Chapter 5

After Vasile nixed Lucius' plan to return to his and Brady's home to pick up some clothes and, hopefully, a pillow with his mate's scent, the young vampire found himself sitting in Steel's office, watching his mate on a re-run of live video recorded at the Witches' Council. It was Jackson's idea and, at first, Lucius was sure it would be boring, but he quickly found himself immersed in what was happening on the screen to the exclusion of everything else.

Studying Lucius' face was fast becoming Vasile's favorite thing. Compared to the stoicism found on most vampires' faces, Lucius was like a breath of fresh air; his emotions clearly reflected there.

"Wow!" Lucius exclaimed as the screen went black. "For a moment, I was sure that Remy was going to get shot, but then…holy cow! Did you see that white tiger? Wasn't he amazing? I never knew there were tiger shifters…although I should have since I've dealt with sea dragon shifters. And Remy…can you believe what he can do? I sure wouldn't want to cross him…there's so much I don't know."

Hearing the despair in Lucius' voice, Vasile replied softly, "Trayhor, it'll take time, but trust me, Brady and I will teach you everything about this world…and I swear to you, I will never let any harm come to you…you have my blood oath on it."

"Blood oath? What's that?"

"When a vampire makes a promise he will keep no matter what the cost is to him, it's called a Blood Oath," Vasile explained.

Lucius' jaw dropped when the old vampire's words sank in. "Anything? Like even…" He couldn't finish his thought because it was too hard to believe that someone would think he was worthy of such an oath.

Smiling, Vasile completed Lucius's sentence. "Even if it means death, trayhor. It's the most sacred act a vampire can swear to."

"But…but…I can't let you do that," Lucius said, closing his eyes. Just the thought of his friend dying made his gut clench.

"Lucius, look at me, please." Vasile waited until the young vampire's eyes met his. "Do you know why Brady picked me to stay with you?"

"Because you're friends?"

Grinning, Vasile said, "That's true, but not the only reason. I am one of the three oldest vampires on earth…"

Lucius was stunned. "Who are the others?" he asked.

"Qadir and Azriel…together, the three of us govern the vampire world."

"You mean like the Witches' Council?"

"Exactly like that," Vasile replied. "While you were in Brady's study reading, I contacted them and told them your story."

"Oh no! Were they angry with me?" asked Lucius, his fear beginning to rise.

Frowning, Vasile shook his head. "No…but it's a good thing your former master is dead because angering any of us is a certain guarantee of experiencing a death far worse than what befell your master." Then pausing for a moment, he thought about Lucius' reaction and, after failing to come up with its cause, he asked, "Why do you think they would be angry with you?"

Lowering his eyes, Lucius shrugged his shoulders. He didn't have an answer to Vasile's question other than his previous experiences with Valerian and his vampire friends. Nothing he did pleased them—no matter how hard he tried—if only to stop the punishments they loved to give him. After a while, he realized it was a waste of effort since the bastards got off on hearing his cries of pain. But as the silence in the room grew, he finally said, "My master was always angry, so I thought…"

"You thought other vampires would feel the same way, eh?"

"Something like that," Lucius mumbled, his cheeks reddening.

Noting Lucius' uncertain answer, Vasile wished for the umpteenth time that Valerian was still alive so he could give him the type of death he deserved for abusing the gentle soul facing him. After considering several possible responses, he finally settled on one. "Trayhor, tell me…when you were human, did you ever meet someone who didn't have a problem breaking laws?"

Startled, Lucius hesitated for a moment before nodding. "We had a neighbor who kept stealing from us even after my mother warned him not to."

"What happened?"

"My mother reported him to the police, and they caught him driving our tractor on the road…which he claimed he was only ‘borrowing'."

"Did he stop after that?" asked Vasile.

Lucius snorted. "Yeah…because he went to prison."

"As he should have," Vasile said, chuckling. "Lucius, the human world isn't the only place where people break the laws, it happens in the paranormal world, too. Valerian broke a number of them when he kidnapped and turned you. But just as there are more good people in the human world than bad ones, the same applies to the world you're now in. We can't undo what was done to you, but we can make sure every vampire knows you are under Qadir, Azriel, and my protection. As soon as I related your history to them, they sent out a missive, warning our world of the dire consequences that would befall any vampire who dares do you harm. In addition, we all swore a blood oath to protect and defend you against any and all beings who might want to cause you distress. I…we want to give you the security needed for you to begin to live the life you deserve."

Shocked, Lucius stared at his friend, trying to understand what had just happened. But before he could respond, a knock echoed in the room as the door to Steel's office opened.

Sticking his head in, Jackson's forehead furrowed at the scene in front of him. Not waiting, he pushed open the door, heading over to Lucius. "Hey, you okay?"

The concern in Jackson's voice wrapped around Lucius like the beautiful quilt his mother made for him when he was a child. That and what Vasile just said caused tears to fill his eyes before slowly rolling down his cheeks. During all the dark days with his master, he never dared to hope a better life might be waiting for him, but now there was—one with a mate, a friend, and an Alpha who cared about how he was doing. Brushing the tears from his face, Lucius looked up at Jackson, giving a shaky smile. "I'm good…really…I promise."

Jackson's eyes roamed over Lucius' face before relaxing into a grin. "Glad to hear that. Have you finished watching the Witches' Council meeting?"

Nodding, Lucius said, "I have…I mean we have. I can't wait until my mate gets back so I can ask him some questions about what everything meant…well, not everything because I did understand some of it but not all the legal stuff."

"May I tell you a secret?" asked Jackson, chuckling. "I don't understand all the legal stuff either."

"And neither do I," Vasile chimed in, before looking up at Jackson, "but I can assure you Brady does. Does Steel need his office back?"

"No, he's on Daddy duty right now," Jackson replied. "Remy sent me word that it would be another day before he and everyone else would return, so I thought maybe Lucius would enjoy a tour of the pack house."

Lucius' eyes widened. "Oh…I guess that would be okay…can Vasile come with me?"

Glancing at Vasile, Jackson caught his nod, then looking back at Lucius, he said, "Of course. I asked Sofia to give you the grand tour so she should be here any moment."

"Sofia? I haven't met her, right?" asked Lucius.

"No. She's David's mother, and the sweetest, gentlest person you'd ever want to know."

"Uhm…okay." Lucius wanted to ask what kind of shifter she was but decided it was better if he didn't know. And besides, with Vasile coming along, he figured he'd be safe.

Turning his head at the sound of the soft knock on the open door, Jackson said, "Perfect timing, Sofia. Come on in."

Vasile rose and faced the diminutive woman walking over to them. He was expecting another wolf shifter but when the scent of blood pumping through her body reached his nose, he held back a groan. Sofia was a human. What the hell is a human doing in a wolf pack? Alarm filled him when he heard Lucius inhale, knowing the young vampire was responding to the scent.

"You smell nice!" Lucius blurted out, then quickly covered his mouth with his hand before mumbling an apology.

"What my young friend meant was…"

"It's the cinnamon," Sofia said, giggling while she brushed flour off her blouse. "I was showing Theo how to make Honey Cinnamon Buns. He wanted to make something special for his mate, and after finding out how much Smokey loves honey, these were just perfect because they have honey inside and in the glaze on top."

"That's what I smell! I love cinnamon!" Lucius exclaimed. "My mother made apple cinnamon tarts that were so, so good."

"That sounds delicious," Sofia replied, smiling. "I'm quite partial to anything with apples but when cinnamon is added, it automatically becomes my favorite." Then hesitating a second before adding, "I'm glad to meet you, Lucius. I'm Sofia. Are you ready for your tour?"

"Can Vasile come, too? Jackson said it was okay."

Sofia's eyes shifted to the tall man standing behind Lucius, smiling tentatively at him. Jackson didn't mention anyone else but then maybe he simply forgot.

Stepping alongside Lucius, Vasile snapped his heels together and bowed, his eyes never leaving Sofia's face. "I would be honored if you would allow me to accompany you and Lucius on the tour."

"Oh, my goodness," Sofia tittered, her hand rising to her chest to steady her fluttering heart. "Of course…the more the merrier I always say."

"I've always found that to be true," Vasile murmured, holding out his arm. "Should we begin, then?"

Jackson watched the three of them leave, taking note of Sofia's euphoria as she basked in the glow of Vasile's attention. Shaking his head, he sat down behind Steel's desk, wondering if there was something between the two of them. Could they be meant for each other? It was a real possibility since his knowledge of vampires was limited to the information taught in school, which certainly had never addressed this situation. Sighing, he shelved his questions for the time being until Brady returned, hoping he might have some answers.

"Hey Jackson, got a moment?" Norm asked, standing in the doorway.

Rousing himself from his musing, Jackson smiled. "Yup…c'mon in."

Sitting in the chair opposite Jackson, Norm asked, "Do you have a problem with Theo and me marrying Smokey? I know it can be a problem in the human world, so I did a quick online search through paranormal laws and there doesn't seem to be any objection to it. The reason I'm asking is because we want to propose to Smokey, but if there's an issue…"

Holding up his hand, Jackson said, "Stop right there, Norm. There is nothing preventing the three of you from marrying each other and you definitely do not need my permission. But if you are asking for my support and blessing, you have it."

Breathing a sigh of relief at the news, Norm's tension eased quickly. He hadn't realized how worried he was that Jackson might refuse to permit it. But now, he and Theo were free to proceed with their plan to give Smokey a swoon-worthy proposal, and that brought a smile to his face.

~/~/~/~/~

"Fuck!" It came out as a whisper, but it was all Cain could manage at the moment. Groaning at the loud pounding in his head, he kept his eyes closed, trying to recall what his jailors had done to him that had induced it. His memory came back slowly and, when he finally remembered the last words the woman had spoken to him, his eyes shot open. Ignoring the pain caused by the drug used to sedate him this time, Cain's eyes looked at the door, finding himself still behind bars. A stab of disappointment shot through him before he quickly wiped it away as he had done throughout his life.

Closing his eyes again, Cain just wanted to give up and stop fighting what had turned out to be a futile battle. If that woman was telling the truth, he'd be better off dead than living as someone's bitch. Hell, he would rather surrender himself to the fucking assholes who got him into this jam in the first place. Life under them would be tough but at least there was a chance to escape. Here there was none—as he had finally realized.

Reaching up, Cain rubbed his forehead, trying to sooth the pain gripping him, when he realized his world had changed. Yes, he was still in the cell, but missing were the restraints keeping his body in a painful position. Instead, his cell was warm and he was stretched out on a mattress, fully clothed, and covered with a soft blanket. What the fuck? But before he could figure out what that meant, the scent of food reached his nose. Opening his eyes, he looked around the cell, finally locating the source.

Holy shit!Cain sat up. Keeping the blanket wrapped around him, his mouth began to water as he stared at the tray with multiple covered dishes on it. He could tell it wasn't the tasteless shit the guards would shove through the opening in the door three times a day, but real food—the stuff dreams were made of in prison. Glancing up at the camera, he saw the red light, letting him know they were watching him. Fucking assholes!

Swallowing his excess saliva, Cain lay down, refusing to give in to his hunger. Rolling over, he turned his back to the camera, declining to play along with this new game his jailers were trying after the last one with the whore didn't work. Biting his lip, Cain pulled the blanket over his head, giving him some privacy for the first time in a long time. It wasn't much, and he didn't know how long it would last, but it certainly beat being cold and naked.

Frank turned away from the camera feed and looked at Oracle. "I told you he wouldn't eat. I'm surprised he didn't reject everything since I'm sure he thinks it is another effort on our part to get information from him. Giving him clothes, bedding, and food won't buy his cooperation…instead, he'll view it as a sign of weakness on our part…that he's close to winning…whatever that means to him."

Oracle kept her eyes on the prisoner, waiting for what, she wasn't sure, but for the first time since learning of the Fates' plan, she agreed with their selection. The man had hidden strength which would be needed for what lay ahead of him. His refusal to give in against all odds would give the paranormal world an edge against the evil forces that were amassing to challenge it. Finally turning to her friend, Oracle said, "Turn off the cameras, Frank."

Startled, Frank asked, "Why? It's standard protocol for anyone kept in high-security cells."

Smiling now, Oracle replied, "Because it will give Cain the one thing he wants more than anything else…privacy."