compassion. Some kind of switch seemed to have flipped with him. She'd felt a change in him even before he kissed her. She couldn't define it, but he wasn't as mean to her as before. She got a strong vibe from him, one that almost reeked of him caring about her. That couldn't be right, though. He'd only met her yesterday.

He wanted everyone to think of him as some hard ass, but the truth said otherwise. She saw bits and pieces of the brokenhearted little boy who grieved for his parents. She saw a man out to protect his people, a man born out of fire and rage and grief. The real man was lost in all that mess of emotions. She hoped one day she'd get to meet him.

When it came to Roman, her emotions were all over the place. She blamed him to a certain degree for her current situation. If he hadn't come to her father and made his proposal for protection, Olivia wouldn't have had the opportunity to dispose of Katyia as she'd done. Then again, if Roman hadn't been in the area, she wouldn't have survived the ravager attack. She owed him her life. Three times now. If it weren't for his words, she would still be plotting ways to die. He gave her a purpose that grew stronger with every moment. She would protect her people.

Not that he didn't have his own reasons for wanting her alive. He needed her to help him break into his uncle's stronghold. She needed to see the place, test its magic. She wasn't even sure she could do what he wanted. Her magic might be strong, but she'd never been formally trained like Nicolette had. No point in hiding her magic if they could see everything she could do in lessons. Her father had never given her lessons. What she knew, she'd learned to do on her own and by studying Nicolette's books when no one was around. She feared what Roman wanted was out of her depth.

She wouldn't know until she got a good whiff of the magic guarding the place. Getting away from this camp and the judgmental eyes would be a bonus. On the walk back, she'd felt the eyes staring her down. She hated feeling like an albatross.

If she were honest with herself, she'd felt like that all her life. She'd never understood as a child why her father had only visited them once a month before the attack. Oh, even as a child, she knew about his other children. It had always made her feel left out, like she wasn't as loved. Once she came to live at the palace, that feeling went away around her father. He included her. Her brothers and Nicolette had welcomed her. It was only Olivia who had treated her like an interloper. She'd done her best to earn the woman's love, but that wasn't to be.

Maybe getting away from this place, giving her time to come to terms with herself, would help her more than anything else.

With that thought, she pulled herself up off the bed and went in search of the brute.