My eyes snapped back to the mystery man; to get an idea of how close he was to us.
He was a tall man who seemed to have a thing for dressing in style. It looked like he had come from some kind of business dinner, or maybe work, because of his dark slacks and white collared shirt. The collar itself was disheveled and looked like there had been a tie there recently.
He had a strong jaw, but many of his facial lines remained feminine. Not so much soft, but elegant. His dark hair and eyes, and pale skin, were trademarks many Romanian's had. He didn't seem to be older than twenty-five, but I had a feeling that he was very, very old.
"Now that we have that over with," I watched his eyebrows furrow together as he looked past Gabriel and I. Until then, I hadn't noticed that he had been focusing on the pair of us, and not the entire group. The nameless man grunted in disgust and moved to the nearest door. "Nicolais, you have gotten what you asked. Now leave." When he returned he held a raw steak.
My stomach lurched. My body must have too, because Gabriel gave my hand a squeeze. I wasn't sure if it was meant to be comforting or a warning.
Then the man tossed the meat carelessly to the concrete.
The sound of it splashing to the floor caused me to gag. I flinched away from it. But that wasn't the sickest thing.
The beast, worse than Beauty and the Beast, that claimed to by my father scrambled to it's feet and rushed over to the lump of blood as if it were the answer to it's prayers.
I tensed considerably as his claws dug into the brawn, and was only half aware of Gabriel pushing me so I was partly behind him.
Near the corner of my eye I made out a small movement. I glanced over, near the wall where my brother was still trying to catch his breath, and saw Sean. He struggled to pull himself up onto his paws, and slowly inched towards us.
My mom's ears perked slightly when his nose brushed against her fur. I knelt down and slowly offered my hand.
Sean's eyes turned to me. I saw his pain, smelt the bitterness of the blood and sweat he'd accumulated, and then, in one moment, I felt his determination.
We both seemed to cast aside our past in that instant, and turned to our newly acquired enemy. I slowly rose and became very aware of Gabriel's almost painful grip on my hand.
"It's interesting…" The man's dark eyes scanned the half circle that we had unintentionally created, "I was under the impression that there'd be more of you."
The next wave of giggles started soft and slow, but quickly became confident as Nicolais stepped closer to his friend. "They're looking for me…" He hunched over, as if laughing was causing him pain.
I couldn't stop myself from growling at the corpse-like man.
Both of their eyes snapped to mine, but I didn't back down. I expected rage, but instead I received the smallest of smiles from the still mysterious and unnamed man, "Ah," He made a sweeping motion with his left arm, "I apologies. How rude of me, may I introduce myself? I am Mircea III Dracul." Then he surprised me even more by bowing from the waist.
I stared at him a second before sending a questioning look to the men standing to my right.
Nathaniel looked at the man with rage, Gabriel with anticipation, Caleb looked just as disturbed by the man's actions as I did, but his father simply stared at him; no emotion, which struck me as odd.
"And you are…" The man, Mircea apparently, straightened his back and his eyes flickered to mine. "… Elaine Dubois, correct?" The way he looked at me, and the confidence in his tone, told me that he knew exactly who I was. He didn't need me to confirm it.
I was fed up with this, so I wordlessly drew my sword.
"Now, Elaine, don't be so disrespectful." Mircea scolded. "Let me finish." He went to take a step closer to us, and Gabriel drew his sword as well.
Finally, I inwardly rolled my eyes at the Durand.
Mircea snarled at Gabriel, "I see you're the one who's behind her ill manners." He seemed to be taking much pleasure in making us wait, I realized.
Gabriel didn't bother to respond verbally, but I noticed his hands wringing the handle of his sword as his need for a fight began to surface.
"Did you know that you can't be born a vampire?" Mircea continued towards us. Each of his steps was accurately timed as he walked around my father, who was still ripping the meat apart. His expression was thoughtful, though I wasn't sure why.
I saw my mom standing beside me from the corner of my eye. Some of her older wounds had healed, but I noticed some blood still trickling down her far right leg. I took a half a step forward, so I was sort of in front of her, and hoped she understood my message. I didn't want her to fight.
I lost dad.
I wasn't losing her, I swore it to myself.
"They have to be made. You have to have a certain blood type, and because of that, my grandfather's numbers dwindled into nothing." His expression became grave, "I wasn't able to become a vampire."
I would have rolled my eyes at the sad story if it weren't for the fact that his eyes were locked on mine.
"So, instead, my grandfather turned me into a protector of sorts." A grin without humor tugged at his sensual mouth, "Along with many others who didn't have the right blood type."
"Hell Hounds." Nathaniel practically spat out.
I frowned deeply, "Hell Hounds?" I thought, "You protected the gates of hell?" I thought back to Leah's class where she tried in vain to teach us about mythology. It didn't really stick. Then I realized… "You mean those large ugly things that could pass as bears?" That thing I killed at the entrance of this castle?
Mircea laughed and gracefully crossed his arms over his chest, "The name itself doesn't strike fear into the soul, does it?"
I turned my glare onto him, "You changed my father into a…"
I was cut off by Gabriel, who practically shoved me to the floor. I landed off balance and huffed at the dark haired Durand when I found myself sitting on my arse. "What was that for?"
Then something whizzed past Gabriel's head.
I followed the sword with my eyes and watched in shock as Mircea caught it, just before it crashed into his scull. I snapped back around and saw Michael. He looked like a warrior out of Troy. His arms were still raised from throwing his sword as a spear.
"Stand up." Gabriel ordered.
When I was on my feet I saw Odolf. He was entering the room just behind Alex.
"Where's Cassiel?" I ran a few strides towards them.
Alexander turned to me for a brief second, but then looked behind me. I watched as his eyes found my father. After a moment of grief he spoke, "Cassiel's safe."
Michael added, "You should go to him; get away from here."
My alpha had been about to say something else, but was cut off by numerous doors slamming shut. I winced and stopped breathing as I watched the double doors, out exits, close on their own. The halls were the blocked by massive shadows. I hoped they were shadows, anyway.
"I think not, Alexi." Mircea's voice boomed across the room. I shifted into a light stance as I scanned the faces for his, but I couldn't find him. "You are my guests until I wish for you to leave."
When Alex's gaze flickered to something behind me, I spun around.
Mircea was no less than a dining table's length away from me. I gripped my sword tightly. Prior, I hadn't even remembered I had been carrying it.
"We have many things to discuss." Mircea continued. He didn't seem at all concerned that he was now trapped in a circle of ready-to-fight werewolves.
"We have nothing to discuss." Alexander spoke evenly, "Only vengeances to take."
Mircea laughed at that, "We shall see."
Then, Gabriel lunged forward. He spun his sword once in his hand before moving to strike. Mircea still held Michael's sword, but didn't even more to defend himself with it. But, another sword did.
I jumped when the clash of metal rang in my ears. Then, with horror stricken eyes, I followed the sword that held Gabriel back, and saw Leo struggling to keep the dark haired Durand un
der his control.
"Leo!" "Dad!" Caleb and I yelled in unison.
"You see Alexander," Mircea continued, unfazed by our obvious terror and shock, "Leonardo and I have been working together for some time." I took a small step back until I was at Michael's side. The dangerous glint in the mastermind's eyes scared even my wolf.
Caleb let out an enraged cry and pointed his sword at his alpha, his father, "For what?"
Mircea shook his head at the father-son behavior, "Something we both wished to seize. Someone we both needed."
I hardly noticed hot tears itching my eyes until one ran down my cheek. I stared at Leo with mixed feelings. He was an alpha; a man of honor. Sure, there had been times when I wasn't sure of his decisions, but I never thought of him to be this corrupt.
"Caleb," Leo shoved his weight against the sword and Gabriel took a step back and released his sword; more out of interest in the subject than submission in the fight. "I did this to protect our pack from attacks. It was the only way to keep the hounds from taking over our territory."
Caleb curled his lip back in a disgusted sneer and took a threatening advance on his father, "So you sold someone out?"
"No, simply gave information." Leo's eyes darted between Gabriel and his son. He couldn't seem to figure out which one was the biggest threat. Personally, I wouldn't have taken my eyes off Caleb if I were Leo. Gabriel was more interested in the ultimate prize; whom he was eyeing at the moment.
"On who?" Caleb barked. His demand echoed in the large room. I felt incredibly small at that moment, which only doubled when I saw three pairs of eyes turn to me.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Mircea confirmed my fears verbally after a few dreadfully, sickeningly, long seconds went by. Apparently I had not just been a friend to the London pack Alpha, but also a bargaining chip.
"Years ago, when the rumor of there being a born female in the European packs, I went to Leonard." Mircea explained almost excitedly, "He wasn't very willing, at first, but once I showed him the ways of the hell hounds, he quickly changed his mind. So, Caleb, your father really was looking out for his pack's safety when he made this deal with me."
Nausea churned in my stomach as I listened.
"So, as the years went on, I learned about Elaine." His eyes turned to mine. Instead of the madness I'd expect from a man like him, I saw tenderness. "I learned of your likes, dislikes, fears, and desires. Then, I went to make my move when you moved to London a few years back."
I glanced, panicked, at Leo before snapping my gaze back to Mircea. My heart was racing as I put everything together.
"Leonard tried to intervene, by mating you with his son, but your alpha refused." Mircea paused momentarily, "I actually owe you my thanks for that, Alexei. If she was mated, it would have been very difficult to get her here. However…" he trailed off.
I jumped as s vicious, no-where-near-human, growl sounded from behind me. I went as stiff as a board and waited for the attack. No sooner than I glanced over my shoulder, Michael tore past me. I gasped, tripping over my feet as I attempted to move out of harm's way, and watched my Beta lunge at the newly introduced warlord.
I watched as Michael slammed into Mircea and both of them fell heavily to the floor. Michael managed to get in three accurately aimed punches before the supposed grandson of Vladimir the Impaler managed to push his way out of the bone crushing hold Michael had on his waist.
Too late, I noticed Mircea's hand's odd shape. His fingers had grown twice their size and were now covered in runway-worthy sharp claws. A second later, I heard the sickening scratch of the nails against Michael's face.
Michael's face snapped to the side and he growled in pain. However, he must have shoved his pain aside because he attacked the alpha with twice as much rage as before.
Suddenly, I was shoved backwards. I growled at being pulled away, again, and turned to face the culprit with my hands gripping my sword.
Odolf gave me a firm stare, and I glared right back.
We both turned back to the battle; no different than fans at a wrestling match or a baseball game. There was nothing for us to do, except stand, watch, and hope our team would win so we could cheer in delight when the match was over.
While Caleb held his father at sword point, Michael and Mircea struggled for dominance in their fight. It was hard to tell which was strongest. Both had muscle, and proved it by continuously rolling over the floor. Michael straddled Mircea's chest and dealt a solid jab to the collar bone. Seconds later Mircea shoved Michael until his shoulder blades were pinned to the floor.
Michael twisted his way out of the hold, and using sheer force, he threw Mircea into the air. The Romanian alpha hit the wall, hard, but came out of it alive.
"Michael," Alexander's demanding presence became known as he stepped out of the circle of bystanders. He walked up to his son, and for the first time in my life, I saw the beginning signs of anger in my alpha.
Sure, there had been many times when he'd been annoyed and had raised his voice at me, or other members of the pack. But, he'd never outwardly showed his anger like his elder sons.
The muscles along Alexander's jaw were a pinkish color from the strain he was putting on his bottom teeth. Odd, that was one of Michael's anger signs too.
"Let me see," Alex studied the dark haired Romanian with feigned interest, before continuing, "You are the third Dracul to reign, yes?" He didn't wait to respond, "Which makes you the blood grandson to the famous Dracula himself."
Odolf scoffed, though it sounded more like a snarl, "Count Dracula? Alexander, I thought Cassiel was the only Durand who appreciated Bram Stoker's novel? Seriously, vampires don't exist."
"They don't anymore, pup." Nathaniel wasn't watching us, or the men in the circle. His eyes were trained on the entry ways, "Their numbers died out in the 17th century, just before the Puritans went to the Americas."
"That means you've lived under the reign of a crazed paranormal racial leader with a born female at his side."
I chose to ignore Odolf's protectiveness, or whatever that was, and turned back to Alexander.
"Why would you want to do that yourself?" Alexander's voice morphed into a mutation of his normal calm and wise alpha tone. Now, he spoke with a growl deep in his chest and an evident threat behind his words. The tip of his blade grazed against the concrete, and I was awed by the fact that it cut into the concrete.
Mircea spit blood on the floor before getting to his feet, with more grace than I could have managed under the circumstances. "You can't be that surprised, Alexei."
"Don't push me," My Alpha menacingly snapped, "You wanted to discuss things, go ahead, but if you threaten me or my pack again I will not be so lenient."
The Romanian surprised me by laughing, but none the less he continued, with a much less haughty tone, "I remember Catalina. She could soothe even my grandfather…" He trailed off as his words formed low chuckles.
"Vladimir was a cruel and sadistic murderer." I reported heatedly as I recalled the limited information about Vladimir the Impaler. I mentally hit myself. I should have paid more attention to Leah when she was talking about his reign.
Mircea's eyes snapped to mine before he replied, as if he needed to see me while he spoke, "My grandfather was a hero, both worshipped and feared by his people," He paused momentarily and seemed to directing the next part to Alex even though his eyes remained on me, "and most of that had to do with Catalina, even if many didn't know it." His eyes grew darker as he spoke, but not necessarily in a pissed off way.
I noticed that I stood partly separated from the rest of the pack. As always, I was divided from them. Now not by age but I was simply out of the loop, out of the circle.
"Now, I am going to reestablish our monarchy." Mircea's booming confident sent a shudder down my spine, and not in a good way.
"By using the same strategy your grandfather used?" Gabriel laughed darkly before barking, "He failed and went mad in the process! What makes you think you'll do any better?"
Mircea snarled viciously at the black haired man's audacity, "How dare you!"
Gabriel taunted him and I immediately felt the need to calm the dark haired Durand down. Alex didn't seem happy about his son's interruption of the crazy man's plan either, so that put me further on edge.
I was about to step forward, but stopped when Mircea's black eyes turned back to me. The anger he'd just shown vanished from his features, and he continued, as if it had never happened, "But before that, I need your cooperation." I watched with a mixture of distrust and disbelief as the past Romanian leader turned to my Alpha as he asking a friend for a favor.
"You are either very certain of yourself, or incredibly naive to ask me this." Alexander drawled, as if talking to a man about to take the lover's leap. If it weren't for the way he clutched his sword, or strode, I'd thought he was being gentle.
Mircea's smirk tilted into a sneer as he watched my Alpha.
"You know what I ask." Mircea pushed for a quick decision. He definitely wasn't a patient sort of fellow… of course; I didn't think there was a werewolf alive who could call themselves tolerant. "You can agree, or I'll rid you of the equation and take Elaine from your pack anyway."
I winced, but was more angry than perplexed. This man really was insane if he thought I'd go to him willingly.
Alexander growled furiously, "We'll fight then."
Mircea shocked us all by throwing his head back and laughing, "Very well!" He clapped his hands together, and as if that had been a signal, his defenses emerged.
That's when I understood Mircea's nonchalant behavior. Out of the shadows came his monsters. Their muscles were large and backs hunched, and their white teeth dripped rabid foam with every step they took. I slowly turned my back on Mircea, and focused on the more dangerous threat.
The circle the pack had formed separated and soon we were all matched with an opponent.
Mine made up in teeth where he lost in size. His fur was matted and thick with mud, while his paws were dark with soot and the dirt that coated the floors.
Howl (Howl Book 1) Page 37