The Pact

VLADIMIR'S POV







Present Day.
California 2024.





"Sire?"

Why would Sven call me sire? He always like to pretend that that aspect of me didn't exist. That I was just a regular being...

"Sire?" The voice called urgently.

I whirled around, ready to unleash hell at the soft voice intruding my time with my beloved but instead, I found Lilya shrinking back from me.
I snarled at her, utterly furious that her presence has snatched away my memories of him. It's been a long time since I heard his voice so clearly. But now, this stupid fool has just chased him away.

"What do you want?" I growled and fisted her hair in my hands. I continued pulling until I felt her hair strands peel off from her scalp and she whimpered.

I pushed her away from me, doing my best to calm myself More than anything, I hate the fact that I never heard her come in. When did I become so weak as to be lost in my thoughts for so long that I didn't hear her?
I turned away and tried to bask in the luxury of once again being able to see the sun rise, albeit from the top to floor window of my condo. It was his favorite thing in the world, something that was of no significance to me until it the choice to see it was taken from me.

I fingered the plain ring in my left pinkie. The round silver was nothing to write home about in terms of looks -it was bland, appeared faded and unadorned by even the smallest diamond- but it was the only reason the sun wasn't roasting me each time I dared to watch it rise. I finally fulfilled my promise to Sven but he was long gone now and I was the one who ended up needing the magical ring to walk during the day.
Too bad Alkys, the witch that had made my special ring had to forfeit her life for it. It was nothing personal, but I couldn't let her live. This ring can't be removed from my hand by any means -not even with magic- nor the magic that shielded me from daylight be destroyed by any witch except of course Alkys which was the exact reason why she had to die.

"Sire." Lilya announced unnecessarily.

"Yes Lilya?" I asked when she remained silent and waiting.
"The elders have requested an audience with you tonight, sire." She reported politely. Too politely.

I turned on my heel and appraised her.
She was dressed in white leather pants and alter neck top, a bright red trainer the only dash of color on her outfit. She was blonde again, but the wavy tresses were cut fashionably short now. Whether long or short, she was beautiful, a common trait amongst my kind. My mind drifted to a different blonde with pale blue eyes and defiant spirit. I wanted to investigate what made her tick.....right before I broke it.
Lilya's brown eyes evaded mine. She did that only when she had unpleasant news to give me.

"Is there a reason why they're seeking an audience with me?"

"It's about the human sire." She murmured, still refusing to look at me.

From anyone else, I would have regarded their avoidance as timidity, but Lilya was one of my children -the second oldest- and as such, I can't enthrall her with my stare. She loved playing games and causing pain as much as I did. There was no conceivable reason for her to studiously avoid my gaze.

"Which human?" I asked just to be contrary.

"The human in the dungeon."

Ah. Arthur Braille. "You test my patience with your uninformative answers." I growled.

"The elders believe it's an unnecessary risk to keep him here." And that was the problem with running a civilized coven.

Silly, lazy vampires with a bit of zeros to their age deciding they have a right to interfere in everything. Too damn bad they weren't in their position by my choice.
Damn those fucking hunters.

"Their concerns have been duly noted. You may tell them there's no reason for a meeting." I turned back to continue sun gazing but Lilya's feet didn't retreat from my room.

"If you have something to say, I suggest you spit it out child." She fidgeted and I lost my patience. I never could stand weaklings.

In a flash, I was right in front of her and her pale neck was enclosed in my fist. I crushed her windpipe harder and she wheezed for breath, her brown eyes wide as saucers.
"Speak plainly or I will rip out your neck." I growled in her face, my gums itching to let my fangs out to play.

She won't die from the wound of course, only a stake to the heart can do that, but she will be in excruciating pain until her neck healed itself. I flung her away from me only after she emitted a soft whimper.

"Krav's team were ambushed. Everyone's dead sire."

Molten rage tore through my veins as my fangs lengthened. "Who did this?"

"We do not know for a fact sire. But we've found a few traces back to the hunters."

I growled, cutting her off. "Gather all the men. Tonight, we show the hunters why we are the night crawlers."

"But sire, we'd be violating the pact."

"And they didn't when they killed over a hundred of my people?"

"The attack occurred on the Vale swamp sire."

Almost three hundred years ago, a pact had been entered into by the reigning king, werewolf, witches and hunters. One couldn't attack another without justification and express permission from the court. Only one instance excused this, if another supernatural race were to enter the territory of another without permission, the other race -usually the hunters- is allowed to attack. It sounded fair on paper, but in truth, that damn pact only ever restricted the vampire race and gave more power to the hunters, regardless of how 'fair' the court is supposed to be. Not that I would know the details of the pact, I'd been on my deathbed at the time.
My impotent rage overtook me and I grabbed the vase before lobbing it at pristine window. It bounced off helplessly as the vase smashed into a million pieces.

"I think it's best we release the human before the hunters figure out he's here and petition the court."

"I'll decide if you can cower or not." I retorted, debating whether to rip her neck out after all or not.

"He's a security risk sire. Once the hunters find prove we have him, we will be going against the pact and you know the consequences it can have for us." She continued resolutely.

I laughed maniacally, letting Lilya see my eyes flash red. "And what will they do? They can't kill me." They've tried their damndest and came extremely close, but hey! I'm still here.

"But they can limit your movements." She replied succinctly. That wiped the smile off my face.
As it was, I've been banished from my home and trapped in the Americas, Africa and southern Asia. Any transgressions on my part will probably leave me restricted within the American continent only.
Damn Nikitin for his weakness! I flashed from one end of the room, ripping apart every furniture in sight. That fool had stepped up in my place and agreed to those fool's proposals. It was to save your life, he said. Well, if my dear brother hadn't died months later, I would have shown him right this second what I think about his decision.

"The more territory we lose, the more the witches gain."

"You speak as if we're the only vampire coven there is."

"Exactly sire. We are the strongest pack there is, but not the only one. The more restricted we become, the more ground the other packs gain and before you know it, Cole, Roma or even Yasha can decide to challenge you for the throne."

As the vampire king, I was overlord over every single vampire in the world. Being restricted by the hunters meant I'd have to rule from the small corner they allowed me to move in. Vampires were a volatile, ambitious bunch, even when you could see them, relying on other people to carry out my will was the beginning of the end. No one can kill me, at least the people who have figured out how to do it are no longer breathing, but when it comes to overtaking me, killing me was not necessary.

"Make arrangements to move Arthur to a more secure location, one the hunters won't find. Do not worry Lilya, it will only be for a day. I have a meeting with the fierce Josie Braille in a few hours and I have a feeling that we will come to an agreeable compromise."

I grinned wolfishly.