68__The wrath of a Vampire King

Viktor shrugged off his coat as he walked through the hall of his castle, his mood far darker than it had been when he'd left.

"What're you going to eat?" Demetrius asked enthusiastically as he took Viktor's coat from him. "I've prepared a feast, I swear I'd be the best chef in the world if I lived amongst humans."

Viktor looked around, undoing his top buttons while Demetrius spoke. "Where's Damon?"

Demetrius looked annoyed. "I don't know. He and Grace went out." He frowned sadly. "They ignore me whenever they're together, Viktor, do something about it."

Vaguely listening to Demetrius's complaints, Viktor's gaze went toward Kamilla's wing.

Demetrius waited for the question and rolled his eyes when it didn't come. "Kamilla's been in her chambers all day," he offered.

Viktor looked at him and cleared his throat. "I... didn't ask."

Demetrius watched him walk away with a raised brow. "But you still wanted to know though!"

*********
Running a frustrated hand through his hair, Viktor walked into his chambers.
He rolled up his sleeves, mind deep in thought.
Kamilla had been in her room all day? That was unlike her. She was usually prancing all about with Demetrius. Was she sulking because he'd been harsh earlier that morning?

Well... it didn't matter. Viktor had had to be harsh. He'd had to be just a little drastic with his words.
No matter what she said, he still had the sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach that something bad had happened between the two of them.

To be exact, that *he*, Viktor, had done something bad. Something ugly and dark.
He didn't know what it was, but the feeling wouldn't leave him.
And hearing Kamilla go on about loving him had only made him feel shittier about it. He'd done something aweful to her and yet she was in a state where she couldn't even hate him. The bond forced her to love him and that made Viktor feel sick. He didn't even know why he felt this way. She was his betrothed as he was hers, no matter what, they both had to be subjected to the bond. But here he was wanting to protect her... from *him*.
Despite what he knew he should be doing, Viktor couldn't help but do whatever he felt was good for Kamilla.
And letting herself fall for him was *not* good for Kamilla.
Hopefully, his words as well as whatever warning Ursula had given Kamilla was enough to keep her from doing something as dangerous as falling in love with him.
Viktor frowned.

That was right. Diana's aunt had spoken to Kamilla in secret. She'd told her some tale about paying a high price for loving Viktor.

Viktor felt his gut clench at the thought. Although he couldn't begin to say what that meant, he had the heavy feeling that it could very well be true.
He had to get Kamilla to tell him everything the woman had said to her. Well... this meant he'd have to go to her chambers. It certainly wasn't because he wanted to *see* her or any such foolery... he just needed to clear the air and get everything factually correct. That’s all.
Maybe if she explained, Viktor would understand just what it was that was weighing so heavily on him.

He turned to leave the room, but stopped when something caught his eye. There was a blue sticky note stuck on his bathroom door.
With a frown, Viktor approached and snatched off to read.

His grip on the paper grew tighter and tighter, his body grower tenser with every word he read.

"Goddamn it," Viktor muttered darkly as he spun around strode out of the room.
In a matter of seconds, he burst into Kamilla's chambers, gaze searching from ceiling to floor.
She was nowhere to be found.
He threw her bathroom door open.
Nothing.

Eyes falling closed on a sharp hiss, Viktor leaned a fisted hand against the wall.
If Kamilla could listen... if she could just use her ears and goddamn *listen* for once!

Gritting his teeth, Viktor stalked out of the room. "Demetrius!"

Demetrius appeared in a matter of seconds, watching Viktor march towards him like an angry bull.
He backed up a little, putting a hand to his chest. "Uhm... did I do something wrong?"

"When last did you see Kamilla in this castle?" Viktor demanded. Demetrius pursed his lips in thought. "Hurry up!" Viktor growled making him jump.

"This morning, my King! Geez..." responded Demetrius.

Viktor lifted his wrist and looked at his watch. It was four pm. His eyes fell closed. “Sonofamotherf...” Viktor pressed a tight fist to his forehead as he deeply inhaled.
“Is... there something wrong with Kamilla?” Demetrius asked tentatively. “Is she okay?”

Not bothering to respond, Viktor tossed the squashed up note onto a table and stalked out of the castle. If Vernon had touched even a single hair of her head, Viktor would slowly break every bone in his body.
He’d make Vernon wish they’d never forced him to become King.

*********************

Vernon was sitting silently at the bottom of the stairs before his front door, his house dark and silent all around him.
He clutched his hands together. How much time would he have? How much time would Viktor allow him before he ripped the life out of him?
Would Viktor even listen to his explanations?

Did Vernon even have explanations? Rogan, who was Viktor’s sworn enemy, had taken the King’s soulmate *from* *Vernon’s* house, because Rogan had been staying *in* *Vernon’s* house because *Vernon* had been trying to *help* him.

There was no explaining. Viktor would kill him.

Vernon sighed. The best thing to do was to be prepared to die a painful death.

The reasoning seemed even more correct when Vernon’s front doors burst open. His breath immediately caught in his throat as he stared wide-eyed at Viktor’s dark silhouette against the light outside.
He stood before Vernon, his face shadowed, but the angry glow of his eyes too clear to miss.

“Viktor...” Vernon said quietly, attempting to stand. “My K—”

Vernon’s words got cut off as, in the next instant, Viktor’s hand was wrapped tightly around his neck, lifting him clean off the staircase.
Vernon stared down into Viktor’s furious gaze, thinking nothing but that Viktor would kill him.

“Where is she?” Viktor growled, his voice heavy and dark from the fury coursing through him. “Where the fuck is Kamilla, Vernon?”

A few gurgles sputtered out of the elder as he attempted to speak. “Gngll... Rgn...”

Viktor’s heart nearly stopped. “What?” Releasing his hold, he watched Vernon drop to the stairs and loomed over him. “What did you say?”

Coughing, Vernon rubbed his neck as he drew in as much air as he could. He could swear he’d already started feeling his insides turn to ashes.

“Where’s Kamilla?!” Viktor suddenly roared, grabbing Vernon by the collar and dragging him up to stare into his eyes. “You better talk, Vernon,” Viktor told him in a voice so quiet and gentle, it scared Vernon more than Viktor’s growling. “I wasn’t raised by anyone, so I don’t know about respecting my elders.”

Vernon gulped. “My King... Rogan...” Viktor’s heart clenched in his chest as he stared at Vernon. “Rogan took her.”

The words echoed in Viktor’s head, followed by a fury so hot, he could barely contain it.
Viktor’s body was trembling from rage as he slowly lowered Vernon. “Rogan... *Rogan* took her. Rogan took Kamilla. Okay. You...” Viktor muttered tightly, reaching out a tense hand to gently smoothen Vernon’s clothes, making the Elder flinch in fear. “You stay right here, okay, Vernon? You wait for me to come back and kill you. Alright? If you go anywhere, I’ll find you immediately... and make your death a hundred times more painful. Okay?”

The words were spoken in a frighteningly quiet and gentle manner, but the rage, the darkness behind them was nearly tangible and Vernon found himself unable to stop trembling. Viktor was a Vampire King a thousand times more terrifying than his father. Vernon watched with fearful eyes as Viktor lowered him back onto the stair and, turning around, disappeared into dark air.

The moment Viktor was gone, Vernon released a heavy breath and leaned weakly against the banister. Raising a trembling hand, he pressed it tightly against his chest.

This was what he’d been afraid of. Vernon shook his head miserably. He’d told Rogan to stop. He’d *told* him it wasn’t worth it. Rogan already killed so many people over the matter and Vernon really thought that Rogan’s reasons were not enough to lose his soul over.

There was no going back from this. The Vampire King could kill Rogan... and finally, in death, Rogan would find peace from his anger and his hatred.
Vernon felt his heart twist with sadness.

He’d failed. He’d tried to save Rogan and had failed.