Near the city's edge, inside a parking garage, Troy Collin and some of his friends fed on a few youthful humans who were attempting to hijack a few snazzy cars for an illegal profit. Before the wannabe gangsters could execute their thieving plans, they fell prey to a group of young vampires and vampiresses. Before Troy, the young Alpha, detected they were being stocked, he saw Orlando, Alejandro, CJ, and their clans sneaking up on them from the shadows inside the garage. Fear flashed in his eyes, paling his face white as he hissed at the enemies lurking closer, which alerted his friends from feeding on the dead bodies. To be blocked by these older Alphas and their clans had them acutely aware of the imminent danger of this unwelcome encounter.
Troy was the firstborn son of Chester and Zoey. He was roughly a thousand years old and two years younger than his sister Madeline, who was the firstborn offspring of their parents.
"Stay back!" Troy intrepidly hissed, unveiling his fangs as he protected this one vampiress. He was sure to keep her away from going anywhere near Orlando and his family.
Orlando slanted his head to the side, peeking at the young vampiress he was shielding behind him. There was a particular protectiveness in his behavior Orlando could recognize. The sounds of a strong tiny heartbeat were heard fluttering inside her womb.
"You got your mistress pregnant instead of your wife." Orlando put it together like a puzzle piece.
It was an innate instinct for a vampire to protect their offspring. Orlando had a few offspring running around, so he could relate to how Troy was extra solicitous and overprotective of her. Instincts are vital and inherent to any vampire's survival, which enables them to sense danger and protect their females and offspring.
Shame and guilt were written all over Troy's face. He couldn't tolerate the anguish he felt for cheating on his wife over a dozen times. Just recently, the young vampiress discovered she was pregnant with his offspring. For his previous infidelity, Chester partly exiled him from the Coven. By rights, Troy was still under the Coven's partial protection, so he could stay with a family member if they took him in. Additionally, he was allowed to visit his mother Zoey, and anybody else in his family or anyone in his Coven every three months. Other than that, he had to keep his distance from Chester, so he kept traveling to prevent other vampires from finding him and his friends, who willingly joined him by choice.
Already aware of the Collin Coven's rules, Orlando knew this adultery act could get him permanently exiled. That meant he would be forbidden to come anywhere near his Coven, and he could no longer visit or see anyone in his family again, including his mother, unless his father sent someone to bring him and whoever chose to go with him back home.
Cheating and having mistresses were a huge do-not-do rule in the Collin Coven, but it wasn't the same for Orlando's Coven because his grandfather never cared if their members had mistresses or if they cheated.
"Relax, I mean you no harm. You know I can help you and her if you come with me," Orlando deceitfully uttered through his hidden smirking mouth, while his words carried a semblance of sincerity that was nothing more than a snare to mislead the young Alpha.
They required Troy's help so he could betray his own family. This way, it made the Mills's plans easier to take them down when the time came to battle the Collin Coven. Given Troy's strained relationship with his father, he was the ideal candidate for deceiving his family. Still young, Troy was at that susceptible age of being manipulated. Once they brought him to their side and used him to eradicate the Collin Coven to attain Victoria and his mother Zoey. He would be detained just like the rest of them. Of course, Orlando wasn't going to share this part of their plan because, at this point, he would say whatever lie to entice him to their side.
From Troy's perspective, Orlando seemed trustworthy and ethical. It's like he understood him in a way that no one in his family could. Playing it smart, he heeded the teachings his father Chester had instilled in him ever since he was young. His parents drilled it in his head to never trust the Mill Coven. He recalled his mother sharing some of the heartache CJ and his family had done to her whenever she was still human.
CJ killed her father, and Aurora, Morbius's wife, killed Troy's half-sister when his mother was in labor with her human daughter because Zoey bore a child with her first husband before Chester came into the picture since he failed to raise her.
"Like I would genuinely believe you!" Troy hissed.
"I mean it. I can give you and your unborn offspring a safe place to go," Orlando offered.
"You lie!"
"We don't lie." Alejandro jumped into the conversation. "Your father will exile you, but you don't have to be without a Coven. You guys are welcome to join our Coven."
Another shadow whisked in front of Troy and his friends, followed by multiple shadows flying in as they surrounded them before Troy could speak. Evan and his clan shielded a protective barrier around the young vampires and the vampiresses from their Coven.
"You have some nerve, Orlando!" Evan snarled his lip.
"Care for another duel with my cousin?" CJ taunted, fueling his aggression.
The last time Evan faced Orlando, he lost the battle and was detained. Inwardly, he knew Orlando was partly stronger than him because of his second gift, but it didn't mean he'd ever cower in trepidation. Kai was always a better match for Orlando since they share the same second gift, and Evan wisely acknowledged that. Moreover, they couldn't risk themselves being detained.
As much as Orlando would've loved to duel Evan again, he had to gain Troy's trust by keeping things peaceful.
"Think about my offer, Troy," Orlando suggested, looking at him past Evan and his clan before taking his leave with everyone else.
Relieved they were gone, Evan took a sigh when they departed this easily. Kai wasn't around, nor was he stable enough to handle Orlando, so that part made Evan nervous, though he never showed it.
As Evan was about to say something, the pregnant vampiress fainted, and Troy caught her in time before she hit her head on the pavement. Putting two and two together, Evan shut his eyes when he realized she carried his offspring.
"Your father is going to kill you once he finds out you got Becky pregnant," was all Evan could say.
"She's very sick. Can we please stay with you for a bit?" Troy implored as he picked her up like a bride.