Chapter 6: Attack

Salvatore POV

Last night, memories were clear in my mind. Sleepless nights often lead me to the enchanted forest behind my villa. I walked out of the villa and breathed in the fresh air. It calmed my mind until I felt the call of my mate. I felt the hairs on the back of my neck bristle.

I felt an unfamiliar tingle down my spine, straight to the pit of my stomach. Something that needed my undivided attention. At first, I was unsure of it until I turned around and there stood a Shifter in wolf form on the opposite side of the river.

The wolf stood majestically. Its coat was white, larger than most shifters and he looked absolutely powerful. I took a step forward and I immediately recognized his wolf and mostly his scent. The white fur coat was a surprise for me. I had never seen a shifter with such fur. He looked fierce and yet I was not afraid. I wanted to run to him.

When he saw me, he growled. I must say, I loved every minute of it, especially his defiance. His eyes were golden like rays of sunshine. I finally realized where he was. The enchanted forest. How had he ended up here?

It was a hidden gem between the shifters and vampires. Tristan and I were the only ones with this knowledge. Yet to see my mate standing there made my heart pound. His white fur matched my hair. I smiled to myself. My mate wolf was a pure surprise and joy to my cold life.

This unintended coincidence was the confirmation that truly it was meant to be. Yet at the back of my mind, the nagging impossibility rose to the surface. Too many rules and obstacles stood between us. And the fact that we were both leaders of our people.

An Alpha Shifter and a Vampire king.

He turned around to leave and the disappointment in my heart rose like bile. I understood that this was as difficult for me as it was for him. I remained rooted on my feet for a long time staring into the mist hoping he would return. Finally, I gave up and left the forest and headed to the Monumento. This was the graveyard memorial house for the royal bloodline.

Of course, when vampires die all there was left was ash. But grandfather instructed a memorial grave built for the royal bloodline. Some of the memories of the last century were vague.

Over a thousand years of immortality, I did not stop from missing everyone that I had lost. Memories of my childhood before their demise, wind chimes that were hung on the front porch, the sting of winter wind as they ran across the field, and building snowmen in the backyard of the villa. Life had been so much easier then.

How would they react to their son and grandson having a shifter as a mate? Mating with a shifter would be a betrayal to them for sure. The laws were clear, but the heavens had other plans for me. I stood there hoping that they would understand my feelings and guide me on how to proceed.

“Pa, Ma, the heavens have played a game on me. My mate is a shifter? How do I handle this burden?” I stared at their graves hoping for an answer to my dilemma. The only thing that I heard as a response was the sound of wind and its echoes of it.

Then I hear Tristan approach and ignored him until he finally addressed me. “Your Highness!”

“Tristan.”

“The border patrol is on its way to make an urgent report.” Tristan proceeded to report. “And I have a feeling it's not good news.” He added after a moment of silence.

“Have they met Leonardo yet?” I asked in annoyance.

“Not yet,” Tristan replied. “Reports came in that he never went to the border hence I instructed that they only report to you and no one else.”

I knew Tristan would be careful about handling the military report. But to discover that such a small task was assigned to Leonardo, and he failed? How long was he going to be this lazy?

“When will I get the peaceful days back?” I grumbled. Tristan smiled and turned around to leave the memorial house.

I entered my office followed by the border patrol military officers who handed in the report. As I perused through the report, anger simmered slowly. I could sense Tristan's worries as he sighed twice. If only we had increased the guards at the border, then this would not have happened. What was Leonardo doing?

“Your Highness” Tristan spoke when another few moments of silence had passed.

I held up a hand, a ‘one moment’ sort of gesture, still without looking up from the report. Another few minutes passed. I pushed the report back and sighed.

“How do we deal with the shifter pack now?” I murmured in frustration.

“I have a group of men who carried the shifter bodies back in secret. It's only a matter of hours before they realize that they are missing.” The border General reported.

“We need to prepare for retaliation from the shifter pack,” Tristan answered.

“F*ck,” I cursed.

“Your Highness,” Tristan whispered, his tone clipped.

“I know you mean well, Tristan. But I am not planning to be at war with the shifters. Right now, we need a peaceful way to break the news of the killings. The Sila treaty must be abided by.”

“Unfortunately, the shifters will not understand based on their tempers and anger fits. If they find out that their people–” Tristan doesn’t finish his sentence.

“What the hell are you suggesting?” I yelled in frustration and banged the office desk. With a wave of my hand, I dismissed the border general, and he rushed out of my office in fear.

I could tell that Tristan had panicked and was uncomfortable with the situation.

“I trust your judgment, Tristan,” I reassured him. I needed his wise counsel at this moment. He was the only person I trusted.

“Please prepare the defense military team, Your Highness. I have a feeling that the shifters will soon attack us. They can't just watch their members be killed and the culprits are in our camp,” he affirmed.

“But that does not mean I need to go to war or prepare for war?” I snapped. “You know this is a trap. Do you have any new information about who is behind this?”

“Someone from the shifter camp is also behind this. The killer led the shifters to their demise. I am not sure how he is doing it but once the shifter gets to the killing zone, our rogue vampires kill them. That's the pattern so far. We need to work with Alpha Lycus and hopefully, he will not be too hasty in anger and look at the bigger picture. The people getting hit are the shifters after all,” Tristan reported.

“Uh, yeah,” I agreed. This was getting more complicated. Having shifters killed was not good for my coven.

“How about you travel to the border pretending to do a security check and we set a trap to catch these b*stards?” Tristan suggested.

“Isn’t this what they want? I feel they keep drawing me out and want me to act against the shifters. They seem to know me well. From the attacks that were done to date. Even having the rogues be captured. Step by step it was a well-calculated plan. Also riling up the new Alpha, he would wage war to protect his pack. They also want me to leave the coven so that they can take over?”

“I thought so too, your Highness,” Tristan confirmed.

The silence between us reigned because both of us were thinking of a way out of this. A peaceful way out of this mess to be more precise.

“Let’s attend the council meeting first. See how it goes. I need first to calm down the Alpha. This way he will keep the shifters in check.”

“Have the border generals already left?” I asked

“No, they are waiting outside the office for your instructions.”

We walked out of the office and outside were the coven council and the border generals. Leonardo had arrived and looked like he had a terrible hangover.

I stared at him as I gave instructions. “Report to the Sila council at once. I command that no one retaliates even if the shifters provoke us. Remember the killings have been done in our territory and the findings indicate it’s our people who did it.”

“But brother–” Leonardo whined.

The six vampires who were standing around the room nodded their acknowledgment and left for the Sila council. Leonardo did not move, and he was pouting.

“What are you doing here?” I addressed Leonardo. “You piss someone off or something?”

He looked away in displeasure.

“Guess your team did not report to you first?”

“Of course, they followed your instructions, Your Highness,” Leonardo said. His tone was laced with something beyond sarcasm.

“If only you followed my instructions and increased the border guards, this would not have happened. Instead, you are meeting the coven council members behind my back and not doing what I ask of you.” I raised my voice in annoyance.

I knew that yelling at him would not be enough. “Once the team reports to the council meeting send a message to Alpha Lycus. I want to have a private meeting with him at the council.”

“Shouldn’t you be arming yourself for the danger you are going to be facing today?” Leonardo responded.

“What kind of danger will I be facing? The one which our coven is busy creating? Worry about yourself, Leonardo. I don't want you anywhere near the Sila council today. Go to the border as I had instructed you. Such a small task and you failed to deliver.”

I walked back to the office with Tristan, leaving Leonardo looking angry, and sat down in deep thought.

“So, what’s the plan, Your Highness?” Tristan asked.

“Attend the meeting,” I answered. “Listen to the council and the Shifter Alpha.”

“And if they retaliate?” Tristan had a sense of speaking the words no one wanted to hear.

“Then we’ll deal with whatever it is when it happens,” I responded.

“You know that’s not a plan, right?” Tristan murmured.

“Shut up, Tristan,” I responded in defense.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“I am still thinking about your plan to leave for the border. If they want me out of my comfort zone, I will gladly oblige. I know for a fact that it's a trap, but I have lived for too long not to know that the coven council has a hand in it.”

“Your Highness, if you and the Alpha can plan well, then you can catch both of them.” Tristan pushed on.

“The uphill task I have is Alpha Lycus,” I murmured.

Tristan smiled and I huffed. Convincing my intended mate that we needed to work together more so now would be impossible. I was frustrated for the first time in my life. I was annoyed at everything surrounding me.

We left the villa for the Sila council. On arrival, I immediately understood why Tristan was worried. They filled the place with shifters, who immediately growled when they saw me. As usual, I feigned ignorance and walked past their growls.

I entered the council hall, and my eyes searched for my mate. Happiness swelled in my heart until I saw the look he gave me. He looked angry and feral.

Feeling the absurdity of it all, I choked back a laugh. I noticed how the rest of the shifters were ready to attack. Yet amidst grave, grave danger my mind only saw him. My intended mate. The one and only Alpha of the shifter pack.

I walked in slowly until I got to my seat, and he stood up and growled.

“What the f*ck is your coven's problem, Salvatore?”