Diedrek

It doesn't take us very long to find the monsters hiding in the darkness of the night. I smell their stench before they come into sight. Judging by how close they are to the campsite, that we have hidden under the cloak spell, I can say without hesitation leaving in the middle of the night was the right call.

Our father's stop walking, with it looks to be a good three to four hundred vampires standing behind them. Aurora is to the left of my father, who is the dead center of the group, with Tristan standing to his right. Looking each one in the eye, I can see just from the looks mirroring back at me they already feel they have won.

The cocky smile placed on my fathers face pisses me off. I look to Darius as he stands right beside me, and to my cousin Satine who is on my other side. I'm surprised to see her chin up, and her shoulders straight. She isn't cowering in their presence. I feel pride well into my heart.

Looking back at the group before us, I see Aurora lift a brow as she does a nice show of placing the book, she holds in her hands out in front of her. Looking at me, she practically begs either one of us to make a move. She may not have her powers right now, from being turned into a vampire. However, as long as she holds that book in her hands, she has power.

It's how the darkness of that power works. Doesn't matter if you're a witch, warlock, or vampire. If you were born with any form of witchcraft in your bloodline, as long as you have that book in your possession you wield it's power. Looking from the corner of my eye, I seek out Constance.

She looks towards me, from where she stands on the opposite side of her brother. Nodding her head slightly, she knows what I'm thinking already. She's the only one that has a chance of taking that book away from that woman. As she's had it in her possession once before.

She was the one that had it hidden all those years ago. Hoping they wouldn't be able to find it. Looking across the way at the monster holding it within her hands, we all know we failed miserably on our end of things. My father takes a step closer to us, holding his arms out to his side.

"Son, come now." He looks around at his many followers, and then looks at our pitiful group before him.

"Do you really think you have a chance at defeating us?" His cocky tone has my blood boiling. Tilting his head to the side, he studies me a moment more, before he opens his mouth and spouts more garbage.

"I mean really son. Not only do I have the numbers," He looks back towards Aurora, before looking back at me. A glint of humor held deep in his irises. "I hold all the power."

Before I can say a word, I see Constance taking a few steps forward before her brothers arm shoots out and takes a hold of her. "You may have that damn book, but without it your powerless. Every single vampire here still has a soul. We have more power in one of our bodies than any of you will have your entire lives!" She shouts at him, her hands moving wildly with her words.

My father and his followers are silent for a moment as he looks from me to Constance. A second later, his head falls back as boisterous laughter drips from his tongue. Every vampire behind him joins in. Causing every one of us to take a step forward. Holding a handout, stopping everyone in their tracks, I know we need to think clearly about this.

He has the numbers for sure, but if we play our cards right, we could have all the power. I just need to keep this fucker talking. "You haven't changed one bit my entire life. Still cocky as you ever were." He drops his hands at his sides, looking at me dead on with a glower on his face.

If it's, one thing Mortis Bane hates the most in this world is blatant disrespect.

"Watch your tone, boy." The way he calls me boy, and the tone of his voice tells me how much I've won this round. I'm getting under his skin. Good! I need him to make the first move if this is going to work.

I lay it on thicker, taking it a step further, as I walk closer to the man that brought me into this world. I stand in front of him, head tilted to the side. A cocky smile forms on my lips, as I walk right up to the man, so we are face to face. I bump my boots with his, as our noses are an inch from one another.

"What's the matter old man, can't handle the truth." I whisper to him, knowing full well everyone here can hear my words. I hear some shocked intake of breath from behind him, while my men and women laugh their asses off behind me.

He says nothing, not one word. Only standing here glaring at me. I know he's pissed beyond his limit; I can feel the anger radiating off of him in waves. He is trying not to lose it, so he still seems to have the power. That his oldest son isn't getting under his skin, no matter how much of the ugly truth I spit at him.

He takes a step back, giving me a cold smile upon his lips. He is doing all he can to keep his composure, putting on a show for all of his followers. "Where is that sweet daughter-in-law of mine?" He makes a show of looking behind me at the few that came with me. When his eyes fall back to mine, he asks, "Didn't bring her along?" His tone is condescending.

The man standing before me is trying everything in his arsenal to make me break first. Normally, something like this would work to his advantage, but not today. I have too much to lose from all of this.

"She was sleeping comfortably when I left. I tired her out with all my fun antics I had just for her last night." I give him a cocky grin, "What can I say? I can't get enough of her." My words hit the nail on the head. I know he wants her, more than anything in this world. Perhaps even more than power.

I saw it in his eyes, the night of our dinner. Everything he has done has led to this. The memory of when I was a boy came back, playing in my head like a movie. I had sneaked away from my bed, and down to secret hallway leading to the closet of his office. There was an old witch there, telling him of a girl that would be his sons mate. She would be more powerful than he could imagine, as well as beautiful.

I could practically see the monster licking his lips. He found out the names of who would bring her into this world. When I heard Aurora, I didn't think anything of it. Not knowing her personally, but as the witch said Tristan's name, I saw the predator that lives within my father come out.

He was practically licking his lips with the information. I could see the wheels spinning even then at the age of three. I ran back to my room, trying to forget about the things I heard. When the memory came flooding back, the way he looked at her as we ate our meal, and they conversed it hit me later that night. What he wanted all along, the thing he desired the most. It wasn't only power, but for the first time his eyes landed on my mate. It was her.