Chapter 10 Responsibilities

Alexander

Fuck! How will he be able to tell his mate that on the second day of their budding romance, he will have to leave her for a business trip? In France. And it was not even a credible business trip. He had to fucking lie as well!

He narrowed his flint regard at councilman Victor. That asshole has secrets. He fully intended to find out. The councilman was an ancient vampire half-breed and has risen to the status of councilman because of his beloved. The woman was a respected pure-blood. A descendant of the first vampire.

Victor has the largest clan, governing Romania. Alexander's instinct prodded and he knew the man could not be trusted. If he found out he was a traitor to their organization, to the allied forces, he will make sure to feed him his own heart.

"King Alexander, we know you are newly mated," He had not even marked his Anna yet much less mate with her. "but we need you in South of France right away before this ends in bloodshed." Fucking dramatic.

"Tell me once more what happened." He needed to know if this was worth leaving his mate behind for 2 days. When every minute away from her made his wolf whined and he ached.

"From our reliable sources, the Brodeur clan was attacked by pack warriors this morning. Killing several vampires while they rested on their vaults. The clan leader Henry declared war on the pack and promised retaliation tonight." Shit! Wars had known to start with even fewer reasons. And Vampires and Lycans had been at peace for several centuries.

"How can the warriors open the vaults when only the most trusted caretakers knew the code?" He smirked. His father was still sharp. Victor was at a loss for words. Rushing for a decent explanation.

"That's a good point, father. I will make sure to investigate every lead. Is Xavier awake? He has been in hibernation for decades. I need my friend with me on this." He asked his father and saw Victor bothered by his question. Xavier was the most powerful vampire king. He was the reincarnation of Ambrogio the First Vampire. His friend was 300 years old with unfathomable powers. And the strength of a hundred men.

A few decades back he decided to hibernate since he has not found his beloved. He knew he has reawakened. The king sent him a letter a week ago to let him know. The bastard had always been an old school. He has not taken advantage of the wonders of technology.

He pinned his attention back to the arrogant member of the council. He purposely asked the question to gauge Victor's reaction. It looked like it rattled his confidence.

"The news was he has awakened, my son." His father replied.

"Good. My beta will contact his second in command. I will be in the air an hour from now. The council will have the complete report by tomorrow evening. Good day!" Shit! There was no shirking from his duties no matter how much he wanted to. He was a king. The ruler of the Lycan kingdom.  He was brought up never to neglect his duties. The only drawback was his mate staying behind. Fuck! Two days without her would be hell.

"Beta..."

"I have the private jet ready and called the Vampire King's caretaker. The king and his second in command will meet us in France as soon as we arrived." He sighed. Michael was as efficient as they come. He knew he too was reluctant to leave his mate but his duty to his king and the kingdom came first.

"Fuck! Please make sure that my Queen and my sister are well guarded at all times when we are not here. Only mated males in our elite division. I need to see my mate before I go. My wolf is going crazy!" He grimaced. This two-day separation will hurt. A lot.

"They are working at the Luna's room on this floor, sire." His beta was tense, loathe to leave his mate behind.

"Come on Michael, we have to see our mates." He left the privacy of his conference room, going to the one at the end of the hallway.

All his attention to his mate, he entered her domain. Goddess, she was beautiful. She looked ethereal. Like a goddess of beauty. So innocent and pure. He smirked, remembering the incident at breakfast. She really was.

He noticed the room had gone quiet, the ladies were waiting for what he had to say however his mate was shyly glancing at him. His pace brought him to the head of the table where she was seated. She looked up. Her eyes widened when he towered over her.

"Can I steal you for a moment, baby girl?" She blushed at his words. The people in the room heard him loud and clear. His sister smiled proudly. Good. He preferred everyone to know she was his. He held out his hand to help her up.

"Of course, sir. I...um...will be back in a few minutes, team." He wrapped his arm around her tiny waist, pulling her body against him, escorting her directly to their office, and locked the doors to give them privacy.

They faced each other and he pulled her to him, his arms holding her securely. He took a deep breath of her scent to calm him.

"I have something to tell you, mio angelo." He sat on a nearby couch and tugged her on his lap. Anna gasped but allowed the closeness. She sat sideways with dainty arms around his neck.

How he wished the circumstances were different and they were making love instead before he left. But he can't act on those impulses yet.

"I have to go on a business trip for two days. I will be back by Saturday. Michael will be coming with me." He murmured, caressing her back down to her hips. She shivered from his touch. So fucking responsive.

"Oh, I see." He groaned at her answer. That was definitely disappointment in her voice. He buried his face on her neck, inhaling her scent greedily. Please don't be mad. How to fix this?

"I am sorry, my love. I promise to make it up to you when I get back." He muttered and peppered kisses and nips on her sensitive skin. She arched her body, pulling him closer by his hair. "Baby girl," he groaned. His cock was so hard, she must feel it poking her cute ass.

"Alexander," He molded her body closer and she whimpered her need. Fuck! He needed to kiss her right now.

He gently cupped her face to angle it towards him and his lips descended on hers. He sucked on her lower lips gently. It was so lush and soft. So sweet and inviting.

Her lips move against his tentatively, testing, experimenting. He nipped her lower lip, then sucked it again. She inhaled sharply. Taking advantage of the opening, his tongue entered her mouth smoothly, exploring, tasting her sweetness. She moaned. She liked this. Growing confident, he kissed her more hungrily, she responded by angling her head to kiss him back. Nibbling on his lips. He rasped. Fighting for control. Her arousal teased him to do more --he can't. Not today.

Soon. He will take more.

He savored her dainty tongue once more and licked her parted lips. He eagerly scattered kisses all over her flushed face, down to her neck. Sucking her skin, leaving his mark and scent. His cock was throbbing painfully --he ignored it. Shackling his impulses. Goddess. Give him strength.

He raised his head to admire her flushed beauty. His coarse fingers traced her closed eyes, nose, cheeks, and her swollen moist lips. Memorizing every detail.

"I have to go now, cara mia," He grumbled. Loathe to leave her. "Always stay with Alexie, ok? You have your security team, so don't be alarmed if you see them. Please don't overwork and eat on time. I will make sure to call you every hour to check on you, so please bring your cellphone with you at all times." He doesn't give a damn if he sounded overprotective. The thought of losing her... He caged his Lycan to stop him from shifting.

"Yes, sir." She giggled and pecked his lips. Effectively distracting him. The temptation was too much. He leaned in to kiss her one last time before leaving. Sucking her lips, plunging his tongue, enticing her to explore his as well. She met him softly, making him growl.

Jesus! She was killing him. Soon, he would be leaking precum if they don't stop this. Reluctantly, he separated their lips. She smelled so fucking aroused, his wolf was scratching to get out. He pecked her lips. That made her curve her swollen lips dreamily.

"I will miss you, mio amore." His admission widened her smile.

"This is crazy but I will miss you so much as well. I will be alone in our bed." She pouted. Oh, fuck! What if she will have another nightmare? He will make sure she will have Alexie check on her from time to time. Anyway, he knew his sister wouldn't sleep much with her mate separated from her.

"I promise to make it up to you. Now, see me off, my love?" She nodded.

He helped her up and smirked when she discreetly tug on her skirt and her cute silk blouse. He made a mental note to take her shopping soon.

He glanced down at his throbbing erection and inwardly groan. He pulled his Armani coat to try to hide it. Impossible feat. He put on his trench coat instead.

He wrapped his arm around his mate's waist and they got out of their office. His beta and Alexie were waiting for them. Judging by their scents, those two spent their short time together wisely. He hoped he can have that with Anna soon.

"Take care, Xander. I will be waiting for you." He embraced her tightly uncaring if people were watching. Burying his face on her neck once more to surround him with her scent. He kissed her gently before letting her go. Her face turned red like an apple. That satisfied him immensely.

"See you in two days, baby girl."

"In two days, Xander." He clenched his jaw and forced himself to leave her side, his wolf whining at the separation. He nodded at his beta. He needed to go before he changed his mind. The sooner he resolved this issue the sooner he will be back in his mate's arms. He urged himself not to look back and entered the elevator, facing the doors only when it was closed.

His face turned to a masked of fury, promising death to whoever it was that caused him to be separated from his precious mate.

***

Southern France

8 pm

Dubois Pack

Fuck! The 7-hour flight from New York to here was a pain in the ass. Plus his wolf's constant growling and whining gave him a massive headache by the time they landed. At the end of his tether, he was about to snap. The only one who can control him was his mate and she was not here.

He faced the pack's Alpha. Waiting for his explanation. The vampire king, Xavier, was beside him. Looking relaxed and entertained. He knew better. The man was very sharp and astute. Shrewd and calculating. None the worst for wear --even though he spent decades asleep in his vault.

The room was surrounded by their combined elite warriors with their seconds in command guarding their back. Scouts and snipers strategically located in various areas.

"My king, I swear to the moon goddess, we didn't attack the vampire clan. I have a mate and pups. I will never risk a war and risk the alliance. Two days ago, two of my border patrols went missing. We found them the next day, they were drained of blood but the odd thing was they don't have vampire bites. We would have smelled it as well. That's why we didn't jump to conclusions. We were about to contact you when we heard of the attack on the neighboring vampire clan." He was gasping for breath at the end of his explanation. He was in earnest.

Fuck! The man was telling the truth. One could never lie to a Lycan king. His senses were a hundred times sharper than the average wolf. He glanced at Xavier. He too believed the alpha.

"Show us the bodies," he commanded gruffly.

"Right away, sire." The alpha guided them to the pack's mortuary. He uncovered the bodies.

Two males. Shit! They were just pups. Barely 18 years old. Whoever killed these kids will pay dearly. He can sense Xavier hanging on to his temper. The two of them examined the bodies carefully. Cataloging each injury and scent they can find. Saving the information to their eidetic memory.

"I promise you justice, alpha. Whoever did this will be punished by me." He bobbed his head, accepting Alexander's vow.

He turned to look at Xavier --he was deep in thought. "We need to visit the clan to prevent the attack."

"I will deal..." Xavier was interrupted by a pack warrior. They were both on alert in an instant, waiting for him to speak.

"My King Alpha, Henry, and his clan are at the border. Ready to attack."

Motherfucker!

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Michael

He had met the imposing man after World War 2, with nothing else to do and bored with their wits, he and Xander decided to take up engineering at Cambridge, again. That was the 5th pedagogy degree they had a doctorate on.

Imagined Alexander's shock to find his long-lost friend, the vampire king taking up medicine at the same school. Like them, the king was also looking for a diversion. But medical school? A joke. Surely it was.

Oh, how the Vampire King proved them wrong. After 10 years, Xavier graduated Summa Cum Laude in the medical field with 3 specializations and received his license in the same year.

After another 10 years of medical practice, he hibernated. There go another one of their drinking buddies. They have never heard from him since. Until last week.

The man before him was different now. He was more brooding, melancholic, more impressive, more powerful --tenser. Like he carried a chip on his broad shoulders. He reminded him of his King Alpha before he met his mate.

Michael inwardly frowned. The vampire king had been searching for his beloved for more than 2 centuries with no result. He grimaced. He couldn't imagine his life without Alexie. She was a precious gift he will forever cherish.

He focused his attention back on the two powerful men before him. They stealthily walk towards the border, everyone bowed, giving them a wide berth.

"Just like the old times, eh?" Oliver Bishop uttered cheerfully, the vampire king's second in command, equivalent to a royal beta. A scoundrel before he met his beloved one hundred years ago. Michael snorted, trying to suppress his smile. The man had the same devilish glint in his eyes.

"The last time we were together with the chaps was on a drunken brawl with the demons at a tavern," He remembered fondly.

"Yeah, I remember you afraid of going home to your mate because you were shitfaced." He scowled. That was not a good memory. He had to grovel to his mate for months.

"Yeah? You'd be afraid too if Sofia will put you in the doghouse."

"Fuck! I feel you, man." Oliver patted his back in commiseration.

"How's your beloved by the way?" The last time he saw his friend's beloved she was yapping about Oliver being an insensitive mate. A spitfire she was. No wonder Alexie was fond of her.

"Very pregnant and very hormonal. Even the king received a tongue lashing." Despite his words, he sensed his happiness. Fuck! He hoped his mate's last heat took hold of his seed.

"After a century, huh? There is hope for me yet." He just grinned devilishly his response.

"How's Alexandria? My beloved misses her." They were nearing the boundary. The air was growing thick with hostility but it doesn't bother him.

"Still sassy and still giving me hell. With Sofia, they are a trio now. My king found his mate three days ago." He said proudly.

"I heard. My beloved was so ecstatic. If she wasn't heavily pregnant, she would have flown to the New World." He shook his head, his voice may be jovial, however, his bright eyes were scanning for immediate danger. He was too. He sniffed the cold hair. Vampires. Lots of them. "There is hope yet for my king as well." He muttered.

They halted when their leaders stopped before the enraged vampires.

"Greetings, Henry." He heard King Xavier's cold and deadly voice.

"My...my King!" The clan leader bowed together with his people.

"No blood will be spilled tonight, Henry." King Xavier warned.

"But, my king! We were attacked by this pack. I demand retribution." Henry hissed then he averted his gaze when he saw the ferocious faces of the leaders.

"I know the truth. Come forward, I will show you." King Xavier beckoned. Oliver immediately tensed beside him. His instinct to protect was at the fore.

The vampire king touched the man's head. Letting him see the dead bodies of the wolves, the unusual injuries, and the different scents they found.

"I don't understand, my king. We didn't attack the pups. Werewolf blood is lethal to us unless it's from a beloved." He was puzzled. Michael can now omit the clan leader as a suspect. He honestly cared for his clan.

"The Lycan king and I will need to check your vaults. Show us the way." It was no less than a command.

"Right this way, my king." He breathed a sigh of relief. Glad they avoided bloodshed. He and Oliver signaled to some of our elite forces to scout ahead. It always paid to be cautious.

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