Chapter 3: Rhyland Leslie Darling

At a high rise apartment in downtown Oxford, a strikingly handsome man lay asleep in bed. The man was half naked from the waist up showing sculpted abdominal muscles. On the nightstand, an alarm sounded and beeping sounds began to fill the room. His dog, Midnight, stirred beside him. Slowly, long lashes opened to show a pair of startling amber eyes. Rhyland Leslie Darling stretched lazily before getting up from the bed. The 6 ft 2, well built man ambled to the expansive shower room to get ready for the day.

A short while later, Rhyland came down from the arched staircase of his penthouse apartment to a table already set up for breakfast. The man didn't spend long on the feast, preferring food of a more raw variety. However, Rhyland had to pretend at least in front of humans to be normal. Only in front of his kind is he able to show his true self. A werewolf.

That's right. This was a world where werewolves and vampires exist and as one may easily guess the two races are always at loggerheads with each other.

"Young master, is the food not to your liking?" The portly head maid asked. She is a human servant but is known to be highly sensitive to her master's needs.

"No. It's delicious as usual, Maria. I just have no appetite lately.

"Shall I have the cook bring out THAT?"

"It won't be necessary." Rhyland said with a wave of his hand.

"As you wish." The head maid nodded and quietly backed away. Afterwards the butler came forward, "Young Master, dinner at the manor is at 7pm."

"The council?" Rhyland stated a question that was not a question.

"Yes." The butler nodded in affirmative.

"Things will run even without my presence." Rhyland commented insouciantly.

The butler remained silent.

"I got it. I'll be there."

Rhyland only gave the man an easy smile. He is well aware that the people serving him at his apartment are all on his uncle's payroll. Their loyalty is not with him.

Ever since his uncle was voted as the head of the The Royals replacing his father 9 years back, Rhyland's life has seen a drastic change. Once raised as the heir to the wolf clan, now he spent his days as a profligate whiling away the days or so it appears. At first it was tough, he was used to assisting his father in handling the matters relating to the clan. But after the change in leadership which had been almost unheard of back then, Rhyland suddenly had a lot of free time in his hands. And now there was an unspoken rule that he was banned from holding any management position in the counsel. So while Rhyland is still considered nobility in the clan, he held no actual power. It is very apparent that his uncle wants to keep the dominion over the clan to himself.

Still, Rhyland's life now wasn't so bad. Though the power had been taken away from him, the wealth still remained. Now he is able to enjoy university life without the constraints of the rules of the clan. Once in a while he simply had to show face and have a meal with the council. The council was a committee composed of all the werewolf clan leaders. And at the head sat Rhyland's uncle, Rahl Darling.

Rhyland may be a black sheep in the pack but he happens to be the hottest most eligible bachelor in university. He drove out of the apartment in a 20XX Porsche 911 Sport Classic Limited Edition. A symbol of total excess.

Like always, today is going to be a good day.