Mine

It had been a week since Mael woke up and he was currently in a curious town known as Ur. It was a mere town not even a city but it had its shopping district. Only a few towns were capable of this and even more impressive was that it was a town dominated by humans.

Ur had sights capable of dragging the stuck-up nobles from their homes, a feat unachievable by any. It had piqued his curiosity so he decided to check the town out. Also, there was a feeling of restlessness building up inside of him, it was similar to having two contrasting emotions which was quite disturbing so he decided a walk would help.

The sides of Mael's lips twitched lightly as he tried to maintain his composure. Xacier had informed him about the midnight ball hosted by the upper echelon which happened every year around this time. Unfortunately, it seemed that invitations had landed in this town as the number of people on the streets was too much for his comfort.

He couldn't even walk two steps without rubbing shoulders with someone and that ticked him off. Today wasn't his day.

Mael was dressed rather casually, in a long sleeve white shirt and black slacks, he blended in well with the crowd but the elegance and grace he exuded with every movement of his could not be hidden which in a sense, singled him out of the crowd.

His black eyes scanned the crowd, not missing any detail on whoever or whatever his eyes fell on. For a city that was supposedly dominated by humans, a large number of night creatures were present. A quarter of the population were werewolves and though he couldn't see the vampires, their scents gave out their locations.

The midnight ball could be a factor as to their number but it was also the same in this era, humans never had a place of their own.

Mael was brought out of his thoughts when he felt two bodies brush past his own, reminding him of his growing irritation. His stroll would have to come to an early end.

Xacier left after they got here but it had been more than thirty minutes. He dared to leave his master alone for so long. The time they had spent apart must have given him the audacity.

"Tsk," he clicked his tongue in irritation. Mael's eyes fell on a cloaked figure ahead of him. The figure was covered from head to toe, not a single part of his skin was exposed.

The sight in front of him almost made him laugh. An average vampire was trying to emulate what the majority of the pure-blooded vampires couldn't achieve. Trying to walk under the sun? He would find it easier to fly than to do that.

And he was right, though the vampire was covered from head to toe, ashes trailed every step of his, and soon they started to flow into the air. All of this only Mael could see because of his advanced senses.

At some point, the vampire started to stagger then tripped on his feet and landed right on Mael's chest.

He looked up to meet the most condescending gaze he had ever seen that made him feel tiny, like an ant in front of a lion.

"Move," Mael ordered but the vampire couldn't move because the joints of its feet had disintegrated. The vampire then noticed that the burning sensation he was feeling from the sun had stopped.

Realizing that it was because of the man, "Give me your blood!" the vampire bared his fangs, ready to sing them into his skin but he found himself biting the air as Mael had pushed it aside with a mere wave of his hand.

At the same time, the clouds covering the sun cleared allowing the sun to shine in its full glory to the vampire's dismay. The vampire let out a shrill scream as it burnt under the sun, its covered skin disintegrating into ash.

"What's happening?"

"It's a vampire," a little crowd gathered around the vampire corpse.

"What was it thinking walking under the sun?"

"It serves him right! Those blood suckers all ought to die!" a man stated in disgust.

Meanwhile, Mael walked away from the commotion. He dusted the ash that had settled on his shoulder.

'Get right here, Xacier,' he ordered in his mind and Xacier appeared beside him immediately.

"You have some nerve, Xacier, leaving your master for so long," Mael stated without looking at him.

"I couldn't help it. It has been a while since I've been outside and I thought you would want some alone time." Xacier explained.

"Since when were you so considerate?"

"People change, My lord," he answered with a smile. "Hmmn?" he leaned in close to Mael, "Why do you smell like ashes?" he asked.

"You would know if you had done your job," came Mael's retort.

"I sincerely apologize about that, my lord," Xacier bowed in apology.

"Come on," he whined when he received no reaction. "Mael," he called but when a man walked past him, his eyes narrowed and his playfulness disappeared.

"The population of the night creatures here is quite high for a human territory, isn't it, my lord?" he commented.

"What did you find?" inquired Mael.

"Aside from a few rogues at the town's south border, nothing out of the ordinary. Perhaps the midnight ball is just that important," he stated in his observation.

Investigating the movements of the night creatures, more importantly, the werewolves. That was the main reason for their presence in the town.

Mael's eyes narrowed in thought, the town's south border was surrounded by a forest. Rogues gathering in a forest never brought good news.

"What are your orders, my king?" Xacier asked.

"Capture-" Mael's words were cut short as a sudden growl left his mouth and his eyes changed from black to his original blue and green color.

"Mael?" Xacier called but his voice didn't get through.

The scent that had wafted up his nose was more than enough to make him lose control. The sweet and addictive scent was enough to get him on his knees. Mael turned around, his eyes searched the crowd for the source of the scent.

Then they fell on her. It was almost automatic as he was drawn to her. There she was, amidst the crowd, speaking to a man beside her. It seemed the man said something funny as she broke out in laughter and he immediately felt his mood improve.

Mael's eyes followed her every movement, from the way she laughed to the way she pushed her glasses up her nose to the way she pushed her hair behind her ear. It was like she was surrounded by a shining light that dulled other things around her.

"Mine," he claimed. Everything made sense to him now, the restlessness he was feeling and the reason why this town called him. She was here. His mate, the one made for him.

"Mael?" he heard Xacier call. He tore his gaze from her with great difficulty and turned around to meet his confused gaze.

"Did something happen?" he asked.

"It's nothing," Mael replied. "Why don't we pay our subjects a little visit," he told him and the two of them walked away from the crowd.

°°°

"Hmmn?" Elaina's eyes moved to the crowd, she had felt eyes on her. The gaze didn't carry any malicious intent instead she felt secure under those eyes. It was odd, she knew that, but she felt that she had missed out on something when she didn't feel the gaze on her anymore.

"Is something wrong?" Alexander asked when he noticed her staring at the crowd with a look of disappointment.

"No," I thought I sensed something," she answered and returned her gaze to him.