His body tensed next to her, making her shrink away.
"Why? They're monsters."
She flinched at his words. He would think that. No doubt that Carina would have told him every terrible thing about them that she could to brainwash him, to convince him that the lycans were the enemy.
But of course they were the enemy; lycans killed vampires to protect humans. They had for thousands of years. Stone told her that. Moreover, they had two forms, a human one and a giant wolf-like one. They were terrifying, even though she hadn't seen them face-to-face. They were created to defend, to protect, but also to kill and destroy.
Vampires would never get to see the side of the lycans that Aubree saw. The fun, family-oriented, and loving side that had warmed her to them despite their sometimes rough, bodybuilder exteriors. They would never intentionally hurt her like a vampire would.
She lowered her gaze to the bed. "You don't know them like I do."
"You're right, I don't," he said, rather roughly.
His tone hit a nerve, and she snapped her attention up and met his gaze with a hardened one. "You met Gwen. She's one of them."
His brows scrunched together in confusion at this revelation, but she continued, her voice growing stronger and denying him a chance to rebut her statement. "And the whole reason she stayed with us so long after the accident was to ensure our safety from the vampires! Even after she left, she and Gavin kept watch over us. Before this whole thing even blew out of proportion, they were there!"
She pulled away from him and tucked her legs underneath her, locking her hands together in her lap.
"The moment I moved in with you, the lycans had been there keeping watch over me to make sure I was safe because they knew I was a soulmate. They could sense it. They could feel the connection we share, even though I'm not one of them. They've been protecting me since the beginning, and it wasn't until that accident that I learned the truth—and I couldn't tell you."
She watched as his face turned to one of shock as her words registered. Looking down at her hands, she realized she had been clenching them together. Inhaling a deep breath, she relaxed before looking back up at him, hesitantly.
"Don't you see, Dan? It's because I'm Stone's soulmate that Carina came to you. She doesn't care about you and what you want. She's trying to get to me. She's trying to destroy me and my bond with Stone because that's what vampires do. They kill soulmates and anyone else they can."
"So do lycans." His voice was distant, as though he was thinking about what Aubree had told him, was concerned about her well-being and yet, he held himself back. "They kill vampires as if vampires don't have loved ones. Carina's Beloved, Adranus, was killed a few weeks ago by a lycan. They'd been together for centuries. Even Lily was nearly killed by one, and a dozen others that Carina had cared about were killed over the centuries. They were her family and the lycans destroyed them as if their lives meant nothing."
Chewing on her bottom lip, Aubree looked down at her hands in her lap again, thinking about Stone and the pain he must have endured losing Adelaide a century ago. She didn't want to picture Carina having to endure the same pain that Stone did. Carina was the one Stone was most worried about killing her. Carina was the enemy. Aubree didn't want to feel remorse for the one who was responsible for endangering her life and turning Dan into a vampire.
It was a never-ending feud, wasn't it? Both lycans and vampires would continue to kill each other for another thousand years. It didn't matter how many loved ones were lost, they would continue to destroy each other one-by-one.
YOU ARE READING
Heart of Stone (Parts I & II)
Werewolf[COMPLETE] Some bonds can't be broken, even in death. -- He couldn't endure another heartbreak. "Accepting her would be a mistake," he said. "She's a human. I can't afford to have her blood on my hands." Gwen looked away, and he knew she saw the ima...
