Zed's Dishonest Mate by Sydney Lain Page B

didn’t care about either, but too many secrets surrounded Luka.
    “It’s not a secret among the elves. I’m only telling you in case it helps, but please keep this part to yourself. What I told you before is true, but this is pure speculation.” Avery paused while trying to think of the right words. “I don’t know why King Kane adopted a child. Some say he didn’t have a choice. Others think he did it to shut up our elders. But if you know our king, then you’d know he doesn’t care and wouldn’t be forced into adopting a child. Until examining him, I didn’t know the prince had human blood. One of his parents was most likely a human.”
    Zed was equally confused. The Kane he knew would never adopt anyone. The situation made less and less sense. There was one question he needed to know. “If Luka was adopted, what happened to his parents?”
    “There are two stories. One story says that his parents sold him to the king and the other story says that the king murdered his real family. No one really knows. The only thing we know is that Luka is not the king’s biological son.”
    Zed clenched his fist. He had a feeling that it would be a while before Luka trusted him with the truth. “Thank you. Yavin will take you home.”
    “I want to see Luka again to make sure he’s healing properly. Also, his human blood will respond to your bites. If he’s in pain, your saliva entering his system will speed the healing process. Luka isn’t human or elf but a mixture of the two. His reactions to magic and healing will be different because of his mixed heritage.”Avery turned and headed for the door.
    Zed watched Avery leave the apartment. He turned and walked back to the bedroom. Luka slept peacefully. Zed pushed a piece of hair away. His soft breathing and relaxed face was addicting. Zed could sit in this room all day just watching Luka sleep. The vampire prince wasn’t stupid. There were a lot more secrets being kept from him. His mate was surrounded by mystery. Nothing made sense, but it didn’t matter that much. No matter what, he’d protect his mate. Nothing was going to hurt Luka again.

Chapter Five
     
    Luka opened his eyes. The heaviness in his arms and legs confused him. The darkness left him uneasy. He always slept with the lights on. Bad things happened in the darkness. The pitch black kept him from seeing. His body shook as he tried to move to the side of the bed. A scream from the past replayed in his head. He covered his ears, knowing the sound wasn’t real, but an echo from another time.
    His leg caught on the blanket. He pulled it the wrong way. It still hurt. Not the painful stab, but a slight sting.
    “Awake?” Zed asked.
    Slowly, the memories came back. He had met Zed. His vampire mate hated him and wanted nothing to do with him. Luka wanted to cry, but he learned long ago that it didn’t help in situations like this. A blur still existed in his mind. The last thing he remembered was the doctor’s visit.
    “I can’t see.” Luka’s voice quivered. Someone moved toward him. He closed his eyes and pulled both legs up into his chest. If the person was angry, the smaller he made the target the better the outcome.
    The lamp next to the bed clicked on. Luka squinted. The light hurt as it filled the room.
    “Calm down. No one’s going to hurt you.” Zed reached out to touch his shoulder.
    He cringed and tried to move his body away.
    Zed didn’t stop his approach. He gently rested a large hand on Luka’s shoulder. He moved toward his neck and lightly massaged it.
    “How are you feeling?”
    He rolled his eyes. “Like a tractor-trailer ran me over. Thanks for asking.”
    The sarcastic words had a mind of their own. He didn’t want to come off that way, but he couldn’t help it. He felt vulnerable and weak and when he felt vulnerable and weak, he lashed out. He lashed out a lot. No wonder Zed hated him.
    “Well, at least your personality hasn’t changed. A simple thank you might be more