28. The Vampire Lord

Ihave to give it to Marcellus; he acts fast and keeps a cool head. Both are important characteristics for an alpha. It makes me wonder why things went downwards for him in his old pack. Overall he seems fair, strong, and capable. Looks like he was done dirty in his former pack, so that could at least explain it.

Jun and Raffy stay with Annie to protect her, just in case, while I join Marcellus. Benjamin comes out of his room too, apparently ready to join us.

"Benjamin, stay where you are," Marcellus commands. I can see Benjamin's face fall in disappointment. "Luna Annalise is still here," Marcellus continues in a much softer tone. "She needs all the protection she can get."

Benjamin nods at him and hurries towards the basements where the others are staying.

"I am sorry," I say while running outside with Marcellus. "We brought enemies along."

"No," he says. "Having enemies is our reality. Silas alone has plenty of them."

We both shift, and as I can't mind link with him, I just follow his dark-brown wolf towards the direction of the forest. We are both fast and soon reach the borders, where a few warriors are fending off a small group of rogues. While passing them, Marcellus grabs one of them by his neck and tosses him against a nearby tree.

Smooth.

Marcellus doesn't linger; he keeps running further into the forest. What's he doing there? The fight is behind us… why go into the forest? Seeing how the guards have it under control, I decide to follow Marcellus.

Ella, Annie's mind link comes through all of a sudden. If you are out there, be careful. I just got a call from Dalila.

And what did she say?

She was able to track Imogen and used a satellite to follow her car. She seems to be in the same area as we are.

I blink. Wait a moment… are they here?

Looks like it. Be careful.

You too. Are you protected?

Yes, she says. Jun and Raffy are here, and some warriors. Silas just left to follow you. It doesn't look like anyone came onto pack grounds.

Now Marcellus's actions make much more sense to me. Annie said that no one came onto pack grounds, and at the same time the guards are easily able to fend off the rogues. It means it's just a distraction and Marcellus caught on.

I allow Nefeli's senses to spread further, scanning the surrounding area until her mind slowly touches upon another being. Someone's there!

I can't communicate with Marcellus, so instead, I pick up my pace, rush right before him, and then make a sharp turn. Marcellus proves to be a capable alpha once again, instantly understanding what I'm getting at and following me instead of taking the lead. I can sense the moment his senses take up the real intruder.

He gathers his strength, lunges forward, and jumps over me before tossing himself right into a few bushes. Growls and snarls can be heard. Out of the corner of my eye, I see a man with a gun coming closer. I take a backseat and allow Nefeli to take control. She doesn't waste much time. Dodging a bullet, she rushes forward, tackling the man and ripping his head off. It's then that it strikes me that it's probably not a good idea to kill them all.

I make my way back to Marcellus, shifting to my human form before he can kill the she-wolf he is fighting with. "Please don't kill her!" I yell. "We need them, Alpha Marcellus. They are some of the mercenaries. We need to take them back with us to question them."

Marcellus's wolf pauses, tilting his head to look at me. Then he lets go of the she-wolf's neck. She is unconscious, slowly shifting back to her human form. Marcellus and I turn our attention to two more guys approaching us. I shift back to Nefeli before Marcellus and I attack, knocking one of the guys unconscious and killing the second one. We have more problems at hand, as four more werewolves are approaching us, all of them in their human form. They are equipped with guns and tranquilizers. Before I can think of a strategy, I feel a strong aura engulfing us. Seeing how Marcellus doesn't look threatened by the strong presence, I relax too. Soon enough, Silas appears next to us, his posture regal as usual, but the look in his eyes is hard now, angry. His whole aura changes to something darker and more sinister. He narrows his eyes to a glare. "No one threatens my coven and pack," he snarls before a cloud of dust seems to form around him. He lets go of it, knocking the other four men unconscious.

Marcellus shifts back to his human form, and Silas turns to look at him. A smirk curls the vampire's lips as he eyes the alpha and shifts his gaze to his dick. Wow, they are really subtle. I decide to remain in my wolf form, not because I'm embarrassed to be naked around fellow wolves, but because Nefeli's senses are more alert that way.

Marcellus has linked a few warriors to help him carry the bodies and prisoners back to the pack. It's then that my eyes finally land on the she-wolf Marcellus almost killed.

This is… Imogen!

Fucking yes. I can't even believe our luck. Maybe she thought that Charlie would be with me, which is why she led her men here. Marcellus and Silas head back first, and I link Annie to tell her what happened. I'm about to follow the warriors when something catches Nefeli's attention. It seems like one of the men or Imogen dropped something during the fight. Nefeli digs through the dry leaves, revealing a sheet of paper. Once more I shift to my human form before taking the paper in my hands. There is the draft of an amulet scribbled down on it. It takes a moment for me to register what it is until it hits me. It looks exactly like mine!

It's the one I found in my parents' possessions. It belonged to my mom and she left it behind for me. I make sure to fold the paper and then stick it into my broad bracelet. Stella and Jazz got them for the ranked members. They are enchanted, making it possible for us to shift with them and carry around small items.

When I turn around to walk back to the pack, I suddenly feel a presence behind me. Oh, damn it, I can't believe I was so reckless and so focused on what I found that I forgot to check my surroundings. The aura of the person approaching me feels oddly familiar but unfamiliar at the same time. I have only seconds to make a decision.

Silas's words ring in my mind again about the only way we can protect Charlie. If I don't find a way now, Dante, Charlie, and I will constantly be forced to go into hiding.

I turn around to face the man behind me, instantly recognizing him as the vampire from the photos Richie took. It's odd that he is here now… Did he work with Imogen? If yes, why wasn't he part of the attack? It doesn't look like Imogen's group was a true distraction; they were out there for a goal.

But this vampire here… What's his deal?

"If you run, you could still make it," the guy says. He doesn't sound impolite or even threatening.

"I doubt that's true," I say calmly.

Can we attack him? Nefeli asks.

I doubt it. You saw what Silas just did.

"I have a deal to propose," the man says. "Or rather, my master has one."

"And if I don't want to hear that deal?"

"Then everyone in this pack will die," he says shortly.

"You are bluffing," I say. "I know your master won't attack the coven leader here."

The man's face hardens, a flash of annoyance in his eyes. "Damn it," he huffs before I can feel him spraying something into my face. While I still battle with the effect of whatever it is he sprayed onto me, I can feel his aura expanding. The world goes dark around me.

The thick walls surrounding me used to give me comfort; now they just feel like a prison. I drag my feet down the several staircases until I reach the dining room Lord Aloysius has summoned his high-ranking guards and most loyal subordinates to. I am one of them, I guess. Back in the days when Lord Silas was still around and wanted to leave, it was me who told Lord Aloysius about his brother's plan.

There was a huge fight between the two brothers, worse than ever before. Lord Silas had questioned Lord Aloysius's motives and actions many times. More and more so every day. But this argument was the last straw. The fallout was terrifying, and I'm still shocked both of them came out of it alive, albeit severely hurt. It was the last fight between them, one that probably severed their relationship forever.

I thought I made the right decision back then, but ever since Lord Silas left, it has felt so cold here. He was the one who made sure that everyone's needs were attended to. He was always calm and composed and able to see the bigger picture. He kept Lord Aloysius in check and ensured he didn't go overboard with his punishments.

Now, however, the lord doles out whippings whenever and however he deems fit. I'm lucky never to have been on the receiving end of one, as he considers me a loyal supporter and one of his best spies.

Lord Aloysius jumps into the topic immediately. "Soon," he says. "We will know if I have another worthless half-breed out there. Atticus is on his mission and will soon return with the werewolf. Questions?"

One of his closest men raises his hand. After Aloysius prompts him to speak, he clears his throat. "Will Atticus be able to catch her without anyone's notice?" he asks. "The werewolf is the beta of a strong pack, with connections to the Council and their goddess."

"He better," Aloysius says darkly. "I told him not to attract any attention and to make sure not to harm her."

"Why?" another young vampire asks. "Why not beat it out of her? We are stronger."

Oh, poor fool.

Aloysius moves in the blink of an eye, punching the poor kid and making him fly against the wall. "Are you questioning me and my orders?" he hisses.

The kid drops to his knees and bows his head. "No, please forgive my insubordination."

"I don't need a war with the lycans," Aloysius says cooly. "I have no interest in slaughtering them all."

He makes it sound like he actually could do that, but I know it's not that easy. His powers are not endless, and some of these wolves are blessed in more ways than we can imagine. Abducting the beta was already risky enough, which is why he made sure to do it as secretly as possible and without her getting harmed in any way.

For the last couple of years, he has been obsessed with cleaning his bloodline, as he calls it. He has been looking for all the women he ever slept with and made sure there were no children around. So far, only one woman—a human—had gotten pregnant from him.

I try not to think about what he did to her and the infant. I don't know what happened to the child or their mother; I just know that no one talked about them again.

I hope this other kid in question is not his daughter. It will make our life easier if she is someone else's child. Unfortunately, her mother passed away, and there is no easy way to detect her heritage. Unlike wolves, we don't feel a magical bond to our relatives. We can't sniff them out. Aloysius would need to test the kid and then base his decision on the outcome of the genetic test. By then he would have already attracted a lot of suspicions. Werewolves feel protective of their pups, more so than any other species.

It would lead to conflicts and a potential war.

At least Aloysius is sane enough to avoid that.

"Julianus!" Aloysius's voice pulls me out of my thoughts.

I step forward. "Yes, my lord!"

"Atticus is supposed to be back any minute. You will be the one attending to the beta she-wolf. Make sure she remains unharmed. I need her to feel comfortable and safe, or she won't talk to me. Give her whatever she asks for, answer her questions. Make sure she knows she is a guest and not a prisoner."

"May I ask a question?" I ask.

"Yes."

"Once she has told us everything, will we kill her?"

Aloysius shakes his head. "No, she will be set free."

"Won't she tell on us?" one of the other vampires asks.

Aloysius hisses at his question, making the other man shrink back. But he doesn't feel angry enough to assault him like the young vampire. "The lycans won't want a war with us either," he says shortly. "As long as we treat the beta well, they won't be able to just launch an attack on us. We will treat her with respect and make sure she won't feel like a prisoner. If she asks to leave, she can leave, but it's Julianus's job to make sure she wants to stay." He looks at me. "Understood?"

"Yes, master," I say. "I won't disappoint you."

He might be able to convince the wolves that he just kidnapped her to talk with her so he wouldn't give away our location. The lycans probably don't want a conflict either. A war would influence everyone around us, the humans, other shifters, everyone.

But what if the beta tells us that her niece is Aloysius's daughter? What if he kills her? Won't we have a war at hand then?