Soren trudged his way down the stairs where Frank was already waiting for him with two women in servants' dresses standing beside him.
He halts his steps when Frank comes to him, and the ladies follow behind with nervousness washing over them. Soren eyed the new faces as he wasn't familiar with every servant in the mansion.
"Soren," Frank starts with a polite tone and a fatherly smile. "They wanted to say something to you."
He turned back and he could see the anxious faces.
"I'm sorry, sir. Because I'm new, I didn't realise we weren't supposed to enter Master Zale's room. I was simply carrying out orders to clean every room on the floor." The girl in question sobbed.
"It's okay because it's your first mistake. But, for your own good, please be more cautious." Soren let out a sigh, but he wasn't pleased with what she did.
Soren is still suspicious of her and how she didn't know about Zale's room, didn't she hear rumours about how dangerous he is from other servants? He knew what bad things they talked about and gossiped about him. His gaze was drawn to the elderly lady standing next to the girl, who appeared to be quite familiar.
"Wait, aren't you the graveyard lady?" Soren inquired, recalling her face from the cemetery when he went to visit his parents. Which made him even more uneasy about them.
"Indeed, I am, Sir. I quit that job because it was too far away from my house." The lady walked out, and her presence in the house did not make Soren feel good. "The work here is good, and so is the pay." She spoke nervously as if she was scared of something. She pointed to the girl. "She is my daughter."
"Uncle Frank, I want them both out of the mansion when I get back," Soren exclaimed, not caring whether they were dangerous or not. He's not taking any risk.
The girl cried and threw herself into his legs. As her mother looked at her but didn't say anything.
"Please, sir, don't do this to us. We currently have no jobs, and because we are at the bottom of the food chain, no one cares about us. If you throw us out, we will starve." She sobbed uncontrollably. Soren sighed and rubbed his temples. His kind heart got the best of him, and he didn't want to be the cause of someone's death due to hunger.
"Did you investigate their background, Uncle Frank? I don't want any intruders in the vicinity of Zale." Soren inquired, facing Frank.
"Don't worry, I thoroughly investigated their background. I don't see why we shouldn't keep them, but I'll do as you say. I'll go make arrangements to pay them for their time here-"
"No need, they can stay. But please keep an eye on them." He said and started to walk without waiting for an answer. "Where's Avalon? We need to hurry."
"He's waiting for you outside. Although, I suggest you postpone your visit to another day."
"Why? " Soren frowned in confusion.
"Master Shilister keeps on insisting for you to report him. I don't think it's good to keep letting him wait for so long, you know his temper."
"I see what I can do. Thanks for telling me." He assured him, outside he met a very charming smile waiting for him.
"Just on time," Avalon grins ear to ear. He innocently tilts his head. "I wasn't waiting here for half an hour, not at all."
Soren rolled his eyes, "I'm sorry, took me a few more minutes to change Zale's bandages."
Avalon eyed his red face and couldn't stop himself, he surged forward and sniffed Soren.
"What are you doing?!" Soren pushed him away, stunned at his weirdness.
"Yeah, I could smell what took you so long," Avalon smirked and raised his right brow playfully.
Soren forgets for a moment that he's a vampire and can smell other people's excitement. His eyes widened at the realisation and he cleared his throat in embarrassment.
"So, What I wanted to tell you is that we have to reschedule our visit for tomorrow. I need to be at Alpha's office today." Soren said but still couldn't meet his eyes.
Avalon pouts, "Well that sucks, but it's alright. I can't force you when you agree to help me. But don't tell Shilister that I'm here, he'll eat me raw." He pleads to which Soren nods in understanding.
***********
-Alpha Shilister Mansion-
Nestled in the middle of nowhere, Soren stands in front of a tall concrete mansion with huge glass windows. Soren enters and a nostalgic smell hits his senses. The place reminds him of when he and Zale used to live here.
They moved out to another mansion far away from here three years back when Soren was nineteen. After constantly deteriorating Zale's health and his father's merciless torture Soren begged him to send them anywhere else.
Shilister agreed to his plea but asked him for something that stabbed Soren's scruples. He gave Soren a liquid drug and made Soren promise him that he'd feed it to Zale timely. That was the first day in his whole life that he had to bend down in front of someone and beg them not to make him do such an outrageous deed behind Zale's back.
Shilister made it clear to him that the potion was enriched with vampire magic and specially made for sale to cure his mental health. Nonetheless, Soren was still in doubt and didn't want to blindly trust the snake in front of him. But he didn't have any choice so, in the end, he took the potion from him.
Soren was supposed to give him three drops a week but since he didn't want to hurt Zale in any way, he only gave him one drop a week. After months he could clearly see the change in him. Not much though, he still was as destructive as earlier but now instead of killing breathing things, he started to take his anger out on non-living things. Soren slowly begins to give him the right amount of medicine.
But still, he feels like he is betraying Zale, and the uneasiness he feels in his heart just by assuming what his reaction is after knowing about the truth.
He was yet to enter fully when he was struck by a small woman engulfing him in her arms. Soren grins and hugs her back.
"I should pull your ears out for showing up so less these days." The woman grumbled.
Soren puts his hands on her shoulder and she looks up at him with so much warmth in her eyes that reminds him so much of his mother.
"I also agree with Jiya, you should do that." Soren beams and bends down a little, kissing her forehead. "You look smaller than I last saw you."
She is Frank's wife.
Jiya laughs and hits his arm, "I'm still the same kiddo, it's you who grows taller each time you come here."
"I try hard Jiya," Both laughed and Soren somehow missed Jiya and how much love she nurtured him.
"I can see that. How are you doing? And Zale, is that kid getting better?" Jiya asked.
Soren nods, "Yes I'm alright and Zale is doing so much better."
"So he doesn't bite anyone who tries to go near him?" She questioned and Soren chuckled.
"No, he doesn't, although now he..." Soren started but cut himself from saying further.
"What?" Jiya asked in confusion when he suddenly stopped talking.
"Nothing he's improving and I think the meds Shilister providing for Zale favouring his health." Soren lets out.
Jiya furrowed, "Well that's good to hear but you shouldn't ignore that he's also the reason why Zale is like this in the first place, so don't ever believe him blindly, I know how low he could fall to get what he wanted."
Soren knows exactly what Jiya is trying to tell him and he had himself seen in all those past years just how big a nightmare Shilister could become for someone.
Just when he was about to speak, Willard the beta called his name. Both Soren and Jiya looked in his direction.
"Alpha has been waiting for you for some time now." Willard, Shilister's beta, comes out of the office and says without any emotion present on his face.
Soren nods and follows him inside.
"Soren, it's a pleasure to see you here." The alpha let out when Soren reached in front of him. His Smile was so fake that Soren cringed at the way he wasn't even trying to disguise it.
"Me too sir," Soren lets out, clearly showing his disgust on his face.
"You don't have to lie, you know. I know how much you hate coming here whenever I call you." Shilister let out with the dark aura surrounding him.
Soren looked straight at him which the beta or anyone never dared to do so, "I'm glad you're aware sir." Soren said and the beta tried not to gasp.
"My pleasure." Shilister smiles at him, genuinely this time for some reason. "Now please enlighten me with your regular report."
Soren nods, "Zale is less aggressive nowadays. I couldn't say that he's not blowing up but I didn't reckon him craving killing anyone or hurting physically."
He lied.
Shilister hums, "I see, so the meds are doing him some good." He said and Soren nodded. "What about the foxes I send your way, any thoughts?"
They weren't but Soren didn't tell him. "I like to hear your opinion on them. Do you really intend to help them or are you playing with their hopes?" Soren asked.
"You know this is the reason why I didn't throw you out that night when Stephen brings you to me and begs me to make you a member. I could clearly see the fire in your eyes which I never get to see in my useless son." Shilister let out disappointingly and Soren snarls and rolls his eyes. "The way you're always right to the point in reading my intentions is commendable." His phoenix eyes looked up at Soren, the intimidation still present in those after so many years. "And that's why I give you the responsibility for him."
Soren glared at his shamelessness.
"You are right. I'm up to no good or in the mood for a pity service. Oh, good heavens! You just missed your chance. I would have introduced you to the Alpha of the Silver night pack, he left a few minutes before you came. I would have let you hear it with your own ears for what deal we've settled on."
Soren looked at him in pure chaos and tried to take in his words. So, Shilister had already made deals with them and had plans that screamed of impending havoc.
"They trusted you. How could you have the heart of doing so wrong to someone so helpless?" Soren chides in anger but chuckles without any humour. "Well, you have done worse to your blood, this much is expected of you."