The price of Roses

Chapter Seventeen: Duo Trouble

I stay close to him as I watched him struggle with the pain I had inflicted a pond him during our night together. The thick canopy curtains were hard to see through...well...only for mortal eyes. I viewed him as plain as day through the vanilla curtains. He came clear to me much like the first time I had seen him. Even in this life his green eyes still held me, his pain did so as well.

I could watch him for long periods of times; I have done so for many years now before and after our punishment. He calls my name in his sleep, much like he use to in the beginning of our courting.

Worried about me, maybe? Scared; needing me by his side was something that was rarely shown, unless serious. It had changed. I could feel it.

He...needed me.

I could not be with him now. Though I stayed close watching him from across the court yard of my clan's estate was as far as I could for now. It was hard to mask his scent now that his memories were slowly awakening. Just think, I will have my work cut out for me IF he remembers all. That's a battled I'm willing to take.

"Well you were bold enough to bring him here", Jean's voice spoke sarcastically towards me. "You work faster than I suspected. Sadly it will take much of your time and energy to hide him away from Kingston. He will find it odd that your attendance was absence during his awakening".

Jean stood beside me looking into the closed window of my bedroom that held the slumbering J.R inside.

"Your scent is all over him you know. I could taste it from here....did you....you didn't... Adrian? Jean gave me an concerned expression on to his disapproving face. I could tell a scolding was in my near future much like the one he gave me when claimed by the prince.

"Fuck! You marked him!!! Jean shouted from the top of his lungs angrily. My head jerked towards him as if hushing him with my eyes.

"You marked him...you fucking marked him", Jean whispered lowly as his worried mind began to pace back and forth.

I couldn't hide it. It was true. Nothing; no one, could hide The Mark. The bite was a seal and/or mark given by an immortal lover to set claim on what was theirs, who was theirs. An selfish act, I know. The mark was said to have killed human accepters due to the pain and confusion of their body trying to stay alive or transform. Dead cells fighting with live cells.

The active cells and pain depended on how much the giver wanted everyone and everything to know of their claim. Let's say that I'm a very, very greedy being.

I wanted his body, blood, eyes, soul to be mine. If needed by I would reap it from his lifeless fingers. HE WAS MINE AND MINE ALONE!!!

"Your so....fucking greedy Adrian", Jeans stopped his pacing every once in a while to tell me this as if I had forgotten within the last five seconds that he had said it to me.

A clingy grab clutched to my arm as he pulled me away from the window of starring at my sleeping prince. I would rather be there to watch him than to greet Kingston.

An hour had passed as all of the members gathered within the base of the living area. Jean fixed my red cravat around my neck, still angry with me.

"You could never dress like a girl. NOT even once". Jean complained to angry to concentrate on fixing the fabric around my neck. Shooing his hands away I tired and tucked the cravat in myself.

"How are you supposed to hide it from him, mmm? Tell me that. Do you know how old Kingston is? If I could scene it don't you think he could as well? Fuck, fuck!

I said nothing to his words, knowing that anything I could say would anger my long last friend at this point.

"You couldn't let him go. You couldn't find a different mate. There are plenty out there. A world filled with them". Jean said.

A formal event it was. Kingston was all about looking his best even in the messiest of times. To think that the sight of lace, gowns, capes and hats would cause her to be sick to her stomach. So cliché vampires and demons could be. To think that vampire's glowing eyes and features could be hidden by mere dark clothing or dressing as dark as their soul should be.

Candles had been light to highlight the grand entrance of Kingston's tomb. Jean stood there uneased.

"Don't worry Jean. I have it under control". I smirked what I could knowing what I could do.

"Then I better see Heaven and Hell move for this shit to go over". Jean responded which only turned my smirk into a smile.

The sounds of struggles of weeping and fighting women broke loose down the halls into the lower of the gathering. Jean and the rest turned out heads towards the shadows of the captured women. Different nationalities and stripped of their clothing and bravery. The scent of the virginity in tack caused the elder members to roll their tongue against their fangs.

Kingston's meal for the evening of his awakening, the rest would be the clan's for the taking.

Adrian looked away from the women that took their places to be chained at the wrist and ankles and hung on display like a dead cattle in a butcher's market. Virgin blood wasn't rare to find at all, how others complain in media and books on everyone giving it up was overrated as it was true here. The females were of ages seventeen and eighteen. Under ages were clothed and simply memorized into their submitting.

Live feeding was a must, only a rare few could serve on dead blood. Luckily Jean and I were one of those few.

The chants of welcome never really pleased me nor did I ever sing along with them. Jean took in a deep breath as he watched masked and cloaked others carry on towards the tomb's door in line to reveal the sleeping stone coffin.

Shapes of stone craved serpent heads were twisted and slide towards the right to unlock the aged resting place. Chanting for the welcoming leader became louder with each moment.

I look on to the happening. Jean nervously waited.

The screaming of the females brought in still mixed in with the musical voices of those waiting for their leader and maker.

I could care less. The double tomb doors opened wide allowing dust and cobwebs to be broken for those loyal to enter to bring return to Kingston.

Jean took in a deep breath in which I noticed.

"You remember how your lungs work? I asked curious as it was odd. Of course born at a human state after my awakening I had simply forgotten all ties to the past, which included mortal doings as well.

The buildup rose. The mask guards entered to retrieve the sleeping father. This would have caught my attention until a voice as small as a breeze of wind called my name.

"Addy...?

I could feel my expression change the aroma of my prince has journeyed away from his bed in search of me. Damn his wondering spirit. I couldn't ignore it. What if other's caught on to his scent? His wounds hadn't healed yet.

I glanced shortly to Jean though he was to worried on Kingston's arrival.

"Darling I have to check on something". I told him. Not even the words darling could smooth back his tension and withdraw of tolerance he had for me at that moment.

".....Adddy? The call was much clear now. Had he learned to use the mark as a connection to me? This has happened before, it happens with almost positive between giver and receiver.

As I said before I could never resist his call to me.

"What...no....that look...is he up? Jean wasn't more loosely minded than he was now.

"I have to come with you". Jean commanded.

"He's not your responsibility Jean", I said.

"We look after each other. If I didn't have your back I wouldn't have helped you watched him", Jean responded.

"The trouble makers", I said with a smile.

"The tyrants", Jean gave a weak smirk though I knew he was up for almost anything.

"The nerve of us", I looked towards the tomb than messaged Jean away with me to seek out the wondering prince.