Unfortunately Mated to the Evil Vampire

16 "She's mine."

Vicker woke up just as the sun sank down over the horizon. He looked over at Mae, she was still sleeping. He thought she would be awake by now, since it’s been a while since they shared the same bed. Back then she had adapted to sleeping during the day, and remaining awake during the night. But he thought she broke out of that habit. It would seem she hadn’t. His heart clenched in his chest as a random thought filled his mind – that maybe she hadn’t gone to her mate after she was taken from him. If she had gone to him, wouldn’t she have broken out the habit? Werewolves were nocturnal but they leaned more towards their human form, so she would have broken the habit.

Or not…Vicker shook his head. He was clearly picking at the tiniest clue she was still his. She clearly wasn’t. The mating mark on her shoulder was a glaring reminder. Her mate must have claimed her right after she was taken from hm. But it was strange that she had a hard time remembering that time.

He sighed, and got up from the bed. He walked into the bathroom, and took a quick shower. Once he was done, he wrapped a towel around his waist and returned to the bedroom. He went for his bag, and looked through the clothes Cassia bought for him. His brother was worried sick about him. He has always been like that.

Cassia believed he had to save him from himself. But he was fine now. He was going to prove it to him. Vicker dropped the towel to put his clothes on.

A hiss went through the room. He looked towards the bed. Mae was staring at him. Her eyes shone with a blue light he hasn’t seen in a long time. For a moment he was captivated by her wolf eyes. His heart slammed against his ribcage. His breath whooshed out of his lungs as desire slammed into him. And his whole body tensed.

She pushed off the bed, and rushed into the bathroom. Vicker gripped the clothes he had been about to put on, fighting the innate instinct to go after his bride. He quickly put on his clothes and walked out of the room, without looking back. He had to get out of there, before he did something stupid.

He walked down the hallway. The house was still dark. The others hadn’t woken up yet. And the shuttered haven’t been drawn up yet. Vicker made his way to the library where he knew Maximus kept his human blood and the ambrosia they used to lace it so that it was strong enough to sustain them. He walked into the library, but stopped when he found Maximus at his desk, a carafe of blood and a vial of ambrosia in front of him. Vicker grimaced. He thought he had a few minutes before he had to face the vampire.

The scent of blood filled his nose, making his hunger acute.

“I thought you were still asleep,” he said walking to the desk. Maximus looked up at him. He opened a drawer and pulled out another glass. He poured him a glass of blood, and lifted the vial.

“How much?” he asked, giving him a lingering look. Vicker didn’t play with the stuff. The ambrosia was strong and could turn any supernatural being into a slave for the substance. The elders tried to get him hooked on the stuff but he was saved because he didn’t really prefer human blood, so they couldn’t lace his blood with the stuff. But now he needed human blood, because the only blood he craved was from his bride. And he knew he wasn’t going to have that any time soon. He walked to the desk, and took the vial from him. He poured a drop into the glass.

“How are you? We haven’t seen each other since you and Cassia decided to become the elders’ puppets,” Maximus said picking up his own glass. He took a sip, his eyes not moving from him. They burned with the rage he was clearly keeping inside. “I must say. I’m not happy you’re here.”

Vicker clenched his jaw. Maximus didn’t like the elders, and he did his best to protect them from the rest of the vampire world. But they wanted to experience everything. They’d just gained all this power, and didn’t have anywhere to go. Going to the vampire nest sounded like a good idea. Maximus wasn’t part of the vampire nest when he and Cassia left him. They didn’t exactly leave still on good terms. Maximus felt betrayed. But they thought they needed to join the rest of the vampire clan in order to reach their full potential. Maximus sheltered them. But now Vicker understood why. The elders turned him into a beast for their own purpose. And they didn’t care that they were slowly killing him.

“I hardly slept all day, because you showed up out of nowhere. But then again, where would the prodigal return to if not to his father? I am sire. I have no choice but to help you. And your…” His eyes drifted to the door. “What exactly is she to you?”

“She’s my bride,” Vicker said. He pulled out the chair in front of the desk, and sat down. He gulped down the glass of blood.

“She has a mating mark. You didn’t snatch her from some werewolf, right?” he asked sounded like an overbearing father. Vicker swallowed the retort that formed in his mouth. Maximus wasn’t just any vampire, he could go off on. He was sire. And he hasn’t seen him in years. He didn't want to fight.

“No. She was mine before she had that mark.”

Maximus stared at him for a few minutes that he thought he wouldn’t say anything. “I don’t understand.”

Vicker didn’t either. But here they were. “She believes she has another mate. And I’m trying to help her find him. I’m on my way to the packs I remember the elders trying take over. There are so many. I don’t even remember half of them. I came…” Vicker trailed because Maximus pushed to his feet, shaking his head. The sound of the shutters drawing up filled the silence. He walked to stand in front of the large window. The moon shone bright outside. Vicker stared at it. Memories from his past of living in this very house, with Maximus filled his mind. He rubbed his face with his hand. He got to his feet. He walked to stand next to his sire at the window.

“And you don’t believe she has another mate?” he asked taking him by surprise. “It’s in your voice. If she believes she has another mate. She can’t be yours then.”

“She’s mine,” Vicker said. He knew she was his. There was no doubt about that.

“How do you know?”

“I claimed her before she was taken from me by the elders.”

“The elders? She was with you in that hellhole?” Maximus growled out. He shook his head. “How do you know she’s really yours and not planted in front of you by the elders so you'd think she’s yours, but in truth she belongs to another male?” he asked after a few seconds of silence.

His words slammed into him taking his breath away. He hadn’t thought about that. But he wouldn’t feel the way he did if she wasn’t his. Or would he?

Did they manipulate him?

It was possible. They put her in the room they usually kept him after they tortured him to do their bidding. Vicker remembered the moment because he relived it yesterday in her memories. s**t. She was right there when he opened his eyes. Even though he told Fluvia to take her away the seconds he brought her to him.

Fuck f**k fuck...

Vicker felt like he was spinning.

“I just need to find the pack, and then I can figure this s**t out," he thought, but he said it out loud.

“I can’t do what you want,” he said not looking at him. “You should have asked your brother. He has the same gift as me. He could have easily read your mind, and mapped out the path for you.”

“He tried. But he couldn’t…find anything,” Vicker said. “He was the one who suggested I come to you. You’re older and are more powerful than him.”

“And he couldn’t come himself, why?”

Vicker grimaced. He couldn’t tell him that Cassia wanted to come, but he told him not to, because he wanted to do this alone. He didn’t want Cassia there questioning his every move. They fell silent for a few minutes. Vicker stared at him wondering what he was thinking.

“I heard what you did to the elders and the nest. There has been talk in all the clans around here,” he said out of nowhere. Vicker didn’t hear any talk. Well, he wouldn’t hear anything. He and Cassia went to sleep right after the nest was burned to the ground with the elders and vampires inside. They haven’t been to their house since. “I don’t know what the other clans would think if they found out that I’m helping you.”

“Do you want me to leave?” he asked. His heart clenched in his chest. He hadn’t realized how much he longed for his sire until that very moment.

“No,” Maximus said gruffly. He could tell that he was still angry with him. “You’re my son, and I haven’t seen you in a long time. I’m glad you’re here. And survived what the elders put you through.”

Vicker nodded. Maximus turned and looked at him. He pulled him into a tight hug. He pulled back and stared at him. “Come introduce me to your…bride,” he said walking to the door. “I told them to find a chef to cook for her. We can talk over dinner.”

“Thanks,” Vicker said walking to the door too. Maximus went to his room, while he walked down the hallway back to the room. He sighed, feeling more lost than he did before coming there. Maximus brought up things he hadn’t thought of.

His heart squeezed painfully as he thought of the possibility that Mae might not be his bride. He clenched his jaw, not wanting to think about it. They would know soon enough. He just needed to convince Maximus to go through his mind, and paint a path for him to follow; otherwise it was going to take him a long time to go to every pack the elders attacked.

He walked into the room. Mae turned to stare at him. She sat on the bed, dressed in fresh clothes. His eyes drifted over her. His entire body burned with desire, and he wanted to be close to her. He craved it.

Would he feel this way if she wasn’t his?

If the elders truly manipulated him...maybe.

While he was in the nest he didn't know what was real and what wasn't.