The Vampire Princess and the Werewolf Prince (#1 of the Royalty Bites series)

Chapter 18: Old Friends

I wake up and look around freaking out for a second then I remind myself that I am at the school. I look and smile when I see Jack passed out in his wolf form beside the bed, I go around to the end of the bed to get off so that I don't wake him up. I walk into the closet and get dressed in my new uniform then I paw through my clothes and find thigh high black socks to pull on and my trusty spanxs. I slip on a pair of cute but not too fancy black faux-leather riding boots, just because I'm a vampire does not mean that I agree with how leather is made. I shudder at the thought of those poor little baby cows, the ones that make the softest leather, penned up not seeing the light of day until they are killed for their pelt.  I slip out of the closet and out of the room without waking Jack up. I walk around for a bit then I find my way to Angel's room, I knock at his door once I reach it.

"Yes?"

"It's me, Autumn." I say my name just to clarify.

"Come in it's unlocked!"

I enter his room and look around shaking my head as he's already managed to make his closet his whole room.

"Geez Angel."

"What? I'll clean later." He frowns as I roll my eyes, "What did you want anyway?"

"I wanted to see if you wanted to explore with me?"

"What about Jack doesn't he need to be with you?"

"Not at all times he needs down time to himself you know?"

Angel nods like he understands when I know he doesn't, I roll my eyes then head to his door.

"Can we get breakfast first? I'm starving." Angel asks as he follows me out of his room and down toward the first floor.

"Sure let's go to the dining room and see if they have anything there for us." I sniff then head towards the scent of blood that's wafting from one of the rooms off of the main hall.

I stop once we come to a pair of intricately laid with gold doors, Angel pushes me towards it. I reach out and put my hand on the doorknob, it turns beneath my hand and I leap away with a yelp of shock.

"Oh my! I was supposed to come get you two, guess your hunger brought you here?" A hand caught me and steadied me, a hand attached to a  very sexy looking arm and torso.

I stare at the male vampire holding me by the waist my eyes finally finding his and a shock runs through me as I realize who it is.

"Peyton?" I search his face and my hand reaches out to touch his familiar honey-brown hair as my eyes scan his silvery grey eyes.

"Hello Autumn long time no see." he chuckles then rights me and bows kissing my hand.

"Ew what did you do that for?"

"You're my princess it is out of respect." Peyton chuckles.

"Yeah and I'm your prince now lead us to food because I'm starving!" Angel growls softly.

"Haven't changed much have you Angel?"

I shake my head as Peyton gestures for Angel and I to go ahead of him. Angel bounds ahead but I'm more cautious than he is and am rewarded when I hear a clang and a yelp. I look and see Angel in a cage glaring from between the bars.

"Autumn who taught you to be that cautious?" Peyton congratulates me with a clap on the shoulder as he passes me.

"Well when you're kidnapped and have nightmares about kidnapper you have a lot of time to train and a lot more time is spent looking in the shadows and trusting your gut instinct." I shrug then walk to the table.

"Very good you may eat and so may Angel but only if you deem him fit to eat." Peyton pauses in grabbing the rope that would lift the cage from around Angel.

"Oh go ahead, Angel is starving."

"Why are you only taking her orders?" Angel grumps as he had been trying to get Peyton to lift the cage since he got caught by it.

"I am told to be in her service not yours." he smiles as he lifts  the cage like it's no problem.

"Wait you're in my service?"

"Yes they decided that you needed a personal trainer and I jumped at the chance since we were really close back then...." his face darkens as he had been forced to move away before my parents died.

"Peyton it's fine I don't blame you for not being there!"

"I just wish I had been there for you then maybe you wouldn't be dating a werewolf and we'd still be together."

"Peyton don't bring that up again ok? Jack would sooner kill you then not so pretend you're not who he's thinking of kay?"

"Alright alright, so what we're just really good old friends?" Peyton frowns as he fills my goblet with what smells like spiced blood.

"Exactly."

"How quickly you dismiss our love." Peyton puts a hand to his forehead and pretends to be all mad as he moves over to Angel and pours him some spiced blood as well.

"Oh get over it Peyton she's head over heels in love with Jack."

"Your sister is not an easy one to get over."

"Oh hush you." I smile softly as I take a sip from my goblet.

"Started without me?" JAck growls from behind me making me jump.

"Oh I just took a sip that's it. I went to see Angel and we were both hungry so we decided to come down here. I left you asleep because I figured that you needed it."

"Mhmm...And who is this?" Jack turns his icy blue gaze onto Peyton who returns with an equally icy glare.

"Peyton, he's one of my oldest friends and now he's been ordered into my court I guess."

"My lady is right I am going through to be the royal guard and as soon as I heard Autumn was coming here finally I signed up to be her guard and since she was bringing you it was very hard to get the position." Peyton basically swells with pride and I clap happily.

"Oh do tell me how many did you have to face? What did you have to do?" I know my eyes are bright and I've become more alert and my focus is trained on Peyton.

"Oh it was nothing really....Do you mind?" he asks gesturing to the seat next to me and I shake my head.

"Not at all." I bite my lip watching him as he pours himself a goblet full of blood.

"I had to beat out over a hundred other applicants."

My eyes widen as I realize just how big that is, "Go on!"

"I had to do so many things it took months to do. I had to be the best there was to protect the princess though, and I have to say that it was so worth it to be able to see you both again after all this time!"

"Wait you said you've known for months...how?"

"This school has it's very own seer, didn't you read about it in the manual?"

"I don't quite remember, I was kind of overloaded yesterday, anyway go on with your story Peyton!"

"I had to do obstacle course after obstacle course, basically I went through more training than a human military would in two lifetimes. I even had to kill a couple in hand to hand combat, they weren't going down without dying I could see it in their eyes."

My eyes feel like they should be bulging out of my head but then I smirk and raise an eyebrow, "Ever gone up against humans wielding silver weapons, holy objects and holy water?"

"Not allowed to yet I haven't had the training to deal with that stuff."

"Oh well I have gone up against them, I had to to save Jack. Angel and I make an amazing team!"

Angel cheers and I smile then sip my blood, I look up when the doors at the far end of the hall open and two females come in with covered trays. They set them down in front of Angel and I then retreat back through the door, I go to reach for my cover but am sent to the ground clutching my ears instead as a very loud bell rings in the room and I black out.