THEODORE
"Lord Alistair is in there," the soldier announced. "Tell me when you're ready, Prince Theodore."
Theodore shook his head. "Please, just Doctor Theodore."
The soldier reluctantly nodded, saying nothing else as he waited. Theo turned back to the metal door, terror crawling beneath his skin. He could have said no; Alexei had given him a chance to refuse.
But Theodore knew deep down that Alexei was trying to look out for him—much to his disadvantage. The council had demanded that he apologize to the vampire lord for the embarrassment.
"But Lord Alistair kicked against it," Alexei had explained that morning. "He wants your presence. Just a conversation. I'll make sure the best of our soldiers accompany you, but that is if you want to go."
Theodore sighed. The Pack was taking its toll on him.
He straightened his shoulders and sighed, "I'm ready."
The soldier nodded, and as though that were a cue, the door slid open and he walked into the semi-dim room.
But immediately as he walked in, he froze—eyes widened at the notorious scene at the center of the room.
Bent over the head of a couch was the Vampire Lord, and behind him—wearing only a military jacket—was a dark soldier of the Pack plummeting into him without restraint.
Theodore's mouth dropped, as amid hard moans and lewd sounds bouncing off the walls, the unclothed vampire lord looked at him and smiled, "Oh my... Prince Theodore, I thought you turned me down."
Theodore quickly turned around, coming face to face with the soldier who didn't even blink a lid.
I guess they were all so used to the act being performed right before them. His face flushed with heat—what sort of person does this in front of someone else?
Even Jordan had the courtesy of privacy. "I can come back later, your..."
"Nonsense." The Vampire Lord said, pushing the soldier off mid-thrust—who seemed frustrated as well as dissatisfied. "You can get out now. Don't come tonight."
Theodore's ears rang. "What... is this... creature..."
"Turn around, your highness." That breathless voice called to him, and when he still stood rigid, Lord Alistair laughed, "I'm in clothes now. Please turn around."
So he did. Sure enough, the Vampire Lord was in a white robe, and in it, he looked so majestic—up close, even more beautiful.
His skin was like white marble, and the only stain on it was the bruises on his neck, like strangulation scars.
Theodore turned his face, heat rushing to his cheeks... what... the... Goddess.
Alistair watched the doctor turn away. "Haha, an adorable little thing, wasn't he? A wild vampire's favorite sport. Poor thing," he wondered—what had he gone through to hold so much fear?
"Do you want anything to drink?" Alistair asked.
"I'm sorry, I'll have to pass," Theodore declined quickly. "I have work on my hands..."
"Yes, that—the Beta, right? I thought he was going to be the most interesting thing I'd see on my arrival... but that was before his doctor shouted my help down."
He moved toward a table, his silk robe flowing behind him, and as he poured himself a drink, he asked, "Don't you fear the Beta?"
Games. This was what this was.
"I grew up with the Beta," Theodore answered, "respect, yes. Fear, not really."
Alistair straightened up, and for a while Theodore thought he saw mock admiration in those red pupils. He smiled, "Did you just deflect?"
"I really want to have a clue as to what you are talking about."
With such grace that it sparked envy, Alistair walked to the window, sitting down on the sill while looking out.
"What a diva," Theodore scoffed.
"Pardon me if I'm wrong, but rumor has it that he's an Esper," the Vampire tucked a long, lush lock of red hair behind his ear. "They say he's so dangerous he could destroy the world if he gets corrupted."
Theodore's brows knit—where was this going?
"I don't know about that."
"Then why do you treat him?"
Theodore said nothing. It was stupid to lie anyway. Who didn't know about the Esper who destroyed a quarter of the Pack the evening he shifted?
Alistair got it, for he turned to him and smiled—his glinting, sharp fangs making Theodore want to dash for the exit.
"Yet you aren't scared of him despite knowing he'd been without a guide for years?" the Vampire raised a brow. "You even protect him, even knowing he's the next thing to an Armageddon."
Theodore clenched his fist, irritation curling in his guts. Besides, what was even a guide? No—fuck that; he didn't want to know. He was just Fenrir's doctor.
But then Alistair's next question halted him: "You've had an encounter with a vampire, haven't you?"
"It's the reason you jolted when you saw me. Even now, you're scared of me."
How did he... Theodore gritted his teeth—could he read minds? Could vampires read minds?
The shock on his face told Alistair he was correct. Fucking wild vampires, giving the creatures a bad name. How could he have met one? He was a prince, and it was obvious—although adopted, his brothers loved him. Like an egg.
Where could a vampire have found him to get him this tortured?
If a human survived a vampire, it didn't end there—the human exuded a certain aura that only vampires could see. It was a way to mark them as easy prey.
And it never left. It remained, marking you as prey forever, and with a prey so pretty, the predators would keep coming.
Alistair breathed, "We aren't all like that."
Just as he suspected, the prince's pupils hardened, and for the first time he met his gaze head-on. "You shouldn't have gone all the way to tell me that. It wouldn't matter if I believed it or not." Theodore turned to the door. "If that's all, I should be going."
"The Gamma has changed his stance on the merge because of you. The Alpha is even more opposed," Alistair called behind him. "I believe you, too, have no clue how important you are to them."
Theodore turned, eyes filled with disbelief. They did? Why? What the hell were Alexei and Vidar doing? The council would eat them raw because of this.
The Vampire began to walk up to him, stealthy as a cat. "Lately, the gate portals appear, bringing in all sorts of atrocities." There was no sly tone in his voice, no amusement in his eyes. "Monsters who shouldn't exist in the seven realms spill into the North, threatening the life of my people."
Theodore's breath went shallow. He had never thought that the vampires—the same creatures that had attacked him—had a community...
But even then his jaw clenched. They were still bloodthirsty creatures... there was nothing like a wild vampire and one with so much elegance that it made his eyes hurt.
They were all the same.
"You have the council backing you up," Theodore spat. "There's nothing to be afraid of, your lordship. Like I said, I have no influence on the..."
"Have you ever wondered why the Pack tolerates you, Doctor Theodore?"
The question punched through his ribs.
Alistair stepped back, studying him like an artist appraising a half-finished painting. "You hold more sway over their Alpha than any of them would like. It fascinates me."
"They don't care about me," Theodore tried.
Alistair smirked. "Oh? And yet the Gamma bends his stance for you. The Alpha grows more restless whenever you are involved. And the Beta..." His crimson gaze gleamed. "You said you grew up together, right? Does he 'like' you as much as Vidar?"
Fucker.
"Think about it, Theodore." The vampire king's lithe fingers held his jaw as he studied his gaze. "It wouldn't take long for the monsters to slip into Alexei's Pack after mine. This is the border of the North, after all."
Despite being slender, his hold had weight—too much of it, and its hands were cold. Theodore's pupils widened.
Human... don't close your eyes...
"We have the weapons. You have the manpower," the Vampire whispered. "Make the right choice, Prince Theodore."
Cold hands... his breath shook.
Alistair saw the nightmare in those pupils, the scent of fear filling his nose, and immediately left him, watching as the human stumbled back, putting enough space between them.
What a strange one—one who held no fear for a killing-machine Esper, but feared all vampires... But it seemed the prince was also a pretender, for he shooed away the soldier before he could even comfort him, and, turning, the fear had left his eyes.
Instead, he glared at the vampire lord.
Feisty too... hmm, interesting.
Theodore was about to say something when suddenly there was a hard knock on the door, sending Alistair's gaze narrowing at the interruption.
"Speak," he ordered.
"It's a message for Prince Theodore," came a male voice from the other side. "It's the Beta... he's losing it."
Theodore fought off a groan.