Bane of Tenebris (Wolfgods Book 2) by Blaise Ramsay (i love reading books txt) 📕

Kain tilted his head in curiosity, waiting for his friend to continue. The last time Damien wanted to discuss such things, the young lycan came up with a plan which led to the lycans’ victory at the Circle of Stones. Here recently, Kain saw his friend becoming more distressed - his emotions a scrambled mess of fatigue and confusion.

“Damien, whatever it is that’s bothering you, you know you can tell me. I can see how stressed and upset you are. Tell me.” Kain encouraged Damien, taking on the air of the mentor Damien came to trust and believe in.

Damien glanced at his mentor in his peripheral. “It’s how Anthony seems to be going about things. He’s not flaunting his vampiric god-complex like Lilith did.”

“Interesting. What do you mean?” Kain listened intently as Damien described Anthony’s actions to be more like those of a modern-day mob boss.

Despite using Bard and his werewolves as an attempt to capture Kain’s attention, Anthony seemed to be methodical. He was avoiding the typical vampire tactics of outright attacking people or hunting mortals to frame the lycans, unlike Lillith who’d attack anyone without restraint.

“It seems like he’s using his influence in the human world to get to us, namely you,” Damien said putting his hand through his hair. “What does he want with you, Kain? All of this can’t be over the talon or he would’ve stolen it already.”

Theories swam in Kain’s mind. The way Barghast remained absent or did what he could to win Kain to his side gave a deeper meaning than just the talon. Why Anthony wanted Kain remained a mystery because Kain didn’t encounter the young vampire save for a few meetings.

“I do not know why Anthony wants my attention, Damien. If I did, I would tell you. You do have a point about his methods. The Cardozas are a powerful family with many followers and those loyal to them. Perhaps he has no need to use his darker influence.”

Damien lowered his head. “I spoke with my dad. He’s going to make arrangements for Gabriel, Cade, and Lune’s packs to stay in the motels. It’s hunting season and a mass influx of people won’t seem suspicious. Jill is sending the girls to stay with him and Sarah along with Ivy and Astrid.”

Kain took a moment to realize something. “Wasn’t Sarah your adopted mother’s name?”

Damien’s eyes creased into an uneasy gaze. “Yeah, I caught that too. I just hadn’t said anything to avoid hurting my old man. I doubt it’s registered or if it has, he’s not saying anything.”

Letting the uncomfortable matter drop, Kain continued, “When do you expect the other packs to arrive?”

“Gabriel sent me a text telling me they were on their way. Cade sent a howl last night and Lune was spotted moving down the river side with his pack. They should be here by tomorrow or the next day at the latest.”

The two men stood in silence until Damien broke it. “I’ve been thinking about pulling some modern tactics of my own. You’ve taught me to look for signs and to anticipate your enemy.”

Kain grinned a proud grin.

“I think we should try to get a hold of one of Anthony’s men. Someone we can beat the Sun’s hell out of to get information. If Anthony wants to play the mob card, then let’s play it.”

“Who do you have in mind?” Kain asked.

Damien picked up a nearby rock from one of the flowerbeds. He twirled it in his hand for a moment before crushing it into dust. “I want that bastard, Stoker Cromwell. I know he’s still alive. How else would Cardoza know where all our sacred sites are? I’m not done with making him pay for all the shit he put me through.”

Kain recalled the incident with Damien’s friend Chelsea. The young woman had been so overwhelmed with grief, she’d been lured into a trap and changed into a vampire. The result ended in tragedy.

In other encounters, Stoker nearly killed Damien, and had Jill not turned him, they wouldn’t be speaking.

“How do you propose getting to him?” Kain questioned, both curious and feeling the same way Damien was. “Odds are he has remained close to Anthony to avoid you.”

“Zane. The vampire who works for Desdemona. I don’t know what it is about him, but I feel like we can trust him. At the dinner, I want to ask Desdemona to have Zane get a hold of Cromwell. We’ll wait until he does and then he can have some time with me and you.” Damien picked up another rock and fiddled with it.

Silence resumed while Kain mulled over Damien’s plan to get a hold of Stoker. As far as guerrilla tactics, it was masterful. Interrogation was one of Kain’s specialties in the Blood Wars. It both excited him and made him angry looking forward to it.

A question lingered in Kain’s mind since Damien acted strangely to him not a few days ago. He could tell Damien hadn’t told him something. “Damien, since the fight with Bard, have you sensed anything in regards to the dark god?”

The fiddling stopped. While Damien gritted his teeth, Kain watched his eyes intently. It was as though the young lycan’s thoughts wandered to a corner of his mind he didn’t want Kain to go. A dark part Damien kept hidden.

A short moment passed then Damien looked up at Kain. “I hadn’t really seen anything. During the fight with Bard, when I gripped the claw, my mind was suddenly filled with what I thought were screams of agony. The damn thing moved under my claws like a worm on a hook. It disgusted me, honestly.”

“What did it feel like?”

Looking at his hand, Damien appeared to ponder how he might say what he wanted. “It felt like I was touching Barghast himself. Cold and dark with a slimy, leathery texture. I can’t think of any way to describe it.”

The disgusted look on Damien’s face while he spoke made Kain