Chapter seventeen:

Kaoru's eyes flicker back to the leaders face and sees that the leader is smiling. He feels his heart sink as he realizes just how serious the other is.

"So? What do you think?" The leader questions watching Kaoru as if already knowing what his answer will be to this.

Kaoru knows that the leader has put him into a very tight spot. He knows that if he rejects the other explaining that he has eyes for someone else that won't go over well. He'd probably lose support against the wolves and he'd probably die trying to reach his brother. He knows that for the sake of his life and for the sake of his brothers life he has no choice but to accept. He forces his body to move closer and presses himself against the leader all after swallowing harshly. He doesn't feel like he has any choice in the matter. He reminds himself that this is just for the sake of his brothers life.

The leader grins upon this happening. "I knew you'd answer like this." He tells the other. He then turns to the group as Kaoru pulls back. "We move out!"

The others nod and everyone gets into positions.

Kaoru and Jay sit in hiding waiting for the text to be sent. They are keeping their phones put on silent to try to avoid any detection from the wolves.

"Why did you do it?" Jays sudden question causes Kaoru to turn away from looking to the building to meet his eyes.

"What do you mean?" Kaoru questions to the other.

"I mean surely you didn't want this. That you didn't want to be with him. I mean I get that being the mate to the leader gives you so much more power and authority… But is that the only reason that you accepted his proposal? You could have said no and stuck to being lower ranking." Jay explains what he had been talking about to the other.

Kaoru turns away and leans against a tree head down. His eyes looking to his hands that he had raised so he could look to his palms. "I didn't want this. I didn't do it to raise my rank within the clan." He explains then pauses to clench his hands into light fists. "In truth I actually wasn't really into the whole clan thing but I didn't have much of a choice or so I felt." He closes his eyes with a sigh dropping his hands to the ground on either side of himself. "If I didn't accept what would stop him from pulling out? From refusing to help me with the only chance I had to save someone very important to me? Nothing. He could have pulled everyone out and then what?! What would I do?! I'd have nothing. No help. No chance. I would have been better off just feeding myself to the wolves if that happened." He opens his eyes softly. "So I did what I had to…"

"I'm sorry."

Kaoru blinks his eyes fully open in surprise at the sudden apology. His head had even raised a little from the shock. He turns to look to the other. He sees that Jay had lowered his head so his chin is almost touching his chest. He can't even see the others eyes since he had closed them. "Why are you sorry? None of it is your fault."

"This is never what I had dreamed was supposed to happen for the clan." Jay admits only causing Kaoru even more confusion.

"What do you mean?" Kaoru moves a hand closer to Jay as he leans closer to the other vampire. His one hand moving to slightly reach out towards him.

Jay sighs softly then opens his eyes only a little. "Well… Truth be told our leader and I made this clan together…" He begins his explanation. His eyes a bit far away as if reliving it all in that moment. "For you see it was many years ago when we were just young vampires. We actually came from a faraway city. There we were a part of opposing vampire clans. The one he was a part of was more mean and ruthless more about dominance and strength. While mine was more graceful and more about truth and beauty. The two sides didn't really get along with one another. However… In the middle of it all was us. He didn't like his clan. He felt that they were much too bloodthirsty for power and rank. He got tired of others being all nice to him because he was higher rank so that maybe he'd raise their rank. Give them more power and respect. He wanted people to follow him for his leadership, loyalty to him for the sake of being a part of his life no matter their rank. I always felt like an outcast in my clan like I never was good enough for any of them. Not even my own parents. We met and discussed our problems in our clans. I got to know him as we grew close to one another."

Kaoru blinks upon hearing all of this.

"We started discussing what our dream clan would be like. Fair ruling, helping each other in time of need, and being like a family. Always being able to depend on one another no matter the rank. That climber higher in the ranks wasn't important. Though the good and sake of the clan is the important part. Then we came up with an idea. That we'd run away and make a clan the way that had always talked about. However we had to go far away and leave everything of our past behind ourselves. Start completely new with only each other. Cutting ties with friends and family that we had. Never to speak to them again. Never being able to go crawling back if things went bad." Jay continues his story. "But, that didn't really matter to us. We went through with it. Only carrying a backpack each with no electronics that could be tracked. We ran off into the night. Never looking back as we ran. We spent a few years trying to get as far away as possible. Trying to find our own place in the world. Then we arrived to this city. We just knew deep within ourselves that this was the place. This was where we could start our new lives."

Kaoru continues to listen to the others words as Jay continues his story.

"We had tried to get others from other vampire clans to join us but they refused being too loyal to their own clans. Eventually our leader decided that we needed to make vampires. So that way our chosen territory would be protected. Other clans greatly outnumbered us. If we had to fight they could use their numbers against us to win. He didn't want all of our efforts to go to waste. He told me that he wanted to make sure that I could have a future to look forward to. Free and away from those other clans along with their ideals. If I'm really honest with myself it only made me fall in love with him even more. He truly thinks about the good of the clan over himself. And no matter what happened I stayed at his side supporting him in every way that I could. Finding other humans that would be good additions to the clan. The main reason that the rest are so loyal is because I picked them and we got them to be loyal. To want to be with us even if they had to leave their human lives behind for the clan. We chose them because they'd be loyal and would benefit the clan in ways that we both wanted for said clan. I…" Jay closes his eyes tightly. "I don't know what happened. Suddenly you came along and he only made the excuse that numbers mattered. Just to make you one of us. Even though I argued that you wouldn't actually be as loyal as the other members. Yet it didn't matter if you wanted to join us or not in his mind. He wanted to make you a part of our group. We both knew that there were so many others who could have helped the clan better. I knew that there was another reason that he chose you." He takes in a sharp breathe only to exhale it in a sigh. "Now he's made you his mate. Just a pretty little thing that he could make submit to him. For the first time since I met him he focused on himself and a want to have a pretty toy. I'm sorry that you got dragged into this. If only I was enough for him." He turns flashing a forced smile in an attempt to seem like he is okay when really he isn't.

"Jay…" Kaoru begins only for the screen to light up catching his attention from the corner of his eye. He glances to his phone and sees that they got the text of confirmation. "It's time…"

Jay gets up to his feet and makes sure that the hood is pulled up on his head. "Then let us be off."

Kaoru slightly looks down but he gets up joining Jay as they head off towards the building.