17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Roman

I missed the quiet. I missed the solitude. I missed being the only predator in my woods... or so I kept telling myself while I walked through my land, trying to ignore the fearful voices and racing heartbeats of the people living there now.

I did miss having my home to myself and if all of these shifters told me they were leaving right now, I'd be happy to send them on their way with gift baskets, but… part of me was glad they were here. My brain welcomed the noise and the distraction their warm bodies provided. It helped me forget the emptiness in my chest and the absence of her —the one heartbeat I was dying to hear.

Picking up my pace, I made sure to give Isaac's camp a wide berth. He had asked me to find him urgently—a summon I didn't appreciate in my own home—but considering the predicament he was currently in, I was inclined to let it pass. He was going to have to wait, though, because there was one more important stop I had to make first.

The deeper into the forest I went, the quieter it got. The sound of conversations and movement died down to the point I couldn't even hear any animals. That was the first sign that I was close; the second was the faint movements in the trees. They were good at hiding, but they were a few hundred years too young to know how to fully fool one's senses .

I ignored them even as they followed, focusing on finding the cave Oscar had picked for his new nest. Considering the number of charges he now had, it was no surprise he selected the biggest one on my property. It was a far cry from a proper house, but it was probably cleaner than the dump they used to live in.

When I was close enough to see the cave's entrance, I stopped, waiting for the figure on watch duty to come to me. She hadn't put half as much effort into staying concealed as the others did, but this close to their nest, that didn't matter. I recognized her from the last time I spoke to Oscar—she had been one of the survivors from his original nest and the reason the others were even able to get out. He hadn't said it outright, but considering how relieved he had looked when he saw her, I figured she was more than just someone he was obligated to look after.

"Is he here?" I asked as she pushed her wild brown hair over her shoulder. She hadn't mastered the stillness typical for older members of our kind, so her movements were sharp and too fast for the human eye to follow. A new vampire, no doubt, but no longer an offspring, or Oscar wouldn't have let her out here alone.

"Yes," she replied through gritted teeth. "He's waiting for you."

I looked at the dark mouth of the cave, ignoring the way her upper lip curled and her fangs flashed under the moonlight. I had no idea what made her so angry at me, but I couldn't care less. If she was stupid enough to bare her teeth at someone my age, it wouldn't be long before she met her last sunrise. I could just hope Oscar could beat some sense into her, for his own sake.

"Marcella." A voice came from the entrance of the nest and she turned immediately, smoothing her face and lowering her head in respect. "Go inside and keep an eye on the others."

Without another word, she hurried past him. More voices rose from within as the others greeted her, their hushed questions distracting me for a moment until Oscar cleared his throat.

"Let's get somewhere a little more… quiet," he suggested, motioning for me to take the lead.

We walked in silence for a few minutes, the sentinels staying behind this time. It wasn't until I took him to the hill overlooking most of my property that the prying eyes disappeared. I could see the rooftops of my mansion from here, and if I focused hard enough, I could catch movements in a few of the windows .

"I assume this visit is about the body in the woods," Oscar spoke while I was still staring at my home. When I turned to face him, he had made himself comfortable on a big boulder that had sunk halfway into the earth, with moss covering most of its smooth surface.

Before I could reply, he shook his head.

"We didn't do it, I swear." I continued to study his unfaltering eyes, noting the veins on his neck were a little more prominent than usual. I knew that look very well because I was sure I'd see the same in the mirror. He hadn't had enough blood in a while. "It wasn't anyone from my nest. We've been watching the offspring around the clock and the others know what is at stake here. They wouldn't—"

"I know it wasn't you," I interrupted his blabbering.

A wrinkle formed between his brows. "You do?"

"You're smart enough not to get caught with the remains." I smiled. "As for your nest—"

"It wasn't them!" He cut in before I could finish. "I know we've grown in numbers since the surviving vampires from the other nests joined me, but they follow my lead. I trust them, and even if I had my suspicions, that kill was way too clean. An offspring would have torn that body to shreds and the others…" He licked his lips, looking over his shoulder like he wanted to make sure we were still alone. "The others are too hungry to be this neat."

When I said nothing, he stared at me with pleading eyes. I hadn't seen him so desperate since that phone call that had saved them from the ward a week ago.

"I said I believe you." The relief on his face almost made me laugh. "I'm not here to punish you, but to warn you. Some of the shifters won't listen to you, no matter what you say." He nodded, as if he had already come to that conclusion himself. "They might not believe your innocence even if you bring them the person responsible, so you must stay on your guard. Keep your people close, stay out of their camps, and most importantly, avoid confrontations. They are scared and they need someone to blame and they will blame us. It's just how it is."

I waited for his reaction, but again, there was none. He knew, he already knew. That had always been the way in our world and suddenly, it felt so stupid.

"The witches might have been the ones that chased them out of their homes, but the witches aren't here. And until the enemy makes a move, the shifters will be on the defense against everyone . Even each other." Oscar nodded, his eyes lowering to his hands. I wasn't sure how old he was exactly, but at that moment, he looked so young, like a child burdened with too many responsibilities. My words sounded hollow, even though I knew they were true. "Our kinds have been enemies since before either of us was born, so a common threat won't keep us united for long. So if the shifters start bothering you and you feel you can't control your charges, move your nest to the next city. Start over," I said, pausing until he looked at me. "I don't have the time nor the inclination to deal with a massacre on my lands. Especially on my people."

Oscar shook his head. "This is our city too, we are not leaving. On that, we are all in agreement. And…" He licked his lips, shifting awkwardly as he peered at me. "You saved our lives, so we owe you a debt. Once that is paid, we'll decide what to do from there."

"I don't need your debt, nor do I want it."

We stared at each other for a long moment before I looked back at the house.

"If you intend to stay, I'll arrange for blood banks to be sent to you. There aren't many animals around and getting to the next town over and back is going to be troublesome in a single night."

The sound of barely audible steps told me he'd moved and a moment later, he was standing by my side. "Thank you."

I said nothing, and we fell into silence as we watched the wind make the trees sway and rustle.

"Looks homey." He nodded toward the mansion in the distance. "I'm sorry for dragging you into this. I promise I'll do everything in my power to avoid confrontation."

"Good," I said. "I'm going to speak with Isaac and make him aware that if his people start acting out, there will be consequences."

When Oscar didn't reply, I took that as my cue to leave. Just before I reached the trees, his voice stopped me. "Aren't you going to ask me about what I've found? About who might have killed that shifter?" I looked over my shoulder at him and smiled. "You already know, don't you?"

It was plenty obvious. A vampire killed that shifter, a vampire who nobody knew or saw, one that had been trying to provoke me for weeks. One that was trying to create a problem for me to clean up again .

"I caught her scent, you know," Oscar said, and the surprise had me turning before I could stop myself. The lines of his face sharpened as he clenched his jaw. "That Elder that came to our nest. I caught her scent here. Old and new."

"Where?"

"Everywhere." He frowned. "It was in that valley where they found the body, too." He licked his lips nervously, as if expecting to see someone jumping from the shadows. The forest was quiet, which was no surprise, but I still felt a chill crawl down my spine. "Has she made contact?"

I tried not to wince. I wasn't sure if the bodies she left in these woods and the fire she tried to burn me in was considered ‘contact' but since it was her, I could count it as a warm greeting. At least she hadn't slaughtered everyone on this land to get my attention.

"No," I said in the end. "But it will be best for you if you're not around when she does."

Oscar gave me an unexpected smile, shrugging one shoulder. I wanted to tell him not to be so dismissive of someone who literally ripped apart one of his men, but that's when my phone started vibrating in my pocket. One look at the screen confirmed what I expected to see.

Isaac. That boy needed to learn some patience.

"I'm on my way," I said as I took the call. "The guy is dead. He won't get more dead if you wait five more minutes."

There was a short pause on the other end, then Isaac spoke in a grave voice.

"We found a second one."