The cloudy night sky hid the full moon. The patrolling wolves had caught the scent of a vampire but so far, they hadn't found the trespasser yet. Standing high in a pine tree, the vampire smiled coldly as he watched the wolves below him try to find his scent. Turning his red eyes back towards the house, he frowned. It had taken him years to track down his quarry again, and he wouldn't lose her for a second time.
His mind turned back to the young wolf that he had kidnapped and killed a little over two weeks ago. He had mistaken her for Laretta, which was easy to do. It wasn't his fault; the two could have passed for twins. But he had known she wasn't the one the moment he tasted her blood. The unique taste that belonged to those only of royal descendants was missing. Rhett couldn't describe the disappointment that ran through him when he discovered that he had taken the wrong girl.
The conversation that he had earlier with the young woman he was after, kept playing over in his mind. The fear that he heard in Laretta's voice had his heart racing. He wanted her then, but he knew that getting her while she was with the king of the wolves would be hard. He had hung up quickly but didn't drop the smile that graced his pale face. It wouldn't be long now and she would be his once again. With one last look over his shoulder, he started leaping from tree to tree until he was well away Rhett thought of the young girl he had spent tracing down for the past several years.
Only four people in the world knew exactly what Laretta O'Neil was. She was the only child of three royal houses, and the only hybrid of her kind to ever exist. From her father's side, she was half wolf. From her mother, she was half human; though still the grandchild of royals from her mother's side as well. And Rhett knew that somehow, her parents knew that he was coming from her when she was just a baby and they hid her scent, managed to suppress who she was.
He lost her for the first few years when they placed her in the human foster care system, but he found her when she was eight. She didn't remember him because he charmed her and erased all memory of him. He had her just long enough to realize just how special she was, but then, she had escaped. Rhett had spent the last fifteen years tracking her back down.
Once he found the way to bring her heritage out and in full swing, he'd be the most powerful vampire in the history of the world. He knew he had to be careful, yes. If the young royal found her mate, or if her family found her, then years of his hard work would be for naught. But his worry was soon gone. He was confident that the lost royal hybrid would stay that way, lost; just long enough for him to figure out the last few steps he needed before he could grab her and unlock who she really was.
Rhett laughed softly as he entered his safe house. It wouldn't be long before she was his again. When he had her, he would make sure that this time; she would not escape his hold again. All he had to do was to wait for the right time. And even though the reward was worth it, waiting had never really been his strongest virtue.