Xander âA vampire what?â
Since when was this something | even needed to be worried about? When my father handed over the Alpha title and responsibilities, he never once mentioned | might be dealing with the undead.
â| know, not ideal given how much is already on your plate with your two mates.â He smirked.
Was this guy f ucking with me?
There werenât vampires in our region. In fact, until this very moment, | wasnât sure | believed they existed at all.
âDonât worry, we're not blaming you,â Gustav reassured. âAt least not yet. Given who your mother and father are, Iâm not surprised one came sniffing around our territory.â He waved his hand dismissively. âIt was bound to happen at some point.â
Wait... What the hell did my mother and father have to do with a vampire skulking around my land? And why would | be blamed for it?
No one ever told me border security was an issue | needed to concern myself with. | was led to believe it wasnât necessary after the Great Wars...
My confusion must've registered on my face because Gustav narrowed his eyes and a wicked smile crept across his lips.
âYou have no idea what Iâm talking about, do you?â
Go dda mn my father for leaving me in the dark like this. | was supposed to be in control of the situation. | was supposed to have the Elders and the Council in my back pocket, but why the hell would they respect me if | looked like a total dum ba ss?
then.â
â|...l donât believe my father has relayed this information to meâ | finally admitted.
Gustav scrubbed a bony hand over his face and puffed out a full breath of air. âMaybe weâve done our jobs a little too well, | knew these guys were hiding sh it from us, but vampires?
âAre they a threat?â
The stories Iâd heard about vampires made them sound bloodthirsty and unpredictable. They didnât seem like creatures who'd get along with our kind.
âWe've only located a single vampire, and his intentions remain unclear. But | believe he should be treated as one.â
His face was stony, his voice ice-cold.
âMeaning...?â | asked.
âMeaning if he is seen again, he will be killed on the spot.â
My mind raced. | wasnât even sure how you killed a vampire. Was it stakes and holy water like the stories?
â| donât understand...â | said. âAre my parents and the Elders the only ones who know about this?â
If that were the case, then how many of us had no idea that we shifters werenât the only supernatural beings?
How were we supposed to look out for vampire invaders if we didnât even know they existed?
âThey are some of the few people who know. They vowed to keep the existence of the others a secret. One that theyâd take to their grave.â
He rested his chin in his hand, eyes still glued to me.
âBut still, Iâm surprised they didnât at least tell their only son, the Alpha of the Constantine pack. Especially considering your mateâs involvement...â
My mate?
Suddenly, | felt a jolt of familiarity and thought back to what Lanie had said when she first struck her deal with us.
âI'll disappear into the ether, like a vampire or witch or something.â
Did she know about vampires? But how could she know when didnât?
And then | remembered.
Braden.
| knew there was something off about that mo th erf uc ker the second | smelled him. And Lanie had run off earlier, possibly to see him again.
F uck.
| needed to find out more about vampires, and more importantly, how to kill them.
Because the next time | saw Lanie with that bloodsucking as shole, | was going to turn him into dust.
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