Alderic moved from his place in front of Victor and stood to his right, his appointed place, as he watched the three young wolves looking at each other excitedly. Their first important mission, no doubt, Alderic thought to himself, but it appears young Olivier seems slightly more knowledgeable on this matter then the other two, more then I even. He focused his ears on Victor as his leader began to speak, but kept his eyes tightly on the trio.
"Good. Now that everyone is here, I can start. I'm sure neither of you knows why I sent Olivier for you, correct?"
"No, sir. He just told me a meeting was taking place and I was needed," Theo puffed up his muscled chest threatening to rip his thin shirt in the process. Cecile gave no answer and instead looked at Victor almost like a challenge. Such arrogance in one so small, Alderic almost snorted as he caught Cecile's murderous glance.
"Yes, indeed you are needed, Theo. Your strong build will be much appreciated for this particular mission. But before I go further, I must ask you three if you remember what happened to my first wife, Irene. You three were just as young as my daughter when such a disaster occurred, but you can't be all ignorant on the matter, no?"
"She was murdered! By that treaty breaker!" Cecile spat out her answer sharply.
"And his name?"
"Cedric. Cedric Dautry," Olivier said the last name with malice as if speaking it was enough to burn his mouth.
"Wait, isn't that the surname of that stable hand? That vampire?" Theo questioned, strain showed in his face as he worked his brain roughly.
"You mean to tell me he is alive?" Alderic spoke up quickly, surprising even Victor.
"As alive as any vampire could ever be," Olivier snorted in disgust.
"That can't be so..." Alderic mumbled but his comment was thus ignored as Victor turned back to the three.
"Gaspard is poisoning the mind of my daughter, and I will not have Jocelyn be tricked by a blood-sucking vampire when she has already been betrothed! He has broken a law just by simply coming onto the mansion's grounds. Vampires are not allowed and will be exterminated when they trespass!"
"We are to kill him then?" Theo asked excitedly.
"Yes. And I will expect nothing short of that."
"You mean to tell me we are being sent on a mission to kill this Gaspard boy all because he swoons for your daughter?" Cecile asked in a mixture of shock and distaste.
"You think that is all!?" Victor shouted, sending fear into them, "Have you not been listening?! This is much more then that! He is a Dautry, and we must avenge a death once and for all! The fact he is trying to steal my daughter with his tricks is just an extra to why you will hunt him! Are you going to do the mission I give you, or do I need to send someone more capable?"
"I always follow through with my work," Cecile said simply, her eyes as sharp as glass.
"Good. Olivier, I imagine you have locked Gaspard's scent into your memory, yes?"
"Yes, sir. I could never forget it."
"Then you will share that scent memory with Cecile and Theo before you start out so there will be three noses tracking instead of one."
"Won't he be at the Vampire Castle though? We cannot kill him there."
"Of course not, you fool. But he will have to leave sometime. And who's to say he will even be there? Just follow his scent without guessing! And when you've killed him, do not hide the body, I will want to see it before we dispose of him permanently."
The three nodded in unison, each with a grim look of determination on their faces.
"Go now, I will expect to see his body in no less then twentyfour hours."
With that said, Victor waved the three away in dismissal and watched as each one sprang into their werewolf forms. He smiled to himself as he eyed Theo's large, muscular frame, silently thinking of how it will be when Theo's claws rip into Gaspard. He then turned to Cecile. She wasn’t very muscular, but she was tough mentally, and she would be sure not to go down without a fight. Finally he looked at Olivier who was none too bigger than his own sister. But Olivier was somewhat bright, and with the other two at his side, Victor was sure they would not fail.
He continued to watch as the three wolves placed their heads close to one another as Olivier began to transfer his memory of Gaspard's scent to the two. It did not take long before Theo let out a shaking howl and darted out of the room first, breaking through the back entrance door with Cecile and Olivier close to his tail. As soon as the young wolves were clear away from the mansion's grounds, and unable to hear what could be said, Alderic turned to his smirking leader almost angrily.
"You’re sending them to do it?" Alderic was clearly outraged and confused, "Would it not be more sensible to send Antoine and Marco?"
"If I wanted arsons, yes, I would send them. But Antoine and Marco are not as cautious or careful as they need to be on certain missions," Victor replied calmly.
"Oh, so you’re going to send two snobby pups and a young wolf that has more muscle on his body then in his head?"
"They will be secretive. That is what is needed."
"I do not even see why you’re doing this at all." Alderic shook his head sadly, "The boy has done nothing wrong! So a vampire loves your daughter, at least he seems more honest than the one you have her betrothed too!"
"Are you questioning my actions as leader?!" Victor’s face started to grow red with rage causing Alderic's jaws to clench. He knew he shouldn't play with fire like this, but even he had his standards! Werewolf or not, he did not agree in Victors plan to kill Gaspard.
"Victor..." Alderic spoke slowly, "I just think your being to rash about this."
"Have you forgotten what that boy's father did to our pack?!" Victor interrupted him, outraged.
Grief suddenly overtook Victor has memories of his first wife flooded in his mind. He brought a large hand to his face and covered his eyes as he tried to control himself from his own emotions. It had happened ten years ago and yet the wound it left him with felt so fresh. Victor wasn't a very pleasant man all the time, but he had loved his wife dearly. And although he was fond of Luciel, she could never replace Irene for him. All he had left now of Irene was his daughter. His daughter, who he would do anything to protect and keep with him for as long as he continued his life.
He had called this meeting not just for vengeance of his dead wife, but for the life of Jocelyn as well. He would not let another Dautry take her as well. He shook himself slightly to rid the feelings from him as he brought his attention back to Alderic.
"How could I forget, Victor?" Alderic stated sadly, then added in a sharper tone, "But how is that the boy's fault? You took two lives for one! Even werewolves aren't supposed to kill humans! We have laws too!"
"I expected better from you, Alderic. I have trusted you over and over and now you say such words to me that only speak of mutiny and betrayal! I'll forgive you this once, but I'll be watching you."
And with that Victor walked away, leaving Alderic standing with his fists and jaws clenched, watching his leader's back angrily. With a sigh Alderic left the meeting place. He couldn’t stay any longer and hear Victor's plans of destruction. But what pained him even more was he couldn’t even warn the boy, not even Jocelyn. Those poor kids, he thought as he walked outside, if only I could help them, but even I can't disobey our leader anymore then I already have.
With that contemplation, Alderic swiftly changed to his wolf form and ran off into the dark woods leaving nothing but his shredded clothing and large paw prints in the dirt behind him.
Chapter 21 Pursuit
When Jocelyn read the note Gaspard had left her, she knew
she had to do whatever it took to meet him. So when it hit dusk, she made as if she were sick and still upset at dinner, so her father wouldn't bother her while she pretended to be asleep that night. She waited in her room patiently for the right time to leave, when the house would be quiet all except for her father’s snores. As soon as the time came to leave, she locked her bedroom door and left through the balcony. She tried locking the do
or as well before she shut it, just in case someone got nosy, but realized the lock was broken. She knew that Gaspard must have done it when he left the note for her but she didn't care- it was only a lock after all.
She knew it would be faster to change into her wolf form to run the distance to the meeting place, but she refused to show up as that. Even if she planned on telling him the truth tonight. It didn’t take her too long to reach him, but as she expected he was already waiting in a small clearing in the depth of the woods not too far from the Mansion.
Gaspard smiled widely as he seen her, relief washing over him, his previous doubt faded away immediately as she walked up to him and wrapped her arms around his neck.
Wrapping his arms around her in return, he breathed in the scent of her skin and hair, taking every advantage of their time together. "I'm so glad you came," he said softly when they finally released one another.
"Of course I came," she said in a slightly teasing tone, smiling sweetly at him.
He motioned for her to sit down with him as he sat on the cool grass and leaned against a tree, never taking his eyes away from her for an instant. Just as she was about to tell him everything, finally gathering all her courage, a familiar scent filled her nose. Her heart sank to the pit of her stomach. No, she wanted to scream, what were they doing here? How could anyone be here? She knew she had to change immediately. She may not know why they were here, but whatever the case was; she had to protect Gaspard from them.
Gaspard had smelt the scent too, but unlike Jocelyn, he was completely oblivious as to where the scent came from, or whom it came from for that matter. All he noticed was that she suddenly grew tense, which alarmed him automatically. Just as he was about to ask her if she was ok, she jumped up and took a step away from him.
"Will you excuse me for a moment, Gaspard?" she asked as calmly as she could.
Gaspard could feel the tension in her voice now, and he was only able to nod before she suddenly disappeared into the bushes. He was about to get up and follow her, wanting to make sure she was ok, when suddenly three large werewolves jumped out of the bushes a few feet away from him. He wasn't sure how he knew just what they were, but by the size of them, their upper bodies resembling a human stature, it was like something out of his own dreams. He turned around instantly to face them, letting out a warning hiss as his fangs began to appear, his eyes changing color along with them like clockwork. Crouching down slightly, he readied himself for them to attack. He felt crazy to try and face them, but what choice did he have? If he ran, he would only lead them to the castle, or worse to unsuspecting humans. Before either side could do anything more, a large blur of fur flew past Gaspard to stand in front of him and his attackers.
Another werewolf.
Confusion appeared on Gaspard's face as he watched the new wolf take a stance in front of him; it's back to him in a matter of protecting him. What the hell was going on? He thought. Why was this one protecting him when the others clearly wanted to attack, and possibly kill him?
Fear suddenly took over his body as he glimpsed a gleam of red, eyeing the mane on the protecting werewolf's back. His thoughts jumped to Jocelyn immediately. The wolf had come from where Jocelyn had left! What if something happened to her? This werewolf seemed keen on protecting him, but what about Jocelyn? He felt his skin begin to burn with fear and worry, terrified on if she was safe or not.
He turned his attention back to the four wolves as growls emitted from his protector. The three still hadn’t moved, their eyes were locked on their new attacker now. As Gaspard studied their eyes, he realized with shock that they seemed just as confused about this as he was!
A cloud that had been covering the moon moved out of place, causing a stream of light to come down onto them all. Something gleamed at that moment. Gaspard's eyes grew wide; he couldn't believe what he was seeing. This could not be possible!
There, on the red-maned wolf's front paw was something all too familiar. Something this wolf should not be wearing. Something no one would be wearing except for one person- Jocelyn. He stared at the bracelet he had made for her on her birthday glinting in the moonlight on the wolf's paw, disbelief and confusion threatening to paralyze his body. The wolf didn't attack Jocelyn; the wolf didn't even see Jocelyn- the wolf was Jocelyn!
His body started to relax, but his fangs and eyes remained the same. He no longer cared why the other's wanted to kill him, or for what other reason they may be there, he just wanted to talk to Jocelyn. He wasn't sure what to say, how he'd react when the time came, or anything else, all he knew was he had to talk to her.
The growling Gaspard was hearing was mainly background emotions while the wolves conversed. Jocelyn was furious, confused and scared as to why they were there. She had to find out. Now.
Her claws dug into the soft earth under her paws as she continued the same steady growl as she looked at the trio, knowing who each one was. She eyed the smallest one first, Cecile, part of her wanted to be shocked that she was here, but she knew how Cecile was. She then moved onto the largest of the three, Theo, he was one of the pack's largest wolves, but his brawn didn’t make up for his lack of brain. Utter disbelief and shock ran across her eyes as she looked at the last wolf. The dark brown hair in his main, the oddly skinny staturehow could he be a part of this?! Her growl increased, her muzzle pulled back to reveal her front teeth as she looked at Olivier.
"What are you doing here?!" she questioned, venom in her voice, her eyes latched onto Olivier in pure hatred.
"We could ask you the same thing," Cecile spoke up, her snide voice filling Jocelyn's head.
"Answer the question," Jocelyn snarled.
"We're on a mission. Your father sent us of course," answered Theo, he was already bored of the conversation.
"What mission?" she asked, stealing a quick glance at Gaspard.
"Oh, you know who we're here for, that little look gave you away," sneered Cecile.
"What do you want with him?!" Her growl increased again, panic wanting to take over her.
"Why, to kill him of course," Cecile said, laughter in her throat.
Jocelyn was stunned. Kill Gaspard? She didn't understand. What had he done to deserve this?
"Why?" she asked, her voice soft with confusion.
"He's a vampire! And worse than that, a Dautry! He has to be killed!" Theo snarled.
No. That’s all she could think of. No, not Gaspard. He couldn't be a vampire, he just couldn't, it just didn't seem right! She glanced at him again; her eyes grew wide as she noticed his fangs for the first time during the encounter. As she looked at him, she saw him glance at her sadly, as if he knew she knew. Then it hit her as the bracelet around her paw suddenly felt abnormally heavy, he knows what she is. She turned back to the three as she heard them snickering to one another, as if they thought this information had changed her mind. If they thought that, then they were dumber then she expected. She loved Gaspard, whether he was human or vampire, she loved him! And no one, not even her own father would come between that.
"If you want to kill him, you'll have to go through me!" Jocelyn wanted to shout, but settled for a snarl.
Their eyes grew wide at her reply; they hadn’t expected that for an answer.
"And good luck explaining to my father how you killed his only daughter and heir just to complete the mission!"
"I'd love nothing more than to put your insolent, puppy tail in place!" Cecile barked, her wolf like rage fighting to get the best of her.
"Hush, Cecile!" Olivier broke in, avoiding Jocelyn’s gaze now. "We don't have time for this. It's obvious we can't do anything more, let’s go. Now!" he added as he seen she wasn't going to give in any time soon.
"We'll be back, princess!" Cecile howled as they turned and ran off at once, leaving Jocelyn standing there, Gaspard completely in the dark about the conversation.
Jocelyn turned to face Gaspard fully, confused on what she should do. Part of her wanted to run, to hide what she was from him even though it was
clear he already knew. But she wouldn't do that. She couldn't do that to him again, even if it killed her. She tried to tell him in some way to wait, but with her muzzle instead of a mouth, the best she could do was put her nose to her bracelet.
Gaspard stood watching her as the others left, unsure of what she was doing. As she jumped into the bushes from the way he came, he almost yelled for her to stop, but his voice wouldn't sound. Instead he slumped to the ground, his head in his hands as he waited for her to come back, hoping that she would. After a few moments he heard the bushes rustling again. He jumped up as Jocelyn struggled to get free of the bushes; he ran over to her and embraced her in a tight hug, not wanting to let her go. Relief flooded over both of them as they just stood there holding one another, solid reality that they were both safe and alive.
"Gaspard, I-I’m so sorry I d-didn’t tell you…" She started to cry, her tears running through his shirt.
He hushed her softly, stroking her curly hair as he laid his cheek on the top of her head, feeling her arms tighten around his waist.
"It's ok, please don’t cry, it's ok," he kept repeating until she regained steady breathing once again. Once he thought she was ok, he let go of her just enough to bend down and look into her eyes, his hands holding her head softly. "I’m not angry with you, I could never be angry with you. I love you," he said softly, his eyes had started to turn back to his normal eye color. "I kept this from you too," he said just as softly, pulling back his lips just enough to show her his already shrinking fangs.
Tears started to run down her cheeks again, but she wasn't as hysterical as before. He hated to see her cry, and hated it even more that he was causing it.
"If you want me to leave you, I will. I'll understand-" he started to say but she cut him off softly.
"No, that’s not it. Not at all."
"Then why… why are you still crying?" "They wanted to kill you, my own father ordered it. I can’t stand the thought of you not living, as you are now."
Gaspard pulled her gently to the ground with him, holding her against his hard, cold chest as they sat on the grass together. Jocelyn continued to keep her arms wrapped around him, almost afraid to let him go as if at any moment the wolves would come back for him. He moved one of his hands to the bracelet, touching it gently before he wrapped his hand around her tightly.
Hyblood Page 16