by Sara Snow
“I never will.”
Vampire Queen Amythia
I got up and left Cain to finish feeding on the centaur that had been brought to us. An owl hooting on my balcony caught my attention, and the bird remained perched on the iron railing as I walked closer to it.
Its large brown eyes were unblinking saucers, and its body thin and frail. It looked young. No doubt it had flown too far and didn't know how to return.
Years had gone by since I last saw a bird, and it was strange to me that this one wasn't flying away in fear, sensing that the woman approaching it was a monster.
"You're not afraid, are you?" Even when I stopped within arm’s reach, it still didn’t blink. "You're a normal owl, aren't you? Not a witch’s familiar?"
It hooted, and my eyes narrowed. As quick as a flash of lightning, I reached out and grabbed it, its pained shrieking music to my ears, then snapped its neck. I threw it over the railing and watched as it plunged into the fog below the balcony.
I held my arms wide apart and allowed the night's calm wind to caress my naked body. I frowned as the centaur's blood began to dry, and I returned to the room to clean up.
Cain was still feeding, but I paid him no mind as I slipped into the bath that my new human pets had prepared. Both had a rare blood type, making them very lucky indeed. Such humans were rare, and their blood was especially delectable. I’d keep them alive for more than a few days.
“Has Vivian’s father stopped fussing about Will calling off the engagement?” I asked.
Cain's loud drinking stopped. I closed my eyes and held my head back, scrubbing myself clean of dried blood.
“I warned him to keep silent, that the matter’s done,” he answered.
"And what of Vivian? Is she still torturing our food supply?"
“Yes,” Cain grumbled with annoyance. “Should I stop her?”
I shrugged. "As long as my meals are clean and untouched by others, I don't care about the rest."
“She’s losing her mind. All because of him.”
I opened my eyes. "William has that effect on people," I grumbled. Cain just hissed and returned to his meal.
His jealousy was always something I’d hated about him. He wasted too much time trying to compete against William instead of showing his own talents and usefulness. This idea of his—of creating a resurrected army—was the first real contribution he'd made. Of course, he was a general and kept order among our people, but that was nothing. William did it effortlessly.
At least, he had . . . until he left and refused to return.
Cain followed orders, while William gave them. That's why I'd chosen William to be my successor.
I held my hand out to the door leading out to the balcony and then closed my fist. The door slammed shut.
If only my attempts to test and gain his abilities had been as successful.
Among all the vampires here, old and young, he was the only one capable of hurting me emotionally and physically. He was already hurting me emotionally by refusing the crown. Sometimes I wondered why I'd allowed him to go free to do as he wished. But I knew why.
I loved him above all else. And one day, he'd remember that love and return to me.
A knock came at the door, and then it opened.
"General Cain, there is news," a Skin announced upon entering the room. Because I was behind a curtain, I could not see him, only his timid shadow.
“Give me the report once I’ve finished feeding.”
“No, go ahead,” I said, startling the already spooked vampire. “I’d like to hear as well.”
He cleared his throat. “The centaur held up his end of the deal. When one of our hybrids exploded, it killed the leader of the satyrs and injured others.”
“And the wolf?” I questioned. “Was she caught?”
There was a pause before the answer came. "N-No, your majesty. But General William was there. He was fighting alongside them, beside the white wolf.”
I stepped out of the tub, and a chill blew through the room, freezing the water. I stepped around the curtain, water still dripping from my body.
The Skin stepped back towards the door and then stopped when I looked at Cain, who rose to his feet. He didn't look surprised. He'd known about William’s treachery all along.
“Are you certain of that?” I asked, not taking my eyes off my son.
“Y-Yes, my Queen, I’m certain.”
No one moved or spoke, but my eyes remained on Cain. Without warning, a dagger made of ice formed in my hand, and I threw it at the Skin. It pierced his forehead, and he fell to the ground with a thud.
Another formed in my hand, but despite the urge I felt to do the same to Cain, I contained my rage. "Tell me what you know. Now.”
“I only just found out,” he answered. “I didn’t want to anger you. My plan was to bring Will back myself and have him admit his betrayal. He turned his back on us, Mother. He turned his back on you.”
The dagger in my hand melted, but my skin began to turn gray. I held my head and groaned as I turned away. My emotions were overpowering my thoughts, and my fingers twitched as my claws elongated.
William, what did I ever do for you to turn away from me?
I screamed, and ice daggers flew from every inch of my body. I roared with rage and turned on Cain.
"I've had enough of this. You've not only let the white wolf slip away—again—but you held back important information about her and my son! My son!” My eyes darted back and forth as a thought occurred to me. “He’ll come back. He’ll come back because of her.”
“You . . .” Cain started, eyes wide with shock. “You . . . can’t be serious. Even after he betrayed you and fought alongside your enemies, you’d still accept him back? I've done everything you've ever asked me. I've remained loyal to you for centuries, but still, you love him more! Don't you see it? Your love for him is going to get you killed!"
I crossed the room and slapped him across the face. Then I grabbed his collar before he could fall to the ground and slapped him again before yanking him forward, bringing his face inches away from mine.
“I’m done playing this waiting game. You promised me a bigger kingdom, and you've been slow about giving it to me. I’m taking matters into my own hands now, Cain. Leave my sight." I shook him and threw him away from me. "I'll bring my son home even if I have to use force. And his little white wolf will follow.”
William
My arrival at Elinor’s pack had gone as expected. Everyone stayed clear of me, and I couldn't blame them. Before leaving at dawn, Circe had offered me some blood, so my heart was no longer beating. Which meant I had arrived looking like the pale creature the werewolves both hated and feared.
There had been a time when I hadn’t cared about what others thought of me, but now, I found myself wanting to be accepted by her pack. I loved Elinor, and she loved her people. There was no her without them.
Cain had been both wrong and right about something. Loving Elinor had made me weak, but the weakness he saw, I considered a strength. Before I'd met Elinor, I felt more emotion than a vampire should, and that only increased the more I got to know her, the more I fell for her.
The dull world around me, with its colors washed out, suddenly became vibrant. For the first time that I could remember, I had something to live for, something to fight for. And fight for it I would.
I removed my hood and leaned against a tree, listening to the forest. It was a full moon, which meant that no wolf could shift. So Theanos and Cyrus offered to patrol outside the barrier, protecting the pack with Darian and Connor, and I volunteered to do the same.
In truth, I was barely present.
A father. I was almost a father.
That thought kept going through my mind on a loop, and it was deafening.
My eyes closed, and I banged my head against a tree a few times. My mother had been right all this time: I could procreate.
Elinor was still shaken from the news, but only her parents, Skye,
Circe, Connor, Darian, and Faelen knew about the pregnancy. The fewer people who knew, the better. The pack also hadn't been told about my relationship with Elinor, which was the main reason I was being regarded with such suspicion.
I was just a vampire general—one that could walk in the sun—offering to help. Details about my ‘gift’ had spread through the pack like wildfire within an hour of my arrival. Some had even remembered me from that first night I'd helped Elinor save her pack, the night the Goddess awakened her divinity.
Knowing I could create life changed a lot for me. My end goal had been to defeat my mother and live in peace with the woman I loved. But now, more than ever, I wanted to wake up and be back on that beachfront with Elinor . . . and the family we created.
"Are you trying to crack your skull open?”
I hadn't realized I'd still been banging my head against the tree. I pushed away from it as Darian stepped out of the darkness.
"If I was able to sneak up on you this easily, maybe you shouldn't be patrolling."
“Not now, Darian.”
“Not now, what?” He stepped forward, his black eyes returning to hazel.
My eyes flashed red. "Now isn't the time to provoke me. I don't care where we are. Choose your words wisely, or you'll eat them."
His mouth turned downward, and he shook his head, causing his long locs to swing. “I had no intention of provoking you. I might not like you, but I’m aware of what you and Elinor are going through right now. It must be hard.”
I said nothing. Finding the Werewolf Guard so relaxed was a little strange.
When I remained silent, he looked away. "I care about her," he admitted.
But that was no surprise to me. “I know.” When he glanced at me, I added, “I’ve seen the way you look at her.”
"She's a warrior. She always has been," Darian chuckled, the sound strange coming from him. "She listens to no one."
The corner of my mouth arched an inch, unable to resist a small smile. "She doesn't."
“She’ll always get herself into trouble. And she thinks with her heart—something that would have made her a bad Werewolf Guard.” Then he glared at me. “And for some reason, she thinks things like you deserve to live.”
I smiled wryly. “There it is. That hatred didn’t take long to reappear.”
He shrugged. “I told you I didn’t like you.” He cleared his throat. "Just take care of her, okay? Since you claim to care about her so much, make sure you keep her safe."
We both caught the scent at the same time, and I swallowed what I was going to say. I started running towards where I knew I’d find a vampire. The smell was faint, but there.
A few minutes later, we found Cyrus standing over the incinerated Bleeder. I looked around, noting there were no other scents.
“Why is there only one?” Darian voiced the question I was asking myself.
Theanos descended from above. "I circled the forest, and this one was alone. It just appeared out of nowhere. Its scent starts and ends here."
“Wait!” I bent down and fanned at the smoke rising from its body. “I can smell something else . . .”
A chill went down my spine as I recognized the scent, and I stood up swiftly. "The pack! We need to get back to the pack."
"What's wrong?" Darian asked, but I had already vanished.
The world blurred as I ran through the trees, the others following behind me. I wasn't wrong about the scent on the Bleeder, but I was confused. I got to the barrier just as it came crumbling down, and my jaws clenched.
This isn’t good.
Everyone was running to get into the houses, while Werewolf Guards readied themselves, standing in pairs and facing the portal that had just appeared.
Elinor and her father stood together, ready to take on this new threat.
Just as I got there, a beautiful woman stepped out of the portal.
I had to give her credit—my mother knew how to make an entrance.
10
Elinor
A woman stepped out of the portal, and straight away, the atmosphere in the pack changed—literally.
The night grew cold, and my breath came out as fog as the portal closed.
I knew without being told that the woman standing before me was Amythia, Queen of the vampires. She had an aura of power surrounding her that was unmistakable. After surveying the scene in front of her, she turned her focus on the Werewolf Guards blocking her path.
During a full moon, our wolves couldn't come out, not entirely. Our eyes changed, our fangs could appear, and our claws could elongate, but that was the end of it. We retained some of our strength, but on a full moon, even a weak Bleeder could end a powerful Guard's life, if they weren’t careful.
The air grew even colder when Amythia’s eyes met Will’s. They stared at each other, and although it was gone the second it appeared, I caught a glimpse of sadness in her gaze. Though she was a soulless thing, she cared about Will in her own twisted way.
She was a mother. And Will had betrayed her.
She looked nothing like other vampires I’d seen. While most only had red irises, every part of her eyes was red, with no white in sight. At first glance, they resembled a swirling sea of blood. Her skin was milk-white, and her straight black hair fell down her back like a curtain.
She was taller than I had expected, too. Taller even than Will or my father. I guess I shouldn’t have expected anything different. She’d come from the union of the Demon King and a Goddess.
Like Will, her scent was different. It wasn't as pungent as other vampires, but I could still smell the subtle odor of decay. Will was the only vampire whose scent wasn't anywhere close to unbearable.
Amythia looked up at the sky. "Beautiful night, isn't it?"
"Leave," my father growled. "Don't think for a second that because it's a full moon, we're defenseless."
Her head lowered, and she looked from him to me. "So, you're the white wolf. I was expecting more."
“I’m okay with that. You underestimating me will cost you your life.”
Amythia chuckled, and the sheer white dress she wore blew in the breeze. "I'm looking forward to our fight, child. But I hope it won't come to that."
"You've killed thousands of supernatural creatures and people—people I care about. I know what your plan is. You want me to join you. But you're wasting your time. It'll never happen."
"I've lived long enough to know that with a little patience, we all get what we want. If we want it bad enough, that is. " She turned to face Will, and the Guards growled threateningly.
She paid them no mind, however. “You did well, Will, in picking a fine mate. She'll be of great use to us."
“The fact that you can take my choice of a mate and make it all about you is the reason I’m not by your side.” Will stood stiffly, his hands clasped behind his back. “Don’t do this, Mother. The others might not be able to shift, but Elinor’s still a white wolf. She can access her powers. And neither one of us will allow you to kill anyone here."
Amythia vanished and reappeared behind a Guard. She had moved so swiftly, twice as fast as Will, that everyone stepped back except for my father and me. Her white skin turned a hideous shade of gray for a second, before returning to white. Her index finger was by the Guard's throat, and I watched as her nail grew to the size of a dagger.
“Now, William, you know better than anyone that I could slaughter everyone here before your girlfriend could even blink. Let’s not force me to prove that. The demons outside the barrier and your pet can fight me, sure. But I could slaughter half of this pack before you even started.” Amythia chuckled. “Haven’t enough of your people died already, Elinor?”
“Why are you here?” I stepped forward, electricity dancing across my fingers.
She stared at my hands, then at me. She was beautiful, but behind her eyes, I could see nothing but darkness.
“Step away,” she whispered to the Guard, and a long, forked tongue slipped between her lips to lick at
his ear.
He moved away immediately, and she watched him go, a hungry look on her face. I saw it then, the monster in her craving for something to feast on.
My fists clenched. "He's off the menu. Can we get back to the reason you're here?"
"I see why you like her, William. Not many people would dare speak to me in that manner. It's refreshingly funny. But I'm not here to make trouble. All I want"—she looked at Will—“is for you to return with me. You've had your fun, but now, it's time you returned home."
"That's not happening," I answered before Will could. “You’ve wasted a trip.”
"Your smart mouth is adorable, but don't forget who you're speaking to. I'm here for my son, that's all. But if necessary, I'll kill all of you, one by one, until he agrees." Ice formed under her feet. "In five minutes’ time, you’ll all be dead. But don't worry, I'll leave the children for last."
Will stepped forward, and so did I. "Will?"
He paused, and our eyes met as Amythia clasped her hands over her silent heart. "Oh my, young love. Come with me, William, and I'll end this war. I’ll keep what lands I’ve gained so far, of course, but the killing will end.”
“You won’t keep that promise.” Will’s blue eyes changed to red, and Amythia shook her head.
"I will if you come with me. I'll spare these wolves, and all supernatural creatures will be safe from now on. Their lives are in your hands, Son.”
My father growled as he too stepped forward, his eyes black pits and his fangs grazing his lips. “Do you expect us to believe that you’ll end things here?”
Darian appeared beside me, and Connor moved to my father’s side. Father looked at Connor, who nodded, and above us, a bright light appeared in the sky.
Theanos suddenly appeared. He was in his dragon form, covered in scales, and his tail swiped back and forth through the cold air. Amythia’s lips formed a thin line.
Then, behind Will, Cyrus stepped out of the forest in his demon form. The moment she saw him, her nostrils flared and her face dropped. Her eyes roamed over his body, and her brows arched at the sight of his red wings.