203

Sleep eluded me for a while and it felt like I had just closed my eyes and drifted off when the shrill ring of my private phone woke me. I didn’t even bother to open my eyes as I answered. “Grey.”

“I just landed in Bucharest, where do you need me?” I smiled upon hearing Milo’s voice. It felt like weeks had passed since the last time I’d spoken to him. I missed him more than I could express in words. The past few weeks that we’d been separated, I had felt like a piece of me was missing.

“We’re at the Country Palace in Sinaia but if you hang tight I’ll come get you.”

“Seems like I’ve missed quite a lot.”

“I’ll explain in the car.”

“Come get me then you lazy asshole. I can keep myself occupied for a while.” I smiled as he ended the call and got out of bed.

It was five am and I pulled on jeans, a t-shirt, my brown leather jacket and boots. Our suite was quiet and earlier I had sat up and talked with Abigail for a long time and then talked to Ryder again as he called me back and we had a decent conversation.

The palace was quiet too and once I got to the front door I realized that I had no way of picking up Milo. There were royal cars at our disposal but I had no idea who to ask for the keys to a car. I opened the front door anyway and walked to the side of the palace where the garages were.

“Is there anything I can help you with, Duke Grey?” The warrior had emerged from the shadows and I recognized him.

“I need a car, my brother’s arrived at the airport earlier than I anticipated.”

“Of course, my lord, follow me.”

I followed him into the garage where he switched the lights on and picked up a landline. He spoke in Romanian, a language I hadn’t mastered and spoke briefly. Five minutes later another man I recognized as Lionel appeared from the side door and unlocked a safe hidden in the wall.

“All of these cars are registered with the police, you won’t be pulled over for anything.”

“Thank you, Lionel.”

 I climbed into the Bugatti Chiron and sped down the paved driveway as the gate opened for me and I stepped on the gas as I headed to Bucharest. I made the two hour drive in just over an hour; there had been no traffic on the highway and there had been only a handful of cars in Bucharest itself on their way to the airport.

Milo stood just outside the big doors and I pulled up and lowered the window. He bent down to look at me and whistled as he opened the door. “Who did you have to blow to drive this car?”

“Missed you too, Milo.” I pulled away from the curb and Milo smiled as we reached the highway and I sped up even more.

“I ask again, dear brother, how the hell did you get access to this car?”

“That’s what we need to talk about.” I pulled over onto the grass and switched the car off. I turned towards Milo and then told him the whole story. He sat quietly and listened until I was done before giving me his point of view.

“You know this is the second time you’ve stuck your dick where it doesn’t belong and sooner or later that shit’s going to cost you your head.”

“Hence my engagement to the Princess. King Florin likes me, thinks I’ll be an asset to the Kingdom.”

“Yeah … how’s that one working out for you?”

We were about a mile from the Country Palace and I started the car again and drove through the gates about ten minutes later. Milo’s gaze ran over the gardens and I knew he was mentally counting the guards.

“I’m glad you’re here, Milo.”

“Where else would I be? Let me ask you this .. if Maya likes the look of me, can we share?”

“I’ve always shared everything with you.” Milo grinned as he looked at me and we got out of the car.

“What about Ally? Can we share her?”

Before he could blink, I had him on the ground, my fist pummeling into his face as he laughed at me. “Screw you, Milo.” He pushed me off him and wiped the blood from his mouth.

“I stand corrected, she doesn’t just love you, you love her back.”

Two guards came running over to us and stood between me and Milo. He raised one eyebrow as he looked at me and then he grinned again. I knew that look on his face all too well. They’d be rendered immobile within seconds.

“Stand down.”

“Yes, Duke Grey.” They bowed their heads at me and moved away from us.

“Duke Grey?” Milo looked at me and I shrugged.

“Unofficially, I’ll be served with my title a day before the wedding.”

“Look at you sleeping your way to the top.” Milo slapped me on the back and laughed.

Lionel appeared through the doorway into the garage, this time dressed in a suit and bowed his head as I handed him the keys. “Thanks Lionel, she moves like a dream.” I was rewarded with a quick smile as he glanced at Milo.

A footman appeared and took Milo’s duffel bag from him and for a few seconds they were engaged in a tug of war with the bag in the middle. “It’s okay, Milo, he’ll take it to your room.”

“Don’t go through my stuff, okay.” The footman looked offended at that comment and I smiled as I led Milo away from the garages and into the palace.

“This place is huge.” Milo’s voice echoed around the large foyer and he startled one of the servants as she came down the hallway with towels in her arms.

“Good morning, my lord,” she said and bowed her head.

“Hello there, my lovely.” She giggled at Milo’s flattery and disappeared up the stairs. “Tell me, Duke Grey, am I getting a title too since I’m your brother?”

I shook my head at him as I laughed. I imagined Milo as a vampire Duke amidst the Dragon Royal Family, causing havoc like only he could. “I’d be a good Duke too.”

“Have you eaten? We could go somewhere private for a few minutes.”

“I haven’t eaten in two days.”

I led Milo into a downstairs bathroom and shrugged off my jacket. He grabbed my arm and sunk his fangs into my wrist and fed. I healed so quickly that him feeding on me had become something of a habit when he had no other choice.

Milo and I walked out of the bathroom as he wiped his mouth and Prince Nicu looked at us as an amusing smile spread on his lips. “Cheating already, Grey?”

“Prince Nicu, this is my brother, Milo.” Milo stepped forward and they shook hands.

“Please, call me Nicu, we’re practically family already.”

We were about to head to the dining room when Abigail screamed Milo’s name and ran down the stairs and jumped into his arms. “At least someone’s happy to see me.” He hugged her tightly as she started to cry and he patted her back as he murmured in her ear.

“I missed you so much.”

“I missed you too, Abby.” They walked arm in arm to the dining room and left me and Nicu in the foyer by the stairs.

“Shall we?” Nicu took my arm and I laughed as we walked into the dining room together.

Queen Alina burst out laughing as Nicu stood with his arms crossed and I pulled out his chair for him. “Thank you dearest new brother.”

Maya had a smile on her face and I pulled Milo up from his seat. “My King, my Queen, I would like to introduce my brother, Milo.” Milo bowed low and made a circling movement with his hand as he bowed and I slapped him behind his head.

“Please make yourself at home, Milo.” Queen Alina smiled graciously at him.

“I’m afraid we’re ill prepared for your arrival, Milo. Do you have any preferences in blood types? We can order some for you from the hospital.”

“That’s tomorrow’s worry, King Florin, I fed on Wynter earlier and I also eat normal food.”

“Really? You fed on Wynter? Is that what you were doing in the bathroom together?” Nicu frowned as he waited for an answer.

“Wynter heals so quickly so it’s easier to feed on him when I don’t have other options.” Milo played with his fork as he looked at Nicu.

“Aren’t you afraid that he’ll drain your blood?” Nicu genuinely thought it could happen.

“Dude, we don’t do that shit. We’re actually very alike we just need blood as well, we can survive on one blood bag a week if we have to.”

They all laughed at Milo’s mannerisms and he didn’t even pretend to act differently just because of where he was. I loved that about him and we spent the rest of the day walking the gardens and training. The next four days were spent like that as well and three days before the wedding we were outside again, sitting on the grass as the sun sat low on the horizon.

“She’s great, brother. I really like her.”

“Thanks, Milo.”

“Nicu seems nice too, clearly head over heels with Abigail. I think he’ll treat her right.”

“She’s not actually going to marry him, Milo.”

“Are you actually going to marry Maya?”

“That’s different, I don’t have a choice.” Milo shook his head and smiled at me, clearly not agreeing with me.

“So how are you planning on getting rid of old King Florin?” We were sitting on the grass, just in training shorts and the wind caressed our bare torsos as our shirts lay a few feet away from us.

“There’s an old claim law that Sorin’s going to help me with. Dorin’s his son and he’s already seen the hard drive. He knows the truth and we can trust him.”

“So you lay this claim, do a whole trial and then watch as he’s executed?”

“Yes and no. I’ll claim the execution myself. I want to kill him. He took my mother, your mother and father, Ryder’s best friend. He took Uncle Jack and Uncle Tank, all those tribe members that responded when Felix hit that emergency transmitter. He eradicated most of the Grey Tribe. He has blood on his hands. My mother gave her life so Abigail could live. Ryder had to cut her out, do you have any idea what kind of trauma he’s been living with. How the hell do you exchange one life for another?”

“It’s hard to think of him as this monster when he’s so refined and well-mannered and nice.”

“Yeah, he’s all that but he’s also the man that signed that kill order. If we hadn’t run, we’d be dead too.”

“I know, Wynter, I know. No matter what battle we enter, which war we face, we do it together. That was my family that was killed as well, not just yours.”

“I know, Milo. I would never do this without you.”

“So were just killing Florin right?”

“We’re killing whoever stands in our way.”

“That’s what I like to hear.”

The sun was setting now and we had requested dinner in our suite to spend time together as a family. The car had already left the airport and Ryder, Nova, Alexis and Shae would arrive in about two hours.

I was excited to see my family since it had been nearly two months since I last saw them. Especially Alexis. Echo was confused at the emotions that we felt when I thought about her and Milo had to punch me on the arm to get my attention.

“Let’s go shower. You know Mom’s going to give us a good talking to if we stink.” I smiled at him and we stood up and walked back to the palace with our shirts in our hands.

Maya was standing with her back to me, talking to Abigail about flower arrangements. I wrapped my arms around her from behind and pressed my sweaty body against her. I rubbed my wet hair against her neck and she shuddered slightly.

“No, Wynter! You’re all sweaty!”

“Come wash it off.” Abigail coughed and Milo looked up at the ceiling as Maya laughed.

“Three more days then I just might.” I kissed her neck and she wiped the sweat off as Milo and I took the stairs up to my suite. He’d been staying with me and Abigail for the time being, since he didn’t really sleep and didn’t need a suite all to himself.

My hair was still short from when I’d shaved it a buzzcut for training camp and I’d kept it like that. I shaved and showered and dressed casually in jeans and boots with a t-shirt and a sweater that Maya had insisted she buy for me. I actually liked it even though Milo had laughed when I emerged from my room.

“What?”

“It’s a sweater.” Milo was pointing at the greenish blue sweater I had on.

“Shut up. I like it.”

“Can I have it?”

“No! Maya bought it.” He laughed again and I flipped my middle finger in his face.