39. A New Ally

The hours seem to drip by. Eventually, Ari and I decide to take the risk and go to the kitchen and get something to eat. The vampires working there are still very accommodating to us, so at least it doesn't sound like Aloysius is out for our heads.

"Weird," Ari mutters when we are back in the room. "If this were a pack, I'd probably be already on the run because the alpha might be out to retaliate against me."

"I just had the same thought," I admit. "But I guess we might be understanding the vampires wrong, although Silas already gave us quite some hints. Wolves and lycans, and also witches, are pretty much the type of species that like to head into action, but the vampires seem much more political."

"You are right," Aryanna says. "Silas mentioned something like that too."

"I think Silas's plan—the one Julianus mentioned—was probably also of a political nature and only turned into violence once it was revealed."

"Does that mean you think we are safe?"

"No, I think we still need to be careful, but I believe we aren't really high up on Aloysius's priority list. And that's probably good for us."

Aryanna sighs. "I know we have other pressing issues to attend to, but I don't like what he is doing."

"I agree," I mutter.

"Do you think Silas plans to stop him?"

"Yes, I do think he is trying to find a way," I say. "It's a fact that we can't stop a vampire lord, Ari. Liam is not going to go to war with him just like that. It's not possible and not smart."

"I know," she says. "I just hate it that we can't do anything."

"Well, we can—"

I don't get to finish my sentence as there is a knock at the door. Soon it opens and Julianus comes inside. I didn't know how anxious I was until I see him, but now a sense of relief fills me. He looks drained as if all life was sucked out of him; there are rings under his eyes and sweat on his forehead.

Aryanna is up on her feet instantly and hurries to him, grabbing his arm. "Are you alright?" she asks before shaking her head. "Forget that. You are NOT alright."

"You need to leave now," he mutters. "I will help you with your things. Lord Aloysius said your presence isn't needed anymore."

He drags himself into the room, step by step. It obviously costs him all his strength to do it. Eventually, he reaches the wardrobe and opens it, grabbing the empty bag. When he pulls it out, he winces, more sweat dripping down his forehead.

Aryanna and I exchange a gaze. "Let me do that," I say shortly while approaching him. I take the bag and put it on the bed. Meanwhile Aryanna gathers the little stuff we brought along.

I look at Julianus. "Is she safe?" I ask quietly.

"Yes," he mutters. "He believed me. I told him what I did to help your sister flee. He… he wasn't happy."

I want to ask him what Aloysius did to him once he knew he lost his prey due to Julianus helping her back then. The guy is insane. He doesn't want any hybrid to sully his bloodline, but at the same time, he sees his past affairs as his possession. I bet if he knew that Ambrosius was Candy's mate, he would have just killed her.

Pretty much strikes me as a narcissist and sociopath.

If he can't have her, no one can.

I grab my notebook and turn to Julianus. "We are done," I say. "And you will come with us."

"Yes," Aryanna promptly agrees with me. We haven't consulted with Liam about this yet, but he knows we are here and are acting on the very little information we have. Even if Julianus can't stay in our pack, he can get out of here, get back on his feet, and then find a place to live on.

"I can't," he mutters.

"Why?" I ask. "Is a spell binding you to this place?"

"No."

"Did you swear an oath you can't break?" Aryanna wants to know.

"N… no," he stutters.

"Are their friends here you can't leave behind? A lover? A child?" I ask.

He shakes his head, his body wavering slightly. He grabs the wall for support and balance.

"So, you want to stay here because you hate yourself. You want to punish yourself by letting Aloysius abuse you and use you to his liking," I conclude. "Do you think Silas would be happy if he knew that?"

"Silas is better off without me," he says.

"Yes," I say bluntly. "Silas moved on. He is not your lover anymore, and he certainly won't be your beloved again, but that doesn't mean he wants the next time to see you be when your bones lie in a grave."

"She is right," Aryanna says surprisingly earnest. "It's selfish. You want to suffer, but it will make others suffer because of you. You fucked up, but you did right today… for us."

"I didn't do it—"

"I know you didn't do it because you are selfless," I say. "Frankly, most people are selfish. I don't care for your reason. But the fact is that Charlie is now safe from the vampires, and you helped with it." I pause. "There is still a life out there for you."

"You called yourself a coward," Aryanna says. "Living on is fucking difficult. You lost a lot, and maybe you will never be able to reconcile with your old friends. But if you run away now, again, you will never be able to shake off these regrets."

Julianus looks down to the ground. "I don't have much in my possession," he says quietly.

Aryanna nods at me before approaching him and retaking his arm. "Show me your room. We will pack in five minutes. I'm used to emergency packing."

"He can't know I'm leaving," he whispers.

"He won't." Aryanna smiles and snuggles against his arm. "Clearly you are taking me to your room for something else… a goodbye before Ella and I leave."

I nod at her, deciding to stay behind to not raise any suspicions. Julianus is right. He needs to be fast, but at the same time Aloysius is so used to him being his lapdog that he doubts he will ever leave him. It's probably the only reason he is still alive.

When there is a knock at my door only five minutes later, I'm a bit surprised. That's almost a bit too fast, especially if they want to keep the pretense. To my relief I have my guard up because once I open my door, there he is… in his full height and presence.

"Lord Aloysius," I say, deciding to continue the game. I smile at him. "It's an honor. Are you seeing me out in person?"

"No," he says, reaching out his hand. "But I wanted to say goodbye to my charming guest."

Blerg, Nefeli groans. Is he going to slobber on your hand?

I show him a dazzling smile, feeling how his aura presses against my mind. Nefeli is on full alert, and the candy Silas gave me still has some effect, but I can't stay in his proximity for long. "It's a pity your little niece isn't my daughter," he says sweetly.

I look at him with what I hope is a sorrowful look. "It would have been such an honor to have relations with you," I say with a sad smile. "But a man named Ambrosius is her father. Do you know him?"

Aloysius looks annoyed for a moment. "I can't believe he put a child into this world and sullied our lineage," he mutters. I pretend to be so dazzled by him that I didn't hear what he said.

"Pardon me?" I ask.

"I meant to say he is a cousin. We weren't close, though. I apologize for not being able to take a distant relative like your niece under my wings."

"I understand," I say earnestly. "You are leading an empire after all and have probably so many suitable ladies lined up."

My words seem to please him. "I will miss you, little wolf," he says with a smirk. "If only you stayed longer…"

He did not just say that? Nefeli grunts. We seriously need to get out of here.

"Where is my number one guard?" Aloysius asks, probably thinking he's being sly. Again I feel his aura pressing against mine.

"He is saying goodbye to my friend," I say, hoping I sound suggestive.

I do because the glint in Aloysius's eyes subsides, and he nods. He lets go of my hand. "Maybe we will meet each other again, Beta."

"I certainly hope so." Not.

Aloysius winks at me before kissing the back of my hand again. Then he takes his leave. Once he is gone, I let out a sigh of relief. Thank Goddess for the candy Silas gave us, and a double thank Goddess for Nefeli's and my gift. Otherwise Aloysius would have extracted all the information from me, everything I've kept hidden.

I wait for around half an hour until Ari links me. Let's go. We are ready.

I grab the bag and leave my room, acting as if I'm not in a hurry. A bit further down the corridor, Ari and Julianus are waiting, with Ari carrying a bag. It looks like hers, but I assume it's Julianus's essentials.

Julianus is even paler than he was before. He looks like he is in pain, and looking closer, it seems like there are dark spots on his shirt. Blood?

While he walks down the staircase, several vampires pass us. They don't really acknowledge us but nod at Julianus politely. A small part of me wonders if he is going to double-cross us, just like he backstabbed Silas. Silas was his beloved, his mate, yet he betrayed him. Ari and I are two literal strangers to him.

Yet we make it out of the building without any problems. The dude who abducted me, Atticus, is waiting.

"I'm going to drive them," Julianus says shortly.

Atticus frowns. "I got the order—"

"Change of plan," Julianus says shortly. "If you want to, you can discuss it with the lord in person."

Atticus furrows his brows. He seems to contemplate his options, but apparently talking to Aloysius isn't too tempting for him as he takes a step back. Julianus takes the seat behind the wheel to keep up the pretense.

I look back while we take off, seeing how the castle turns smaller and smaller. I almost imagine something terrible happening before we can leave for real, but nothing happens. "He really didn't give a shit about us," I muse.

"He doesn't care," Julianus says. "Because you don't benefit him anymore."

"Is it a problem for us that Ambrosius was related to him?"

"No, he is just a cousin. Aloysius just cares for his siblings and his own bloodline as he calls it," Julianus mutters before groaning.

"Okay, halt the car; we are switching," Aryanna commands.

"I'm okay."

"No, you are not," she says. "Don't act like a petulant child now."

"There is blood oozing from your back," I say. "What did he do?"

"Whip me," he says shortly. He looks torn but gives up the fight and stops the car. Ari and I take the front seat now, with him sitting in the back. While we drive home, I decide to call Liam to give him a heads up about the new situation… and the new guest.