Chapter 22

“Let’s go so that we can get back before we get noticed,” King Torvald picked up King Juno, resisting the urge to sink his teeth into his flesh. ‘What it would be like to drink the blood of an animal again,’ King Torvald thought back to his prehistoric life.

Shysie picked up Queen Jovita and followed King Torvald, barely able to keep up with him. No one knew this, but King Torvald had a secret passage that no one knew about. Therefore, it had no spell to prevent him from coming and going. He had never needed to leave, even though there had been several times that he came close to leaving, as the lust for live animal blood became overbearing.

Paris sped through the castle in the hope to find Hannah but ran into Andre. “Andre, where are Hannah and the new vampires from my nest?”

“They are not ready to leave,” Andre said smoothly.

Paris noticed the awkwardness of Andre and realized that Dario’s death was his doing. Paris grabbed Andre by the throat and pinned him to the wall. “All of this was you’re doing?”

Paris felt sharp claws pushed into his back, piercing his vampire skin. “Let. Go. Of. Him.” Queen Amirah said slowly and with authority.

Paris let go. Andre took the opportunity and shifted into an owl. Andre grabbed Paris and flew out of a large open window. Andre grabbed Paris on his back, pushing his claws through his skin and flesh, making it impossible for Paris to grab on to him. Paris's weight pulled Andre down as he tried to get higher in the air. Andre let go of Paris, letting him fall.

Paris fell himself to death, breaking his neck and spine in several places. As Andre flew above the castle, circling it he notices something strange; a vampire moving really fast around the castle, searching for a way in.

‘How can he see the castle?’ Andre wondered as he flew closer.

“May I help you?” Andre waited at the next predicted spot and got it right.

“How do I get in?” Michael asked in a silky-smooth voice.

“You don’t,” Andre said with a smirk on his face.

“Let me in,” Michael compelled him.

“Welcome,” Andre invited Michael in, making the appearance of the castle appear as it was.

“Where are the hunters?” Michael grabbed Andre by the arm, but Andre refused to answer him.

“Tell me where the hunters are!” Michael compelled him again.

Andre realized he was dealing with the prehistoric vampire that was connected to Ann, “Chapel.”

Michael walked to the chapel.

“Are you insane? You cannot take them all on. They become as strong as the Vampire they deal with plus their own strength and you won’t be able to compel them,” Andre warned.

Michael used his vampire speed and stopped in front of the chapel. “Now fly along, little bird.”

Andre realized Michael allowed him to meet him outside and not the other way around.

Michael heard the commotion inside and pushed both doors to the chapel open, making a silent entrance.

He can smell the different species of supernatural animals and vampires. Michael’s eyes landed on a group of people sitting in their own little booths, wearing fancy attire and crowns on their heads. “The council,” he said out loud.

‘Should I kill the hunters, or should I kill the council?’ Michael felt conflicted. ‘Hunters are killing my kind, but the Council created them, so who is the guilty party? And why can they not be compelled?’ Michael wondered as he speed up and landed on the railing of one of the royal booths.

“All of you forget your hymns and take your Shaman necklaces off,” Michael compelled everyone in the chapel with a smooth tone, making it go silent as his compulsion reached them.

The hunters look up, not near enough to realize that they are dealing with a Prehistoric Vampire.

“All Council members, kill one another until you are the last one standing,” Michael compelled the council members.

“It must be the prehistoric vampire. Get the kids out of here,” Kenton told Stella and Eero.

“I can stay and help,” Eero said.

“If we don’t survive, you two will have to take over the Hunters,” Kenton forced Eero to leave.

“Attack and kill the Hunters,” Michael compelled all other Supernatural species.

When Michael left Andre at the door of the chapel, Andre immediately went and grabbed Hannah from her cell and sped off to a nearby house he owned.

Eero and Stella took the hunter kids to the vampire wing of the council, just like their training, as it would be the one place vampires won’t look for them.

Michael watched the blood bath for a short while before leaving them to it. In the hallway, on his way out of the castle, he came to a stop in front of Queen Amirah and ripped her shaman necklace off her before she could use it. In a slow comforting voice, he compels her, “freeze, don’t be afraid.”

“Who are you?” Michael asked smoothly.

“Queen Amirah,” she answered against her will.

Michael could smell that she was of the same species as the bird he met outside and without hesitation, sunk his teeth into her neck. ‘Since she is supernatural, she is free game.’

After Queen Amirah breathed her last breath, Michael tossed her aside. Since he promised not to hurt any humans, he did not want to risk killing anyone by burning the castle down. ‘Especially if my beautiful Ann is inside,’ Michael thought before speeding off, leaving the supernatural to kill each other.

As Michael passed the Vampire wing of the castle, he caught a familiar scent and comes to a halt.

‘Can it be?’ Michael asked himself as he gave a couple of steps into the Vampire hallway. He walked slowly, touching the wall on the one side, following the familiar smell like a hunting dog that has locked on to its prey.

Michael sniffed the air, and a smile crept up his face. ‘Could it really be?’
The scent was becoming stronger as he got nearer to it. For a couple of steps, he almost walked past, but then stopped and gave a few steps back, coming to a halt in front of a door.

‘Should I knock? That is a thing they do in this time and age,’ Michael wondered as he was sure he has tracked down where the familiar scent was coming from.

Michael knocked, and the door opened by itself. He pushed the door open slowly with one finger but did not step in.

“Brother?” Michael called out into the darkness of the room, but could see clearly with his night vision.

***

“Eero, the prehistoric is out in the hallway at King Trovald’s room,” Stella said, as she peeked out of the door from the room they were hiding.

“If anything happens, don’t leave this room. It has a special spell and no one but a hunter can enter here,” Eero told one of his siblings, putting the oldest of his younger siblings in charge.

“It is up to us. He is now outnumbered,” Eero said as he took Stella by the hand.

Together, they walked over in clear sight. Michael looked to his left and then his right and saw the two coming his way. Recognizing them from sitting between the Hunters earlier, he realized they must be kids, ‘teenagers perhaps.’

“Can I take them on?” Michael asked out loud to himself.

“Brother?” he called out again.

Michael wondered if his brother was in the chapel and if so, why did he not see him? Michael looked over at the Hunters, which were slowly approaching, and left. Outside the castle, Michael stopped where Paris was bleeding himself to death. “What happened to you?” Michael hunched down as he realized that Paris was a vampire. Michael lined up his body so that his spine can heal and snapped his neck into place, but the blood was still gushing out of him.

“Paris!” Michael heard a distressed voice.

Shysie and King Trovald just got back, but King Trovald went to the chapel and Shysie decided not to stick around.

Shysie fell down next to Paris, “what happened? Shysie cried out as she licked his wounds, spitting the blood so as to not get it into her system.

“I found him like this. You should go get him a human,” Michael suggested.

Shysie looked up at Michael, “are you new here?”

“Go get him a human,” Michael compelled Shysie. Michael recognized the two from Ann’s memory and wondered if he should help Paris, knowing he could potentially be in competition when it comes to Ann’s affection.

Shysie returned with a human. “It is a bloodbath in there!”

“I know,” Michael said as he bite open the human’s arm and put it in Paris's mouth.

“What do you mean, you know?” Shysie asked, wondering if she should be scared.

“That is enough,” the human said as the human felt intoxicated. The human tried to get their palm out of Paris's mouth but Paris was not letting go.

Shysie ripped the human away from Paris.

“He needs all the blood. He has lost too much,” Michael said.

Shysie left and came back with two more humans. Paris opened his eyes after the third human. “Andre has Hannah.”

Shysie knew all along that Dario would be the sacrifice as she was the one helping King Torvald, who was helping Andre, who wanted Dario dead so that he can have Hannah again.

“We will come back for her,” Shysie helped Paris up but he was not strong enough yet.

“Where is Ann?” Michael asked.

“She went home already,” Shysie said, wondering how this vampire knew Ann.

Michael speed off without saying goodbye.

“Who was that?” Paris wanted to know.

“I don’t know, but he saved your life,” Shysie said, wrapping her arms around Paris.

“Please let go of me,” Paris said coldly.

“I helped,” Shysie said, not understanding why Paris was rejecting her.

“Thank you,” Paris said as he struggled to get enough strength together to leave.

“Where are you going?” Shysie asked, walking after him.

“I don’t know, anywhere but here. I need to regain my strength then I am coming back for Andre.”

“Why?” Shysie asked, playing dumb.

“He tried to kill me,” Paris said.

“Let’s go to Toronto,” Shysie suggested as she picked up Paris and speed off.

“Fancy seeing you here,” Shysie joked when they enter Dario and Hannah’s Penthouse in Toronto.

“What happened to you?” Wynn hurried over to help with Paris.

“Andre,” Shysie answered for Paris.

“Where are my parents? Did they make it out?” Jessica asked, coming out of one of the bedrooms.

“Yes princess, they are safe, King Trovald forced me to help, they are with your pack, why don’t you mind link them?”

“I have tried but I am not getting through,” Jessica said concerned.

“Try your pack members,” Shysie advised.

‘Mr. Ondrink?’ Jessica tried first.

‘Everything ok Jessica?’ Mr. Ondrink responded.

‘I can't seem to mind-link with my parents,’ Jessica's mind linked back pushing off a lot of fear.

‘Don’t worry they are safe, they are just blocking their own minds so that the royal and other werewolves cannot reach them,’ Mr. Ondrink mind linked her.

‘Are you sure?’ Jessica asked.

‘Yes, I am looking at them,’ Mr. Ondrink assured her.

‘Where are you? Where are they?’ Jessica wanted to know, searching Mr. Ondrinks' mind.

‘We are in Toronto and will make our way back to Alaska tomorrow at first light,’ Mr. Ondrink responded.

‘It is too dangerous. You will put the entire pack in danger if you take my parents there,’ Jessica objected.

‘The spell wall will protect us,’ Mr. Ondrink argued.

‘As your Alpha, I forbid you to take them to the pack,’ Jessica tried.

‘Just the three of us leaves us vulnerable, but with the pack we are strong,’ Mr. Ondrink reminded her.

‘I forbid it,’ Jessica mind linked back.

“Is everything ok?” Wynn asked, taking her hand as he could see, feel, and hear what was going on in her mind.