by Raeden West
He walked until he got to the computer room that held their security for their dwelling, and went to talk to Jesse about locating the girl.
Jesse could find anything with the computers, and he was their local IT guy. Jesse was human, but he was hoping the vampires would turn him for his services.
Melonius wasn't so sure his father would ever turn him, but he considered Jesse a friend, so if his dad didn't do it eventually, he probably would. He didn't see Jesse leaving them just because he was turned, he liked the toys far too much to strike out on his own with no money to purchase new gadgets.
"Jesse, just the man I wanted to see!" Melonius told him when he entered the room.
"Mel, what's up man?" Jesse said, nodding to him, chewing on a red twizzler.
"Dad wants us to find a girl," Melonius told him.
"What kind of girl?" Jesse said, sitting straight up in his chair, looking interested.
"A werewolf princess or something. Here's her picture and the file. Let me know when you've located her, he put me in charge of finding her and bringing her back." Melonius pressed his fingers to the sides of his temples. "Dad's having one of his 'I am the King' tantrums again."
"John's giving you a headache, huh?" Jesse asked as he took the file and picture from Melonius. "She's pretty. He wants her huh? I wonder why he wants to steal her from the wolves."
"You have no idea. I swear my father comes up with these ideas just to drive me insane."
"I'll get right on this and let you know. Since this includes her photo ID, it should be fairly easy to locate her address, problem is, if she's being protected by the werewolves, they've probably moved her to a safehouse already. You'll need to snatch her when she's out in public, which could be messy. Are you going to be taking a team with you, or are you working alone?" Jesse asked.
"Find me an opportunity where I can get my hands on her, and I'll decide from there. I hope my father appreciates this, because this nonsense is getting old. I wish he and the werewolves would just get over whatever started this crap. They need to move on. Most of us don't even know why there's such bad blood between the two factions. I'm over it," Mel said, sounding whiney to his own ears.
"It was over a woman," Jesse told him, having turned away to hammer on his keyboard and scroll through pictures on the screen.
"Where did you hear that?" Melonius asked, curiously. "My father never went into details with me, he said I shouldn't worry about it, yet keeps me in the middle of it."
"Some of the guards were talking about it, since the werewolves seem to be planning something big. One of the new recruits wanted to know why it was such a big deal. Apparently, one of the old pack leaders fell in love with a vampire and stole her from her future husband to be. It caused some bad blood. Supposedly, they are still together, hundreds of years later, but that's just a rumor. No one has seen them in the last couple hundred years, so if they exist, they are laying low," Jesse said.
"Well, that makes sense. No wonder my father wants to retaliate by stealing a bride. What an idiot," Melonius muttered. "My father has this idea, and I don't know if he entirely thought this situation through."
"Well, you're the one who agreed to his plan," Jesse pointed out.
"Don't remind me. I already feel like an idiot."
Jesse nodded, and then turned around, looking excited.
"I got a hit. She apparently goes to a college class on Tuesdays, every morning at eight-thirty am sharp. She has two guards who go as far as the parking lot, but once she's in the school, they don't follow her further. My guess is they don't think anyone would attempt anything in the middle of a classroom." Jesse pointed, then started writing down notes on a piece of paper.
"Thanks. I'll see what I can do about a distraction. It's possible to steal her from school grounds as long as she doesn't struggle. The big question is to drug, or not to drug," he said, and snorted.
"If I was you, I would drug her, if anyone sees you trying to pull her out while she's fighting, they'll probably realize you are kidnapping her. Best to lure her out away from others, drug her and run, with a vehicle in a getaway position to take her once you have her away from her guards and the school building," Jesse pointed out.
"This is why you are the brains," Melonius said. "All I ever wanted to do was study music, and here I am, playing errand boy for my father."
"Well, we all have our role to play in life. Until you learn to stand up to your old man, suck it up, Mel," Jesse said, and stuck another twizzler in his mouth.
Melonius flipped him off, then walked out of the room thinking about how to handle the next step.
Chapter 2
Melonius watched the girl, Valerie, walk into the building from the parking lot. He had planned the situation out, and just needed to convince her to come with him far enough away from everyone that they wouldn't see him take her.
Jesse was waiting for him with a getaway car in the back part of the college, and he was communicating with him via an ear piece and a tiny mic pinned to his chest pocket on his shirt.
"All systems are fine on my end, just acquire the target so we can get back," Jesse told him. "Sitting here is making me nervous, Mel. I can't defend myself if the werewolves find me."
"Working on it," Melonius muttered. The sun hurt his eyes and made him sleepy. While vampires didn't suddenly combust in the sun, they were by nature predatory and night creatures, and he had on thick sunglasses to protect his eyes. Their eyes saw better at night, and the bright lights gave him a headache.
He was going to try to coax her out of the building, but he realized that the odds of her cooperating willingly were slim, so instead he had chloroform. He followed her down the hallway.
He waited until the hall was empty and she was alone, she stopped to tie her shoes, her thick brown hair was pulled into a casual pony tail. Muttering an apology, he slipped up behind her, and put the cloth over her face and waited for her to pass out. He picked her up and carried her out the back side of the hall, and hauled her into the van that Jesse was waiting for him in.
"You got her?" Jesse asked, sounding slightly surprised. "That was fast."
Melonius nodded. "Let's go."
"The wolves are going to be pissed when they realize she's gone," Jesse commented. "Me being a human in the middle of a war isn't great for me."
"Probably, but I'll let my dad worry about that. If I have too I'll turn you myself."
Jesse drove the van off, and made sure they weren't being followed before heading back to the house.
"Your dad is really gonna owe you big time for this one," Jesse muttered, when the girl started to wake up. "You need to use it again, and keep her out until we can get her there."
Mel nodded, and knocked her out again, keeping her sedated until they arrived at their destination. There was no point in having a fight in the middle of the van.
Chapter 3
Valerie woke up, and felt sick to her stomach. She looked up at the ceiling and realized she was in a bed.
No, she was on a bed. She looked down and her backpack and books were laying on the bed next to her. She sat up and put a hand to her head, realizing her head hurt too. She opened her bag up, looking for her cell phone, but it was gone.
Okay, so they'd taken it. She remembered reaching down to tie her shoes, and then something weird going over her face, and that was it. There was nothing else, and now she was here, in a strange room.
Valerie couldn't decide if she was angry that someone kidnapped her, or frightened because they were apparently strong enough to get her away from the wolves. That meant they were most likely her enemies too, and her life might hang in the balance.
She wondered if she shifted, would she'd be able to escape without being seen, then realized she needed to figure out who her captors were, and what they wanted. If she went back to the wolves empty handed, not knowing anything, it could happen again, and next time, she might be killed instead of just kidnapped.
She wasn't defense
less; she was a wolf. She could fight if she had too, but getting information would be valuable.
Valerie heard voices, and paused, straining to hear what they were saying. She still wasn't used to using her wolf senses in human form. She snuck up to the door and put her ear to it, and then jumped back when she realized the person was opening the door.
"You're awake," the man in front of her said. "Good."
"What am I doing here?" Valerie asked, eyes narrowing suspiciously. The man in front of her didn't seem threatening, and he wasn't acting aggressive or mean towards her.
"That's complicated," the man told her. "Let's start with something simple. Like names. I'm John. You're Valerie."
"I know my own name," she told him, giving him a funny look.
She gave the man a better look. He was tall and handsome, and if she wasn't supposed to be marrying the werewolf leader, she might have found this man incredibly attractive. He had broad shoulders, and large hands that looked like they'd be good for playing the piano. Or touching things besides a piano.
"I'm sure you do know your own name, I was just letting you know I knew your name," John told her.
"So, who...or what are you?" Valerie asked him. She had a feeling she knew, but she wanted to confirm.
"How much do you actually know?" John asked her, and shifted his weight from one foot to the other.
"You mean about the vampires and werewolves?"
"Exactly," John nodded.
"Enough."
"Do you know why we'd try to stop your wedding?" John asked her.
"I'm sure to offend the wolves," Valerie said, sighing.
"You're prettier than I expected, and smarter," John told her, changing the subject. "Your picture doesn't really do you justice."
Valerie blinked at him, unsure how to respond. He was giving her compliments, yet seemed to delight in the idea of pestering the wolves, assuming he wasn't just pretending to try to get her to relax. She'd never been kidnapped before. She didn't know what she was doing when it came to playing along to gather information.
John intrigued her though. He seemed full of life and passion, and he talked with his hands, in an animated style. His gaze was intense, and when he stared at her, she felt more naked in front of him than if all her clothes were off.
It was unnerving. Yet, exciting too. She blushed and looked at the ground, not wanting him to realize she was attracted to him. This entire situation was stupid as far as she was concerned, and finding a man attractive didn't mean you had to act on it.
"How long do you plan on keeping me here?" she asked him. She assumed if he wanted to hurt her, he already would have, so whatever they had planned, it probably involved something else.
"Depends," John told her. "We won't hurt you as long as you don't try to leave, but otherwise, consider yourself a guest here."
"Yeah, that story sounds vaguely familiar... Beauty and the Beast ring a bell?" Valerie asked him, snorting.
Granted, it had been her favorite movie growing up, but the man in front of her didn't look like any beast. If anything, she was the beast.
"The kids movie?" John asked her, looking surprised for a second.
"Yes, the kids movie," she nodded.
John shook his head. "Heard of it, never seen it."
"You should. It's cute."
"Maybe we'll watch it together then, and you can explain why you like it," John told her, leaning closer, smiling when her heart started beating faster.
"Am I allowed to shift, or will I be shot on sight?" Valerie asked him, knowing that her ability to control her shifting was still up for debate. She changed the subject, not wanting to let him know that his nearness excited her. She felt confused. This wasn't supposed to happen.
"They already bit you?" John said, suddenly looking shocked.
"Yes," Valerie told him.
"Well damn," John said. "There goes that plan."
"What plan?" Valerie said, and then realized the reason she was here. "You were going to turn me, weren't you? Take me away from the wolves by making me a vampire."
"That was the theory, yes. But they ruined those plans by turning you before the wedding. Normally they wait until the wedding night to do it," John said, rubbing his hand to his chin, looking disappointed.
"Special circumstances," Valerie muttered. "They couldn't wait until the wedding."
"What were those?" he asked.
Valerie hesitated, wondering if the truth here was the right thing to say, but since he already knew she was a wolf she shrugged, deciding it didn't really matter. If he was going to kill her, she probably wouldn't be able to stop him.
"I was dying."
"Excuse me?" John said, looking shocked. She looked so healthy, and fit. Though if they'd turned her, it would fix any health issues she had.
"I had a brain tumor. Cancer. I had weeks to live. I was in pain, suffering, he turned me so I could be healthy. We hadn't told anyone yet that I'd already been turned, and I was so miserable and in pain and unable to think straight from where the tumor was pressing. He was worried I wouldn't be able to make a coherent decision at the time of the wedding. While I was healthy enough to think straight, he turned me so he knew I wanted to be turned." Valerie gave him a pointed look. "He saved my life, and I am forever grateful to him."
"Do you love him?" John asked her.
"No, but he saved my life." Valerie said. "I'm indebted to him, and if being his mate is all he wants in return for a lifetime of experiences and avoiding a horrible, painful, and embarrassing death, then that doesn't seem like the worst thing to ask for in return."
He looked relieved by her answer, but she wasn't sure why it would matter to him.
"How long were you sick for?" he asked her.
"The symptoms started when I was about thirteen or so. They just wrote the pain in my head off as migraine headaches. We found out for sure when I was eighteen, and by twenty, they knew there was nothing they could do, and I'd be dead in six months. That was four months ago. I had weeks to live, and the symptoms were getting worse," Valerie told him, looking slightly haunted when recalling what happened.
John took a step closer to her, almost looking like he was going to offer a comforting pat on the shoulder, but then stopped and just stared at her.
"Why did they pick you?" John asked, confused.
Valerie shrugged. "He thought I was pretty. Then when he heard my story, he wanted to give me a chance at a real life. His father was pressuring him to pick a mate, and neither he nor I really had any intention of going through with it, except on paper. I wanted to finish college, he wanted to do his thing. It would have worked out, I think."
"Don't you think you deserve something better?" John asked her, taking a step closer. "You realize that they'd have expected you to sire pups, and if you didn't breed, it could cause problems. You can't mate to their leader and think you'll stay separated."
"I knew what he was asking of me, but there was no big rush to perform right away," Valerie said, blushing.
The wolf was a handsome man, but he seemed like a young boy to her in a lot of ways. She had never found boys her own age attractive, which made this man standing in front of her seem all that more attractive. She sighed to herself, feeling stupid, needing to put these thoughts out of her head.
"But, you realize they wouldn't have just let it be, right? Things can be better than that. You don't have to be a bitch to the wolves just to sire pups, you can have freedom, a life—" John started to tell her.
"Like what, being a vampire instead of a werewolf?" Valerie snorted and raised a brow, looking at him like he was dense.
"No, being happy, and having a mate that actually wants you, that would love you," he told her. "Don't you think you deserve to be loved?"
"I'm just happy to be alive."
"There's more to life than just being alive," John told her, his expression going thoughtful. "Are you hungry?"
Valerie felt like her head was spinning with how fast h
e was changing subjects. She realized her stomach was rumbling, and she was indeed hungry. He must have heard her stomach growling.
"Do you have meat?" Valerie asked, "I was a vegetarian, but I can't live on that diet anymore. The need to eat meat is too overwhelming. I end up trying to bite people if I don't eat meat on a regular basis. It's embarrassing."
"I think I could rustle up a couple of steaks. What size are you? I will get you some clothes, we have a pool out back too, do you prefer one piece, or two piece?" John asked her, pulling out his phone and started tapping buttons on his screen.
"Size six, and I don't care. A bathing suit is a bathing suit. I'm not picky," Valerie told him.
"Alright, my son is going to escort you to get some food." John told her.
"You have a son?" She looked surprised.
"Yes, his name is Melonius," he told her. "He'll be by soon to get you settled in the dining hall. I have some errands to run, I'll be back."
Chapter 4
"She's not at all what I was expecting," John said to Melonius when they were finally alone. John lit a cigar and puffed on it for a few moments, before putting it down on the glass outdoor table on the ashtray holder. He paced on the patio near his pool.
"Well, you wanted her here, what are you going to do with her?" Melonius asked.
"I don't know yet. I find her fascinating, and they already turned her, so I can't turn her myself," John said, looking a little disappointed.
"It's more than that, Father. She doesn't know you're the King does she?" Normally his father bragged about that, so Melonius was surprised when his father had told them about his conversation and it hadn't included all those details.
"She's different. She wasn't turned because of some prestigious reason, or because of her blood lines, she was simply turned to save her life and give her a chance at a future. I could have done that if I had known she existed before they turned her," John muttered.
