Blood Bond by Kit Tunstall

winter, challenging
Rica. Lucian’s father was killed too. They tried to steal leadership of the
Pack. Rica did what was necessary.”
    She gasped. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
    Lucian wasn’t looking at her when he
answered the question she had asked Sorin. “It wasn’t that important.”
    Starr shook her head. “How can you say
that? They were your family. You didn’t get a chance to reconcile with them
before their deaths.”
    Lucian turned to look at her. “They didn’t
act like our family, Starr. My father and Belia turned their backs on us when
they discovered our relationship and intent to seek out a vampire to form a
blood-bond. We did our mourning when we left Necheau. We’ve been dead to our
families the last six years, so what does it matter if they are now dead to
us?”
    She turned to look at Sorin, searching his
face for signs that he held a different sentiment. His expression bordered on
glacier. “Sorin, surely—“
    He frowned. “You should understand how it
is. Look how your parents reacted when you formed a blood-bond with us.”
    Starr flinched at the reminder of how
narrow-minded her own parents were. Rather, her mother. Her father had just
followed his wife’s lead. Starr’s mother was one of the few vampires who
believed in maintaining pure bloodlines. She saw no advantage in gaining the
ability to transform into a wolf by bonding with a werewolf. To her, that
merely weakened pure vampire blood.
    When Starr refused to break the bond
forming with Sorin and Lucian, her parents had moved from the castle and turned
their backs on her. Their only contact these days was through stiff letters and
an occasional meeting when Starr ventured into Bulgainia. The separation
bothered Starr, but she knew there was no way to bridge the gap. Like Sorin and
Lucian, she had made her choice long ago and must live with it. Still, she
didn’t think she could be so blasé about either of her parents dying.
    The reality of how short time was, even for
a vampire, hit her. She reached for Sorin, touching his arm. “What about your
sister? Don’t you want to get to know her again?”
    He shrugged. “I never really knew her at
all, and from what I remember, she allowed Mother to rule her life. She was
twelve when I was banished. I doubt she remembers anything of me at all. When
we returned to Necheau eighteen months ago to deal with the anthropologist, Lia
didn’t even look at me.”
    She could see the way they were withdrawing
from her and knew it was time to drop the subject. She wouldn’t give up trying
to get Lucian and Sorin to approach the Pack again, since things had changed in
the werewolf community with the arrival of the anthropologist who became
Lupina, but now wasn’t the time. She didn’t want to spend a moment of their
short month together wasted on angry words or bitter feelings.
     
    * * * * *
    To her frustration, Sorin and Lucian
refused to give her even a hint of what they had planned for later as the day
wore on. They kept her in a constant state of suspense, and it was with a
feeling of aggravation that she stood by the fireplace later that night,
watching Sorin and Lucian disrobe. She had already removed her clothing and now
walked to the bed.
    “No,” Sorin said. “Not there.”
    She looked up at him, posed to question his
words, but her eyes fell on something Lucian held. It was thin and red. “What’s
that?”
    He tossed it to her, nodding when she
caught it nimbly. “Tie that around your hips and come outside. Don’t wear
anything else.”
    “Not even shoes,” Sorin added, as he walked
to the door and opened it. Before exiting, he winked at her. “Don’t keep us
waiting too long. The moon won’t be full forever.”
    Lucian followed him out before she had a chance
to question either of them. Starr stared down at the scrap of silk in her hands
and slowly stretched it out. It was a scarlet sash. She frowned, realizing
there was something significant about the garment, but