Alejo [Vampire]

Alejo- Chapter 33

:CHAPTER 33:

I strode into the building, scanning the rooms. There were no roaming soldiers coming in for breakfast tonight or even one or two coming in from training. The place appeared to be empty. Ria kept her distance behind me.

She had more than enough experience to know that it was not the time to test the strength of our temporary relationship. It was pretty clear that I was out for blood in this mood so it didn't come as a surprise that she'd keep her distance. What did surprise me was that she still stuck around. I had half expected her to go straight to her room and wait out the carnage to come. A better boyfriend would have advised her to. I didn't.

My Pet was a strong bastard. The girl had sat through one of my episodes and came out of it whole. She could take a little blind fury. She could handle this.

"I had imagined that you'd try to talk me out of doing this," I said without looking at her.

"Would you have listened?"

"We both know the answer to that."

"And that is why I won't waste my breath," she replied, "To be fair, I'm not sure what you're going to do."

"You may be as uncertain of the specifics as I am, but I'm sure you have a good idea."

"Yes."

"Yet you stay," I paused and turned to her.

"It's my job as your girlfriend to stay with you when you hurt," she said, "And they have hurt you. Badly. I felt it − through our bond − when you saw the wreckage."

"Did you see it?"

"Parts. Flashes. Enough to understand. Although this is definitely karma for all that you've done to those people, I know this kind of hurt could never go unpunished with you."

"Not unpunished. Unavenged."

"Do what you need to."

I knew I could be walking into danger, but it wasn't an issue yet. Whoever did this knew what those hearts meant to me. This person therefore would know me well enough to know what I was like when provoked and this had been a deliberate move to provoke me.

Bending the corner, I met a familiar soldier. Maine. I remembered the man. He'd challenged me the first time we met and I had sparred with him. I'd carved an A into his face for his brazen use of my first name sans my title. Those were the days of Samuel advising me. God it had been a while.

"Was it you?" I asked, "The hearts. Was it you?"

"No, sir."

"No, it wouldn't be. You've felt my wrath before. You are not the type of person who would do this. It is not a wise risk."

"I know."

"Yes, and you also know who did this."

"Yes, sir."

"But you won't tell me."

He didn't answer me because it wasn't a question. I knew. "You're the fall guy," I shook my head, "It's not a coincidence that you're the first soldier I've seen so far. It is not simple happenstance that we've had an altercation before." Maine sighed his relief. "The person who destroyed my possessions wanted me to spot you and punish you instead. It didn't work."

"I suspected that it wouldn't," a voice drifted from the balcony.

I heard Ria's gasp just I spun around to see the face of the man who'd dared this. I almost couldn't believe it and yet, in the same breath, I could. I watched as he walked down the stairs at his own, leisurely pace. As if I had nothing better to do than wait for him.