Chapter 2: Vincent

Lux

I was on my way to see my boyfriend Sebastian in the city center when suddenly a shadow fell over me. As I glanced up, there was no mistake about who this male was.

Vincent Orion, Dosch's cousin. The man I had heard so many rumors about. So many dark and twisted stories. The reason why Dominic didn’t want me near him. The sole reason my fifth mate wasn’t with me right now and hadn’t been with me for weeks.

Was standing in front of me.

I balled my fists. Not ready to be taken down without a fight.

‘Relax beautiful.’ The man took a step forward and he possessed every bit of the powerful aura that Dosch had. ‘I have no intention of hurting you. I just want to talk.’

He was taller, bigger. A clean-cut haircut, impeccable black suit on like Dosch always did. Dark scowl. In contrast to Dosch, my soul didn’t sing when near him. There was nothing pleasant or intriguing about him. He was a kidnapper, a murderer. Everything Dosch fought not to be. Yet, their fathers had made this gang war a thing and he could never escape from it even if he wanted to.

My mind was whirling. Did he know that I was Dosch’s mate?

In that case, I’m dead. So dead.

‘What do you want?’ I kept my voice steady. I was on my way to Sebastian so he would know soon enough something was wrong if I didn’t show up. The Rainers in the city were still moving all around me as if everyone was just blind to the standoff that was happening right in front of them. He wouldn’t gun me down in the middle of Rivellin town center now would he?

‘I heard a little rumor….’ He smugly smiled and looked me up and down with his dead eyes. Making my skin shiver. ‘That you are the mate of the Briareves, Skylars, and the Barringtons Paramore's. Is that true?’

I raised my chin and nodded. Everyone knew. There was no point in denying it. He didn’t mention Rios, so that was a relief.

‘Interesting.’ He said and glanced towards his bodyguards. I was on edge. Ready to fight.

‘Why?’ I responded coldly but my shaky voice betrayed the nervous feeling I was having at being this close to this predator. Every fiber of my being felt it. He was dangerous.

‘I’m going to need a favor from you. As you know.. my cousin is causing quite the discomfort for me and I would like a sit down with the Paramore’s.’

‘I don’t think that is likely.’ I replied dryly.

He stepped closer, almost toe to toe, but I didn’t budge. Even though my heart was beating so fast that he must be hearing it.

‘How no one ever realized you are a Rainer is beyond me.’ He softly added and placed a stray hair behind my ear. I shuddered.

‘You are such a Rainer in the way you carry yourself beautiful.’ He grabbed my hair behind my ear and pulled me aggressively towards him. ‘But make no mistake miss Elmrose. You don’t want to cross me in the Rainer way.’ The way he said it I understood he would not let an insult slide. An eye for an eye.

I swallowed away a large lump in my throat, hissing at the pain from his hair pulling. ‘Let me go. I’ll scream.’ I was easily recognizable these days. Getting all that attention for having the famous Paramore’s as my mates. Rainers would notice this. I would be helped, right? They would not just let me be assaulted by him. But as I glanced beside me, at the Rainers not making eye contact and scurrying along like their tails were on fire I realized something. No one in this entire town would come to bat for me besides my mates. Everyone was terrified of him. I also realized something else, what Dosch had was respect. Because everyone feared him also, but they could put some respect on his name. this Rainer, nope. Everyone was just scared.

‘I expect that sit down next Saturday, at 11 AM sharp. If not.’ He pulled harder. ‘I will find you, miss Elmrose. You will not be so beautiful when I’m done with you.’ He let go of me and casually turned around and walked away. My heart nearly beat out of my chest. I hastily searched for my Telvice, fumbling with shaking hands, and breathlessly called Dosch.

‘Carina?’ he answered on the first ring. I heard small chatter in the background. He was at a restaurant.

‘Dosch…I-’

‘What’s wrong?’ his serious voice reached my ears. ‘Not now Rachel.’

Rachel?

‘I just met Vincent.’ I dropped the bomb instantly and it stayed quiet. I heard shuffling and the chatter was dying down. He was walking outside. When I heard less noise he said.

‘What did he want with you?’ voice as hard as steel.

‘He wants a sit down with the Paramore’s. It doesn’t look like he knows.. about us.’

He hissed. ‘There is no us.’

Auch.

‘Dosch.’

’No, Lux. There is no us. You cannot think about this for just a second. He will Paramirage it out of you and you will die. Painfully. Forget about me.’

‘What do I do about him?’ I ignored his words. Because there was no way I could forget him.

‘You arrange the sit-down, Oak will know how to handle someone like him.’

I breathed in deeply.

‘Are you safe right now?’ he casually asked but I knew he was serious about my safety.

‘Yes, I guess-’

’Are you safe, Carina?’ he asked a little harsher. ‘I will send a convoy to get you!’

‘Yes, I am safe Dosch.’ I took a deep breath in. ’I am safe.’

But not okay. I miss you.

‘I’m releasing a statement tomorrow.’ He added casually but I could catch the slight drop in his voice. ‘I’m announcing my mates.’

‘Mates?’ I could not hide the slight panic I was feeling. The hurt. I was his mate and he was announcing some other women as his partner.

‘Rachel, Mia, Nuri, Alexandra, Kellan, and Macy.’ A few of them were at Rivellin college and one of them I knew was a Dornatill Cheerleader.

His six ‘mates’. He was putting up quite a smokescreen.

‘But how did you convince them-’

‘Doesn’t matter and you don’t need to know. As far as Terra is concerned I have found my mates.’

I stood there flabbergasted.

‘Wouldn’t he come for them?’

‘He might, but they will be protected and fairly compensated for all of it.’

‘But-’

‘Goodnight Lux.’