Thomas chuckled. “That and the fact that Samson is a big softy at heart and wants to give you a chance to reclaim the woman you love, if indeed you are the king and she your fiancée.”

Cain didn’t know how to answer. He wasn’t somebody to share what lay in his heart. One question taunted him: could a man without a memory love a woman from a past he didn’t remember?

“I’m grateful to Samson,” he finally said. “And to all of you for supporting me. I hope you won’t regret it.”

“I hope so, too.”

The rest of the way, Cain conveyed his plan of what to tell Abel and the rest of the palace about why he’d been away. Once he was satisfied that everybody knew what to say, they continued to walk in silence, mentally preparing themselves.

Cain’s thoughts wandered back to Faye. Disappointment swept through him. She hadn’t waited for him. Instead, she’d taken another lover—Abel, the man who would soon be king.

John had explained that the coronation would take place very soon, and Cain had found it odd that such a long time lay between the death of one king and the coronation of another. But this fact was to his advantage now. It meant that Abel wasn’t king yet and Cain would be able to take back his throne by returning to the clan before the coronation of the new king. It was as simple as that.

Winning back his fiancée could prove to be harder.

“Ambush!” Haven suddenly shouted from behind him.

No sooner had Haven sounded the alarm, several men were coming out of the thicket and charged them. There was no mistaking what they were: vampires who were protecting the palace’s perimeter which Cain and his companions must have breached.

One attacker had already jumped Wesley, and Haven was fighting him off his brother, slamming a fist into the attacking vampire’s face. Two other hostile vampires came from the other side and engaged in a fight with Thomas, who did his best to fight back the blows and kicks. Cain pulled his silver knife from its sheath and charged into the fray when a sound behind him made him swivel.

Two massively built vampires barreled toward him, their eyes glowing red, their fangs extended. Not waiting for them to strike the first blow, Cain brandished his knife and went on the offensive, attacking the two vampires. Cain felt his body harden as he kicked one of them into the stomach, then managed to slash the other’s arm. But the injury he’d inflicted made his attacker even more ferocious. A violent growl came from the other’s lips, his fangs gleaming in the moonlight.

“We’re not your enemies, we’re—”

But Cain’s words were cut off by the second vampire who was now slamming his fist into Cain’s chin, whipping his head to the side. Cain tasted his own blood in his mouth and spit it out, while his hand holding the knife jerked upward in an attempt to drive it into his attacker’s chest. But the vampire’s arm blocked him in the last split second, making Cain lose his footing on the uneven ground. He swayed but caught himself, using a low tree branch to catapult himself back at the two hostiles.

Grunts and shouts came from his colleagues as the unequal battle continued.

“No!” Haven shouted suddenly.

Cain whirled his head in his friend’s direction and saw him now fighting two other vampires. One of them had Wesley in a chokehold, and the witch’s face was red, his hands trying to pry his attacker’s arm off him, while gasping for air.

“Release him!” Cain cried out instinctively. “I command you as your king!”

The vampire’s head snapped up, his eyes now pinning Cain, disbelief spreading in them like wildfire. His lips moved, issuing a soundless Oh my God! when Cain felt a blow to his head that knocked him against a tree. In the next instant, muscled arms pinned him there and a hand wielding a stake came toward him.

Shit!

“Cease!” a commanding voice echoed through the dark, making his attacker stop in mid-movement, just as Cain’s arm came up to block the hit.

From the corner of his eye, Cain saw that the vampire who’d had Wesley in a chokehold had released him and was now rushing toward Cain in vampire speed.

The vampire, who was clearly the leader, pulled Cain’s attacker away from Cain and fell on his knees, bowing. “Your Majesty. We thought you were dead.”

Cain inhaled a relieved breath. “So did I.”

His gaze wandered to his friends. They were unharmed. The vampires who’d attacked them were now bowing toward Cain.

Thomas cast a glance in Cain’s direction, one side of his mouth curving upward. “I guess it’s good to be king, huh?”