Vasili followed Elias, sensing the men's predatory eyes on his back. He tried to ignore them but couldn't help glancing back and seeing their menacing gaze. Returning his focus to the front, he noticed Elias picking up the pace.
Coming to a staircase access door, they slipped inside and began their descent to the lobby. Elias frequently glanced over his shoulder, grinning as their speed reached supernatural levels.
Vasili didn't register their speed-his attention was locked on the claw marks etched into his chest. He kept thinking, 'Is this going to be a problem for me? Am I going to be a Werewolf?' Exhausted after a long day at work and now interrupted by a double homicide, he couldn't help but think, 'It really isn't my day.'
Their swift descent ended as they emerged in the lobby and rushed towards the exit. Elias looked around as they stepped into the cool New York air. Spotting his vehicle, he shouted, "Come on, we are taking my ride!" The man almost vanished in a blur as he approached the black Porsche 911 GT3.
Vasili admired the 'ride' as it roared to life in the night. It was undeniably a badass car.
He got in the passenger side and immediately noticed how cramped he felt. Elias laughed as Vasili tried to not hurt himself on the roof, "Haha, Vas, my bad. I have a lot of chicks in here."
Vasili responded with a glare.
As they sped away, the car's stereo began to ring. Elias sighed and answered, "Yeah?"
The line remained silent for a few moments, making Elias uncomfortable. Vasili grimaced as their speed doubled that of the posted limit. The silence dragged on until a hard, monotonous voice spoke, "Home. Now." Then the line ended.
This time, Elias was the one to grimace as he tripled the speed limit. They were racing, with buildings flying by Vasili's window. Although they were mostly a blur, he could tell by the height that they were returning to the middle of the city.
After only a few minutes of weaving through traffic, they reached a skyscraper. It was bustling with activity as hundreds of men in uniform began to leave in SUVs.
Elias sighed and said, "Well, we're 'home.' Come on, I'll show you how we roll."
Vasili's mouth gapped at the massive building, wondering how anyone could call a tower their home.
There was a visible reaction among the soldiers as they pulled under the canopy. A few seemed ready to start shooting or questioning, but they were quickly corrected.
Elias stepped out of his car, glancing over the family's men, and wondered, 'What the hell is going on?' He knew an attempt on his life meant instant war, and heads were guaranteed to roll, but he didn't think the response would be this significant.
He considered asking for a situational report, but decided against it, as his Father was waiting for him. He offered a passing nod in acknowledgment as they headed inside and toward the elevator.
Vasili noticed the glares he was receiving and asked, "Elias, is there any particular reason I'm getting side-eyed like a motherfucker?"
The Vampire laughed and replied, "They are just jealous and a tad overprotective. But honestly, don't worry about them. All they need to know is that you are my friend."
Elias seemed to believe that his opinion mattered that much, and maybe it did, but Vasili would prefer not to find out.
As they entered the building, feeling the blast of omnipresent air conditioning, Elias nodded at security as a well-dressed man appeared and spoke, "OH, YOUNG MASTER!! THANK GOODNESS YOU'RE OKAY!!" The fussy older man, dressed in what could only be described as a butler's uniform, kept trying to stop them. "Young master, please, just let me get this shirt off of you before you see your Father. Oh my, what a mess."
Vasili let out a small chuckle. After watching the Vampire slaughter of two Werewolves, it was funny to see him being 'mothered' by an old man.
Elias squinted his eyes, then took command of the situation by yelling, "CEASE! Stop worrying about useless things like decorum. I nearly died tonight. Now, take me to my Father!" Which seemed to sober the butler right up. He stopped and led them to a private elevator hidden behind a secure door.
"Right this way, my Prince." The detached voice of the older gentleman was strained. He hurried, unlocking the door and hitting the button to call the elevator.
After a few moments, the door slid open, revealing a private elevator designed for three people at most.
The group shuffled inside, the elevator music an almost perfect accompaniment to the night.
Vampires, Werewolves, and mediocre Jazz.
Vasili furrowed his brow, feeling his chest, or more accurately, his shirt. He couldn't help but think, 'Those razor-sharp nails did quite a number on this thing.' As he carefully opened it up to feel his wound.
The butler commented on it, "You were injured while protecting our Young Master?" with an almost reverent look in his eye.
Elias answered for him, "Oh yeah, he got cut for trying to stop the second one. The kid hasn't even completed his metamorphosis yet."
That fact seemed to make the butler's eyes go wide, "I must inform your Father-he will want-" He was cut off, "No, Sebastian, it's my responsibility."
Sebastian looked confused, wondering what happened tonight to make his charge take responsibility? He couldn't help but wonder just how close the Prince had come to death.
The elevator stopped, and the digital display showed that they were on the 25th floor of the building.
As the door slid open, a new scene unfolded. Men and women in suits walked around with hands-free devices, talking in a controlled tone as they commanded the retaliation.
Elias stepped out, being noticed by all, and then promptly ignored. His presence commanded respect, but war took precedence.
They made their way to the end of the dark oak hallway, the décor matching an old manor more than a skyscraper. Elias mentally noted his room being searched by detectives.
They turned left at the end of the hall, coming face to knee with a regal-looking man in his 50s. Elias smiled and said, "Hey, Dad."
The ancient man moved to his son's side in the blink of an eye, offering his suddenly bit wrist to his son's mouth. Elias smiled and took a sip, feeling the rapid healing being undone and completed once more for finality.
Elias writhed in pain as his near decapitation and staking wounds came back into existence, only for it to be fixed by the True Regeneration of an Alpha Vampire.