Alpha Vaughan

Chapter 46

That afternoon, whatever potion Vladimir had given the warriors wore off, and they bustled around the frantic hall now, readying for battle.

The atmosphere was charged with a fear so palpable it seemed to contaminate everyone.

Even now, as I looked out the high windows of my room, I felt apprehension settle in my chest. It heightened when I replayed Vladimir's last words to me. Maybe the demons were part of his alliance.

And asides that, he had made mention of his Link? I briefly wondered what exactly Ines's abilities were, the image of the warehouse collapsing clear in my mind. The Seer had said she'd play an important role in the war.

Propping my elbows on the sill, I released a sigh, listening to Vaughan shrug into his clothes.

Before heading out, he came over to me and wrapped his arms around me from behind, placing a long kiss on his mark on my neck.

Ever since Vladimir left, Vaughan seemed to exude a dark energy, quietly simmering with barely leashed fury.

Straightening, I turned to face him, about to ask where he was going.

He quieted me with a kiss, deeply stroking my lips with his. Drawing back, he placed his forehead on mine. "I heard your thought. I'm going have a meeting with my court."

"I want to come with--"

He took my lips again, then spoke against it, "No. Leave everything to me, Hilda."

"But I--"

"You need to stay out of this." After a final kiss, he turned and left, closing the doors behind him.

It was soon hurriedly opened again by Nayla.

"Miss!" She ran over to me, then stopped short when she saw the mark on my neck. She flushed. "Sorry. Luna." Then she threw her arms around me.

My arms went around her too, and I held tight. I didn't know when I began crying until I felt a wet substance on my face.

"Miss? What's wrong?"

Drawing back, I told her everything from finding the vampire link to finding Eunice was still alive, and then to finding Jim was working with the vampires.

"That settles it then," she said.

"Settles what?"

"Why one day we didn't see Jim at the gates anymore. We all thought he'd gone back to his former pack."

I sniffed. "Well, he hadn't."

A few minutes ticked by, before Nayla wondered aloud quietly, "So what do we do now?"

"Hope for the best," I answered absently. Then said, "I think the Demon faction will be teaming with them tomorrow." Creatures from the other dimensions who were as frightening as they were dangerous.

Nayla shrugged. "Makes sense. They're only the other species apart from vampires who hate werewolves."

Searching my brain, I asked, "And what about the vampires? What other species apart from us hate them?"

"That's easy," she said. "The fey."

Yes, that was true--which was a bit ironic, because they basically shared some basic characteristics, their thirst for blood and all that. But where the vampires took blood from a life source, the magic wielding fey didn't. And while vampires couldn't walk under sun, they could. The fey generally regarded the vampires as unclean.

A lightbulb lit up in my head, and I stood.

"Where are you going?" Nayla asked.

"The meeting room."

She looked at me skeptically. "They should be having a meeting in there--"

"They are having a meeting in there," I affirmed. "But this can't wait."

Hurriedly I made my way out of the room and down the familiar halls. As I passed by the werewolves around, they smiled at me, bowing their heads low to my nervous discomfort. Guess I'd have to get used to that.

The guards in front of the cabinet's doors bowed as I approached, and then to my surprise they pulled open the doors for me, letting me in.

Expecting to see Vaughan and his court discussing, I drew short when I was met with an empty room. Annoyance sparked to life within me. Stomping out, I pinned the guards with a peeved look, "Where is he?"

They swallowed, then one of them spoke up, "I'm sorry, but we've got orders from the Alpha."

"As your Luna, I command you to tell me where he is or else..." The rest of my sentence was drowned in countless threats.

After I'd threatened them with castration, they stuttered out his location, looking at me go with a mixture of fear and caution.

When I got to the room they were in, I shouldered my way through the guards and flung the doors open.

While the rest had shocked expressions on their faces, Vaughan looked at me flatly. I trained a glare on him, hoping it communicated I wasn't impressed with his little stunt.

Taking a seat beside Vaughan, I felt his arm go around me, keeping me close to his side. The Elders saw the action and started to clear their throats obnoxiously.

Biting back an exasperated smile, I glanced at Vaughan, only to note the tips of his ears were red.

In a voice that immediately drenched the atmosphere in seriousness, he said, "If I'm not mistaken, a war is upon us. And, William, I reckon you were going on about a certain boon the fey owed us?"

William instantly rose and continued, rushing out, "Yes, yes, Alpha. I was thinking about how the best suitable faction that could assist us in battling with the vampires is the fey. And if the record books are correct, their former king, Altan the conqueror, had been in debt to your grandfather after he'd helped him win a minor war against the Demon king, Nephtan."

Vaughan rubbed a hand over his face, clearly thinking what I was thinking; that we were grasping at straws.

"And I'm sure the fey will dispute that the deal is still valid," he said. "They might insist it was made between our predecessors. A past deal."

"But, Alpha. You forget the fey are honourable creatures," another elder spoke up.

"You cannot speak for everyone, Curtis," Vaughan said. "Evil isn't selective. It is not known to stray from even the most honourable people."

"But we coul--"

William's sentence got interrupted by someone bursting in through the doors.

It was a man from Beastclaw. In his mouth was a rolled piece of paper, and in his eyes was a horrified look that warned of something.

The court froze, sitting still as they watched the man fall to his knees, weakened. I noted his hands were bound behind his back. What was going on?

Vaughan approached the man now. And when he reached for the rolled piece of paper, a resigned look entered the man's gaze. I saw a tear slip down his face.

Vaughan retrieved the paper and, too late, it appeared it was some sort of contraption. Triggered by the removal of the paper, a deep slit cut through the man's neck and blood spurted out.

He soon fell face down, dead, a pool of blood slowly spreading out over the tiles.

Chills slid down my spine, and I lifted my gaze to see Vaughan watching me. He stroked my mind, trying to soothe me. Eyes never leaving mine, he fisted the paper, then addressed the court, "The venue has been given."