After hours of putting and taking clothes off Christina had to report to lord Orpheus and I was equally tried about it. We had a good time, laughed. That was the first time in a while I had laughed because I could. Lunch would be ready anytime soon and I was supposed to report to the dining hall where not just I or Orpheus would dine but several people. I changed into a pair of jeans and shirt before leaving to dine with them. The room accustomed with little round table, I arrived late and I could see my reserved seat where Orpheus was sited. I took my seat aside from him with three of his council members around the table; Marcos, Katharine and Silas and one empty chair. Right in my view was Lucinda, Lenora, Leo, hunter and Damien. There were all sorts of disciples around and dinner already started when I heard the question from Lord Orpheus
"Where's Master Cassuis?" I glanced up from my plate and scanned the area before looking back down. Weird, it had been a while that I had seen him around. Possibly Lenora heard and came around, leaned in Lord Orpheus's shoulder whispering
"No disrespect intended but Mater Cassuis will not be attending" He looked over his shoulder to her
"What could be more important?"
"Master Cassuis had some interred coterie issues that needed his immediate attention"
He dismissed Lenora by the wave of his hand. Right across me was Marcos and he kept his gaze unmoving from me, although I haven't let our eyes lock I was getting irritated. I rested my cutlery at the edge of my placed and used my napkin to wipe my mouth
"Is there any issue Marcos you wish to speak to me?" I asked as I laid the napkin back on his lap, he smirked taking his eyes off me for a moment before returning them
"I was wondering why and how you pile some of my best soldiers in the throne room seeing how lesser your physique and powers are" He voice was monotone clearly mocking towards me.
I smiled straightening in my seat "Like you indicated earlier before, I have the anger. I'm his daughter after all"
"I presume that you were seeking something of value──" I didn't let him finish as I could see where it was going to
"Where is it?"
"Don't worry, I keep mementos like that"
"It's only best to hand it over this instant" Since the hall had great echo effect no talk was just a whisper, so Leo and hunter heard us indefinitely.
"I have heard the body was taken by her pain— stroked mate, didn't even trust you to bring her back,"
I could see it since the first day he's ever seen me──his will to break my control, to rub me where it pained the most but as of now I have mastered the art of control over my outburst and neither was I giving him the satisfaction he pursue. Leo was from behind him now, not really seeking for my advice on how to act or what he needed to act on neither was I willing to hand it over. The heart in question belonged to one of his pack mates, then I lay off; if he gets to seek out justice for Maya then it would be more satisfying
"Trust is something I am earning from them just recently; her mate has the support of his pack. They will have her back in no time"
"If you will excuse me for a moment," I said towards Lord Orpheus whom had been watching astonished and not willing to break up the incoming feud, he nodded at me with approval while I push out of my seat. I walked across the room and exited quietly, even without interfering; since after I made a point to lord Orpheus he wouldn't dare let harm come their way and I needed no information shared from Marcos to find Maya's heart; I could take it from him any time. Taking a thought clearing walk was paramount at the moment for me, Lord Orpheus is planning our wedding.
'Just know, you are mine now'
There had to be another way to get through this treaty without breaking Jake's heart or me having to bear my first child to a vampire lord. I also thought about my mindless act over twenty four hours ago. After leaving Jake in Lucinda's care I left to find Orpheus again with the intent of piecing this mystery together and that I didn't want any more time to think of the death. I walked furiously towards the room assigned for special works just like the court but this was more like a meeting room, a long table in the middle and chairs around it. I eased the door and entered the almost empty room; the only being I saw was one of the prominent faces I had seen in proximity to Orpheus. His personal body guard, Tony. Tony is sharp and quick, it seemed on impulse to know what his master needed at all times.
"Your highness," he lowered his head a little
"Where's Orpheus?"
"His lord is rather much occupied at the moment,"I interrupted insistently,
"Where is he?"
"I can't disclose his whereabouts" Tony wasn't fazed undoubtedly but I wasn't in the mood to either take his attitude or his Lords. The door moved behind me and I saw Tony's laser gaze move from me to whoever came in, his gaze widen a little in shock
"What are you doing here?" he asked angrily, I turned around to find the man by the door that I had never seemed to have seen before
"Lord Orpheus is in his throne room, your highness" wasting no more time I exited thanking the man. I headed straight to his throne room; just by the door I met another suit dressed man guarding it. I entered anyways during the process I brushed his hand, electric waves shot through the contact point and I saw the last thing I would have, Maya being assaulted by his hands. I drew back grabbed him by the collar before he could realize it my wrist was in his chest and his heart was resting on the floor. Not just him but every single individual that was down at the basement with him
The throne room didn't occupy his gracious self but a few of his vampires littered which I recognize almost instantly. Using my power was a little bit of a bad notion at the moment but the strain I felt in my heart was higher in magnitude than in my muscles. They hissed at me while taking dangerous stances towards me
"You dared to stand against me?" I asked
"I would like to taste your blood, for my friends" one of them ranted
I smirked, "Your Lord's punishment will be much cruel than mine, why don't I grant you mercy?"
In a breath their bodies piled to the floor and the last heart touched the ground, all I could feel at the moment was more anger and dissatisfaction. It didn't matter how fast I attacked, show them to the ceiling before smashing them back into the ground or squeezing their hearts until it popped inside their chest. Prickles of blood sat on my face and crusted over as I stared at the twenty bodies on the floor while blood pool underneath them, I was getting into a trance of madness, she had been there whenever something wrong happened in my life; she took the first step to destroy me. I caught a glimpse of her in the memory of one of those guards leaving the dungeon.
"Lenora,"
Fortunately for her I couldn't find her anywhere in that mansion, until in the dining hall just now. The urge to rip her apart was high, the scent of her gathers an acidic liquid at the back of my mouth; a hunger I had grown addicted to and only when I have her head will it die down. Furthermore things had ruffled up some more, entangled into one another; the demons that fed me this existence are peering probably from hell and they are even in a better place than I was. It was urgent for me to take a walk. I rounded the hall and kept walking in the middle of it, lined with doors on either side; I wonder how many rooms this house entertains.
The hall hasn't been explored by me yet, carpeted, arts on the walls, vases placed over mini tables for beautification. I kept walking silently sighing every now and then from the weight of unsolved events on my shoulders suddenly I was jolted from the side and I disappeared into a room. Very well I noticed my rough handler again, I didn't try to get away from him as he seemed already disorganized; which he never was. I took the scent of alcohol on him, although he had been a regular user this time it had influence on him. It was clear his thinking and approach were impaired, he wasn't the strong, metal individual I had met before; something's changed in him. He peered into my eyes keenly, searching desperately while he kept me against the wall with his hands clipped on my forearm, and I simply stared back at him.
"You are at your coterie, Lenora said that. How did you get here?" Even with his speed it will be quite impossible to have left his coterie and reached here in the time span provided. He really seemed disoriented, even lost; he rocked his head, side to side desperately clinging to my arms.
"No, it's impossible" his voiced in disbelief but he seemed to be only talking to himself and not me. I was immediately in confusion too, what would have set him off this bad?
"Is your coterie in danger again?" I asked for once truly concerned for him, since after seeing him in that state something struck inside of me and the will of causing him just as much harm as he did to Jake and his people died down a little. He pulled away from me turning his back to me, I stepped closer to him. My mind was in muddled by the approach I was giving him, it felt like I wanted to remedy his pain and wanted him to talk to me and the feeling is only growing as his anxious behavior
"Cassuis?" I said quietly
"What have you done to me?" he asked not looking towards me. I stopped dead in my tracks by his accusations, instead of anger to spike inside of me I grew more concerned and curious to know.
"What are you talking about?"
He spun around and now his fasteners are loosened up showing his torso, I trailed my eyes to the only detail on him; the web of vines spread over his chest pad and snaked up to his right shoulder although I couldn't see the end of it. I grew even more confused as he stared at me while I stare at his tattoo. "What──"
"You put a claim on me" he finally said it blankly without any emotions on his face. I had to stumble back at his accusation the word 'claim' echoing in my head, I ditched right into denial
"Claim, no! This could be from anyone you have mingled with. I did not claim you!" I denied bluntly, I wanted to believe it was a lie since he was accustomed to it. To put a claim on someone other than the one imprinted on you from birth by your pack bond, then it happened more on a carnal level. I refused to believe I went any closer than I last fed on him. I believe he was trying to manipulate me again,Using his speed he pinned me back to the wall but this time his face was closer to mine and our eyes locked
"You put the claim the night your relieved the poison of me," his voice strained while he talked to me.
"No" I said immediately after thinking of the time I woke up in my a pair of lingerie
"If you as much think I am fabricating, feel it for yourself" he held my wrist and jerked my hand out and slapped it against his bare chest over the mark. It was instant, it wraped instantly around me; calm, protective, energetic and in bundle of compressed raw energy. It vibrated not through the source of the touch but inside of my chest; making the hair on the back of my neck stand up and my skin in goose bumps. It became all too familiar for my fancy like something I had known for a long time just before I was over taken by fear and that dark vision formed. The blood in my hands had collected to the extent it trailed down to my outer hand and it started dripping to the ground in loud thuds. Everything else in the air stood still even the littlest of particles littering the air from the destruction fall in my view before they stopped moving. I slowly started to lift my head up, now I could only not see the neatly kept shoe but up to his thighs in black pants before it interfered and ended.
I jolted my arm back and darted away from him heaving wildly, the vision changed. I gulped down a clog quickly before speaking with urgency.
"How did it happen?" I didn't have a recollection of how and when it happened during the moment I rid him of the poison or how I was feeling fine again the next morning or worst the bizarre assumptions I was having about how it happened.
"After Damien sent you to your room, I followed after. You injured yourself during the process; you fed through my wrist until──" I felt my body shake as I turn around to cut his chase
"Have we been intimate?" his lips twitched slightly before he spoke
"We didn't have sex" he answered I looked away from his gaze before asking
"What does it mean?"
"It means, I am your claim. You own me and my whole coterie"