Chapter 46

**MIHAI POV**

The moment that I laid eyes on Mae Williams, I knew that she would forever change my life, and that is exactly what she did. She appeared out of nowhere and brought me back to life in ways that I never thought were possible, not for a very long time. And for that, I will be forever in her debt.
I believed that my heart would always be black with hate, but she showed me another way, she showed me that some people deserve kindness.
She is my little hunter, and i will burn this world to the ground to keep her safe, and i will start with the hunter council. They will pay for what they have done to her.
Mae has a lot going on, and she’s angry, I would be too if my entire world had been flipped upside down in one single night. She’s right to be angry. But she also needs to accept what she is, because if she doesn’t, she’ll die.
And I cannot imagine a world without her in it, nor can I imagine my life without her by my side.
Since the moment i saw her my eyes have seen the world in nothing but vibrant colours, even if she does push every button i have. She makes me crazy, and i can’t say that i hate it. In fact, it’s entirely the opposite, her fiery attitude makes me smile, and often makes a fool of me.
No one has been able to crack the wall around my heart for over a hundred years, and yet she does it with ease. She makes me feel emotions that i thought had long abandoned me.
But right now, she struggling with who she is, how do I make her understand that being a Nati isn’t always so bad?
There are plus sides, just as there are for everything, but she is so preoccupied by the negative that she can’t see the good, and that’s dangerous.
Just because I can’t imagine losing her doesn’t mean that it won’t happen if she can’t adapt, that means that I have to help her in every way that I can, and I can start by making the mansion safe for her.
Which means I need to find the traitor and deal with them, before they give this location to the hunter council. I’ve narrowed it down to five of my staff, two kitchen boys, a cleaner and two guards. They were all conveniently alone during all the times that the location was breeched, and yet, they all survived every attack.
I twirl the curved silver knife in my hand as I walk up and down the line that I made them all stand in, and I can already tell it isn’t one of the kitchen boys, he’s young, and he’s so frightened that he’s pissed his pants. He definitely isn’t the type to make deals with the hunter council, I would stake my life on it.
I point the knife at him, “leave.” I command, and his eyes widen before he rushes away, slipping on his own piss as he does.
Then there were four.
I look at those who remain, all of them strong, their eyes steadily facing forward. It could be any of them, or it could be all of them. Either way, I need to find out, and quickly.
I point at the only woman, her eyes rounding at the edges, “speak.” I say, adding a snarl snarl to my voice. “And do it quickly.”
“My lord, I was cleaning when we were attacked the first time and the others, I was asleep in my bunk, I was lucky to escape with my life.” She stammers, but the look in her eyes says that she is hiding something.
“Lie to me again and I will cut out your tongue.” I growl, scratching the knife down her cheek and leaving a trail of blood.
She trembles, tears streaming down her cheeks, for a Nati, she’s pathetic, Mae is only half the vampire she is and she’s already stronger willed.
She doesn’t answer me, and my patience is starting to thin out.
I may just kill them all just to be safe.
I press the knife against her jaw, adding just enough pressure for the tip of the blade to break through her skin, and then I twist, the entire curved edge sinking into her flesh.
“I killed a man!” She screams, trying to pull away.
My hands stops, my eyes narrowing as I pull out the knife, “Speak.” i say again, losing my patience.
She's already lied to me once, she better not do it again, or i will take her life, and i will do it slowly. By the time that the end comes, she’ll beg for it.
“I-I was hungry but I’d already had my ration and so I lured a man to the warehouse, and I drained him, I was going to confess but the body was burned in the fire.” Her eyes are so wide that I’m sure they’ll burst but they don’t, and her voice gets higher. “I thought I had gotten away with it, so I kept quiet, but I’d never betray you, my lord, I wouldn’t.”
I step back, nodding to one of the guards stood by the door to the basement, “take her to one of the cells, no rations for three days.”
“Three days!?” She screams, “please don’t! I already barely survive!”
I ignore her pleas for mercy as she is dragged away and turn my attention to the men who are left, all of them looking a little more nervous than they did before. It’s always the same, in the beginning they pretend to be strong, and then when it is all over, they’re blubbering messes covered in their own blood. It’s my favourite part.
I love it when they finally break.
“Who’s next?” I ask with a smile, flashing my fangs.
The kitchen boy steps forward, “I know who it is, my lord.” he says, his voice full of confidence.
Interesting.
“Go on.” i say, holding the knife tighter in my hands.
It doesn’t go unnoticed that the other two have gone mute, and they are staring at the boy, they’re trying to intimidate him, but that is my job.
“Turn around.” i order them, and they do, but not before giving the boy a look of hatred.
The boy’s eyes widen as he watches the others, and I'm not surprised in the slightest, they were trying to scare him, and it worked.
I step closer to the boy, holding the knife an inch away from his eye. “Tell me what you know and do it quickly.”
He stares at the knife, sweat dripping from his forehead. “I saw Nathan talking to the girl that your woman killed, the hunter girl.” his voice is thick with panic, “But it might not have meant anything, and i don’t know anything more, i swear!”
I stare at him, a small smile spreading across my face, that is all the information that i need, “You can leave, go back to your duties.” I tell the boy, and he scurries away. “You can both turn around.” i say, my voice oddly calm.
The two who remain turn back to face me, and Nathan is on the left, but the other one looks just as frightened by the information that the boy gave to me.
They’re both traitors, I’m sure of it.
“It’s just us now boys, so why don’t you tell me which one of you had the idea that started the betrayal?” i step closer to them, “tell me now and I'll make your deaths swift.”
It's a lie, their death will be anything but swift.
But i need to make them confess.
Nathan growls, rushing forward, “Fuck you!” he screams, trying to pry the knife from my hand.
I smirk, grabbing his wrist at the land second and bending it backwards until the bone snaps in half. “Big mistake, Nathan.” I laugh, my voice filling the basement.
They always think that they can outmatch me, but the truth is, they’re all weak. Pathetic.
But this is always y favourite part, i love it when they fight back, it makes it more exciting, and i can tell that this is going to be fun.
No one betrays me and lives, no one.
Not even my own family.