The Blood Moon Twins
Chapter 140

REMY

I glanced over at the boy sitting at the kitchen table with Harper. She was trying to teach him how to draw. Apparently, he had never had any opportunities for something like that before, so he wasn't familiar with the process.

Rido, that was his name.

I turned back to the conversation at hand, forcing myself to look away from the boy that resembled Blade too much.

"Are you sure he's not dangerous?" my dad asked. He hadn't had time to scold the others for leaving against his wishes yet. Rido had distracted us all.

"He doesn't seem to be," Blade said. Then he corrected, "At least he doesn't have any ill intention towards us, unless he's an extremely good actor for his age. Vampire children can get a little crazed at times, since they don't fully understand how to control their powers."

"Is it a good idea to keep him here?" my mom asked. "What if he is just a good actor?"

I glanced at Harper, who was smiling as she spoke to Rido. She seemed completely relaxed with him, which was good. He had been glued to her hip ever since they arrived.

"He was alone," Caulder said, pleading with our parents. "If you had seen him in that place, so dirty and alone, you would've brought him with you, too. I don't care if he's dangerous. He's just a child, and no child deserves to be left alone."

I swore I saw Rido's ears twitch at Caulder's statement. I wouldn't have been surprised if he heard every word we were saying, despite our hushed tones. He had the ears of a vampire, after all. He didn't act like he was listening, but I know I would have been clinging onto every word in his situation.

"You're right. He's just a child. We can't kick him out," my dad agreed. "But he is not to be left alone for a minute. We'll create a rotation for who is watching him and when."

"I can take care of him at night, when others are sleeping. I can also show him how to hunt animals for blood," Blade said.

Blade hadn't said much to me since he arrived back, but there wasn't much opportunity for him to speak to me, since they were all swarmed seconds after they got back to the pack house. I knew something spooked him while he was gone. I could see it in the way he tried to take up as little space as he could. As soon as we had a moment to ourselves, I would ask him what was up, but not in front of people like this.

"I promise I won't hurt anyone," Rido said, not even bothering to turn away from the paper he was running a purple marker over. He was listening to every word we said.

Everyone looked at him and then at each other, trying to figure out how to handle the situation. Caulder was the first one to make a move. He crossed the room and knelt by the table next to Rido on the opposite side of Harper.

"I know you don't want to hurt anyone, but we need you to be patient with us, okay? Just like you don't know us, we don't know you. It's going to take time to build trust." Caulder's eyes were bright and patient as he spoke to the child. He was a natural at it. He would make a great father one day, but I hoped that was several years in the future. We still felt too young for that kind of responsibility.

Rido set down the marker and looked at Caulder. "Like it takes time to build an army?"

"An army?" Caulder repeated, fishing for information.

Rido hummed in response before grabbing another color and continuing his drawing.

When he didn't elaborate, Harper asked, "What made you compare it to an army?"

"Draven kept saying it was going to take time to build his army up enough. He didn't know I was listening. If he did, he would have..." Rido's voice trailed off, and his hand stilled. "Draven kept talking about building an army."

This wasn't a surprise. After we took out so many of his vampires, he would have been weak. If he wanted to destroy us, he would need more bodies.

Blade turned to my dad. "If Draven is building an army, he is probably turning humans in mass to create the number of vampires he needs. New vampires are more crazed and unpredictable, so they can be more dangerous. They are weaker, though. It could be to our advantage if we prepare properly."

"Do you know how to fight against vampires like that?" my dad asked.

"Yes. I can add that to my training regimen," Blade said. His eyes were glued to Rido, and I could see the questions burning behind them.

"Are you training to fight a war against Draven?" Rido asked. He never took his eyes away from the paper in front of him. He pulled the marker in random directions, switching from zig-zags to circles. He wasn't creating any particular image, but he seemed mesmerized by each addition to the paper.

My dad crossed the room and took a seat in front of Rido. He interlaced his fingers and lowered his head to try to catch Rido's attention. When Rido lifted his eyes, my dad said, "I haven't formally introduced myself to you. I'm Alpha Mark. I'm in charge of this wolf pack."

He offered his hand to Rido, but the kid didn't move. He watched my dad carefully.

"Draven has threatened my family," my dad continued, lowering his hand. "He tried to take Remy, my daughter over there, from me. I know you have been with Draven's coven your entire life, but we do plan on fighting him. If there's anything you can tell us about Draven or his plans, it would really help me protect my family."

Rido's chest rose and fell as he considered my dad's words. "Draven is threatening your family?"

"He is."

"If I help you stop him, can I be part of your family? I've never had one of my own." Rido's voice was quiet, as if he was embarrassed to admit this truth.

"What happened to your parents?" Harper asked.

Rido shrugged and grabbed another marker. "I don't really know. I've always just been there, and people often forgot about me."

I could see the heartbreak on everyone's faces. I couldn't imagine what life had been like for Rido. I was sure Blade could understand better than any of us, and that angered me even more. I hated Draven and what that coven stood for. They were selfish and brutal and didn't care about children or family. I just wanted to wrap Rido up and protect him in the way I knew I would never be able to protect Blade from his past. At least Rido was still young.

"I'll tell you what," my dad began. "You don't have to tell me anything to become a part of this family. All you have to do is promise me that you won't hurt anyone here and that you will never tell Draven anything about this pack. If you know anything that would help us, I would love to hear about that, but it isn't a requirement."

"I promise," Rido said without hesitation. "I promise I won't hurt anyone ever. I just don't want to be alone anymore."

-

When I finally made it back to my room, it was late, and I was exhausted. I was a little surprised to find Blade in my room already. He stood in front of the window, staring at it with his hands clasped behind his back.

"Ginger has that bottled magic now. She's going to take a look at it first thing in the morning to see if it's safe. At first glance, she said she didn't sense any tricks." I moved across the room and wrapped my arms around Blade from behind.

He unclasped his hands and moved them to his front to rest them on my hands. "Even if the magic is safe, I don't know if I'll ever be able to take it. Draven left it there as a present for me. He wants me to take the magic, or maybe he doesn't. He's playing mind games with me, and I can't figure out what to do." I could feel his heart racing.

"Don't think about it," I said. I immediately laughed. "Okay, I know it's not that easy. What I meant to say is when you decide what to do, don't listen to your head. Listen to your heart. Draven might know how to mess with your head, but he'll never be able to change what's in your heart. Your kindness is proof of that. Even after everything you have endured, you haven't let Draven darken your heart."

"My heart is darker than you think," Blade admitted in a quiet voice, as if he was afraid of the world hearing the truth. "I want to kill Draven with every fiber of my being. The fact that he was so willing to leave a child behind, like he meant nothing... It was like he left Rido behind to prove a point to me."

"You see yourself in Rido, don't you?" I asked. I held my breath, knowing this wouldn't be an easy topic for Blade. I just hoped it didn't cause him to shut down.

After a few heartbeats, Blade said, "I think I'm related to him somehow. He smells familiar, but I just don't know how he's related. I see so much of myself in him, and it sickens me. He's lonely and scared, but he's putting on a brave face because he doesn't want the world just how sad he really is."

My heart pounded in my throat. Blade was talking about himself, and it made me want to hold him and never let go. "You're not alone anymore, and neither is Rido."

Blade's body shuddered under my grasp, and he spun around in my arms. He captured my mouth with his before I realized what he was doing. I felt his love pour into me with every touch. He needed me as much as I needed him, and it was nearly impossible to break apart from him.

When we finally parted, I whispered, "You'll never have to feel alone again."

"I love you. I love you more than I thought possible," Blade whispered, holding my face with gentle fingers.

"I love you, too, and I would do anything for you."