💫

"Yes," my eyes hold Grandpa's as he bites into the soft inner flesh of his wrist, smelling the blood instantly. Inhaling the scent, I release a small breath...it's been a while since I've smelled it, the taste a reminiscent memory.

Cormac Arin

Standing on the stones and leaning my back against the wall of my estate, I gaze up at the sky. Tilting my head back against the wall, the waxing moon casts its light upon the expanse of grass, a light glow overtaking the tents in the distance. The snowflake crystals capture the glimmering light from the moon, catching their radiance from the corners of my eyes.

My arms are crossed in front of my chest, thinking about what poor girl I'm going to select to be my pick for The Hunt. I'd instead spare their lives, hunt and capture for myself. However, that's not our way...or so to speak, Arthur's way.

Risk vs. reward...yet we don't take a single chance and reap the entire reward, the fruit of the humans' labors.

Somehow, that doesn't appear cowardly in his eyes.

"Well then," Taft's voice comes from my left, the door opening and closing before I glance toward him, "why are you out here instead of playing your part as the host?"

"You know very well how much I love being a host," the sarcasm drips and is evident when Taft chuckles, moving away from the door while his eyes fall on the tents.

After a few moments he states, "Whether you like it or not, you know Arthur will be after you if you don't make your presence known."

"Oh, my presence is known," I watch as he arches a brow before finishing, "I'd just rather figure out who I'm going to select before I won't have a moment to myself for the rest of the evening."

Taft nods and offers, "If you can't decide, I brought a few of my own slaves that you can select from...considering how attached you become with yours."

"I'd rather not kill what I own, thank you very much," I retort, Taft, knowing all too well that my selections hardly ever survive. I feel pity for them, forced to play a part in this game set up by Walter and Arthur...only Walter wanted to end it after the first winter solstice...after he caught Laura...

I shake the memories, knowing nothing good can come from digging up the past. What happened between Walter and Laura was something that should never have happened. It's not his fault though, Arthur, Taft, and Aohdan pressuring him to keep what he captured as a pet as a sign that the first winter solstice establishing this ritual would bring many fruitful ones in the future.

A twisted game evolved from a harmless play between the vampires and werewolves...

This is what we've become...

"That's right!" Taft chimes and faces me, "Still haven't found your beloved, have you?"

"Not actively searching," I brush him off at the simple thought of being bound to someone. I mention, "How's Delaney these days?"

Taft's eyes light up the second I say her name, the one thing that always brings him joy...his beloved and Aohdan's sister.

"She's visiting with her mother, taking a trip to Paris and will be back just after the winter solstice comes to an end," Taft informs me just as the sound of the back door opening again meets my ears. I glance around him and notice Aohdan peek his head out, catching my gaze before he shoots a glare in my direction.

"Speaking of her brother..." my voice trails off as displeasure courses through my veins, but before I let anything surface or show, Arthur follows and closes the door behind him.

Silence ensues, Taft turning around as both Aohdan and Arthur draw closer until they're standing across from us. Arthur stares at me hard, my eyes slowly lifting as the first of the many shooting stars fly across the sky. I'm not the only one to notice this, all of us marveling at the sight.

The wind picks up, the leaves rustling as Arthur nods in the direction of the grounds, all of us taking a walk away from the estate. Taft is the first one to speak, handing me praise I don't even want when he says, "You really managed to put on a show."

"Don't inflate his ego any more than it needs to be, Taft," Arthur's deep voice chuckles, our steps drawing much closer to the near tree line that leads to the connecting forest. It's quiet for the most part, but every now and then the sound of the leaves rustling mix with twigs and branches snapping.

Woodland creatures.

"See, Taft understands me," I caught Taft's gaze, a grin spreading across his lips. We both knew I hardly cared for these events, however...mine always turned out to be some of the best, even though Aohdan would never admit that.

While we are near the forest's edge, the vampires who I assigned to collect the falling stars are slowly emerging from their positions around the grounds. Arthur catches sight of this and suggests, "Well, everything is collected, why don't we all head inside for the rest of the evening?"

Before I can even say anything, Taft comes to my aid and exclaims, "Splendid Arthur! Cormac were you going to check the tents?"

At least this would give me a few more moments of peace to myself before I resume the role of host. My brows furrow the moment I see the look Aohdan has on his face, but before I can even ask he says, "Never mind that..." a dangerous hint carries in his voice as the wind changes direction.

Arthur appears perplexed while he asks, "Aohdan?"

It's only after he questions him do I catch a very faint scent as well.

Werewolf.

"I can smell them already...filthy creatures," Aohdan growls, Arthur and Taft turning toward the forest while my eyes search the thick tree trunks.

The hair on the back of my neck stands on end the second a wolf's howl comes from the opposite side of my estate grounds. The forest near that area is a lot less dense, making it easier to navigate.

Taft's voice trails off, "This soon?" I must agree with him; the werewolves not usually being drawn to our sites this early into the winter solstice. In the next moment, we all run away from the forest's edge, moving to the tents and taking up blades, branching off in different directions to either kill the wolf or capture it if it's an alpha.

It's not long before I smell blood, whimpering coming from the distance as Taft snarls, "Fucking bitch, Cormac help!"

He's close to me, coming through the dense trees and seeing him staggering up from the ground with a very nasty chunk of flesh torn from the side of his neck. He's using every ounce of focus and energy to heal, tapping into the infused alpha blood in our veins to prevent himself from dying a painful death...which is what this encounter should have resulted in.

The wolf must have taken him by surprise. That never happens to a council member, we know these creatures all too well unless they know us somehow.

I see his blade on the ground, blood coating it and making me realize that it isn't just his blood that has been spilled. Arthur and Aohdan are drawing closer, their footsteps becoming louder as I reply, "I'll get it." It's on my grounds...they'll get on me even more if I don't take care of this.

Taking off and following the trail of blood, the smell grows stronger, closing in on it. Soon, I see the dark reddish-brown wolf, limping away as the blood stains its coat. The second it senses me, it spins around and growls angrily at me...however...

The snarl fades away, the livid look in its golden eyes diminishes, and I see pain. The grip I have on my blade handle falters, confusion filling me as the wolf starts to pad slowly toward me, lowering its belly onto the ground and averting its eyes for a moment.

It's not an alpha.

The rest of the council is drawing near, I know it won't be that long before they arrive.

Low whines leave the wolf's muzzle, furrowing my brows as I hear bones snapping and rearranging. My eyes widen, the blade dropping from my hand as I breathe out with shock, "Laura..." she's older, but I recognize her.

A grimace crosses her features, and a quiet cry leaves her lips. Running toward her and dropping quickly to my knees I touch her shoulders, her forehead resting against my chest. Her pain makes my stomach clench, the dread of knowing Arthur will be here in a matter of minutes makes my blood run cold.

"Please...Cormac," her voice is strained, tilting her head back while her cobalt eyes search mine, "I don't want Arthur to do far worse to me alive then what you can give me through death."

"Laura, I don't understand," I'm not going to kill the woman I saved all those years ago by helping escape Walter's estate. Not after everything, they both have been through, "I can't-"

Her eyes plead with me, begging, "I'd rather have you end my life..." her breathing is uneven, "then risk Arthur prying into my blood memories."

Their footsteps are close, and without a second thought, I nod, pulling her light red hair away from her neck. Bringing my lips against her skin, I feel her shiver beneath my touch, her heart rate accelerating, the fear set in as I whisper, "I didn't save you, so I could kill you one day," her heart skips a beat at my words.

"It's okay," her voice holds a watery edge to it as I draw my lips away from her neck, my fangs puncturing the inner flesh of my wrist. Laura's eyes are wide as she tells me, "I should have been killed eighteen years ago. This was all just borrowed time."

A smirk crosses my lips as I state, "Then you'll have another eighteen borrowed more. Drink, now."

Laura doesn't waste another second, the empathy I have for her drives her forward. While she quickly takes the small amount of blood she needs, I order her, "Shift."

A split second later, Laura's wolf's jaws are around my hand and up to my forearm. She whines when I don't hesitate, ordering lowly, "Bite to damage and then run. Run as far away from here as you can."

I'd hardly finished my command, when I bite back the pain that comes from her teeth sinking into my flesh, snapping into the bone. She rips back hard; the force causing substantial damage and will cover up anything...because of Arthur-

"Cormac!" Arthur thunders through the small clearing, quickly followed by Aohdan who is assisting Taft. Laura is already running off into the forest, heading far off from where she'd initially came to me.

"Fuck!" I yell, holding my elbow as I stagger to my feet.

Taft is beside me with the help of Aohdan, stabbing his blade in the direction everyone had barely seen Laura run off to...away from the river and to the main road...his eyes wide as he snarls, "See?! The fucking bitch got you too!"

"Who knows how many are out there right now," Arthur releases a sigh of frustration and rubs his forehead. He looks to me and asks, "Are you okay?"

Nodding my head, my wounds are already healing from the inside out. It's a weakening feeling, the power behind Laura's wolf...

...I never knew she was that strong. She's no alpha, but she's perhaps from an alpha lineage.

Arthur's word is law, making the call, "We'll have our chance when The Hunt comes around..." his voice trails off, biting back the evident anger and frustration of her getting away, "...as for now, we need to make our presence known to the covens."

"If I see the bitch again, I'm going to do a lot more than cut her fucking head off!" Taft is ranting to Aohdan.

Aohdan shakes his head and retorts, "Sure, you're just forgetting one thing...you'll have to catch her first and seeing as how this attempt went-"

While Taft and Aohdan begin to leave the clearing, their snappy remarks fading into the distance, Arthur asks, "Cormac?"

"I'll be there in a moment," my voice holds relief that Arthur can assume is me being thankful for my life...when in fact...

...I'm thankful I was able to save her again.

Arthur is quick to catch up with Taft and Aohdan, a sigh leaving my lips at the quietness the surrounding area brings.

That's twice now.

Not that I'm keeping track or anything.

I surpass the chuckle that wants to slip past my lips.

Before I rise to my feet, I hear footsteps in the distance. At first, I wonder if one of the council members has come and doubled back to make sure I am coming with them. However, this isn't the case.

Something different, a scent I've never smelled fills my senses. It confuses me, playing with my mind as I can't quite pinpoint it.

Vampire?

Werewolf?

Human?

Nothing makes sense, but it throws me off guard, moving from the spot I'd been lingering to find refuge in the shadows. Instead of standing around close, I walk yards away, not able to hear anything, but still able to hold that scent.

Breaking through the underbrush and trees of the forest...

...it's a woman.

Her long rose gold hair falls down her back, falling over her shoulders as she hunches over to take a few deep breaths. She's looking all around her, searching through the thick of the trees.

Moving closer, stalking the being that could very well be more powerful than anything I've come across...it almost reminds me of Richard, but the power that radiates is being contained by a glass bowl.

After what happened...I don't take any chances.

Rushing in with increased speed, my hand grasps the back of her jacket, taking her by surprise as I yank her harshly to her feet. My other hand immediately grabs a fist full of that unique hair, pulling her head to the left and exposing the right side of her neck. The moonlight glows against her skin, a cry leaving her lips as she attempts to struggle in my hold.

My breath fans her neck while the hand holding the back of her jacket comes up to cover her mouth, not wanting to alert anyone else nearby who might be traveling with her. My other hand encircles her waist, pulling her flush against my body. Her tears cascade down and over my fingers, struggling harder as she becomes restrained. Warmth flickers from her skin and seeps into mine, my eyes already shifting and reflecting the blood that was about to spill from her veins.

She continues to struggle, her cries muffled by my hand as I puncture her flesh with my fangs. The moment her blood pools in my mouth, an intoxicating taste I've never tasted before fills a void I've been craving. Its sweetness draws out carnal desires from deep within, a small pulse of that traveling down to my cock as it twitches slightly.

My grip falters in my hesitation, the arm I have around her waist loosens. My fangs tear further into her neck, and down the second she pulls closer to the ground, her blood trickling down her throat. In the next second, my fangs dislodge from her neck when a piercing pain travels from my knees up to register with my brain. My hand falls away from her mouth as I hiss and growl in pain, falling back as she takes off running.

The daggers are lodged in my knees, making it impossible for me to even get up now and stop her from running. As I grasp the hilts of the daggers, removing them I yell, "FUCK! Goddammit! Shit, this fucking hurt," I seethe while tossing the blades to the ground and breathing hard.

I'm not healing fast enough, her sweet scent leaving the area as I know she must have crossed the river by now. However, I'm left in my thoughts as I focus on healing my wounds...

...my best friend's daughter is my beloved...

...and now I'll never see her again.

💫

Blood lingers on my lips as I pull away from Grandpa's skin, my eyes wide with complete shock. He looks at me, the puncture marks already closing as I muttered under my breath, "Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit..."

"Dot?"

"Holy fucking shit!" I bring my gaze to meet with his and ask, "Did Grandma Laura ever find Grandpa Keir?!"

Grandpa shakes his head and replies with all honesty, "That, I do not know as what's been altered in the past by your mother, the way she'd tempted fate, only the future knows the answer to that question."

"A future we will walk together," I release a small breath, coming down from the high of knowing that what mom had done, the choice she made, it wasn't in vain.

"Now," Grandpa nods at the door to his office and says, "you should rest up for tomorrow and get a good night's sleep."

"Yes, Grandpa," I smile, wrapping my arms around his neck as his arms encircle around my back. He holds me close, his scent calming, reminding me of the way he'd helped me all through my life growing up. He'd been the one to truly help me understand what it means to play the part I'm meant for, regardless of the situation I find myself in. There's always a way to curb the darkness that stems from my mom, finding the light in anything and everything I do.

Mom tempted fate, and everything turned out for the best...

...am I capable of doing the same?

⊰♥⊱To Be Continued⊰♥⊱